Richard W Roby

US Patent:

7015807, Mar 21, 2006

Filed:

Oct 2, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/676779

Inventors:

Richard J. Roby - Columbia MD, US
Michael S. Klassen - Columbia MD, US
Christopher F. Schemel - Laurel MD, US
Diwakar Vashishat - Germantown MD, US
Maclain M. Holton - Columbia MD, US
Kelly R. Flint - Greenbelt MD, US

Assignee:

Combustion Science & Engineering, Inc. - Columbia MD

International Classification:

G08B 1/00

US Classification:

340531, 340628, 340511, 381 56

Abstract:

A method for detecting smoke detector alarms comprises analyzing at least two parameters of ambient sound over a period of time to detect a temporal pattern of the alarm. In one embodiment, a series of samples are taken over a period of time sufficiently long to include at least one full period of a repeating sound pattern, and the two parameters are frequency and amplitude of the loudest sound in each sample. The algorithmic analysis may be triggered by a detection algorithm that utilizes a lower amount of power than the algorithmic analysis. In other embodiments, the detection apparatus is incorporated into a conventional smoke detector that will detect both smoke and an alarm from another detector. In another embodiment, a smoke detector includes a transceiver to transmit an activation signal to neighboring smoke detectors when a fire is detected and to receive an activation signal from neighboring detectors.

US Patent:

7089745, Aug 15, 2006

Filed:

Oct 10, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/682408

Inventors:

Richard J. Roby - Columbia MD, US
Michael S. Klassen - Columbia MD, US
Christopher F. Schemel - Laurel MD, US

Assignee:

LPP Combustion, LLC - Columbia MD

International Classification:

F02C 7/22
F02C 7/26

US Classification:

60776, 60737, 60 3952

Abstract:

A gas stream with a reduced oxygen concentration relative to ambient air is used to vaporize a liquid fuel or liquified higher hydrocarbon gas, or is mixed with a vaporized gas, and the reduced oxygen vaporized fuel gas is fed to a combustion device such as a premixed or diffusion combustor. Preferably, the oxygen content of the gas stream is less than the limiting oxygen index. By mixing the fuel with a gas stream that has an appropriately reduced oxygen content, auto-ignition prior to the flame front can be avoided. In some embodiments, the reduced oxygen stream is generated from an air separator or taken from the exhaust of the combustion device.

US Patent:

7170397, Jan 30, 2007

Filed:

Dec 5, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/293119

Inventors:

Richard J. Roby - Columbia MD, US
Michael S. Klassen - Columbia MD, US
Jacqueline DuBois - Ellicott City MD, US
Glenn Gaines - Fallston MD, US
Erin Ashley - Elkridge MD, US

Assignee:

Combustion Science & Engineering, Inc. - Columbia MD

International Classification:

H04B 3/36

US Classification:

3404071, 3403841, 340628

Abstract:

A system and method for waking a person includes the provision of tactile stimulation in a repeating interrupted pattern upon the detection of an alarm signal indicative of an event for which the person should be awakened. In one embodiment, a device for waking a person comprises a circuit for generating a driver signal in response to an alarm signal, the driver signal having a repeating interrupted pattern; an electrically controlled switching device having a control input, a power input and a power output, the power input being connectable to a power source, the control input being connected to receive the driver signal from the circuit; and a tactile stimulation device connected to the power output of the electrically controlled switching device, the tactile stimulation device being configured to produce a tactile stimulation.

US Patent:

D545229, Jun 26, 2007

Filed:

Jun 1, 2006

Appl. No.:

29/260756

Inventors:

Richard J. Roby - Columbia MD, US
Michael S. Klassen - Columbia MD, US
Leo Eskin - Darnestown MD, US
MacLain M. Holton - Columbia MD, US
Albert E. Straus - Timonium MD, US

Assignee:

Combustion Science & Engineering, Inc. - Columbia MD

International Classification:

1005

US Classification:

D10106

US Patent:

7322198, Jan 29, 2008

Filed:

Aug 14, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/464441

Inventors:

Richard J. Roby - Columbia MD, US
Michael S. Klassen - Columbia MD, US
Christopher F. Schemel - Laurel MD, US

Assignee:

LPP Combustion, LLC - Columbia MD

International Classification:

F02C 7/22
F02C 7/26

US Classification:

60776

Abstract:

A gas stream with a reduced oxygen concentration relative to ambient air is used to vaporize a liquid fuel or liquefied higher hydrocarbon gas, or is mixed with a vaporized gas, and the reduced oxygen vaporized fuel gas is fed to a combustion device such as a premixed or diffusion combustor. Preferably, the oxygen content of the gas stream is less than the limiting oxygen index. By mixing the fuel with a gas stream that has an appropriately reduced oxygen content, auto-ignition prior to the desired flame location in the combustor can be avoided. In some embodiments, the reduced oxygen stream is generated from an air separator or taken from the exhaust of the combustion device.

US Patent:

7770396, Aug 10, 2010

Filed:

Oct 30, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/929675

Inventors:

Richard J. Roby - Columbia MD, US
Michael S. Klassen - Columbia MD, US
Christopher F. Schemel - Laurel MD, US

Assignee:

LLP Combustion, LLC - Columbia MD

International Classification:

F02C 1/00

US Classification:

60737, 60776

Abstract:

A gas stream with a reduced oxygen concentration relative to ambient air is used to vaporize a liquid fuel or liquefied higher hydrocarbon gas, or is mixed with a vaporized gas, and the reduced oxygen vaporized fuel gas is fed to a combustion device such as a premixed or diffusion combustor. Preferably, the oxygen content of the gas stream is less than the limiting oxygen index. By mixing the fuel with a gas stream that has an appropriately reduced oxygen content, auto-ignition prior to the desired flame location in the combustor can be avoided. In some embodiments, the reduced oxygen stream is generated from an air separator or taken from the exhaust of the combustion device.

US Patent:

8225611, Jul 24, 2012

Filed:

Aug 5, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/851379

Inventors:

Richard J. Roby - Columbia MD, US
Michael S. Klassen - Columbia MD, US
Christopher F. Schemel - Laurel MD, US

Assignee:

LPP Combustion, LLC - Columbia MD

International Classification:

F02C 1/00
F02G 3/00

US Classification:

60737, 60752, 60776

Abstract:

A gas stream with a reduced oxygen concentration relative to ambient air is used to vaporize a liquid fuel or liquefied higher hydrocarbon gas, or is mixed with a vaporized gas, and the reduced oxygen vaporized fuel gas is fed to a combustion device such as a premixed or diffusion combustor. Preferably, the oxygen content of the gas stream is less than the limiting oxygen index. By mixing the fuel with a gas stream that has an appropriately reduced oxygen content, auto-ignition prior to the desired flame location in the combustor can be avoided. In some embodiments, the reduced oxygen stream is generated from an air separator or taken from the exhaust of the combustion device.

US Patent:

8413530, Apr 9, 2013

Filed:

May 11, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/778060

Inventors:

Richard J. Roby - Columbia MD, US
Douglas J. Carpenter - Pasadena MD, US

Assignee:

Combustion Science & Engineering, Inc. - Columbia MD

International Classification:

G01M 99/00
G08B 9/00

US Classification:

738664, 73861, 738659

Abstract:

A method and apparatus to simulate a flow of products from a real fire without reproducing a thermal environment associated with the real fire includes the release of a gas or a mixture of gases with an appropriate density less than air to simulate smoke movement from real fire sources. The buoyant inert gas may be helium. In some embodiments, the buoyant gas is combined with artificial smoke, such as a tracer gas or an inert dye (e. g. , a particulate) to provide a visual representation of the location and flow characteristics of the surrogate smoke that is released from a release apparatus. In another embodiment, optical techniques that show differences in gas density are used to visualize the movement of the buoyant gas. The release apparatus includes a control system that follows a prescribed time-dependent flow rate to simulate different fire source configurations and growth rates.