Patents by Inventor Michael J. Parrella

Michael J. Parrella 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: 20170247994
    Abstract: A method and system are shown that conditions an underground reservoir by flooding the reservoir with a heated fluid to transfer heat to the underground reservoir and cause oil and gas to increase flow during recovery from the underground reservoir, wherein the fluid is heated by heat from a geothermal well, or heated by heat generated by burning gas recovered from the underground reservoir, or heated by heat from both a geothermal well and heat generated by burning gas recovered from the underground reservoir, and recovering the oil and gas with the increased flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Inventor: Michael J. PARRELLA
  • Publication number: 20170247992
    Abstract: A comprehensive enhanced oil recovery system is provided that combines a plurality of different implementations of several enhanced oil recovery methods in an integrated system that results in oil extraction rates and total recoverable oil that exceeds any individually implemented methods. The individual techniques of the enhanced oil recovery system create compounded recovery effects to improve oil and gas recovery in a reservoir.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Inventors: Michael J. PARRELLA, Martin A. SHIMKO
  • Publication number: 20170248345
    Abstract: A heat pipe or a bundle of heat pipes for transporting geothermal heat in a well is provided. As the temperature rises at one end of the heat pipe, the operating fluid turns to a vapor which absorbs the latent heat. The hot vapor within the heat pipe flows to the cooler end of the heat pipe where it then condenses and releases the latent heat. The condensed fluid then flows back to the hot side of the heat pipe and the process repeats itself.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Applicant: GTHERM GEO, INC.
    Inventors: Michael J. PARRELLA, Martin A. SHIMKO, Bart A. SIEGEL
  • Publication number: 20170247993
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are shown for burning crude oil or natural gas extracted from an underground reservoir, or for burning both crude oil and natural gas extracted from an underground reservoir, for providing thermal energy. The method and apparatus are also shown transferring the thermal energy to brine separated from the extracted oil, gas or both, for providing heated brine, or for converting the thermal energy to mechanical work, or for both transferring the thermal energy to the separated brine and converting the thermal energy to mechanical work. The method and apparatus are also shown heating the underground reservoir with the heated brine injected into the underground reservoir, or heating the underground reservoir with a resistive cable energized by electricity generated by converting the mechanical work to electric energy, or heating the underground reservoir with both the heated brine and the energized resistive cable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2015
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Inventor: Michael J. PARRELLA
  • Publication number: 20170241247
    Abstract: A method and system are shown that conditions an underground reservoir to cause oil and gas to increase flow, excites the conditioned underground reservoir with pressure waves to further increase flow, and recovers the oil and gas with the increased flow. The excitation may be done via one or more production wells in synchronism with excitation done via one or more conditioning wells so as to cause constructive interference of the pressure waves and further increase flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Applicant: GTherm Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael J. PARRELLA
  • Patent number: 9574551
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided having one or more SWEGS that may be configured to heat air in a draft power tower arrangement. In a closed loop, cold fluid may be pumped into the SWEGS and heated to a temperature in a range of e.g., 100° C.-300° C., and hot fluid pumped out of the SWEGS. This fluid flows through a heating element (e.g., a radiator or specially designed heat exchanger) that heats the air in the draft power tower arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: GTherm, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Parrella, Sr., Jonathan Parrella, Michael J. Parrella, Jr., Martin A. Shimko
  • Patent number: 9512677
    Abstract: A process is shown to efficiently drill multiple, short-length, medium-radius lateral holes from a vertical well shaft. The disclosed process may be performed without the need to repeatedly pull down-hole equipment for every lateral hole drilled so as to make the lateral hole drilling process efficient. A heat pipe assembly is shown inserted into each drilled hole. The disclosed drilling and heat pipe insertion may be performed multiple times at a given vertical depth location in the well shaft. The process may be performed without the need to repeatedly pull down-hole equipment for insertion of multiple heat pipes at a same vertical level in the well level for each lateral hole drilled at that level so as to make for an efficient heat pipe insertion process. The described process may be performed multiple times at a large number of vertical depth locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: GTherm, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin A Shimko, Michael J Parrella, Sr.
  • Patent number: 9423158
    Abstract: A system and method of maximizing heat transfer at the bottom of a well using heat conductive components and a predictive model are used to design and implement a closed-loop solid state heat extraction system to conduct geothermal heat from rock within the well. A heat conductive material inserted into the well conducts heat to the fluid heat exchanging element. The closed-loop solid state heat extraction system extracts geothermal heat from the well without exposing the rock surrounding the heat nest to a liquid flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Inventor: Michael J. Parrella
  • Patent number: 9404480
    Abstract: A closed-loop, solid-state system generates electricity from geothermal heat from a well by flow of heat, without needing large quantities of water to conduct heat from the ground. The present invention contemplates uses for depleted oil or gas wells and newly drilled wells to generate electricity in an environmentally-friendly method. Geothermal heat is conducted from the Earth to a heat exchanging element to heat the contents of pipes. The pipes are insulated between the bottom of the well and the surface to minimize heat dissipation as the heated contents of the pipes travel to the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Pardev, LLC
    Inventor: Michael J. Parrella
  • Patent number: 9091460
    Abstract: A system and method of operation are shown where the system includes a plurality of geothermal wells, each well having a heat exchanger therein including closed cycle system piping to and from the surface, each well having plurality of appendages drilled in multiple directions in relation to the central borehole of the well and filled with heat conductive material in order to conduct heat from the appendages to the heat exchanger. At least one upstream working fluid manifold is connected at manifold inlets to piping conveying hot working fluid pumped from the closed cycle system piping of more than one of the plurality of geothermal heat extraction borehole wells and connected by manifold outlets to piping conveying the pumped hot working fluid to at least one heat engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: GTherm, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael J Parrella, Sr.
  • Publication number: 20150159918
    Abstract: Apparatus includes a heat extraction system (SWEGS) in combination with some further apparatus for implementing some further functionality, e.g., associated with cooling/heating, remediation, mining, pasteurization and brewing applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Publication date: June 11, 2015
    Applicant: GTHERM INC.
    Inventors: Michael J. Parrella, Jonathan Parrella, Martin A. Shimko
  • Publication number: 20150159917
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided having a heat extraction system for generating geothermal heat from within a drilled well, comprising: a heat conductive material injected into an area within a heat nest near a bottom of a drilled well between a heat exchanging element and rock, and any fluid around the rock, surrounding the heat nest to form a closed-loop solid state heat exchange to heat contents of a piping system flowing into and out of the heat exchanging element at an equilibrium temperature at which the rock surrounding the heat nest and generating the geothermal heat continually recoups the geothermal heat that the rock is conducting to the heat conductive material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Publication date: June 11, 2015
    Inventors: Michael J. Parrella, Bruce H. Dubow
  • Publication number: 20150163965
    Abstract: In combination, an electrical generation system has a condenser configured to receive a condenser cooling fluid for cooling the condenser and provide the condenser cooling fluid for re-cooling; a cooling reservoir receives a re-cooled condenser cooling fluid and provides the re-cooled condenser cooling fluid as the condenser cooling fluid; and a multiphase cooling nest receives in a first cooling phase the condenser cooling fluid; and either provides a first cooling phase fluid as the re-cooled condenser cooling fluid to the cooling reservoir for recirculating to the condenser, or provides the first fluid cooling fluid for further cooling by the multiphase cooling nest, based on the temperature of the first stage cooling fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Publication date: June 11, 2015
    Applicant: GTHERM INC.
    Inventors: Michael J. Parrella, Jonathan Parrella, Martin A. Shimko
  • Publication number: 20150107243
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided having one or more SWEGS that may be configured to heat air in a draft power tower arrangement. In a closed loop, cold fluid may be pumped into the SWEGS and heated to a temperature in a range of e.g., 100° C.-300° C., and hot fluid pumped out of the SWEGS. This fluid flows through a heating element (e.g., a radiator or specially designed heat exchanger) that heats the air in the draft power tower arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventors: Michael J. Parrella, SR., Jonathan Parrella, Michael J. Parrella, JR., Martin A. Shimko
  • Publication number: 20150101779
    Abstract: A heat exchanger transfers heat from solid state heat conducting material to a fluid in a closed loop system. A heat harnessing component includes a closed-loop solid state heat extraction system having a heat exchanging element positioned within a heat nest in a well designed to optimize the transfer of heat from heat conductive material to a closed loop fluid flow. A piping system conveys contents heated by the heat exchanging element to a surface of the well.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventor: Michael J. Parrella, SR.
  • Publication number: 20150013981
    Abstract: A process is shown to efficiently drill multiple, short-length, medium-radius lateral holes from a vertical well shaft. The disclosed process may be performed without the need to repeatedly pull down-hole equipment for every lateral hole drilled so as to make the lateral hole drilling process efficient. A heat pipe assembly is shown inserted into each drilled hole. The disclosed drilling and heat pipe insertion may be performed multiple times at a given vertical depth location in the well shaft. The process may be performed without the need to repeatedly pull down-hole equipment for insertion of multiple heat pipes at a same vertical level in the well level for each lateral hole drilled at that level so as to make for an efficient heat pipe insertion process. The described process may be performed multiple times at a large number of vertical depth locations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Applicant: GTherm Inc.
    Inventors: Martin A. Shimko, Michael J. Parrella, SR.
  • Publication number: 20140047836
    Abstract: A closed-loop, solid-state system generates electricity from geothermal heat from a well by flow of heat, without needing large quantities of water to conduct heat from the ground. The present invention contemplates uses for depleted oil or gas wells and newly drilled wells to generate electricity in an environmentally-friendly method. Geothermal heat is conducted from the Earth to a heat exchanging element to heat the contents of pipes. The pipes are insulated between the bottom of the well and the surface to minimize heat dissipation as the heated contents of the pipes travel to the surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: PARDEV, LLC
    Inventor: Michael J. PARRELLA
  • Publication number: 20140000838
    Abstract: A heat exchanger transfers heat from solid state heat conducting material to a fluid in a closed loop system. A heat harnessing component includes a closed-loop solid state heat extraction system having a heat exchanging element positioned within a heat nest in a well designed to optimize the transfer of heat from heat conductive material to a closed loop fluid flow. A piping system conveys contents heated by the heat exchanging element to a surface of the well.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Inventor: Michael J. PARRELLA
  • Patent number: 8616000
    Abstract: A closed-loop, solid-state system generates electricity from geothermal heat from a well by flow of heat, without needing large quantities of water to conduct heat from the ground. The present invention contemplates uses for depleted oil or gas wells and newly drilled wells to generate electricity in an environmentally-friendly method. Geothermal heat is conducted from the Earth to a heat exchanging element to heat the contents of pipes. The pipes are insulated between the bottom of the well and the surface to minimize heat dissipation as the heated contents of the pipes travel to the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Inventor: Michael J. Parrella
  • Patent number: 8534069
    Abstract: A control system manages and optimizes a geothermal electric generation system from one or more wells that individually produce heat. The control system includes heat sensors that measure temperature and fluid flow and are placed at critical points in the wells, in piping, in a hot fluid reservoir, in a cold fluid reservoir and in a cooling system. The control system also includes pump and valve controls, generator controls, a network for gathering information and delivering instructions, and a processing module that collects information and communicates control information to each component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Inventor: Michael J. Parrella