Did You Know...
...that while attempting to develop a super strong glue, 3M employee Spencer Silver accidentally developed a glue that was so weak it would barely hold two pieces of paper together? However, his colleague Art Fry needed the glue. Fry sang with his church choir and marked the pages of his hymnal with small scraps of paper that often fell out. He used Silver's glue to hold the papers in place. Today we call this invention Post-it Notes.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8146362 | OTEC system An Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) system comprising a self-contained submersible OTEC plant is disclosed. The OTEC plant comprises a electrical generation system and a thermal mass whose temperature is based on the temperature of water at a first depth of a ... | 04/03/2012 |
| 8117843 | Ocean thermal energy conversion system An Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) system is disclosed. The OTEC system generates electrical energy based on a difference in the temperatures of the water from a surface region of a body of water and a thermal mass whose temperature is based on the temperatur... | 02/21/2012 |
| 7987674 | Phase change material thermal power generator An energy producing device, for example a submersible vehicle for descending or ascending to different depths within water or ocean, is disclosed. The vehicle comprises a temperature-responsive material to which a hydraulic fluid is associated. A pressurized storage... | 08/02/2011 |
| 7900452 | Clathrate ice thermal transport for ocean thermal energy conversion A substance is added to cold ocean water in a cold water pipe of an Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) system. The substance raises the freezing point of the ocean water in a cold water heat exchanger of the OTEC system, thereby forming an ice slurry. The substa... | 03/08/2011 |
| 7900451 | Power and regasification system for LNG The present invention provides a power and regasification system based on liquefied natural gas (LNG), comprising a vaporizer by which liquid motive fluid is vaporized, said liquid motive fluid being LNG or a motive fluid liquefied by means of LNG; a turbine for exp... | 03/08/2011 |
| 7882703 | System and method for deployment of a cold water pipe A cold water pumping system comprises a center tube and a cold water pipe surrounding the center tube. The cold water pipe is supported from a bottom end of the center tube and an impeller is coupled to the bottom end of the center tube. The impeller is operable to ... | 02/08/2011 |
| 7735322 | Wave elimination system for ocean thermal energy conversion assembly An ocean thermal energy conversion assembly includes a ship having support tubes connected between a lower part and a top deck of the ship so as to define an open space. A passage is defined through the lower part and an annular connector is connected to a lower end... | 06/15/2010 |
| 7735321 | OTEC cold water pipe system A system for relieving the stress on an Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) cold water pipe includes a slidable joint that couples the OTEC cold water pipe to a surge tank at an opening in the surge tank. The system can further include a first flotation device th... | 06/15/2010 |
| 7493763 | LNG-based power and regasification system The present invention provides a power and regasification system based on liquefied natural gas (LNG), comprising a vaporizer by which liquid working fluid is vaporized, said liquid working fluid being LNG or a working fluid liquefied by means of LNG; a turbine for ... | 02/24/2009 |
| 7360367 | Apparatus for cryogenic fluids having floating liquefaction unit and floating regasification unit connected by shuttle vessel, and cryogenic fluid methods Methods and systems for transportation of a cryogenic fluid. The system includes a floating liquefaction unit receiving a gas from a source, a shuttle vessel for carrying liquefied gas away from the liquefaction unit, and a floating regasification unit for receiving... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7328578 | Integrated OTEC platform An integrated platform to house an ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) system that utilizes: (i) a cold water circuit consisting of a way of receiving and distributing the cold water from the cold water pipe (CWP) to vertical conduits housing the condensers into ... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7327049 | Wave generator power plant The Wave Generator Power Plant converts the energy in sea waves into electricity. The wave motor portion of the power plant utilizes a buoyant, moving, semisubmerged, cone-shaped pontoon that is powered by the sea wave motion. The reciprocation is changed to rotary ... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7320458 | Heating tower apparatus and method with isolation of outlet and inlet air A method for heating a fluid using a heating tower. The method includes the steps of drawing an air stream into the heating tower through an inlet and passing the air stream over a series of coils. The method for heating a fluid also includes discharging the air str... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7318319 | Apparatus for cryogenic fluids having floating liquefaction unit and floating regasification unit connected by shuttle vessel, and cryogenic fluid methods Methods and systems for transportation of a cryogenic fluid. The system includes a floating liquefaction unit receiving a gas from a source, a shuttle vessel for carrying liquefied gas away from the liquefaction unit, and a floating regasification unit for receiving... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7308863 | Offshore LNG regasification system and method A system and method for the offshore transfer of liquefied natural gas from an LNG tanker vessel to a moored or dynamically positioned regasification plant is disclosed. Once the state of the natural gas has been changed from liquid to gas or regasified, the natural... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7291936 | Submersible electrical power generating plant A self-supporting, submersible generating plant for producing electricity from ocean currents, consisting of two counter-rotating, rear-facing turbines with a plurality of rotor blades extending radially outward from two separate horizontal axis that convey the kine... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7239037 | Hydrocratic generator A mixing apparatus for mixing relatively low salinity fluid with relatively high salinity fluid comprises a housing having an upper end and a lower end, a fluid inlet at or near the lower end, and a fluid outlet at or near the upper end, wherein the relativel... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7219628 | Vaporizer and methods relating to same An apparatus for vaporizing a liquid and heating the vaporized liquid to an elevated temperature. The apparatus has a heat transfer wall having an outer surface for receiving heat and transferring the heat to an inner surface. A wick material is disposed so that a p... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7219502 | Shipboard regasification for LNG carriers with alternate propulsion plants A liquefied natural gas carrier uses a diesel engine or gas turbine propulsion plant fitted with a shipboard regasification system. The propulsion plant can provide either a direct mechanical drive of the propeller shaft and propeller, or can be fitted with an integ... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7160639 | Johnson reversible engine An reversible engine (10) is disclosed having a conduit system (11), a first electrochemical cells (12), and a second electrochemical cell (13). The conduit system (11) includes a first conduit (15) extending from the first ... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7137623 | Heating tower apparatus and method with isolation of outlet and inlet air A method for heating a fluid using a heating tower. The method includes the steps of drawing an air stream into the heating tower through an inlet and passing the air stream over a fill medium. The method for heating a fluid also includes passing a fluid over the fi... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7132759 | Hydrocratic generator A mixing apparatus for mixing relatively low salinity fluid with relatively high salinity fluid comprises a housing having an upper end and a lower end, a fluid inlet at or near the lower end, and a fluid outlet at or near the upper end, wherein the relatively high ... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7128156 | Wellbore rig with heat transfer loop apparatus A rig, the rig useful in well operations, the rig having rig structure above the earth, and heat transfer loop apparatus connected to the rig for supplying heat transfer fluid for use on the rig, either from a loop or loops with portion(s) in water or portion(s) in ... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7127894 | Solar thermal energy conversion system A solar cell floats over a body of saline water. A submerged fresh water collection system underlies the cell. A partial vacuum is created in the solar cell for drawing water vapor from the cell to the collection system. Water vapor is condensed in a condenser dispo... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7118307 | Cooling water intake system A cooling water intake system is configured to minimize entrainment, impingement and thermal plumes associated with the operation of onshore industrial facilities, such as a power plant, and includes a delivery system guiding ground waters from under the sand bottom... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7078827 | Tidal generator system and method A tidal generator system is provided that includes a containment tank, and a ring mechanism provided about the containment tank to rise and fall based on tidal actions. A valve mechanism allows a liquid to pass into the containment tank. Additionally, a turbine/gene... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7062911 | Natural thermo-carrier heat release system A natural thermo-carrier heat release system that provides open or closed temperature regulation on an object with temperature delta to receive the heat release based on the work principle of descending of a flow at lower temperature and ascending at higher temperat... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7051809 | Burn assisted fracturing of underground coal bed A method for fracturing subterranean coal formations by injecting air into the formation, igniting the coal, driving the fire away from the wellbore by injecting a cooling media into the burning formation adjacent the wellbore, and subsequently extinguishing the fir... | 05/30/2006 |
| 7003955 | Enhanced pumped storage power system An enhanced pumped storage power system. More particularly, the invention is a regenerative power system that utilizes the gravitational forces of downward movement of large quantities of water to convert same to electrical energy. In the preferred mode of implement... | 02/28/2006 |
| 6994506 | Transfer assembly for a hydrocarbon product To increase the safety of a transfer assembly for hydrocarbon products, particularly liquefied natural gas from a production site to a transport vessel (8) (such as a shuttle tanker), the invention proposes to provide the production site with an outrigger str... | 02/07/2006 |
| 6963802 | Method of coordinating and stabilizing the delivery of wind generated energy The invention relates to a method of coordinating and stabilizing the delivery of wind generated power, such as to a power grid, so as to avoid sudden surges and spikes, despite wind speed fluctuations and oscillations. The method preferably uses a plurality of wind... | 11/08/2005 |
| 6955049 | Machine and system for power generation through movement of water A machine and system for power generation through movement of water having an array of power generating cells electrically interconnected, where the array is configured in an interchangeable modular fashion and the cells are positioned to receive kinetic energy from... | 10/18/2005 |
| 6949303 | Electromechanical conversion system An electrochemical conversion system (10) is disclosed having a housing (11) divided by a hydrogen concentration cell (12) so as to define a first chamber (13) and a second chamber (14). A first mass of hydride material (17)... | 09/27/2005 |
| 6945049 | Regasification system and method The present invention provides a novel regasification method and system in which the evaporative coolant is forced through an evaporation and condensation cycle, allowing control of the evaporative coolant condensation pressure; thus yielding a more flexible and mor... | 09/20/2005 |
| 6863028 | Tidal irrigation and electrical system (TIES) A tidal irrigation and electrical system used to harness the power of the ocean tide to generate electricity, create sustainable aquaculture, act as a CO2 sink, and generate hydrocarbons. An artificial atoll is created on the continental shelf to define a... | 03/08/2005 |
| 6820420 | Solar-based power generating system A solar-based power generating system including an electrical alternator or generator for generating electrical power in which the alternator or generator is driven by a refrigerant circulating through a closed-loop heat transfer system including an evaporator expos... | 11/23/2004 |
| 6666024 | Method and apparatus for generating energy using pressure from a large mass A fluid, for example, air, is subjected to a high pressure while in a high pressure inducing vessel (101). The high pressure is due to a large mass, such as the ocean. The fluid is then cooled and directed into a depressurized vessel (107), such as a pres... | 12/23/2003 |
| 6601389 | Liquified gas evaporating device for marine engines A liquefied gas evaporating device supplies liquefied petroleum gas to a marine engine, wherein the device includes a box that includes a heating body incorporating an evaporating chamber and a thermal chamber which are contiguous and separated by a commo... | 08/05/2003 |
| 6539718 | Method of and apparatus for producing power and desalinated water Apparatus for producing power and desalinated water from geothermal fluid according to the present invention comprises: a geothermal power plant that produces power from geothermal fluid supplied thereto; means for supplying sea water to the condenser of ... | 04/01/2003 |
| 6451204 | Ocean power plant inlet screen An inlet screen for an ocean thermal power plant has an outer side parallel to the ocean current and a plurality of parallel bars extending at an acute angle to the horizontal, wherein the acute angle opens toward the upstream direction of the current. Th... | 09/17/2002 |
