Patents by Inventor James N. McCoy
James N. McCoy has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 7312371Abstract: A process for cracking a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock containing non-volatile components and/or coke precursors, wherein a stripping agent is added to the feedstock to form an enhanced hydrocarbon blend which is thereafter separated into a vapor phase and a liquid phase by flashing in a flash/separation vessel, separating and cracking the vapor phase, and recovering cracked product. The stripping agent increases vaporization of the volatile fraction of the heavy hydrocarbon increasing the maximum feedrate capacity of the furnace.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2004Date of Patent: December 25, 2007Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.Inventors: Richard C. Stell, Robert D. Strack, James M. Frye, Alok Srivastava, Subramanian Annamalai, James N. McCoy
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Patent number: 7297833Abstract: A process for cracking a light hydrocarbon feedstock containing non-volatile components and/or coke precursors, wherein a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock is added to the contaminated light hydrocarbon feedstock to form a contaminated hydrocarbon feedstock blend which is thereafter separated into a vapor phase and a liquid phase by flashing in a flash/separation vessel, separating and cracking the vapor phase, and recovering cracked product. The heavy hydrocarbon feedstock allows operation of the flash/separation vessel at a higher temperature, within the operating temperature range of the separation vessel.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2004Date of Patent: November 20, 2007Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.Inventors: David Beattie, Richard C. Stell, Alok Srivastava, James N. McCoy
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Patent number: 7220887Abstract: A process for cracking hydrocarbon feedstock containing resid comprising: heating the feedstock, mixing the heated feedstock with a fluid and/or a primary dilution steam stream to form a mixture, flashing the mixture to form a vapor phase and a liquid phase which collect as bottoms and removing the liquid phase, separating and cracking the vapor phase, and cooling the product effluent, wherein the bottoms are maintained under conditions to effect at least partial visbreaking. The visbroken bottoms may be steam stripped to recover the visbroken molecules while avoiding entrainment of the bottoms liquid. An apparatus for carrying out the process is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2004Date of Patent: May 22, 2007Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.Inventors: Richard C. Stell, George J. Balinsky, James N. McCoy, Paul F. Keusenkothen
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Patent number: 7193123Abstract: A process for cracking hydrocarbon feedstock containing resid comprising: heating the feedstock, mixing the heated feedstock with a fluid and/or a primary dilution steam stream to form a mixture, flashing the mixture to form a vapor phase and a liquid phase which collect as bottoms and removing the liquid phase, separating and cracking the vapor phase, and cooling the product effluent.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2005Date of Patent: March 20, 2007Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.Inventors: Richard C. Stell, Jennifer L. Bancroft, Arthur R. DiNicolantonio, Subramanian Annamalai, James N. McCoy, Paul F. Keusenkothen, George Stephens, John R. Messinger, James Mitchell Frye, Nick G. Vidonic, George J. Balinsky
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Patent number: 7138047Abstract: A process for feeding or cracking heavy hydrocarbon feedstock containing non-volatile hydrocarbons comprising: heating the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock, mixing the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock with a fluid and/or a primary dilution steam stream to form a mixture, flashing the mixture to form a vapor phase and a liquid phase, and varying the amount of the fluid and/or the primary dilution steam stream mixed with the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock in accordance with at least one selected operating parameter of the process, such as the temperature of the flash stream before entering the flash drum.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2002Date of Patent: November 21, 2006Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.Inventors: Richard C. Stell, Arthur R. DiNicolantonio, James Mitchell Frye, David B. Spicer, James N. McCoy, Robert David Strack
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Publication number: 20040004022Abstract: A process for feeding or cracking heavy hydrocarbon feedstock containing non-volatile hydrocarbons comprising: heating the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock, mixing the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock with a fluid and/or a primary dilution steam stream to form a mixture, flashing the mixture to form a vapor phase and a liquid phase, and varying the amount of the fluid and/or the primary dilution steam stream mixed with the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock in accordance with at least one selected operating parameter of the process, such as the temperature of the flash stream before entering the flash drum.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 3, 2002Publication date: January 8, 2004Inventors: Richard C. Stell, Arthur R. DiNicolantonio, James Mitchell Frye, David B. Spicer, James N. McCoy, Robert David Strack
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Patent number: 6634426Abstract: Plunger lift operations are difficult to optimize due to lack of knowledge of tubing pressure, casing pressure, bottom-hole pressure, liquid accumulation in the tubing and location of the plunger. Monitoring the plunger position in the tubing helps the operator (or controller) to optimize the removal of liquids and gas from the well. The plunger position can be tracked from the surface by monitoring acoustic signals generated as the plunger falls down the tubing. When the plunger passes by a tubing collar recess, an acoustic pulse is generated that travels up the gas within the tubing. The acoustic pulses are monitored at the surface, and are converted to an electrical signal by a microphone. The signal is digitized, and the digitized data is stored in a computer. Software processes this data along with the tubing and casing pressure data to display plunger depth, plunger velocity and well pressures vs. time.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2001Date of Patent: October 21, 2003Inventors: James N. McCoy, Augusto L. Podio, Dieter J. Becker, Orvel Lynn Rowlan
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Publication number: 20020084071Abstract: Plunger lift operations are difficult to optimize due to lack of knowledge of tubing pressure, casing pressure, bottom-hole pressure, liquid accumulation in the tubing and location of the plunger. Monitoring the plunger position in the tubing helps the operator (or controller) to optimize the removal of liquids and gas from the well. The plunger position can be tracked from the surface by monitoring acoustic signals generated as the plunger falls down the tubing. When the plunger passes by a tubing collar recess, an acoustic pulse is generated that travels up the gas within the tubing. The acoustic pulses are monitored at the surface, and are converted to an electrical signal by a microphone. The signal is digitized, and the digitized data is stored in a computer. Software processes this data along with the tubing and casing pressure data to display plunger depth, plunger velocity and well pressures vs. time.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2001Publication date: July 4, 2002Inventors: James N. McCoy, Augusto L. Podio, Dieter J. Becker, Orvel Lynn Rowlan
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Patent number: 6014609Abstract: An acoustic reflection instrument detects background noise and reflections present in a well bore that extends into the earth. The instrument includes a shot break channel with a fixed gain amplifier, a collars channel with a variable gain amplifier and a liquid level channel with a variable gain amplifier. The outputs of all these amplifiers are input to an analog-to-digital converter which selectively provides digital output signals to a central processing unit which in turn processes the received data and prints it on a strip chart with two channels, one for principally showing reflections from collars and the other channel for principally showing the reflection from the liquid surface. Background noise is measured for a predetermined time to set a gain level for the amplitude of the noise to appear on the strip chart record.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 1998Date of Patent: January 11, 2000Inventor: James N. McCoy
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Patent number: 5653286Abstract: A downhole gas separator is connected to the lower end of a tubing string. The separator includes a tubular body which has a decentralizer mounted to one side for driving the opposite side of the separator against an interior wall of the casing. This creates a narrow flow zone between the separator body and the adjacent casing wall and a wider flow zone on the decentralizer side of the body. A fluid inlet is provided on the side of the gas separator tubular body facing the narrow flow zone. The fluid in the narrow flow zone has a substantially higher concentration of liquid than the fluid in the wider flow zone. Fluid, primarily liquid, flows through the fluid inlet into a chamber within the separator. A dip tube transfers the fluid from the separator chamber to the pump.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 1995Date of Patent: August 5, 1997Inventors: James N. McCoy, Augusto L. Podio
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Patent number: 5589633Abstract: An oil well pumping unit has a walking beam which raises and lowers a rod connected to a downhole pump. To perform well analysis, it is desirable to know the position of the rod during the stroke. An accelerometer is mounted on the pumping system unit to move in conjunction with the rod. An output signal from the accelerometer is digitized and provided to a portable computer. The computer processes the digitized accelerometer signal to integrate it to first produce a velocity data set and second produce a position data set. Operations are carried out to modify the signal and produce a position trace with stroke markers to indicate positions of the rod during its cyclical operation.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 1995Date of Patent: December 31, 1996Assignee: James N. McCoyInventors: James N. McCoy, Jerry B. West, Augusto L. Podio
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Patent number: 5464058Abstract: In a pumping well, oil is normally lifted to the surface by a rod which extends from the surface to a downhole pump. A transducer is attached to the rod at the surface to sense the deformation, i.e., the change in diameter or circumference of the rod to determine change in rod loading. The transducer includes strain gauges which produce output signals proportional to the change in the diameter or circumference of the rod which occurs due to changes in load on the rod. The transducer may also include an accelerometer. The change in load on the polished rod over a pump cycle is used in conjunction with data produced by the accelerometer to calculate a downhole card. The downhole card showing change in pump load is adjusted to reflect absolute rod load by determining an appropriate offset. Various ways to determine the offset are available.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 1995Date of Patent: November 7, 1995Assignee: James N. McCoyInventors: James N. McCoy, Augusto L. Podio, James W. Jennings
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Patent number: 5406482Abstract: An oil well pumping unit has a walking beam which raises and lowers a rod connected to a downhole pump. To perform well analysis, it is desirable to know the position of the rod during the stroke. An accelerometer is mounted on the pumping system unit to move in conjunction with the rod. An output signal from the accelerometer is digitized and provided to a portable computer. The computer processes the digitized accelerometer signal to integrate it to first produce a velocity data set and second produce a position data set. Operations are carried out to modify the signal and produce a position trace with stroke markers to indicate positions of the rod during its cyclical operation.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 1991Date of Patent: April 11, 1995Assignee: James N. McCoyInventors: James N. McCoy, Jerry B. West, Augusto L. Podio
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Patent number: 5285388Abstract: An echo sounding system includes an acoustic gun which is mounted to the wellhead of a borehole. The acoustic gun produces an acoustic pulse which is transmitted down the borehole. A tubing string is installed in the borehole and has substantially evenly spaced collars. Fluid is pumped from the borehole, or well, by use of a reciprocating pump driven by a pump rod extending to the surface. Fluid is received from a surrounding formation and collects in the borehole. The acoustic pulse produces reflections when it strikes the tubing collars and the surface of the fluid. A microphone detects the reflections to produce a return signal. This signal is digitized and stored. The digitized signal is processed to detect the rate of the collar reflections and the stored signal is narrowband filtered with a passband filter centered at the rate of receipt of the collar reflections. The data signal is further processed to determine the time of occurrence of the acoustic pulse and the liquid surface reflection.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 1990Date of Patent: February 8, 1994Assignee: James N. McCoyInventors: James N. McCoy, Kenneth L. Huddleston
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Patent number: 5200894Abstract: An echo sounding system includes an acoustic gun which is mounted to the wellhead of a borehole. The acoustic gun produces an acoustic pulse which is transmitted down the borehole. A tubing string is installed in the borehole and it has substantially evenly spaced collars. Fluid is pumped from the borehole, or well, by use of a reciprocating pump driven by a pump rod extending to the surface. The acoustic pulse produces reflections when it strikes the tubing collars and the surface of the fluid. A microphone detects the reflections to produce a return signal. This signal is digitized and stored. The digitized signal is processed to detect the rate of the collar reflections and the stored signal is narrowband filtered with a passband filter centered at the rate of receipt of the collars. Each cycle of the narrowband filtered signal corresponds to one collar reflection.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 1990Date of Patent: April 6, 1993Assignee: James N. McCoyInventors: James N. McCoy, Augusto L. Podio, Kenneth L. Huddleston
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Patent number: 5117399Abstract: An echo sounding system includes a acoustic gun which is mounted to the wellhead of a borehole. The acoustic gun produces a acoustic pulse which is transmitted down the borehole. A tubing string is installed in the borehole and it has substantially evenly spaced collars. Fluid is pumped from the borehole, or well, by use of a reciprocating pump driven by a pump rod extending to the surface. Fluid is received from a surrounding formation and collects in the borehole. The acoustic pulse produces reflections when it strikes the tubing collars and the surface of the fluid. A microphone detects the reflections to produce a return signal. This signal is digitized and stored. The digitized signal is processed to detect the rate of the collar reflections and the stored signal is narrowband filtered with a passband filter centered at the rate of receipt of the collars. The data signal is further processed to determine the time of occurrence of the acoustic pulse and the liquid surface reflection.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 1990Date of Patent: May 26, 1992Assignee: James N. McCoyInventors: James N. McCoy, Kenneth L. Huddleston, Augusto L. Podio
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Patent number: 4934186Abstract: An apparatus (10) is disclosed for permitting continuous calculations of the depth of the fluid level (12) within a well bore (14) during a test interval. A sonic event is generated in the well bore, and the reflected sonic signals from down hole tubing collars and the fluid surface are sensed and recorded. By knowing the depth of the tubing collars, the fluid depth and speed of sound in the oerlying gas can be computed. Subsequently, the apparatus (10) generates sonic events and records the travel time for the sound to reflect off the fluid surface and return. Measurements of the actual fluid depth and sonic velocity are made at regular intervals, and interpolated between actual measurements to allow the variation in fluid level to be calculated from the measurements of travel time.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 1987Date of Patent: June 19, 1990Inventor: James N. McCoy
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Patent number: 4932253Abstract: A load cell is mounted on a polished rod between a rod clamp and a hanger bar. The polished rod is connected to a string of sucker rods that drive a reciprocating pump for lifting fluid from a borehole. The load cell includes a tubular body which is fitted with strain gauges for measuring compressional forces applied to the cell. The ends of the tubular body are shaped with annular spherical surfaces which mate with corresponding surfaces on washers at each end. Each of the washers tightly surrounds the polished rod and as a result of the loading on the polished rod, the washers and rod are forced into coaxial alignment with the load cell. Optionally, the polished rod can receive a centralizing sleeve which forces it to be centered within the tubular body of the load cell or the washers at either end thereof.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 1989Date of Patent: June 12, 1990Inventor: James N. McCoy
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Patent number: 4637463Abstract: An echo ranging gun (10) is disclosed which is useable with high pressure gas wells having gas pressure exceeding 15,000 psi. The gun (10) is connected to the needle valve (30) typically encountered on a well having high pressure. The needle valve can have a diameter as small as approximately 1/8 inch. The gun (10) has a passage (38) which is exposed to the gas in the wellbore (14) and a volume chamber (46). A poppet valve (56) is movable between open and closed positions in the volume chamber by rotating a wing handle (88) connected to a head (78) within the volume chamber (46) which has a ramp (80) to contact the poppet valve (56) to move the valve to the closed position. A bleed valve (112) is used to bleed the wellbore gas from the volume chamber to create a predetermined pressure differential between the passage (38) and volume chamber (46). Further rotation of the wing handle (88) causes the poppet valve (56) to be released from the ramp at a down step (86).Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 1984Date of Patent: January 20, 1987Inventor: James N. McCoy
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Patent number: 4408676Abstract: A gas gun assembly for measuring depths of reflectors in a well bore includes a housing having a central chamber and bottom bulkhead through which a first valve bore extends. Coupling structure is provided to connect the housing to the well. A cap closure for the chamber has a second valve bore therethrough of diameter larger than the diameter of the first valve bore and is located in axial alignment with the first valve bore. A valve stem has one end axially movable within the second valve bore while closing the same and the other end movable into and out of the first valve bore. A predetermined pressure condition is established across the bulkhead. The valve stem is then released for rapid equalization of pressure across the bulkhead to produce an acoustic pulse in the well bore.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 1981Date of Patent: October 11, 1983Inventor: James N. McCoy