Patent US4995972A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4995972A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method and apparatus for removing liquid from permeable material
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1988-11-14
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Granted: 1991-02-26
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Expires: 2008-11-14
Abstract
Abstract Disclosed herein are a method and apparatus for removing liquid from a permeable material, such as slurries, sludges, porous solids and permeable foams. The method and apparatus involve constraining the material to be deliquified such that the material interfaces with at least one surface which is permeable to the liquid to be removed and then heating the material at one or more locations remote from the permeable surface or surfaces. Such constraining and heating of the material causes the in situ vaporization of the liquid in the vicinity of the remote location or locations. The vaporized liquid expands and forces at least some of the remaining unvaporized liquid through the permeable surface or surfaces. Because only a portion of the liquid contained in the material must be vaporized and such vaporized portion is used to remove at least some of the remaining unvaporized liquid (thereby avoiding the necessity of vaporizing all of the liquid contained in the material), significant reductions in the energy required to substantially deliquify the material may be realized through the use of the method and apparatus disclosed herein.
Inventors
- 👤 Timothy A. Kramer
- 👤 Kent M. Kramer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 20:20
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D37/00; B01D37/03; B01D29/00; B01D29/01; B01D29/50; B01D29/52; B01D29/54; B01D29/76; B01D29/80; B01D29/82; B01D29/824; B01D29/84; B01D29/846; B01D33/00; B01D33/01; B01D33/015; B01D33/35; B01D33/37; B01D33/39; B01D35/00; B01D35/18; B01D35/185; B01D33/58; B01D33/62; B01D33/64; B01D33/66
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 41
Claim 1
Independent Claim
105 words
Apparatus for removing liquid from a permeable material, comprising means for enabling vaporized liquid, as it expands, to force at least some of the remaining unvaporized liquid through at least one surface which is permeable to the liquid contained in the material, said means including constraining means for constraining the material such that the material interfaces with said at least one surface, and heating means for repeatedly heating the material at at least one location remote from said at least one surface to a temperature sufficiently high to cause the in situ vaporization of the liquid in the vicinity of said at least one location.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
105 words
Apparatus for removing liquid from a permeable material, comprising means for enabling vaporized liquid, as it expands, to force at least some of the remaining unvaporized liquid through at least one surface which is permeable to the liquid contained in the material, said means including constraining means for constraining the material such that the material interfaces with said at least one surface, and heating means for repeatedly heating the material at at least one location remote from said at least one surface to a temperature sufficiently high to cause the in situ vaporization of the liquid in the vicinity of said at least one location.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
55 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said constraining means includes an enclosure which is capable of withstanding the vapor pressure of the liquid, whereby as the vaporized liquid expands the internal volume of said enclosure does not substantially increase as a result of such expansion, and wherein said enclosure includes said at least one surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said enclosure includes a first surface located on one side of the material and a second surface located on an opposite side of the material, and wherein said at least one surface includes at least one of said first and second surfaces.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said at least one surface includes said first surface and said first surface only, and wherein each location of said at least one location is adjacent to said second surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said at least one surface includes both said first surface and said second surface, and wherein each location of said at least one location is substantially equidistance between said first and second surfaces.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein both said first surface and said second surface are electrically conductive.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said heating means includes a source of electric current and means for passing the electric current through the material between said first and second surfaces.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the flow of electric current is generated by connecting said first and second surfaces to a source of electric energy oscillating within a range of from about 6×10 12 to about 1×10 2 cycles per second.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising terminating means for terminating the flow of electric current between said first and second surfaces when the material in the vicinity of said at least one surface reaches a temperature which is substantially equal to the vaporization temperature of the liquid.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising cooling means for cooling said at least one surface to a temperature which is less than the vaporization temperature of the liquid, whereby said at least one surface can be cooled after the material has been heated.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said cooling means cools said at least one surface before the material is reheated.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising compressing means for compressing the material before the material is substantially deliquified, whereby at least some of the liquid can be expressed from the material before the material is heated.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said compressing means compresses the material as the material is being heated.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said compressing means includes said first and second surfaces and moving means for moving said first and second surfaces toward each other.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said moving means moves said first and second surfaces away from each other to an extent such that the substantially deliquified material can be removed from said enclosure.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
51 words
Apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising means for creating a low pressure region externally of said enclosure in the vicinity of said at least one surface, the pressure existing in said low pressure region being less than ambient pressure to thereby facilitate the expression of the liquid from the material.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
12 words
Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said enclosure is not electrically conductive.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said heating means includes a source of electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength within a range of from about 7×10 6 to about 3×10 8 angstroms.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising terminating means for terminating the electromagnetic radiation when said at least one surface reaches a temperature which is substantially equal to the vaporization temperature of the liquid.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising cooling means for cooling said at least one surface to a temperature which is less than the vaporization temperature of the liquid, whereby said at least one surface can be cooled after the material has been heated.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said cooling means cools said at least one surface before the material is reheated.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising compressing means for compressing the material before the material is substantially deliquified, whereby at least some of the liquid can be expressed from the material before the material is heated.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the compressing means compresses the material as the material is being heated.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
55 words
Apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said enclosure includes a first surface located on one side of the material and a second surface located on an opposite side of the material, and wherein said compressing means includes said first and second surfaces and moving means for moving said first and second surfaces toward each other.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said moving means moves said first and second surfaces away from each other to an extent such that the substantially deliquified material can be removed from said enclosure.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
70 words
Apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said at least one surface includes neither said first surface nor said second surface, and wherein said apparatus further comprises means for creating a low pressure region externally of said housing in the vicinity of said at least one surface, the pressure existing in said low pressure region being less than ambient pressure to thereby facilitate the expression of the liquid from the material.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
47 words
Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said enclosure includes a first surface located on one side of the material and a second surface located on an opposite side of the material, and wherein said at least one surface includes said first surface but not said second surface.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said heating means heats the material by direct conduction heating through said second surface.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus according to claim 28, further comprising terminating means for terminating the direct conduction heating of the material when the material in the vicinity of said at least one surface reaches a temperature which is substantially equal to the vaporization temperature of the liquid.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said terminating means terminates the direct conduction heating of the material by moving said second surface relative to the material such that the material does not interface with said second surface.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said terminating means terminates the direct conduction heating of the material by cooling said second surface.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus according to claim 29, further comprising cooling means for cooling said at least one surface to a temperature which is less than the vaporization temperature of the liquid, whereby said at least one surface can be cooled after the material has been heated.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus according to claim 32, further comprising compressing means for compressing the material before the material is substantially deliquified, whereby at least some of the liquid is expressed from the material before the material is heated.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said compressing means compresses the material as the material is being heated.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said compressing means includes said first and second surfaces and moving means for moving said first and second surfaces toward each other.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus according to claim 35, wherein said moving means moves said first and second surfaces away from each other to an extent such that the substantially deliquified material can be removed from said enclosure.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
51 words
Apparatus according to claim 35, further comprising means for creating a low pressure region externally of said enclosure in the vicinity of said at least one surface, the pressure existing in said low pressure region being less than ambient pressure to thereby facilitate the expression of the liquid from the material.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising compressing means for compressing the material before the material is substantially deliquified, whereby at least some of the liquid can be expressed from the material before the material is heated.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus according to claim 38, wherein said compressing means compresses the material before the material is heated and before it is reheated.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus according to claim 38, wherein said compressing means compresses the material as the material is being heated.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-02-25 | 1994-08-27 | 1995-02-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-02-25 | 1998-08-27 | 1999-02-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-02-25 | 2002-08-27 | 2003-02-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |