Patents by Inventor Kevin Hotton

Kevin Hotton 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).

  • Patent number: 10000704
    Abstract: An intelligent controls system for remotely monitoring and controlling a chemical process is disclosed. The system comprises a piece of remote field equipment for performing the chemical process, a user device, a server, and program codes to perform the steps of establishing an equipment-server and a client-server connection, receiving a set of chemical process input parameters and a set of desired chemical process output parameters, controlling a set of chemical process control parameters to achieve the desired chemical process output parameters, and providing an interface to allow an operator to manually control and/or manually override the set of chemical process control parameters. The controls system allows any piece of remote field equipment for performing complex chemical processing to be monitored, controlled, and operated remotely. A large array of distributed field equipment situated around the world can all be controlled primarily through a single interface provided in a central control center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: Pioneer Energy Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Young, Matthew Lewis, Gevorg Sargsyan, Kevin Hotton, Robert M Zubrin
  • Publication number: 20180045460
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon vapor capture and processing system is disclosed to reduce both carbon emissions and conventional pollution, while producing financial returns by turning waste vapors into high quality NGLs. In one embodiment, the hydrocarbon vapor is sent to a compressor for compression. Compressed vapor is then cooled via an air cooler, before being condensed by a refrigerator to form a liquid. The resulting two-phase flow is then separated into a dry gas stream and a liquid stream using a cyclonic separator. The dry gas stream may be transmitted as a light gas to sales line. The resulting liquid stream is passed to a stripping column to produce NGLs. The system offers great benefits to the environment and public health, by providing a technology that drastically cuts carbon emissions and noxious pollution, while incentivizing drillers to implement such measures through its ability to produce revenue.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2017
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Inventors: Robert M. Zubrin, Gevorg Sargsyan, Andrew C. Young, Kevin Hotton, Matthew Lewis
  • Publication number: 20170292077
    Abstract: An intelligent controls system for remotely monitoring and controlling a chemical process is disclosed. The system comprises a piece of remote field equipment for performing the chemical process, a user device, a server, and program codes to perform the steps of establishing an equipment-server and a client-server connection, receiving a set of chemical process input parameters and a set of desired chemical process output parameters, controlling a set of chemical process control parameters to achieve the desired chemical process output parameters, and providing an interface to allow an operator to manually control and/or manually override the set of chemical process control parameters. The controls system allows any piece of remote field equipment for performing complex chemical processing to be monitored, controlled, and operated remotely. A large array of distributed field equipment situated around the world can all be controlled primarily through a single interface provided in a central control center.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2017
    Publication date: October 12, 2017
    Inventors: Andrew Young, Matthew Lewis, Gevorg Sargsyan, Kevin Hotton, Robert M Zubrin
  • Patent number: 9719024
    Abstract: An intelligent controls system for a field-deployable system for producing dry natural gas (NG) and natural gas liquids (NGLs) from a raw gas stream is disclosed. The control system is used to ensure correct specifications of both dry NG (above a desired minimum methane number) and NGLs (below a desired maximum vapor pressure) from any supplied raw natural gas source by controlling three system parameters: inlet gas flow rate, system operating pressure, and separator-reboiler temperature set point. The input parameters include: heat content of the input gas stream, volume of the input gas stream, desired methane number of the NG, and desired vapor pressure of the NGLs. The controls system allows any piece of remote field equipment for performing complex chemical processing to be monitored, controlled, and operated remotely. A large array of distributed field equipment situated around the world can all be controlled primarily through a single interface provided in a central control center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Pioneer Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Young, Matthew Lewis, Gevorg Sargsyan, Kevin Hotton, Robert M Zubrin
  • Publication number: 20150368566
    Abstract: An intelligent controls system for a field-deployable system for producing dry natural gas (NG) and natural gas liquids (NGLs) from a raw gas stream is disclosed. The control system is used to ensure correct specifications of both dry NG (above a desired minimum methane number) and NGLs (below a desired maximum vapor pressure) from any supplied raw natural gas source by controlling three system parameters: inlet gas flow rate, system operating pressure, and separator-reboiler temperature set point. The input parameters include: heat content of the input gas stream, volume of the input gas stream, desired methane number of the NG, and desired vapor pressure of the NGLs. The controls system allows any piece of remote field equipment for performing complex chemical processing to be monitored, controlled, and operated remotely. A large array of distributed field equipment situated around the world can all be controlled primarily through a single interface provided in a central control center.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Andrew Young, Matthew Lewis, Gevorg Sargsyan, Kevin Hotton, Robert M Zubrin
  • Publication number: 20150233634
    Abstract: The present invention is a field-deployable system for producing compressed natural gas (CNG) and natural gas liquids (NGLs) from a raw gas stream comprising a compressor; a dehydrator; a refrigerator having one or more stages; and a separation subsystem adapted to separate the raw gas stream into three useable product streams: a methane stream that is at least 70% methane, an ethane-rich stream, and a NGLs stream having a vapor pressure of no more than 17 bar (250 psi) at 38° C. (100° F.). The methane stream is sufficiently lean to be useable in existing natural gas engines without modification, and is compressed to produce CNG. The system can be utilized to capture and provide value to stranded or flared gas from liquids-rich gas production sites, by producing natural gas liquids for transport, and CNG which can be transported and is suitable for use in existing gas generators, vehicles, and/or trucks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2015
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Inventors: Robert M. Zubrin, Gevorg Sargsyan, Kevin Hotton, Matthew Lewis, Andrew Young
  • Publication number: 20140366577
    Abstract: The present invention is a field-deployable system for separating methane and natural gas liquids (NGLs) from a raw gas stream comprising a compressor; a dehydrator; a refrigerator having one or more stages; and a separation subsystem adapted to separate the raw gas stream into three product streams including a methane stream that is at least 80% methane, an ethane-rich stream, and a NGLs stream having a vapor pressure of no more than 250 psia at 38° C. The methane stream is sufficiently lean to be useable in existing natural gas engines without modification. The NGLs stream has a sufficiently low vapor pressure to be transportable in standard propane containers. The ethane-rich stream may be utilized within the system itself to power its own operations. The system can be utilized to reduce flaring from liquids-rich gas production sites to an absolute minimum, produce natural gas liquids for transport, and provide dry methane gas suitable for use in portable field generators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Applicant: PIONEER ENERGY INC.
    Inventors: Robert M Zubrin, Gevorg Sargsyan, Kevin Hotton, Matthew Lewis, Andrew Young
  • Patent number: 6408627
    Abstract: A continuous power system accumulator assembly is provided that stores thermal energy as sensible heat and minimizes the amount of thermal energy wasted by the system. The assembly includes an accumulator at its core. A preheater assembly is wrapped around the accumulator such that it may absorb heat radiated and conducted from the accumulator. An evaporator is wrapped around the preheater so that most of the heat that is radiated and conducted from the preheater is utilized to heat the vaporizer. The outer housing of the assembly may be a double-walled housing having a layer of insulation located between the two walls. This configuration minimizes heat losses by the assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Active Power, Inc.
    Inventors: William D. Batton, Kevin Hotton, Gary Frey, Gail Roberts