James William Frank

US Patent:

47227419, Feb 2, 1988

Filed:

Mar 11, 1985

Appl. No.:

6/710328

Inventors:

Thomas D. Hayes - Schaumburg IL
H. Ronald Isaacson - Clarendon Hills IL
James R. Frank - Oak Park IL

Assignee:

Gas Research Institute - Chicago IL

International Classification:

C02F 1104

US Classification:

48197A

Abstract:

An improved anaerobic digestion process is provided to enhance the methane content of product gas so that no further processing may be required for utilization as high quality, high Btu gas comprising greater than 90 percent methane. Operating conditions of lowered carbon dioxide influent concentration to the methane production digester and operation of the methane production digester under pressurization achieve high conversion efficiency rates and high methane content product gas. The carbon dioxide produced during the anaerobic digestion may be physically and chemically separated and removed thereby reducing the carbon dioxide content of the product gas.

US Patent:

62940740, Sep 25, 2001

Filed:

May 18, 2000

Appl. No.:

9/573575

Inventors:

YuPo J. Lin - Westmont IL
Edward J. St. Martin - Libertyville IL
James R. Frank - Glen Ellyn IL
Daniel H. Pope - Bayfield CO

Assignee:

The University of Chicago - Chicago IL

International Classification:

G01N 2726

US Classification:

2057755

Abstract:

An electrode design is provided for corrosion monitoring using electrochemical noise measurements. Electrochemical probes are used for sensing electrochemical noise voltage values and electrochemical noise current values. The electrochemical probes include a pair of working electrodes formed of the same material of the monitored metal pipes or storage vessels and a reference electrode formed of a corrosion resistant material. Each of the pair of working electrodes has a defined surface roughness. One of the pair of working electrodes has reduced roughness, whereby sensitivity to sustained localized pitting corrosion is increased in the working electrode with reduced roughness. By reducing the surface roughness of one of the pair of working electrodes, increased sensitivity to sustained localized pitting corrosion is provided while the current noise can be used to accurately measure the general corrosion rate on the unpolished electrode.