Engineering – Page 2

Treating non-naturally occurring subsurface soil contaminants with pneumatic injection of dry media

John R. Schuring, Thomas M. Boland, and Trevor C. King were issued a patent that allowed for the treatment of subsurface soil from contaminants. “Treating non-naturally occurring subsurface soil contaminants with pneumatic injection of dry media” was granted to the inventors out of the New Jersey Institute of Technology in January of 2000. This patented technology, awarded to Professor Schuring and his fellow researchers in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department of the University, deals with the removal of contamination from bodies of soil structure in instances where the contamination is inaccessible, or in other words, not located on the surface of the contaminated soil. Although this patent takes environmental concerns as its center – inherited from the department that the inventors were associated with and their personal background in the field – the technology can be implemented to be used in further aspects of day-to-day life such as the installation of underground wires, tunnels, or pipelines.

It is important to note the context of this patent. Filed in the late 1990s in a time when environmentalism was in full force and cleaning the environment was prevalent in the university setting. This is evident by other environmentally friendly patents granted to the same university in the same time period as this particular one. Filed in February of 1996, this patent called for the ability to create a separation space in between certain layers of subsurface ground. This was done by fracturing the soil pneumatically, or with the use of gas or compressed air. (As seen in Fig. 1) The compressed air would be something like a “bubble”. This bubble would allow for the space in between the layers of the soil to be worked on wither it be the application of wires and tubes or the clean-up process of the soil.

Moreover, this bubble can be used to create space to allow agriculture enthusiasts to inject the soil with fertilizer or other chemical agents for the purpose of managing the plant life. Not only can this patented technology aid in the nutrient value of the plants, but it can also be used to remove weeds from large acres of crop fields. By removing the weeds from the root upwards, the weed plant can be eradicated completely from the field allowing the crop to grow undisturbed and successful. This eradication of weeds and hurtful plants can aid in the growing of crops and in the proper management of recreational parks, forests, golf courses, soccer and football fields and any large estates and resorts where greenery is essential to its service.

Away from recreational utilities for this patent, the environmental impact which this patent was centered was to be instrumental in the cleanup processes spread around the nation. Although it took three years for this patent to be granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, after it was filed, the science behind it—Pneumatic Fracturing—has inspired numerous other patents and commercial environmental clean-up efforts.[i] Schuring, himself, holds five patents related to this technology.

One year after this patent was awarded (and it just so happens that it was one year after this patent was filed), Westinghouse Savannah River Company was awarded a patent that had the same thought process of cleaning up pockets of soil not easily accessible. (US patent #6280625B1) Later on, other patents cite this particular patent in its method of injecting a hidden pocket of soil – most notably patents by James Imbrie that deal with a “Method of Remediating a Contaminated Site” (US patent #7585132B2) and patents by the Baker Hughes Inc. that deal with a method to pump optical fiber underground. (US patent #7570858B2) This is one example of how this patent can be appreciated; by noting that this patent does not stand alone in the technology related environmental cleanup field but rather that it gave birth to other innovations.

By Michael Tadros

[i] “John R Schuring,” NJIT Experts Guide, 8/4/09, http://www6.njit.edu/news/experts/schuring.php

Apparatus and Method for in Situ Removal of Contaminants Using Sonic Energy

We have all seen images of bodies of water contaminated with an oil spill. Cleaning these spills is of the utmost importance as this contamination harms the welfare of the general public. Many different types of harmful contaminants can be leaked into the ground water, the bay, or even farming soil, and this can in turn affect public health. Removing the contaminants from the impacted body can be a very tricky process that raises many secondary questions – such as the proper method of removing the containments and who should be responsible for the cleanup. Thanks to the patented technology of Deran Hanesian, Angelo Perna, John Schuring, and Hugo Fernandez from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, there is a method of removing contamination from a polluted body without hard physical labor.

“Apparatus and method for in situ removal of contaminants using sonic energy”—granted to Deran Hanesian and Angelo Perna, professors out of the Chemical, Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering department, to John Schuring, professor out of the Civil Engineering department, and to Hugo Fernandez, a graduate of the Chemical and Environmental Science department—tackles the environmental concern raised by contaminated substances leaking into the environment. This technology uses sound wave vibrational energy to remove pollution from the targeted body by separating the contamination from the specific material of the sample.

A sense of environmental awareness arose during the late 20^th century due to many reasons. The growth of environmental science, the rise of consumer consciousness, and the willingness of individuals to stand up for their surroundings all created an atmosphere and a sense of “preserving the environment.”[i] Hanesian, et al were no different in that they sought a way to contribute to the environmental consciousness cause. Prior to this patented technology, removing contamination from a body of water or soil was not a process that was environmentally efficient nor did it have the environment at the center of its focus. Rather than focusing on the environment, clean-up efforts were predominantly an economic concern. These researchers decided to collectively use their skills to create an environmentally centered patented technology to deal with contamination.

Filed in 1997, this process went on to aid in the removal of contamination from bodies of water or even sedimentary soil that were left contaminated by various oil spills and various chemical plants closing down. As seen in Fig. 11, the compressed gas supply flows through a pressure regulation system. This system is responsible for distributing the pressured gas down a tunnel to a distributer. This distributer then pushes the gas into the surrounding contaminated ground creating a separated bubble, as illustrated in the circled portion labeled Fig. 13 in Fig. 11. The creation of the bubble allows for the extraction of the contamination from that part of the soil. This process can be replicated over several different parts of a contaminated field until the entire contaminated field is cleaned.

By Michael Tadros

[i] Adam Rome, The Genius of Earth Day: How a 1970 Teach-In Unexpectedly Made the First Green Generation (New York: Hill and Wang, 2013).

Improved Compressive Strength of Concrete and Mortar Containing Fly Ash

“Improved Compressive Strength of Concrete and Mortar Containing Fly Ash” is a relatively easy innovation with great implications on construction across the globe. As the name implies, the patent deals with improving the overall strength of concrete and mortar used in construction projects. What is unique about this invention is that it gives a method of a mixture that includes fly ash and cement. This new method of combining fly ash and cement together results in achieving greater compressive strength than other materials that contain only concrete. Moreover, it gives engineers the ability to predict the strength of the concrete containing fly ash before it hardens. This is utterly important in planning for any project but especially large scale buildings. Thanks to the formula provided by John Liskowitz, Methi Wecharantana, Chai Jaturapitakkul, and Anthony E. Cerkanowicz, the compressive strength of concrete containing fly ash can now be predicted before the mixture hardens.

This method can significantly reduce construction costs that accompany major construction projects. The masterminds behind this patent were able to produce concrete with about 15% to 25% fly ash as a replacement to expensive cement. Not only did they save about a quarter of the production cost by doing so but also they still met the design specifications required for buildings and even highway construction. Cheaper production with maintained quality is the formula for success in construction, and these inventors out of NJIT have found the successful formula.

Under government supported research, the inventors – the majority of whom were affiliated with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology – were tasked with building a concrete that is sturdy and sufficient enough to be used in buildings and transportation projects, but also affordable. The inventors went a step further and came up with a formula that is cheap, highly durable, and environmentally friendly. The use of fly ash as a substitute in concrete mixtures has the ability to reduce the carbon footprint on the environment. First, the use of fly ash, also known as “pulverized fuel ash”, in concrete mixtures cuts down the use of cement – and that in itself can cut cement and carbon waste by 25%. Secondly, the production of fly ash used to be an environmentally messy procedure. Fly ash is created when coal is burned. The ash is then removed and used to be just thrown away into the air. Thanks to environmental protection laws in the US, fly ash now must be stored either in coal plants or landfills. But storing massive amounts of ash can be difficult and takes up a lot of space. For example, in 1988 the U.S produced about 50 million tons of fly ash that had to be stored. Thanks to this invention, about 43% of those stored ash heaps can become useful again in concrete.

However, there are some downsides to using this method. For starters this fly ash method requires a lot of time in order for it to be successful. To be exact it requires 90 days for the fly ash to become inert and to increase the compressive strength in most cement mixtures. Although, 90 days isn’t that long when it comes to most construction projects, it is a significantly undue burden when trying to pave a road. A second downside to substituting fly ash in cement mixtures is that not all fly ash is made the same way or composed of the same quality. As previously mentioned, fly ash comes from all different sources, and there is no set standard quality that is used in composing fly ash. This uncertainty in the composure of fly ash can lead to different outcomes in cement, and that is a risk that can’t be taken all the time in building projects.

Although this method has some flaws, “Improved Compressive Strength of Concrete and Mortar Containing Fly Ash” has great implications that can benefit the construction community. With more pressure on construction projects to find cheaper alternatives for accomplishing the same task, substituting fly ash can be incredibly helpful. Since its publication date in 1998, there have been 46 other patents that built upon the same general idea initiated by this patent. The most recent was in 2011. These patents range from other methods to save money in cement mixtures and methods in shortening the wait time needed to accomplish this feat. These 46 other patents would not have been possible if it wasn’t for the work done by these four inventors out of the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

By Michael Tadros

Alleviating Solar Energy Congestion in the Distribution Grid via Smart Metering Communications

Weather-dependent renewable energy sources, mainly solar panels, can be made small enough that consumers have the ability to harness energy without massive production plants. Most people cannot store a hydroelectric dam or a natural gas burning power plant on their property, but many have solar panels. Users harnessing their own power creates the possibility of energy generation. Power generation no longer needs to be relegated to massive power plants. Through the use of solar panels, power generation can occur at the same place that the power is consumed. As energy generation becomes distributed and focused on renewables, utility companies lose exact control over energy generation. Without this control, utility companies may be unable to address shortages and congestion properly, leading to problems for consumers. Dr. Nirwan Ansari and Dr. Chun-Hao “Thomas” Lo developed a communications system between utility customers and their utility providers in order to control which households and businesses are contributing surplus energy into the grid to address the problem of solar energy congestion.

Ansari is a distinguished professor with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Lo worked as a research assistant at the university while completing his PhD in Electrical Engineering. A highly productive scholar, Ansari has been attributed in nearly 700 Google Scholar publications. During his time at NJIT, Lo won a graduate student award for research relating to this patent, US 9,246,334, “Alleviating Solar Energy Congestion in the Distribution Grid via Smart Metering Communications.”

Different sources of electricity have emerged and developed over the past century, but our grid infrastructure has stayed largely the same. The electric grid in the United States is centralized around huge power plants that generate the vast majority of the electricity used in the country. Electricity is then transported from the power plant to households and businesses that rely on power for daily functions. When the demand for electricity by consumers rises or falls, utility companies use estimates to increase or decrease the productivity of power plants to meet demand. Because the existing power plants primarily utilize fossil fuels to provide energy, the patterns of usage are predictable, and therefore easily controlled. However, due to the growing implementation of solar power by consumers, utility companies have experienced increasing uncertainty regarding the necessary power productions. The power companies have lost the ability to tailor supply to demand. Solar energy is heavily dependent on dynamic weather changes and the time of day. If energy needs suddenly increase overnight, utility companies are unable to rely on power being distributed to the grid from solar energy. To minimize the risk of blackouts and other shortages of energy, utility companies have traditionally relied on easily controlled sources of energy, including coal, natural gas, and hydroelectric power plants. In the past, when utility companies experienced rapid changes in demand for energy, the utility companies quickly responded to the power need by either increasing or decreasing the rate of production.

A growing problem regarding solar panels is solar energy congestion. Increasing solar energy congestion can be directly correlated with the rise in solar panel users. While smart meters help track the expenditure of electricity more efficiently, these devices are unable to intelligently communicate with the utility companies in order to remove users producing sufficient energy from the grid. Utilizing this patent’s invention, smart meter communications would drastically reduce the data computation time and corresponding network traffic. A reduction in network traffic and data computation time is a reduction in energy costs.

The smart meter communication first determines how much energy a “unit” or house uses over an interval of time. Then, during peak periods of energy congestion, when many units are producing energy via solar panels, the smart meter communication is able to disconnect itself from the grid. The unit is disconnected from the grid when the smart meter detects a surplus of energy being produced by the unit. The smart meter communicates with the UCC in order to disconnect each unit. Once the disconnection occurs, the unit becomes self-sufficient, and solely uses energy produced by its solar panels. Electricity from the grid is then sent only to units that need it.

The use of smart meter communications will become increasingly relevant as more consumers utilize solar panels. Presently, this patent has been cited by four more recent patents, all granted to researchers at AT&T other inventors, concerning various aspects of network communications.

Why Is US Patent Number 9,246,334 a patent?

1. Patentable Subject Matter:
This patent is categorized as a process. It provides a method for already existing smart meters—power meters that send continual data to power companies regarding individual energy by utilizing radiofrequency waves, the same waves mobile phones use—to communicate more efficiently with the Utility Connection Center (UCC), and to stop transmitting data during high energy saturation periods during which users are harnessing their own energy.

2. Utility (Usefulness):
As renewable energy becomes a growing sector of the power field, companies are going to deal increasingly with the issue of over-saturation of the grid during daylight hours. This patent provides a method of solving a growing problem.

3. Novelty:
While the smart grid is a growing technology, no other inventors have proposed limiting the communications between smart meters located in the homes of users harnessing solar and the UCC during prime solar periods in order to prevent energy congestion.

4. Non-Obviousness:
A primary selling-point of smart meters for power companies is that the meters are capable of tracking exact energy usage of consumers. Therefore, it is almost outlandish to think that the solution to the problem of congestion may involve disconnecting the smart meters from communicating with the UCC for periods of time.

5. Enablement:
The creation of the system is clearly outlined in the patent, and someone with a background in the relevant field would be able to eventually recreate this technology.

By Hope Welch, Timothy Bott, Joseph Macfarlane

SaveSave

Membrane Computer Keyboard and Method

In 1979, Steve Gensler, a resident of Oakland, California, started Unicorn Engineering after creating a computer keyboard that could be used by a friend with cerebral palsy. Gensler taught himself electronics in order to build a keyboard with large, flat buttons that were programmable, so that the computer could be instructed to respond to any key in any manner desired. Gensler’s accessible computer technology start-up became IntelliTools in 1991, with Arjan Khalsa at its head. Khalsa, a teacher in the Bay Area, had become interested in accessible computer technology in the mid-1980s. Khalsa attended a class on mainstreaming special education students in the Berkeley area and was struck by the role technology played in accommodating disabilities, as well as the obstacles technology imposed when it was not designed to be accessible. Shortly thereafter, Khalsa happened to catch a radio program discussing a book on computers for people with disabilities, and he contacted the author for more information. The author directed Khalsa to a local disability and technology advocacy group, where he met Gensler. Moved by the meeting he attended, Khalsa threw himself into working with people with disabilities and computer technology.[i] Khalsa partnered with Gensler, in 1985, and then became the CEO of IntelliTools.

In 1992, Khalsa and three Intellitools engineers applied for a patent for the successor to the Unicorn Board, IntelliKeys, which was granted three years later. The patent, “Membrane Computer Keyboard and Method,” describes what made this keyboard particularly usable by people with disabilities. The patent compares a traditional keyboard to the IntelliKeys board; the former requires roughly the same level of dexterity as operating a typewriter, whereas the latter can have “keys” of any desired size and configuration and assigned for any function, making it operable by people with varying degrees of motor control. Instead of the individual keys found in a standard keyboard, IntelliKeys had a flexible membrane covering hundreds of switches. The membrane could be divided into any number of programmed sections, each covering a number of switches. Each section, or “key,” would be plotted out on a card that covered the entire membrane. As the labels on the overlay were customizable, users could display whatever symbols, colors, numbers, or words suited their needs.

When a user pressed anywhere on the overlay within an area assigned to some function, the flexible membrane would activate the switches underneath, and the computer would read the switches. This level of customization allowed the keyboard to meet the needs of any user able to press a button of any size. In addition, unlike earlier versions of adaptive keyboards, the patented invention did not require any form of interface device between the keyboard and computer, instead using a standard keyboard cable. This greatly simplified the use of the keyboard, making it functional with different computers.

In 1984, rehabilitation researchers at a Closing the Gap conference described their use of the Unicorn Model 1 Keyboard for their clients with disabilities.[ii] Their Unicorn Board could be programmed to have up to 128 keys that performed different functions (the later IntelliKeys model increased this to 576 keys). Because the keyboard was this flexible, it could be programmed to optimize the user’s interaction with it in operating specific software. That is, only those keys needed to control the desired software had to be used, and they could be the size the user could best operate; no extraneous keys would be present that the user might accidentally press. Additionally, the researchers found it advantageous that the most frequently used keys could be programmed to be those easiest to reach.

IntelliKeys found success not only in terms of commercial sales but also in recognition as a product to aid people with disabilities. In 1992, Khalsa and IntelliKeys won First Place in the Johns Hopkins National Search for Computing Technology to Benefit People with Disabilities. IntelliTools continued selling its keyboards for the next twenty years. The company was bought out by Cambium Learning in 2006 and has changed hands a few times since. In 2014, its current owner AbleNet ceased manufacture of the keyboard, having moved away from customizable keyboards. Other companies now sell similar adaptive keyboards but to be used on touchscreens not as separate peripherals. [iii]

By Dr. Elizabeth Petrick

[i] Jack Kenny, “Bridging the sensory divide,” TES Magazine, Oct. 16, 1998, www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=79600.

[ii] James H. Heller, David Salisbury, and Judith C. Lapadat, “The Unicorn Model 1 Keyboard As a Rehabilitation Tool,” in Computer Technology for the Handicapped: Proceedings from the 1984 Closing The Gap Conference, ed. Michael Gergen and Dolores Hagen (Henderson, MN: Closing the Gap, 1984), 68–70.

[iii] This article is expanded from Elizabeth R. Petrick, Making Computers Accessible: Disability Rights and Digital Technology, (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2015), pgs 48-49.

SaveSave