Patents by Inventor Keith Richard Waltz

Keith Richard Waltz 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).

  • Publication number: 20190264910
    Abstract: An inward-firing combustion burner, includes a burner casing configured to receive a fuel-air mixture at a burner inlet and to provide hot combustion gas at a burner output, a combustion substrate disposed within the burner casing, the substrate having a shape comprising at least a semi-cone or a flat surface, having a substrate porosity defined by a plurality of pores, and having a substrate inner surface and a substrate outer surface, the substrate configured to receive the fuel-air mixture at the outer surface of the substrate, the fuel-air mixture passing through the pores at a mixture flow rate from the substrate outer surface toward the substrate inner surface, and the burner configured such that, in operation, the fuel-air mixture ignites near the plurality of pores to form a respective plurality of flamelets, each flamelet corresponding to one of the pores.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventors: Carl Nicholas Nett, Alireza Bahrami, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Publication number: 20190219302
    Abstract: A method for heating a production fluid in a fluid heating system includes receiving the production fluid by a pressure vessel, the pressure vessel arranged to receive the production fluid and to provide heated production fluid, receiving a thermal transfer fluid by a tubeless heat exchanger core, the tubeless heat exchanger core disposed at least partially within the vessel, the tubeless heat exchanger core comprising an inner casing and an outer casing disposed around the inner casing, the inner and outer casings defining therebetween a flow passage for a thermal transfer fluid to flow, the tubeless heat exchanger core further comprising a core inlet and a core outlet, and at least one of the core inlet and core outlet being disposed on the inner casing, and wherein the flow passage guides the flow of the thermal transfer fluid from the core inlet to the core outlet and wherein at least a portion of respective outer surfaces of the inner and outer casings are arranged to be contacted by the production fluid
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Publication date: July 18, 2019
    Inventors: Carl Nicholas Nett, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Publication number: 20190204011
    Abstract: A method for transferring heat between a first fluid and a second fluid includes providing a tubeless heat exchanger having a tubeless heat exchanger core, the tubeless heat exchanger core having an inner casing and an outer casing disposed around the inner casing, the inner and outer casings defining therebetween a flow passage for a thermal transfer fluid to flow, the tubeless heat exchanger core having a core inlet arranged to receive the first fluid and a core outlet arranged to provide the first fluid, the core inlet and core outlet being fluidically connected to the flow passage, and at least one of the core inlet and core outlet being disposed on the inner casing, wherein each of the outer casing and the inner casing has an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the respective inner surfaces face each other and define therebetween the flow passage for the first fluid to flow from the core inlet to the core outlet and wherein at least a portion of the respective outer surfaces are arranged to be co
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Inventors: Carl Nicholas Nett, Richard James Snyder, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Patent number: 10309731
    Abstract: A compliant heating system includes a dynamic component including a heat exchanger; a pressure vessel shell encompassing at least a portion of the heat exchanger; and a compressive seal expansion that connects the dynamic component and the pressure vessel shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: FULTON GROUP N.A., INC.
    Inventors: Alexander Thomas Frechette, Carl Nicholas Nett, James Pettiford, Richard James Snyder, Thomas William Tighe, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Patent number: 10240813
    Abstract: A fluid heating system including: a pressure vessel shell including: a first inlet and first outlet; a tubeless heat exchanger core disposed entirely in the pressure vessel shell, the tubeless heat exchanger core including a second inlet and a second outlet; an outlet member, which penetrates the pressure vessel shell and which connects the second outlet of the tubeless heat exchanger core and an outside of the pressure vessel shell; and a conduit having a first end connected to the second inlet of the tubeless heat exchanger core and a second end disposed on the outside of the pressure vessel shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: FULTON GROUP N.A., Inc.
    Inventors: Carl Nicholas Nett, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Patent number: 10228190
    Abstract: A tubeless heat exchanger for heating a production fluid disposed in a vessel, including: a tubeless heat exchanger core disposed at least partially within the vessel, the tubeless heat exchanger core comprising an inner casing and an outer casing disposed around the inner casing, the inner and outer casings defining therebetween a flow passage for a thermal transfer fluid to flow, the tubeless heat exchanger core further comprising a core inlet arranged to receive the thermal transfer fluid and a core outlet arranged to provide the thermal transfer fluid, the core inlet and core outlet being fluidically connected to the flow passage, wherein each of the outer casing and the inner casing has an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the respective inner surfaces face each other and define therebetween the flow passage for the thermal transfer fluid to flow and wherein at least a portion of the respective outer surfaces are arranged to be contacted by the production fluid, wherein the flow passage defines
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: FULTON GROUP N.A., INC.
    Inventors: Carl Nicholas Nett, Richard James Snyder, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Publication number: 20180292106
    Abstract: A fluid heating system for heating a production fluid using a thermal transfer fluid, the production fluid being contained in a vessel includes an electric blower configured to receive ambient air and electrical input power and to provide output source air, a combustion system configured to receive the source air from the electric blower and to receive fuel and to provide the thermal transfer fluid, a heat exchanger configured to receive the thermal transfer fluid from the combustion system and configured to be in thermal communication with the production fluid to provide convective heat exchange from the thermal transfer fluid to the production fluid, and to provide output exhaust gas, and wherein the electric fan provides a predetermined volume flow rate of the output source air at a predetermined blower efficiency such that the fluid heating system has a Bulk Heat Flux of at least about 14.7 kBTU/Hr/ft2 and a Pressure Drop of at least about 0.7 psi.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Inventors: Alexander Thomas Frechette, Carl Nicholas Nett, Thomas William Tighe, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Publication number: 20180142918
    Abstract: A fluid heating system including: a pressure vessel shell com including prising a first inlet; a heat exchanger disposed in the pressure vessel shell, the heat exchanger including a second inlet and a second outlet, wherein the second inlet of the heat exchanger is connected to the first inlet of the pressure vessel shell; and an exhaust manifold disposed in the pressure vessel shell, the exhaust manifold including a third inlet and a third outlet, wherein the third inlet of the exhaust manifold is connected to the second outlet of the heat exchanger, wherein the third outlet of the exhaust manifold is outside of the pressure vessel shell, and wherein the exhaust manifold penetrates the pressure vessel shell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2018
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Inventors: Alexander Thomas Frechette, Carl Nicholas Nett, Richard James Snyder, Thomas William Tighe, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Publication number: 20170307253
    Abstract: A combustion gas supply system and method includes: a cyclonic air filter (or separator), a blower having an inlet and an outlet, and a combustible gas inlet, wherein the cyclonic air filter, the blower, and the combustible gas inlet are in fluid communication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Inventors: Carl Nicholas Nett, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Publication number: 20170211887
    Abstract: A heat exchanger tube assembly comprising a first tube sheet, a second tube sheet opposite the first sheet, a plurality of heat exchanger tubes, each independently connects the first tube sheet and the second tube sheet, wherein the tubes are in a staggered ring configuration that comprises a concentric sequence of rings of decreasing diameter wherein adjacent tubes on the same ring are separated by a fixed radial separation angle and adjacent tubes on adjacent rings are staggered by rotating all the tubes within an inner ring by a fixed radial index angle, IA, relative to the next outermost tube ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2017
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventors: Joel Richard Landry, Richard James Snyder, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Publication number: 20170211895
    Abstract: A fluid heating system assembly including: a first tube sheet; a second tube sheet opposite the first sheet; a heat exchanger tube, which connects the first tube sheet and the second tube sheet; a baffle such as a plate baffle and/or an annular baffle disposed between the first tube sheet and the second tube sheet, wherein the heat exchanger tube passes through the baffle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventors: Alexander Thomas Frechette, Carl Nicholas Nett, Richard James Snyder, Thomas William Tighe, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Publication number: 20170167751
    Abstract: A fluid heating system including: a pressure vessel; an assembly comprising: a heat exchanger core including a second inlet and a second outlet; a first conduit having a first end connected to the second inlet of the heat exchanger core and a second end disposed outside of the pressure vessel; a second conduit having a first end connected to the second outlet of the heat exchanger core and a second end disposed outside of the pressure vessel; and a blower in fluid connection with the first end of the first conduit, wherein the fluid heating system satisfies the condition that a Bulk Heat Flux between the first end of the first conduit and the first end of the second conduit is between 45 kW/m2 and 300 kW/m2, and wherein the Pressure Drop between the first conduit and the second conduit is between 3 kiloPascals and 30 kiloPascals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Inventors: Alexander Thomas Frechette, Carl Nicholas Nett, Thomas William Tighe, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Publication number: 20170023316
    Abstract: A compliant heating system includes a dynamic component including a heat exchanger; a pressure vessel shell encompassing at least a portion of the heat exchanger; and a compressive seal expansion that connects the dynamic component and the pressure vessel shell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Publication date: January 26, 2017
    Inventors: Alexander Thomas Frechette, Carl Nicholas Nett, James Pettiford, Richard James Snyder, Thomas William Tighe, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Publication number: 20160169588
    Abstract: A heat exchanger including: a heat exchanger core including a top head, a bottom head, an first casing disposed between the top head and the bottom head, a second casing disposed between the top head and the bottom head and opposite an inner surface of the first casing, an inlet on the first casing, the second casing, or a combination thereof, and an outlet on the first casing, the second casing, or combination thereof, wherein at least one of the first casing and the second casing includes a ridge, and wherein the first casing and the second casing and define a flow passage between the inlet and the outlet; and a pressure vessel; an inlet member on the inlet, which connects the inlet to an outside of the pressure vessel; and an outlet member on the outlet, which connects the outlet to an outside of the pressure vessel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventors: Carl Nicholas Nett, Richard James Snyder, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Publication number: 20160169587
    Abstract: A heat exchanger including: a heat exchanger core including a top head; a bottom head, a first casing disposed between the top head and the bottom head, a second casing disposed between the top head and the bottom head, wherein an inner surface of the first casing is opposite an inner surface of the second casing, an inlet on the first casing, the second casing, or combination thereof, an outlet on the first casing, the second casing, or combination thereof, and a rib disposed between the first casing and the second casing, wherein the rib, the first casing, and the second casing define a flow passage between the inlet and the outlet; a pressure vessel; an inlet member on the inlet, which connects the inlet to an outside of the pressure vessel; and an outlet member on the outlet, which connects the outlet to an outside of the pressure vessel, wherein the bottom head, the first casing, and the second casing are contained entirely within the pressure vessel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventors: Carl Nicholas Nett, Richard James Snyder, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Publication number: 20160169552
    Abstract: A fluid heating system including: a pressure vessel shell including: a first inlet and first outlet; a tubeless heat exchanger core disposed entirely in the pressure vessel shell, the tubeless heat exchanger core including a second inlet and a second outlet; an outlet member, which penetrates the pressure vessel shell and which connects the second outlet of the tubeless heat exchanger core and an outside of the pressure vessel shell; and a conduit having a first end connected to the second inlet of the tubeless heat exchanger core and a second end disposed on the outside of the pressure vessel shell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventors: Carl Nicholas Nett, Keith Richard Waltz