Gas Technology Institute

Gas Research Institute

William E Liss

Kenneth J Kountz

Christopher F Blazek

Qinbai Fan

Richard A Knight

Dexin Wang

Michael Onischak

Kenneth Robert Kriha

A method and apparatus for humidifying residential and commercial buildings in which a flue gas generated by a residential of commercial furnace is provided to one side of a porous liquid water transport membrane and habitable space air is provided to an opposite side of the porous liquid water transport membrane in an amount sufficient to provide a habitable space air to flue gas volume flow rate ratio of at least 8.3:1. At least a portion of the water vapor in the flue gas is condensed, providing condensed liquid water which is passed through the porous liquid water transport membrane to the habitable space air side of the porous liquid water transport membrane. On the habitable space air side of the membrane, the condensed liquid water is evaporated into the habitable space air, producing humidified habitable space air which is provided to the rooms of the residential and commercial buildings. Beneficially, no supplemental water source is required for the humidification process.

Waterless humidifier for residential and commercial furnaces

A method and apparatus for humidifying residential and commercial buildings in which a flue gas generated by a residential or commercial furnace is provided to one side of a porous liquid water transport membrane and habitable space air is provided to an opposite side of the porous liquid water transport membrane in an amount sufficient to provide a habitable space air to flue gas volume flow rate ratio of at least 8.3:1. At least a portion of the water vapor in the flue gas is condensed, providing condensed liquid water which is passed through the porous liquid water transport membrane to the habitable space air side of the porous liquid water transport membrane. On the habitable space air side of the membrane, the condensed liquid water is evaporated into the habitable space air, producing humidified habitable space air which is provided to the rooms of the residential and commercial buildings. Beneficially, no supplemental water source is required for the humidification process.

A method and apparatus for humidifying air in which the first side of a permselective water transport membrane is contacted with water vapor laden flue gas from a combustion process having a first water vapor partial pressure and a first temperature and at least a portion of the water vapor is condensed, producing condensed water. The condensed water is transported through the membrane to the opposite side of the membrane, which is contacted with an air stream having a second water vapor partial pressure, which second water vapor partial pressure is less than the first water vapor partial pressure, and having a second temperature, which second temperature is less than the first temperature. Upon contact with the air stream, the condensed water evaporates into the air stream, resulting in a humidified air stream.

Method and apparatus for humidifying air with water vapor extracted from moisture-laden flue gas

An apparatus for splitting water to produce hydrogen having at least one photoelectrochemical cell. The photoelectrochemical cell includes at least one water permeable photoelectrode having a light sensitive, nano-crystalline catalytic material layer, a polymer electrolyte membrane, a metallic substrate disposed between the light sensitive nano-crystalline catalytic material layer and the polymer electrolyte membrane adjacent to the polymer electrolyte membrane layer, and at least one photovoltaic device connected in series to the light sensitive nano-crystalline material layer and disposed between the light sensitive nano-crystalline catalytic material layer and the metallic substrate layer.

Solar hydrogen charger

A method for purification of a gaseous stream having at least one impurity in which a porous material having at least one polyoxometalate-based material is contacted with the gaseous stream and the at least one impurity is passed through the porous material, producing a purified gaseous stream.

Polyoxometalate material for gaseous stream purification at high temperature

A water permeable electrode for electrochemical splitting of water having a light sensitive catalytic material layer which includes a light sensitive catalytic material and a semiconductor, a polymer electrolyte membrane layer, a metallic substrate layer disposed there between adjacent the polymer electrolyte membrane layer, and at least one photovoltaic device connected in series to the light sensitive catalytic material layer and disposed between the light sensitive catalytic material layer and the metallic substrate layer.

Solar cell electrolysis of water to make hydrogen and oxygen

A method for quick filling a vehicle hydrogen storage vessel with hydrogen, the key component of which is an algorithm used to control the fill process, which interacts with the hydrogen dispensing apparatus to determine the vehicle hydrogen storage vessel capacity.

Control method for high-pressure hydrogen vehicle fueling station dispensers

A method and apparatus for dispensing compressed natural gas and for maximizing the mass of compressed gas dispensed into a gas storage cylinder is disclosed. Pressure and temperature transducers are provided as a part of the apparatus to emit data signals to a control processor of the pressure and temperature of a supply of compressed gas delivered to a gas dispenser, as well as the ambient temperature at the dispenser and the pressure of the compressed gas within the cylinder, respectively. A mass flow meter is also provided for emitting a data signal to the control processor of the mass of compressed gas injected into the storage cylinder. The control processor includes a dispenser control program which processes the emitted data signals to automatically maximize the mass of compressed gas injected into the cylinder by performing at least a two-stage fill process for computing at least two dynamic estimates of the storage cylinder volume during the gas dispensing process, and for determining the maximum mass of compressed gas that can be safely injected into the gas storage cylinder in response thereto. Additional fill stages may be performed in order to calculate additional estimates of the storage cylinder volume in the control processor, if so desired, for even more accurately determining the mass of compressed gas that may be injected into the cylinder for maximizing the gas injection into the gas storage cylinder.

Computer readable medium containing software for controlling an

Automated process and system for dispensing compressed natural gas

A method and apparatus for dispensing natural gas into the natural gas vehicle cylinder of a motor vehicle is disclosed. The natural gas dispensing system includes a pressure transducer and a temperature transducer for measuring the pressure and temperature, respectively, of the supply gas as it is passed toward a dispenser, a second pressure transducer for measuring the pressure within the natural gas vehicle cylinder, an ambient air temperature transducer for measuring ambient air temperatures at the dispensing site, and a mass flow meter for measuring the gas mass injected into the vehicle cylinder. Each transducer and the mass flow meter emits a data signal to a control processor which automatically dispenses compressed gas to the vehicle cylinder, as well as maximizing the amount of gas mass injected into the cylinder. The control processor maximizes the mass of compressed gas injected into the vehicle cylinder by injecting a first mass of compressed gas into the cylinder and calculating a first volume estimate in response thereto, estimating a second mass of compressed gas required to fill the cylinder to a first predetermined fill state, and then estimating a third mass of compressed gas required to fill a reference gas cylinder to the first predetermined fill state in response thereto. Thereafter, the second mass of compressed gas is injected into the cylinder, the gas mass being injected into the cylinder from the initial state being measured, as well as the pressure of the compressed gas within the container resulting from the injection of the second gas mass being measured, whereupon the control processor estimates a second volume of the gas container in response thereto. Thereafter, the control process may be used to either perform a final fill step to complete the gas mass injection into the cylinder, or may perform a second intermediate fill step prior to the final fill step for greater accuracy in determining tank volume during the fill process.

Growing community of inventors

Libertyville, IL, United States of America

William E Liss