Pneumatic Processing Technologies, LLC

Other

Battelle Memorial Institute

Michael A Jones

Eric L Rehberg

Jason J McCullough

Eric Rehberg

Jason Mccullough

An elevated colander facilitates separating a mixture of solids and fluid while reducing risk of contamination of the solids from backsplash than traditional methods and devices. The colander may be placed into a larger receptacle (e.g., sink) from which fluid may be disposed, and a mixture of solids and fluids may be poured into the colander to isolate the solids from the fluids. Fluids entering the colander may escape through a plurality of holes in outer walls of the colander and spill into the larger receptacle. A lower ring and bottom surface of the elevated colander below the outer walls may each prevent a measure of backsplash from reentering the colander, thereby minimizing contamination of the solids from the larger receptacle. A support structure extending from the bottom surface may elevate the colander and its contents above pooling fluid accumulating below.

Elevated colander

A water heater that includes a cylindrical storage tank and at least one heating element, is modeled using a one-dimensional model that includes: a vertical stack of disks representing the water volume in the cylindrical storage tank, and a stack of annular segments surrounding the vertical stack of disks. Various temperature measurements are determined via resistance calculations of the at least one heating element. The stack of annular segments represents the cylindrical wall of the cylindrical storage tank. The one-dimensional model may be used by a condition-based maintenance system comprising an electronic data processing device configured to detect a failure mode present in the water heater based on an output of the water heating model component. Some illustrative failure modes include insulation disturbance, heating element failure, excessive sediment buildup, or a drip tube rupture.

Estimation of temperature states for an electric water heater from inferred resistance measurement

A cold load pickup device includes a load controller comprising a microprocessor or microcontroller. The device is programmed to detect restoration of power after a power outage on a circuit powering an electric load. A power outage time for the power outage is determined, and a startup delay for the electric load is determined based on the power outage time. A startup delay mechanism, such as a power relay operated by the load controller or switching of the load on/off by the load controller, is configured to apply the startup delay after the detected restoration of power before restarting the electric load. In some embodiments, the startup delay for the electric load is determined based on the power outage time and a startup delay versus power outage time curve stored in a non-volatile memory of the load controller.

Cold load pickup support through local condition detection

Methods and systems for producing activated carbon from a particulate coal feedstock that involve one or more of the introduction of a buffering gas, a moisture spray, a finest carbon fraction as a fuel, and certain gas ratios. Different methods and system configurations allow the production of activated carbon or other heat-treated carbons while concurrently avoiding adverse reaction conditions.

Operational conditions and method for production of high quality activated carbon

Tool for finishing a plastic filler includes an elongate member having a first end and an opposing second end; on the first end of the member is an absorbent/adsorbent structural component; and on the second end of the member is a spatula blade. The elongate member may have a stabilizing contrivance for the absorbent/adsorbent structural component and/or spatula blade. The spatula blade may have a laterally extending rib.

Plastic filler finisher

Methods and systems for producing activated carbon from a particulate coal feedstock that include the introduction of a buffering gas, a moisture spray, a finest carbon fraction as a fuel, and certain gas ratios. Different methods and system configurations allow the production of activated carbon or other heat-treated carbons while concurrently avoiding adverse reaction conditions.

Methods and systems for producing activated carbon from a particulate coal feedstock that include the introduction of an activation medium such that the water content of the coal feedstock is equal to or greater than that of the feedstock's naturally occurring state. Different methods and system configurations allow the production of activated carbon or other heat-treated carbons while concurrently avoiding adverse reaction conditions.

Coal heat-treatment process and system

Methods for preparing metakaolin-enhanced industrial minerals. Mixing and heating kaolinite clay with an industrial mineral, such as activated carbon, that is between 750&#xb0; F. and 1400&#xb0; F. results in a metakaolin/activated carbon complex that provides good mercury sorbent qualities while producing a fly ash (after use as a sorbent in emissions applications) that has a lower foaming index.

Metakaolin production and enhancement of industrial minerals

Handle for an object includes a member for grasping with a hand. The member has a lower opening for passage or accommodation of fingers and a web or palm of the hand, and an upper opening for passage or accommodation of a thumb of the hand. A strap may be attached to the member for embracing and securing the object. The strap can include a band portion having a tension buffer segment, and a band lock. The handle can be found in combination with the object, for example, a metal paint can, say, a one-gallon metal paint can.

Paint can handle

Methods for producing devolatilized and/or activated carbon in a reactor or reaction vessel of a heat treatment system from a suitable carbonaceous feedstock by introducing the feedstock into the reactor tangentially at a rotational velocity of at least 90 RPM. The methods include the steps of providing a combination of conveying means and a gas flow having various compositions and creating distinct carbonaceous feedstock material flow patterns and process conditions such that the feedstock is conveyed through the reactor or reaction vessel and heated via combustion, thereby producing activated carbon or other heat-treated carbons while concurrently avoiding adverse reaction conditions. Single and two-stage heat treatment systems may be used to heat a carbon feedstock, to which one or more industrial minerals may be added to co-produce compositions such as lime with the heat-treated carbon.

Carbon heat-treatment process

A self-contained calcination plant is enclosed in a feed-storage silo. The plant consists of a vertical reactor, a separation cyclone and a pair of heat exchangers connected by appropriate piping and immersed in the feed material stored in powdery form in the silo. A positive displacement blower creates an air stream that is preheated in one of the heat exchangers and fed in part to a gas burner and in part to a feed pipe at the bottom of the reactor. The feed material is kept in a fluidized state in the silo by air heated in the other heat exchanger and blown upward from the bottom of the storage compartment, from where the material is dropped into the feed pipe through rotary valves prior to injection into the reactor. The feed pipe is connected tangentially to the reactor so as to produce an upward swirling flow around the burner's flame. The fluidized reaction products are passed through a cyclone to separate the calcined oxides from the hot gases, which are then fed serially through the heat exchangers to preheat the process air used for the blower and the storage compartment. The solid product is recovered from the bottom of the cyclone. The entire plant is enclosed in the silo and, during operation, all units are immersed in the fluidized hot feed material that provides excellent heat transfer among all components and a sufficiently uniform temperature in the reactor to produce optimal calcination.

Pneumatic flash calciner thermally insulated in feed storage silo

Particulate material to be calcined is conditioned and then introduced into a stream of flue gases which transport the material along a sloping drying duct while drying the material. The dried material is then introduced into the same stream of flue gases upstream of the drying duct, and the flue gases transport the dried material along a sloping preheating duct while preheating the material. The preheated material is fed tangentially into the lower end of a vertical calcine reactor and calcined product is withdrawn tangentially from the upper end of the reactor. The flue gases used for drying and preheating are produced in the calcine reactor and are cooled during the drying and preheating.

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San Tan Valley, AZ, United States of America

Michael A Jones