MARK CHRISTOPHER ANDERSON, MD
Marriage and Family Therapists in Madison, WI

2012031, Dec 20, 2012

Jun 17, 2011

13/163081

James W. Ambrosek - Fort Collins CO, US
Mark H. Anderson - Madison WI, US
Paul Brooks - Fitchburg WI, US
Michael B. Riley - Fort Collins CO, US
Greg W. Field - Loveland CO, US
Kamran Eftekhari Shahroudi - Fort Collins CO, US
Richard JJ Nelen - Fort Collins CO, US
Thomas A. Gendron - Fort Collins CO, US
Gary F. Kaiser - Fort Collins CO, US

Woodward Governor Company - Fort Collins CO

H02K 7/18

290 1 R

A thermal energy storage system is proposed in which the latent heat of fusion of common salts is used to store energy within a selectable temperature range, extending both above and below the melting/freezing temperature zone of the salt mixture. The salt mixture occupies interstitial void spaces in a solid endostructure. The solid material remains in the solid state throughout the thermal cycling of the energy storage system, and preferably has properties of thermal conduction and specific heat that enhance the behavior of the salt mixture alone, while being chemically compatible with all materials in the storage system. The storage system is capable of accepting and delivering heat at high rates, thereby allowing power generation using a suitable energy transfer media to power a turbine of an electric generator or a process heat need to provide a relatively local, dispatchable, rechargeable thermal storage system, combined with a suitably sized generator.

8529644, Sep 10, 2013

Dec 9, 2010

12/964036

Mark A. Dietenberger - Marshall WI, US
Mark H. Anderson - Madison WI, US

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture - Washington DC

B01J 7/00, C10J 3/00, C01B 6/24, C01B 3/02, C01B 3/24

48 61, 48210, 48111, 423644, 4236481, 423650, 4232105

Disclosed are a method and a corresponding apparatus for converting a biomass reactant into synthesis gas. The method includes the steps of (1) heating biomass in a first molten liquid bath at a first temperature, wherein the first temperature is at least about 100° C. , but less than the decomposition temperature of the biomass, wherein gas comprising water is evaporated and air is pressed from the biomass, thereby yielding dried biomass with minimal air content. (2) Recapturing the moisture evaporated from the biomass in step 1 for use in the process gas. (3) Heating the dried biomass in a second molten liquid bath at a second temperature, wherein the second temperature is sufficiently high to cause flash pyrolysis of the dried biomass, thereby yielding product gases, tar, and char. (4) Inserting recaptured steam into the process gas, which may optionally include external natural gas or hydrogen gas or recycled syngas for mixing and reforming with tar and non-condensable gases. (5) Further reacting the product gases, tar, and char with the process gas within a third molten liquid bath at a third temperature which is equal to or greater than the second temperature within the second molten liquid bath, thereby yielding high quality and relatively clean synthesis gas after a relatively long residence time needed for char gasification.