Energy use

Metal or ceramic powder production process by plasma atomization.: A metal or an alloy thereof, or a ceramic that has a liquid phase is introduced in the form of a rod or a wire or as a liquid stream into the apex formed by a plurality of converging plasma jets. Atomization takes place and upon controlled cooling good quality spheroidal powders are obtained whose size varies generally between about 10 and 300 .mu.m.

No. Application, patent (CA) : CA 2183290
No. Application, patent (USA) : 5,707,419
Treatment of moist residue containing pollutant and/or toxic substances.: A process for treating humid residues containing oxidizable organic mater. The process preferably comprises steps of: a) introducing the residues in a rotary furnace having a refractory lining and containing a thermo-transfer agent; b) heating the residues in admixture with the thermo-transfer agent at a temperature of at least 300.degree. C. in the presence of chemically active species and UV radiation generated electrically, while rotating the furnace, so as to dry the residues and cause oxidation of the organic matter and formation of gases, the oxidation being catalyzed by the chemically active species and the UV radiation; and c) expelling the gases from the furnace. Such a process permits a low cost destruction of polluting material and/or oxidizable toxic material contained in the residues treated.

No. Application, patent (CA) : CA 2237414
No. Application, patent (USA) : 6,376,739
Electromagnetic induction infrared heat system.: The invention concerns a heater made of a material (5) responsive to induction and capable of sustaining high temperatures. It further comprises at least an insulating thickness with low thermal conductivity, in particular a low temperature insulation (3) and a high temperature insulation (4), said thickness being fixed at the back of the material. A field winding (2) is adjacent to the insulating thickness and separated from the material (5) by the latter.

No. Application, patent (CA) : CA 2277885
No. Application, patent (USA) : 6,858,823
Method of purification of a redox mediator before electrolytic regeneration thereof.: A method for purifying a Redox mediator used in a chemical process of oxidation of organic compounds. The desired purification is obtained by recovering the mediator in the form of a solution and heating this solution to evaporate the volatile impurities contained in it and to oxidize the non volatile impurities into compounds which precipitate and are extracted by filtration. The purification takes place before the mediator is regenerated in the electrolysis cell. This prevents the impurities contained in the mediator solution to negatively affect the operation of this cell.

No. Application, patent (CA) : CA 2438331
No. Application, patent (USA) : 6,468,414
Electrical heating reactor for gas phase reforming.: The invention concerns an electrical reactor (8) for reforming, in the presence of an oxidant gas, a gas comprising at least one hydrocarbon, and/or at least one organic compound, including carbon and hydrogen atoms as well as at least one heteroatom. Said reactor comprises: an enclosure, a reaction chamber provided with at least two electrodes (2, 4) comprising at least one conductive lining material (7) electrically isolated from the metal wall of the enclosure, at least one supply (1a) of gas to be reformed, at least one oxidant gas supply (1a), at least one outlet for the gases from the reforming (1b) and one electrical source (13) for powering the electrodes (2, 4) and resulting in generation of an electronic flux in the conductive lining (7) between the electrodes and in heating said lining (7).

No. Application, patent (CA) : CA 2504901
No. Application, patent (USA) : 10/533805
System and method for continuously drying pieces of wood.: The invention relates to a system for continuously drying or redrying pieces of wood. A conveyor arrangement receives and transports pieces of wood one after another along a path. The moisture content of each piece of wood travelling along the conveyor arrangement is measured during its path. The pieces of wood of which the measured moisture contents are above a target content are taken off to a drying device, especially a high-frequency dryer, while the other pieces of wood continue their path along the conveyor arrangement. The drying device removes some of the moisture of the pieces of wood taken off. The moisture contents of the treated pieces of wood are again measured. The pieces having moisture contents which have gone below the target content are taken to the conveyor arrangement, while the other pieces are taken to the drying device to be redried.

No. Application, patent (CA) : CA 2690897
No. Application, patent (USA) : 12/452524
Method and system for heating frozen logs.: The invention relates to a method and system (1) for heating frozen timber logs (3) in order to ease the debarking thereof. The inventive method consists in carrying the frozen timber logs (3) through a determined distance and in exposing said timber logs (3) to infrared radiation (11) during said travel in order to heat the logs (3) by means of said infrared radiation (11). The inventive system (1) comprises a conveyor (13) for carrying and rotating the frozen logs (3) during a determined distance and a surface (15) for infrared radiation (11) which is arranged with respect to the conveyor (13) in such a way that the timber logs (3) are exposed to infrared radiation (11) along said distance and heated by said infrared radiation (11).

No. Application, patent (CA) : CA 2540477