John David Rodgers

US Patent:

6530287, Mar 11, 2003

Filed:

Aug 15, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/930348

Inventors:

John C. Rodgers - Santa Fe NM

Assignee:

The Regents of the University of California - Los Alamos NM

International Classification:

G01N 500

US Classification:

7386321, 73 2804, 73 3102, 7386481

Abstract:

A wind deceleration and protective shroud that provides representative samples of ambient aerosols to an environmental continuous air monitor (ECAM) has a cylindrical enclosure mounted to an input on the continuous air monitor, the cylindrical enclosure having shrouded nozzles located radially about its periphery. Ambient air flows, often along with rainwater flows into the nozzles in a sampling flow generated by a pump in the continuous air monitor. The sampling flow of air creates a cyclonic flow in the enclosure that flows up through the cylindrical enclosure until the flow of air reaches the top of the cylindrical enclosure and then is directed downward to the continuous air monitor. A sloped platform located inside the cylindrical enclosure supports the nozzles and causes any moisture entering through the nozzle to drain out through the nozzles.

US Patent:

7232477, Jun 19, 2007

Filed:

Oct 18, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/967568

Inventors:

John C. Rodgers - Santa Fe NM, US

Assignee:

Los Alamos National Security, LLC - Los Alamos NM

International Classification:

B01D 45/00

US Classification:

96413, 55318, 55458, 55DIG 14, 7386322, 95 32, 95267

Abstract:

An inlet for an environmental air monitor is described wherein a pre-separator interfaces with ambient environment air and removes debris and insects commonly associated with high wind outdoors and a deflector plate in communication with incoming air from the pre-separator stage, that directs the air radially and downward uniformly into a plurality of accelerator jets located in a manifold of a virtual impactor, the manifold being cylindrical and having a top, a base, and a wall, with the plurality of accelerator jets being located in the top of the manifold and receiving the directed air and accelerating directed air, thereby creating jets of air penetrating into the manifold, where a major flow is deflected to the walls of the manifold and extracted through ports in the walls. A plurality of receiver nozzles are located in the base of the manifold coaxial with the accelerator jets, and a plurality of matching flow restrictor elements are located in the plurality of receiver nozzles for balancing and equalizing the total minor flow among all the plurality of receiver nozzles, through which a lower, fractional flow extracts large particle constituents of the air for collection on a sample filter after passing through the plurality of receiver nozzles and the plurality of matching flow restrictor elements.

US Patent:

7399337, Jul 15, 2008

Filed:

Feb 16, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/059096

Inventors:

John C. Rodgers - Santa Fe NM, US

Assignee:

Los Alamos National Security, LLC - Los Alamos NM

International Classification:

B01D 45/00
B65G 53/14
F41B 7/00

US Classification:

95 25, 55351, 55352, 55353, 55354, 406153, 406144, 406 28, 406177, 95277, 95273, 95 18, 95223

Abstract:

An apparatus and corresponding method for automatically changing out a filter cartridge in a continuous air monitor. The apparatus includes: a first container sized to hold filter cartridge replacements; a second container sized to hold used filter cartridges; a transport insert connectively attached to the first and second containers; a shuttle block, sized to hold the filter cartridges that is located within the transport insert; a transport driver mechanism means used to supply a motive force to move the shuttle block within the transport insert; and, a control means for operating the transport driver mechanism.

US Patent:

8039810, Oct 18, 2011

Filed:

Mar 20, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/408512

Inventors:

John C. Rodgers - Santa Fe NM, US
Markku J. Koskelo - Albuquerque NM, US

Assignee:

Canberra Industries, Inc. - Meriden CT

International Classification:

G01T 1/20
G21F 3/00
G01V 5/00

US Classification:

25037011, 2505151, 250255

Abstract:

A scintillation-based detection device and method for continuous monitoring of flowing liquids for the presence of radionuclides. A side-stream pipe directs a portion of the monitored liquid from the main flow transfer pipe through and/or around the detector. Within the side-stream pipe is a scintillation detector assembly, having) either a nested-cylindrical or stacked-element shape. The real-time to near real-time detection capabilities are influenced by the total surface area of the detector assembly. The detectors are operated in anti-coincidence mode to distinguish pure beta-emitters from beta-gamma emitters and from pure gamma events. A gross beta count, gross gamma count, or some combination may also be determined.

US Patent:

53376030, Aug 16, 1994

Filed:

Jan 15, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/003982

Inventors:

Andrew R. McFarland - College Station TX
John C. Rodgers - Santa Fe NM
Carlos A. Ortiz - Bryan TX
David C. Nelson - Santa Fe NM

Assignee:

The Regents of the University of California Office of Technology Transfer - Alameda CA

International Classification:

G01F 500

US Classification:

73202

Abstract:

Elbow mass flow meter. The present invention includes a combination of an elbow pressure drop generator and a shunt-type mass flow sensor for providing an output which gives the mass flow rate of a gas that is nearly independent of the density of the gas. For air, the output is also approximately independent of humidity.

US Patent:

51285398, Jul 7, 1992

Filed:

Aug 15, 1990

Appl. No.:

7/567561

Inventors:

John C. Rodgers - Santa Fe NM
Andrew R. McFarland - College Station TX
Carlos A. Oritz - Bryan TX
William H. Marlow - College Station TX

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the United States
Department of Energy - Washington DC

International Classification:

G01T 704

US Classification:

250255

Abstract:

Apparatus having reduced background for measuring radiation activity in aerosol particles. A continuous air monitoring sampler is described for use in detecting the presence of alpha-emitting aerosol particles. An inlet fractionating screen has been demonstrated to remove about 95% of freshly formed radon progeny from the aerosol sample, and approximately 33% of partially aged progeny. Addition of an electrical condenser and a modified dichotomous virtual impactor are expected to produce considerable improvement in these numbers, the goal being to enrich the transuranic (TRU) fraction of the aerosols. This offers the possibility of improving the signal-to-noise ratio for the detected alpha-particle energy spectrum in the region of interest for detecting TRU materials associated with aerosols, thereby enhancing the performance of background-compensation algorithms for improving the quality of alarm signals intended to warn personnel of potentially harmful quantities of TRU materials in the ambient air.

US Patent:

54047625, Apr 11, 1995

Filed:

Jan 15, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/003990

Inventors:

John C. Rodgers - Santa Fe NM
Andrew R. McFarland - College Station TX
Carlos A. Ortiz - Bryan TX

Assignee:

The Regents of the Univ. of California Office of Technology Transfer - Alameda CA

International Classification:

G01N 100

US Classification:

7386325

Abstract:

A quick-change filter cartridge. In sampling systems for measurement of airborne materials, a filter element is introduced into the sampled airstream such that the aerosol constituents are removed and deposited on the filter. Fragile sampling media often require support in order to prevent rupture during sampling, and careful mounting and sealing to prevent misalignment, tearing, or creasing which would allow the sampled air to bypass the filter. Additionally, handling of filter elements may introduce cross-contamination or exposure of operators to toxic materials. Moreover, it is desirable to enable the preloading of filter media into quick-change cartridges in clean laboratory environments, thereby simplifying and expediting the filter-changing process in the field. The quick-change filter cartridge of the present invention permits the application of a variety of filter media in many types of instruments and may also be used in automated systems. The cartridge includes a base through which a vacuum can be applied to draw air through the filter medium which is located on a porous filter support and held there by means of a cap which forms an airtight seal with the base.