Other

Energy & Environmental Research Center Foundation

Alstom Technology Limited

University of North Dakota

Marsulex Environmental Technologies Corporation

Energy & Environmental Research Center

Steven R Benson

Srivats Srinivasachar

Edwin S Olson

John Henry Pavlish

Michael Jerome Holmes

Melvin Hess Pedersen

Ye Zhuang

Robin Rhodes

Jason D Laumb

Daniel Laudal

Charlene Crocker

Jill Mackenzie

Donald McCollor

Bernard Hamel

Donald Mccollor

A differential device may include a housing having an inner surface and an outer surface, said inner surface having an outer ring gear and said outer surface having a first receptacle and a sun gear positioned within the housing, the sun gear having a second receptacle positioned opposite the first receptacle. The differential device may further include an intermediate gear interposed between the sun gear and the outer ring gear, a bearing interposed between the inner surface of the housing and the sun gear, and a central axis intersecting the first receptacle and the second receptacle. The housing and the sun gear may be configured to rotate freely about the central axis.

In-line torque biasing mechanism

A method includes contacting a coal feedstock with an acidic solution to form residual coal and a leachate. The method further includes separating the residual coal from the leachate where the leachate contains rare earth elements and where the residual coal has preserved organic content and reduced inorganic content. Another method includes contacting a coal feedstock with a basic solution to form residual coal and a leachate. The method further includes separating the residual coal from the leachate where the leachate contains rare earth elements.

Rare earth element extraction from coal

The present invention relates to use of carbon-based sorbents such as activated carbon for controlling vapor phase mercury emissions in coal-fired power plant flue gases or waste incineration flue gases. The invention features new methods that improve the performance of carbonaceous sorbents for mercury control compared to the previous methods. One method consists of injecting the sorbent (consisting of at least some carbonaceous material) into the flue gas where the flue gas temperature is at a value above about 1100&#xb0; F. and below about 2000&#xb0; F. The invention also consists of injecting the sorbent within or upstream of an economizer section in a coal-fired power boiler. Injecting the sorbent at the locations indicated above, rather than further downstream, provides increased residence time for contact between the flue gas and the sorbent resulting in increased mercury capture, improved sorbent utilization, and improved fly ash properties.

Method for capturing mercury from flue gas

A system and method for producing activated carbon comprising carbonizing a solid carbonaceous material in a carbonization zone of an activated carbon production apparatus (ACPA) to yield a carbonized product and carbonization product gases, the carbonization zone comprising carbonaceous material inlet, char outlet and carbonization gas outlet; activating the carbonized product via activation with steam in an activation zone of the ACPA to yield activated carbon and activation product gases, the activation zone comprising activated carbon outlet, activation gas outlet, and activation steam inlet; and utilizing process gas comprising at least a portion of the carbonization product gases or a combustion product thereof; at least a portion of the activation product gases or a combustion product thereof; or a combination thereof in a solid fuel boiler system that burns a solid fuel boiler feed with air to produce boiler-produced steam and flue gas, the boiler upstream of an air heater within a steam/electricity generation plant, said boiler comprising a combustion zone, a boiler-produced steam outlet and at least one flue gas outlet.

System and method for coproduction of activated carbon and steam/electricity

The invention is in a torque responsive actuation device, preferably for a belt drive system as is commonly utilized with snowmobile and like type vehicles. A bearing carrier of the invention is connected to a lower half of a split pulley, with the upper pulley half mounting a helix or cam cone that extends towards the carrier undersurface and includes a plurality of cam tracks formed therein that are each to receive a cam follower for travel therealong. Movement of the bearing carrier towards the top face of the pulley upper half is thereby translated to lower the pulley half to spread the pulley upper and lower halves apart, opening a V slot therebetween wherein a drive belt is maintained. A cylindrical shaft is journaled through the bearing carrier and fitted through the pulley that includes a coil spring disposed therearound for providing spring biasing to urge the bearing carrier away from the pulley upper half, biasing the pulley halves together. To provide minimum friction operation and wear the invention employs cam follower bearings as the cam followers and radiuses either the outer surface of rollers of each cam follower bearing or of the cam tracks to be convex and to have an apex that contacts and rolls along a center line of the opposing surface, the roller of each bearing to travel through a variety of cam angles during operation of the torque responsive actuation device.

Torque responsive actuation device

An apparatus and a method that uses generated alkaline, alkaline-earth, and/or silica/alumina aerosols as a multifunctional additive to scavenge sulfur oxides in flue gas, minimize poisoning effects of sulfur oxides on mercury sorbent performance, and enhance particulate matter capture in electrostatic precipitators and other particulate filter devices by conditioning the fly ash.

Multifunctional abatement of air pollutants in flue gas

A method and apparatus is provided for use in combustion system for capturing gas phase pollutants such as SO. In one example, the invention uses a computer model to model the combustion system. Particles are injected into the combustion system to capture the gas phase pollutants. The model is used to determine the injection location, as well as the size and amount of the particles to be injected.

Method and apparatus for capturing gas phase pollutants such as sulfur trioxide

A turbocharger turbine housing with at least two volutes utilizing multiple nozzle rings to optimize the turbocharger's proficiency per application, and a valve to control the exhaust flow to selected volutes in the turbine housing.

Turbine assemblies and related systems for use with turbochargers

The invention is in a regulator and converter operated to fumigate a volatile material, preferably a liquified petroleum gas (LPG), under vacuum, into an intake air flow of an internal combustion diesel engine to provide, on demand generated by an operator closing a throttle, passage of LPG to the regulator and converter wherein it is vaporized and the LPG vapors are passed into the engine intake air flow that travels into the engine. The injection of LPG vapors provides for an increase in engine output power and an improvement in fuel percentage of burn. The regulator and converter is connected the engine coolant system to receive a hot coolant flow, heating an LPG flow path therethrough to vaporize the LPG with the LPG vapors then directed from the regulator and converter into the engine intake air flow. With the control of LPG passage to the regulator and converter controlled by operation of an LPG cutoff valve that is operated responsive to a presence of a system as sense by high and/or low pressure switches.

Propane assist converter and regulator

The invention is in a priority valve that includes a housing arranged for in-line mounting between a conventional turbocharging unit of an internal combustion engine, an intercooler and an engine intake manifold to receive a charge air flow, and to either direct that flow directly to an engine intake manifold or to the intercooler, with the flow to pass from the intercooler back through the priority valve and then to the engine intake manifold. The priority valve includes a valve member that is preferably a cylinder and is journaled in the housing to turn between a first position, where the charge air flow, that is received from the turbocharger unit, is directed to the engine intake manifold, and a second position where the received charge air flow is first directed to the intercooler, with that flow passed back to the priority valve from the intercooler and is then passed from the priority valve into the line to the engine intake manifold. The invention may include a solenoid, or the like, connected to operate the cylindrical valve member to move it between its first and second positions, which solenoid, or the like, is operated responsive to a sensing of a set temperature of the charge air flow, by a sensing of a set pressure or above of the charge air flow at the engine inlet manifold, or on command as from a computer, or the like. The cylindrical valve member to have surfaces formed therein that, when the valve member is in its first or second positions, receives the charge air flows thereagainst and redirected each flow out of an appropriate port to create a minimum turbulence in the charge air flow.

Priority valve for an intercooled engine

Helix

Bearing carrier

A turbine housing system that includes a housing that is formed as a single casting and includes a pair of identical first and second scroll volute passages separated by a center wall that each provide a reducing cross section therealong through approximately three hundred sixty (360) degrees from an inlet end that connects to a source of engine inlet exhaust gas to an inlet throat of a turbine chamber wherein a turbine wheel is journaled to be turned by the entering inlet exhaust gas. An expansion chamber is provided to receive spent exhaust gas from the turbine chamber that is connected to a manifold to vent those spent gases to atmosphere. The housing further includes a turbine chamber bypass section that is open between one of the first or second passages and into the expansion chamber and includes a valve seat formed across the turbine chamber bypass section that is closed over by a valve head of a waste gate valve. The waste gate valve is mounted in the housing, such that a valve head thereof will lift off the valve seat should the pressure of the inlet exhaust gas exceed a maximum pressure, thereby opening the turbine chamber bypass section to pass inlet exhaust gas into the expansion section, so as to reduce the pressure differential across the turbine wheel, thereby reducing the speed of turbine wheel turning.

Growing community of inventors

Murray, UT, United States of America

Steven R Benson