Reducing pollutants released into the air: US Pat. No. 7,635,408

U.S. Patent No. 7,635,408, issued on December 22, 2009 to Fluor Technologies Corp. of Aliso Viejo, CA, discloses a way to increase the concentration of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) extracted from gases in which the H₂S is diluted (e.g., less than 10%).

According to the patent, co-absorption of carbon dioxide (CO₂) is problematic for existing gas-scrubbing systems, since the CO₂ renders sulfur conversion from the H₂S difficult. The patent discloses a way to increase the selectivity of H₂S absorption in the presence of CO₂ by using a second absorber that receives a portion of the isolated H₂S.

Fluor is a world-wide, Fortune 500 company working in a wide range of technologies (e.g., chemicals and petrochemicals, life sciences, manufacturing, mining, renewable energy, telecommunications, and transportation infrastructure).

At the time this patent application was filed in 2004, Fluor’s corporate headquarters were located in Aliso Viejo, and the inventors lived in OC. Fluor’s corporate HQ has since moved to Irving, Texas, but I don’t know if these inventors relocated as well, or if they continue to live and innovate here. Given the long periods of time that can extend from filing a U.S. patent application to eventual issuance as a U.S. patent, even if there is no more inventive Fluor activity occurring in OC, I’d expect to see Fluor patents listed again on this blog for the next two or three years.