This invention is for an innovative magnetic air separator (MAS) for delivering oxygen-enriched air or near-pure oxygen to for advanced combustion, coal gasification, industrial processes, and medical applications. In the MAS of the subject invention, input air is drawn into a large array of microchannels immersed in a strong, spatially varying magnetic field. Magnetic forces accelerate the paramagnetic O2 molecules within the microchannel flow and in a direction perpendicular to it, thus forming enriched and depleted streams. Such streams are then physically separated and subsequently combined according to their level of O2 enrichment or depletion. Highly enriched streams are repeatedly subjected to the magnetic separation process until the targeted level of O2 concentration is reached in selected streams. Partially enriched streams are recycled and fed back into the process feedstock air, while depleted streams are vented from the process.

A magnetic/energetic apparatus for purifying gas mixtures comprises a vortex tube and magnetic elements. Such an apparatus can include an inlet valve configured to receive a gas mixture having one or more disposed paramagnetic gas species and one or more diamagnetic gas species; a high-shear environment energetic separation chamber coupled to the inlet valve; a plurality of magnetic elements coupled to an outer wall of the high-shear environment separation chamber, wherein each of the plurality of magnetic elements are arranged so as to have a respective pole alternating in polarity with respect to an adjacently positioned magnetic element so as to induce a field gradient between each of the adjacently positioned magnetic elements and within the inner wall of the high-shear environment separation chamber; and at least one exit valve so as provide a substantially separated one or more paramagnetic gas species from the one or more diamagnetic gas species.

A hydronic system separator has an air separator with a vent release mechanism to remove air from the fluid within a hydronic system. The separator includes a magnetic assembly for collecting ferrous particles from the fluid. One or more screens are used to remove other particles from the fluid. The separator housing includes a removable debris collection receptacle that has a drain assembly.

Provided is a magnetic separator in which even when content of a magnetic sludge in a liquid to be treated increases, recovery performance of the magnetic sludge is less likely to degrade and a malfunction of the device is less likely to occur. A part of an outer peripheral surface of a magnet drum is immersed in a flow of the liquid to be treated containing the magnetic sludge. A removing mechanism removes the magnetic sludge on the outer peripheral surface of the magnet drum from the outer peripheral surface of the magnet drum. A magnetic sludge containing information acquisition device acquires magnetic sludge containing information relating to a content of the magnetic sludge contained in the liquid to be treated. A control device changes a magnetic sludge removal capability of the magnet drum depending on the magnetic sludge containing information acquired by the magnetic sludge containing information acquisition device.

A hybrid superconductive device for stabilizing an electric grid comprises (a) a magnetic core arrangement at least partially carrying an AC winding the AC winding connectable to an AC circuit for a current to be limited in the event of a fault; (b) at least one superconductive coil configured for storing electromagnetic energy; the superconductive coil magnetically coupled with the core arrangement and saturating the magnetic core arrangement during use. The hybrid superconductive device further comprises a switch unit preprogrammed for switching electric current patterns corresponding to the following modes: at least partially charging the superconductive coil; a standby mode when the superconductive coil is looped back; and at least partially discharging the superconductive coil into the circuit. Optionally, hybrid superconductive device comprises at least one passage located within said magnetic flux. The passage conducts a material flow comprising components magnetically separable by said magnetic flux.

Devices, systems, and their methods of use, for sorting or separating magnetic particles are provided. A magnetic source, e.g., with at least one sharp feature, can be employed to exert a strong magnetic field on magnetic particles in order to separate particles of a desired and predictable property.

An apparatus and method for extracting nucleic acids such as DNA molecules from biological samples uses solid-state magnetic manipulation. A fluid sample and magnetic beads are placed in a vessel. The vessel is placed in a housing with an array of electromagnets mounted therein. The electromagnets are energized sequentially or in groups to move the magnetic beads through the fluid sample in a variety of patterns. The apparatus disclosed herein may be used as a measurement device to measure bead number density and modify magnetic patterns in order to deliver consistent dosages in bead number.

Method for detecting the presence or absence of a biological or chemical substance in a particular sample mixed with a suspension with functionalized magnetic particles, comprising: providing a light source and detector, providing a constant magnetic force perpendicular to the light's propagation direction by applying a constant magnetic field gradient, and with an absolute value which is higher than 0.1 T and measuring the change of the magnetic particle's suspension transparency versus time and comparing it with the time-variation in absence of the targeted biological or chemical substance. The method of the invention allows monitoring the transparency irrespective of the emitted wavelength and particle's optical properties.

In at least one illustrative embodiment, an electromagnetic filter may include a transfer pipe and multiple electromagnetic filter elements positioned in an interior volume of the pipe. Each electromagnetic filter element includes a support comb, a solenoid coupled to the support comb, and multiple magnetic members arranged in a planar array positioned within an opening of the support comb. Each magnetic member may rotate about an end that is coupled to the support comb. The magnetic members may be magnetostrictive sensors and may include a biorecognition element to bind with a target microorganism. A method for fluid filtration includes coupling the electromagnetic filter between a fluid source and a fluid destination, energizing the solenoids of each electromagnetic filter elements, and flowing a fluid media through the transfer pipe of the electromagnetic filter. The fluid media may be liquid food such as fruit juice. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

The current invention relates to the method and apparatus to magnetically separate biological entities with magnetic labels from a fluid sample. The claimed magnetic separation device removes biological entities with magnetic labels from its fluidic solution by using a soft-magnetic center pole with two soft-magnetic side poles. The claimed device further includes processes to dissociate entities conglomerate after magnetic separation.