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5171553 Catalytic decomposition of N2O
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New Patents
A pollutant emission control system including a centrifugal separator having blades capable of causing sufficient centrifugal force to remove large pollutant particles, and a pressurized deposit container including an annular container with cleaning fluid serving as a vaporizing passageway, permitting gaseous pollutants to mix with a liquid cleaning agent by means of turbulence and Henry's law generated in said annual container with the result that polluted particles deposited in the cleaning liquid, and liquid membranes having a porous sponge body with a high density of pockets capable of further filtering the pollutant particles in the vaporized emission, and, finally a demisting device with a humidity/odor removing system having an activated carbon sponge bag used to further remove fine pollutant and odorous particles.
5171517 METHOD FOR MONITORING CORROSION ON A MEMBER IN A NUCLEAR REACTOR CORE Harvey D Solomon, Gerald M G o r d o n assigned to General Electric Company An apparatus and method for monitoring corrosion to members within the core of a nuclear reactor, particularly fuel rod cladding. A sensor means is submerged inside the core of a nuclear reactor near the member or fuel rods. The sensor means is comprised of a generally cylindrical section having an outer surface that is subject to corrosion and radiation, and has a crosssectional area A 1. The sensor means additionally has a reference section subjected to radiation but not to corrosion, and having a cross-sectional area A2. At least one pair of first probes, separated by a length L1, is placed in electrical contact with the cylindrical section. At least one pair of second probes separated by a length L2, is placed in electrical contact with the reference section. A current is passed throughout the sensor means to produce a potential gradient in the cylindrical section and reference section. The change in potential in the reference section, and the cylindrical section is measured and used to calculate the subsequent cross-sectional area in the cylindrical section between the first probes. Preferably, the cylindrical section and reference section are made from the same material as the member.
5171547 RECOVERY OF CHROMIUM IN HIGH PURITY STATE FROM WASTE MATERIALS OF ETCHING OPERATIONS Ranko Crnojevich, Andrew B Case, Felix D Rando, John D Sweeney assigned to Amax Inc The present invention is directed to a method for treating a sludge containing substantial amounts of chromium, aluminum, calcium, iron, and phosphorous. The method comprises forming a slurry of the sludge; reacting the slurry with an acid to dissolve substantially all the aluminum and chromium and provide a solids residue comprising mostly calcium sulfate; separating the chromium/aluminum-containing solution from the solids residue; raising the pH of the chromium/aluminum solution to precipitate chromium as chromium hydroxide; and separating the chromium hydroxide from the remaining aluminum-containing solution. The chromium hydroxide is then enriched with an alkali or earth alkali compound and calcined in an oxidizing atmosphere to convert the chromium to a chromate. The calcine is leached in an aqueous medium at a controlled pH to yield a high concentration, high purity chromate solution suitable for producing metallic chromium or a variety of chromium chemicals.
5171553 CATALYTIC DECOMPOSITION OF N 2 0 Yuejin Li, John N Armor assigned to Air Products and Chemicals Inc The invention describes a highly efficient catalytic pollution control process for removing N 2 0 from gaseous mixtures. The catalytic process, which is substantially unaffected by the presence of oxygen, comprises contacting an N20-containing gaseous mixture with a catalyst comprising a crystalline zeolite which, at least in part, is composed of five membered rings having a structure type selected from the group consisting of BETA, MOR, MFI, MEL and FER wherein the crystalline zeolite has been at least partially ion-exchanged with a metal selected from the group consisting of copper, cobalt, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium and palladium un-
New Patents der conditions sufficient to convert the N 2 0 into gaseous nitrogen and gaseous oxygen.
5171694 METHOD FOR MONITORING AQUEOUS CARBON DIOXIDE Dennis J Connolly assigned to The Babcock & Wilcox Company An apparatus and method for the measurement of low levels of carbon dioxide in a sample employing membrane separation and ion-exchange technology. The difference in acid strength of carbonic acid and other acids is exploited by first treating the sample with a weak base in a membrane separator and then with a strong base in the membrane separator. In this manner, the carbonic acid is distinguished from the stronger acids. By converting carbonic acid to sodium carbonate, the conductivity level is enhanced facilitating more precise measurements.
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absorbing calorimeters. The gamma ray energy absorbed is converted into heat and such heat is measured or indicated for the purpose of monitoring expected radioactive decay processes of the stored radioactive materials. Material leakage or removal from storage is detected and defined by deviations from the normal expected decay in gamma radiation. Such deviation or lack of deviation, as the case may be, provide the desired accountability of the radioactive materials. Since there can be several bands of gamma ray radiation, both flux and its energy level may be determined by using different gamma absorbing materials in the calorimeters selected for the known possible energy levels of the decaying radioactive material. From n simultaneous heat balance equations one for each calorimeter having a different absorbing material, it is possible to measure the energy level of the gamma radiation flux at each calorimeter.
5185129 OZONE MONITORS
5185007 SUCTION DRAINAGE INFECTION CONTROL SYSTEM James F Middaugh, Peter Bryant, Richard W Grabenkort, Timothy Oswald, Edward S Tripp assigned to Abbott Laboratories A suction drainage control system wherein waste-treating material is released into a sealed chamber. The chamber comprises of a cover with a flexible liner sealed to and suspended therefrom. A normally closed reservoir is provided on an underside of the cover for storing the wastetreating material therewithin as long as the reservoir remains closed. An externally operated actuator is provided on the cover for opening the reservoir to release the waste-treating material into the sealed chamber.
5185122 GAMMA RAY FLUX MEASUREMENT SYSTEM Heinz F Poppendiek, John A Lundin assigned to Geoscience Ltd Gamma radiation leaving the surface of a radioactive materials storage vessel is measured and monitored using a plurality of gamma ray
Petros Koutrakis, Jack M Wolfson assigned to President and Fellows of Harvard College An ozone monitor including an ozone reactive surface, held within a container, which is adapted to specifically react with ozone. The surface is also adapted to fail to react with nitrogen dioxide in an amount which affects ozone quantitation by more than 20% when the nitrogen dioxide is provided at a concentration of 76 ppb and ozone is provided at a concentration of 30 ppb within a test gas.
5185305 CATALYST SYSTEM FOR TREATING THE EXHAUST FROM A LEAN-BURN GASOLINEFUELED ENGINE Somasundaram Subramanian, Mohinder Chattha assigned to Ford Motor Company
S
A catalyst system for converting NOx, CO, and HC contained in the exhaust gas from a gasolinefueled engine controlled to operate under leanburn conditions (R=0.03-0.9) such that the a ratio of NOx to HC in the exhaust gas in in the range of 1/3 to 3/1 (i.e., minimum C3H6 of 250 ppm and NOx of 200-400 ppm). The system comprises a first stage catalyst containing a transition metal-exchanged zeolite (i.e., Cu-
New Patents
A pollutant emission control system including a centrifugal separator having blades capable of causing sufficient centrifugal force to remove large pollutant particles, and a pressurized deposit container including an annular container with cleaning fluid serving as a vaporizing passageway, permitting gaseous pollutants to mix with a liquid cleaning agent by means of turbulence and Henry's law generated in said annual container with the result that polluted particles deposited in the cleaning liquid, and liquid membranes having a porous sponge body with a high density of pockets capable of further filtering the pollutant particles in the vaporized emission, and, finally a demisting device with a humidity/odor removing system having an activated carbon sponge bag used to further remove fine pollutant and odorous particles.
5171517 METHOD FOR MONITORING CORROSION ON A MEMBER IN A NUCLEAR REACTOR CORE Harvey D Solomon, Gerald M G o r d o n assigned to General Electric Company An apparatus and method for monitoring corrosion to members within the core of a nuclear reactor, particularly fuel rod cladding. A sensor means is submerged inside the core of a nuclear reactor near the member or fuel rods. The sensor means is comprised of a generally cylindrical section having an outer surface that is subject to corrosion and radiation, and has a crosssectional area A 1. The sensor means additionally has a reference section subjected to radiation but not to corrosion, and having a cross-sectional area A2. At least one pair of first probes, separated by a length L1, is placed in electrical contact with the cylindrical section. At least one pair of second probes separated by a length L2, is placed in electrical contact with the reference section. A current is passed throughout the sensor means to produce a potential gradient in the cylindrical section and reference section. The change in potential in the reference section, and the cylindrical section is measured and used to calculate the subsequent cross-sectional area in the cylindrical section between the first probes. Preferably, the cylindrical section and reference section are made from the same material as the member.
5171547 RECOVERY OF CHROMIUM IN HIGH PURITY STATE FROM WASTE MATERIALS OF ETCHING OPERATIONS Ranko Crnojevich, Andrew B Case, Felix D Rando, John D Sweeney assigned to Amax Inc The present invention is directed to a method for treating a sludge containing substantial amounts of chromium, aluminum, calcium, iron, and phosphorous. The method comprises forming a slurry of the sludge; reacting the slurry with an acid to dissolve substantially all the aluminum and chromium and provide a solids residue comprising mostly calcium sulfate; separating the chromium/aluminum-containing solution from the solids residue; raising the pH of the chromium/aluminum solution to precipitate chromium as chromium hydroxide; and separating the chromium hydroxide from the remaining aluminum-containing solution. The chromium hydroxide is then enriched with an alkali or earth alkali compound and calcined in an oxidizing atmosphere to convert the chromium to a chromate. The calcine is leached in an aqueous medium at a controlled pH to yield a high concentration, high purity chromate solution suitable for producing metallic chromium or a variety of chromium chemicals.
5171553 CATALYTIC DECOMPOSITION OF N 2 0 Yuejin Li, John N Armor assigned to Air Products and Chemicals Inc The invention describes a highly efficient catalytic pollution control process for removing N 2 0 from gaseous mixtures. The catalytic process, which is substantially unaffected by the presence of oxygen, comprises contacting an N20-containing gaseous mixture with a catalyst comprising a crystalline zeolite which, at least in part, is composed of five membered rings having a structure type selected from the group consisting of BETA, MOR, MFI, MEL and FER wherein the crystalline zeolite has been at least partially ion-exchanged with a metal selected from the group consisting of copper, cobalt, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium and palladium un-
New Patents der conditions sufficient to convert the N 2 0 into gaseous nitrogen and gaseous oxygen.
5171694 METHOD FOR MONITORING AQUEOUS CARBON DIOXIDE Dennis J Connolly assigned to The Babcock & Wilcox Company An apparatus and method for the measurement of low levels of carbon dioxide in a sample employing membrane separation and ion-exchange technology. The difference in acid strength of carbonic acid and other acids is exploited by first treating the sample with a weak base in a membrane separator and then with a strong base in the membrane separator. In this manner, the carbonic acid is distinguished from the stronger acids. By converting carbonic acid to sodium carbonate, the conductivity level is enhanced facilitating more precise measurements.
XIII
absorbing calorimeters. The gamma ray energy absorbed is converted into heat and such heat is measured or indicated for the purpose of monitoring expected radioactive decay processes of the stored radioactive materials. Material leakage or removal from storage is detected and defined by deviations from the normal expected decay in gamma radiation. Such deviation or lack of deviation, as the case may be, provide the desired accountability of the radioactive materials. Since there can be several bands of gamma ray radiation, both flux and its energy level may be determined by using different gamma absorbing materials in the calorimeters selected for the known possible energy levels of the decaying radioactive material. From n simultaneous heat balance equations one for each calorimeter having a different absorbing material, it is possible to measure the energy level of the gamma radiation flux at each calorimeter.
5185129 OZONE MONITORS
5185007 SUCTION DRAINAGE INFECTION CONTROL SYSTEM James F Middaugh, Peter Bryant, Richard W Grabenkort, Timothy Oswald, Edward S Tripp assigned to Abbott Laboratories A suction drainage control system wherein waste-treating material is released into a sealed chamber. The chamber comprises of a cover with a flexible liner sealed to and suspended therefrom. A normally closed reservoir is provided on an underside of the cover for storing the wastetreating material therewithin as long as the reservoir remains closed. An externally operated actuator is provided on the cover for opening the reservoir to release the waste-treating material into the sealed chamber.
5185122 GAMMA RAY FLUX MEASUREMENT SYSTEM Heinz F Poppendiek, John A Lundin assigned to Geoscience Ltd Gamma radiation leaving the surface of a radioactive materials storage vessel is measured and monitored using a plurality of gamma ray
Petros Koutrakis, Jack M Wolfson assigned to President and Fellows of Harvard College An ozone monitor including an ozone reactive surface, held within a container, which is adapted to specifically react with ozone. The surface is also adapted to fail to react with nitrogen dioxide in an amount which affects ozone quantitation by more than 20% when the nitrogen dioxide is provided at a concentration of 76 ppb and ozone is provided at a concentration of 30 ppb within a test gas.
5185305 CATALYST SYSTEM FOR TREATING THE EXHAUST FROM A LEAN-BURN GASOLINEFUELED ENGINE Somasundaram Subramanian, Mohinder Chattha assigned to Ford Motor Company
S
A catalyst system for converting NOx, CO, and HC contained in the exhaust gas from a gasolinefueled engine controlled to operate under leanburn conditions (R=0.03-0.9) such that the a ratio of NOx to HC in the exhaust gas in in the range of 1/3 to 3/1 (i.e., minimum C3H6 of 250 ppm and NOx of 200-400 ppm). The system comprises a first stage catalyst containing a transition metal-exchanged zeolite (i.e., Cu-