Cy-Fair man earns patent for natural gas particulate removal method

A new method of removing particulate matter from natural gas has won a U.S. patent for a man who lives in the Cy-Fair area.

The man, Fred Mueller, claims in the patent that his apparatus requires less maintenance, can be cleaned without interrupting the separation process and produces less harmful waste products. He also writes that the device can be adjusted for various gas flow rates and particle densities.

The patent's official number is 7,875,103 and it was originally filed on April 25, 2007. Mueller was represented by Houston-based intellectual property firm Conley Rose; its offices are located at 600 Travis St.

The owner of the patent is listed as Mueller Environmental Designs Inc., a maker of equipment for the natural gas industry, located at 7607 Wright Road. Mueller is the president of the company.