Patents by Inventor Thomas C. Sale
Thomas C. Sale 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: 11609196Abstract: A subsurface monitoring system and method is provided for measuring a rate of change in an amount of a reactive material within a subsurface formation using measurements of thermal parameters at one or more positions within the subsurface without the need for background correction which may lead erroneous calculations and require additional monitoring equipment. The measured thermal parameters may be used to determine the heat generated by the degradation of the reactive material. The method may include measuring a first temperature near the surface of a subsurface region and a second temperature further from the surface. In some instances, an estimated location of a planar subsurface heat source/sink due to exothermic degradation reactions within the subsurface may be selected. With the derived thermal parameters and the estimated location of the subsurface heat source/sink, change rates for the reactive materials in the subsurface region may be determined or estimated.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2020Date of Patent: March 21, 2023Assignee: COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATIONInventors: Thomas C. Sale, Kayvan Karimi Askarani
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Patent number: 11300705Abstract: A subsurface monitoring system and method is provided that includes a sensor array and a monitoring system in communication with the array. The sensor array may include several sensors, such as subsurface temperature sensors, water-level sensors, and oxidation reduction potential sensors may be disposed in a vertical and/or horizontal fence through the subsurface of the monitored site. The sensor array may measure, collect, and analyze the subsurface conditions and provide the measurements to a monitoring system. The monitoring system may provide access the measurements via a user interface for analysis of the measurements. In addition, the monitoring system may process the measurements to generate one or more graphs of information for better understanding of the conditions of the subsurface of the monitored site.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2020Date of Patent: April 12, 2022Assignees: Colorado State University Research Foundation, S3NSE Technologies Inc.Inventors: Thomas C. Sale, William Samuel Gallo, Kayvan Karimi Askarani, Scott Burge
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Publication number: 20210109250Abstract: A subsurface monitoring system and method is provided that includes a sensor array and a monitoring system in communication with the array. The sensor array may include several sensors, such as subsurface temperature sensors, water-level sensors, and oxidation reduction potential sensors may be disposed in a vertical and/or horizontal fence through the subsurface of the monitored site. The sensor array may measure, collect, and analyze the subsurface conditions and provide the measurements to a monitoring system. The monitoring system may provide access the measurements via a user interface for analysis of the measurements. In addition, the monitoring system may process the measurements to generate one or more graphs of information for better understanding of the conditions of the subsurface of the monitored site.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2020Publication date: April 15, 2021Applicants: Colorado State University Research Foundation, S3NSE Technologies Inc.Inventors: Thomas C. Sale, William Samuel Gallo, Kayvan Karimi Askarani, Scott Burge
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Patent number: 10901117Abstract: A subsurface monitoring system and method is provided that includes a sensor array and a monitoring system in communication with the array. The sensor array may include several sensors, such as subsurface temperature sensors, water-level sensors, and oxidation reduction potential sensors may be disposed in a vertical and/or horizontal fence through the subsurface of the monitored site. The sensor array may measure, collect, and analyze the subsurface conditions and provide the measurements to a monitoring system. The monitoring system may provide access the measurements via a user interface for analysis of the measurements. In addition, the monitoring system may process the measurements to generate one or more graphs of information for better understanding of the conditions of the subsurface of the monitored site.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2019Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: Colorado State University Research FoundationInventors: Thomas C. Sale, Jay M. Ham, William Samuel Gallo, Kayvan Karimi Askarani, Zachary Scott Ferrie, Joseph Scalia, IV
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Publication number: 20200363359Abstract: A subsurface monitoring system and method is provided for measuring a rate of change in an amount of a reactive material within a subsurface formation using measurements of thermal parameters at one or more positions within the subsurface without the need for background correction which may lead erroneous calculations and require additional monitoring equipment. The measured thermal parameters may be used to determine the heat generated by the degradation of the reactive material. The method may include measuring a first temperature near the surface of a subsurface region and a second temperature further from the surface. In some instances, an estimated location of a planar subsurface heat source/sink due to exothermic degradation reactions within the subsurface may be selected. With the derived thermal parameters and the estimated location of the subsurface heat source/sink, change rates for the reactive materials in the subsurface region may be determined or estimated.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 2020Publication date: November 19, 2020Applicant: COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATIONInventors: Thomas C. Sale, Kayvan Karimi Askarani
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Publication number: 20200116894Abstract: A subsurface monitoring system and method is provided that includes a sensor array and a monitoring system in communication with the array. The sensor array may include several sensors, such as subsurface temperature sensors, water-level sensors, and oxidation reduction potential sensors may be disposed in a vertical and/or horizontal fence through the subsurface of the monitored site. The sensor array may measure, collect, and analyze the subsurface conditions and provide the measurements to a monitoring system. The monitoring system may provide access the measurements via a user interface for analysis of the measurements. In addition, the monitoring system may process the measurements to generate one or more graphs of information for better understanding of the conditions of the subsurface of the monitored site.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2019Publication date: April 16, 2020Applicant: Colorado State University Research FoundationInventors: Thomas C. Sale, Jay M. Ham, William Samuel Gallo, Kayvan Karimi Askarani, Zachary Scott Ferrie, Joseph Scalia, IV
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Patent number: 10309177Abstract: A system and method for collecting a core sample. The system includes an outer cylindrical tube, a drive head, a drive shoe, a cooling chamber housed inside the outer cylindrical tube, insulation, a core sample liner, an inlet tube, and outlet tube. The drive shoe further comprises a first, second, and third step, the first step configured to receive the insulation, the second step configured to receive the cooling chamber, the third step configured to receive the core sample liner, wherein the first step has a diameter larger than the second step and the second step has a diameter larger than the third step. The method includes drilling a hole in the ground with a drilling tool, enclosing a core sample by a core sample liner, freezing the core sample via a cooling liquid, retrieving the drilling tool at a surface of the ground, and removing the core sample encased in the core sample liner from the cooling chamber.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2017Date of Patent: June 4, 2019Assignees: Colorado State University Research FoundationInventors: Thomas C. Sale, Richard L. Johnson, Richard C. Rogers, Saeed Kiaalhosseini
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Patent number: 10112854Abstract: A method for controlling petroleum hydrocarbon (NAPL) sheen releases resulting from seeps, ebullition and erosion, on water surfaces, is described. An oleophilic bio-Barrier (OBBs), which may include a composite of hydrocarbon sorptive materials through which water is readily conducted, is placed at a groundwater/surface water interface (GSI) for promoting natural aerobic degradation of the intercepted/adsorbed NAPL through natural cycling of aerobic surface water and/or atmospheric oxygen. OBBs may be protected by structural covers (i.e., sand and rock gabions, as examples).Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2014Date of Patent: October 30, 2018Assignees: Colorado State University Research Foundation, Chevron U.S.A. Inc., Arcadis Corporate Services, Inc.Inventors: Julio A. Zimbron, Thomas C. Sale, Matthew J. Biondolillo, Philip H. Batten, Marc Chalfant, Mark Lyverse
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Patent number: 10094719Abstract: Devices and methods for measuring subsurface thermal fluxes and for estimating a rate of change in the amount of a reactive material within a subsurface formation using the measured thermal fluxes are described herein. The methods of measuring subsurface thermal fluxes may use at least one array of temperature sensors distributed along a vertical transect projecting from the surface and into the subsurface of a region of interest. Methods of estimating a rate of change in the amount of a reactive material within a portion of the region of interest based on perturbations of the thermal profile within the subsurface due to an endothermic or exothermic degradation of the reactive material within the portion of the region of interest are also described herein.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2015Date of Patent: October 9, 2018Assignees: GSI Environmental, Inc., Colorado State University Research FoundationInventors: Thomas C. Sale, Emily B. Stockwell, Charles J. Newell, Poonam R. Kulkarni
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Publication number: 20170362908Abstract: A system and method for collecting a core sample. The system includes an outer cylindrical tube, a drive head, a drive shoe, a cooling chamber housed inside the outer cylindrical tube, insulation, a core sample liner, an inlet tube, and outlet tube. The drive shoe further comprises a first, second, and third step, the first step configured to receive the insulation, the second step configured to receive the cooling chamber, the third step configured to receive the core sample liner, wherein the first step has a diameter larger than the second step and the second step has a diameter larger than the third step. The method includes drilling a hole in the ground with a drilling tool, enclosing a core sample by a core sample liner, freezing the core sample via a cooling liquid, retrieving the drilling tool at a surface of the ground, and removing the core sample encased in the core sample liner from the cooling chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 15, 2017Publication date: December 21, 2017Applicant: Colorado State University Research FoundationInventors: Thomas C. Sale, Richard L. Johnson, Richard C. Rogers, Saeed Kiaalhosseini
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Publication number: 20160075576Abstract: A method for controlling petroleum hydrocarbon (NAPL) sheen releases resulting from seeps, ebullition and erosion, on water surfaces, is described. An oleophilic bio-Barrier (OBBs), which may include a composite of hydrocarbon sorptive materials through which water is readily conducted, is placed at a groundwater/surface water interface (GSI) for promoting natural aerobic degradation of the intercepted/adsorbed NAPL through natural cycling of aerobic surface water and/or atmospheric oxygen. OBBs may be protected by structural covers (i.e., sand and rock gabions, as examples).Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2014Publication date: March 17, 2016Inventors: Julio A. Zimbron, Thomas C. Sale, Matthew J. Biondolillo, Philip H. Batten, Marc Chalfant, Mark Lyverse
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Publication number: 20150233773Abstract: Devices and methods for measuring subsurface thermal fluxes and for estimating a rate of change in the amount of a reactive material within a subsurface formation using the measured thermal fluxes are described herein. The methods of measuring subsurface thermal fluxes may use at least one array of temperature sensors distributed along a vertical transect projecting from the surface and into the subsurface of a region of interest. Methods of estimating a rate of change in the amount of a reactive material within a portion of the region of interest based on perturbations of the thermal profile within the subsurface due to an endothermic or exothermic degradation of the reactive material within the portion of the region of interest are also described herein.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2015Publication date: August 20, 2015Applicants: Colorado State University Research Foundation, GSI Environmental, Inc.Inventors: Thomas C. Sale, Emily B. Stockwell, Charles J. Newell, Poonam R. Kulkarni
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Patent number: 8714034Abstract: A passive sampling apparatus and method for measuring the cumulative mass of a selected gas being transported through a known cross-sectional area, for example, a soil surface, during a chosen period of time, using absorbent material, are described. Two quantities of absorbent material are disposed in a hollow container, such as a pipe section, and spaced apart such that they may be readily separated for analysis. The absorbent material closest to the soil captures the gas leaving the soil. Under reversed flow conditions, for example when the ambient air enters the ground because of fluctuations in atmospheric pressure, the upper absorbent material captures the component of interest entering the apparatus, thereby preventing this gas from entering the lower material and disturbing the measurement. The apparatus can therefore sequester the component of interest without being affected by the direction of gas transport.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2011Date of Patent: May 6, 2014Assignees: Colorado State University Research Foundation, Chevron U.S.A. Inc.Inventors: Julio A. Zimbron, Thomas C. Sale, Mark Lyverse
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Publication number: 20130031955Abstract: A passive sampling apparatus and method for measuring the cumulative mass of a selected gas being transported through a known cross-sectional area, for example, a soil surface, during a chosen period of time, using absorbent material, are described. Two quantities of absorbent material are disposed in a hollow container, such as a pipe section, and spaced apart such that they may be readily separated for analysis. The absorbent material closest to the soil captures the gas leaving the soil. Under reversed flow conditions, for example when the ambient air enters the ground because of fluctuations in atmospheric pressure, the upper absorbent material captures the component of interest entering the apparatus, thereby preventing this gas from entering the lower material and disturbing the measurement. The apparatus can therefore sequester the component of interest without being affected by the direction of gas transport.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2011Publication date: February 7, 2013Applicants: Chevron U.S.A. Inc., Colorado State University Research FoundationInventors: Julio A. Zimbron, Thomas C. Sale, Mark Lyverse
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Patent number: 7861601Abstract: A natural gradient, single well, tracer dilution non-continuous mixing apparatus and method for measuring flow of liquids through porous media are described. The method has been applied to concentrations of Light Nonaqueous Phase Liquid (LNAPL) in monitoring wells to measure the rate of LNAPL flow through the wells and through the adjacent formation. Similar measurements were made for concentrations of water in other formations. A LNAPL-soluble fluorescing tracer was added to LNAPL in the wells, and a water-soluble fluorescing tracer was added to water in the wells. The tracer is initially uniformly-mixed into the LNAPL or water in the well, and the tracer concentration is measured using a fiber optic cable and a spectrometer. The LNAPL or water with dissolved tracer is then allowed to flow from the well without any mixing. At a later time, the LNAPL or water and tracer in the well are mixed to a uniform tracer concentration, and the tracer concentration is remeasured.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2009Date of Patent: January 4, 2011Assignees: Colorado State University Research Foundation, Chevron CorporationInventors: Thomas C. Sale, Timothy J. Smith, Mark Lyverse
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Publication number: 20090223303Abstract: A natural gradient, single well, tracer dilution non-continuous mixing apparatus and method for measuring flow of liquids through porous media are described. The method has been applied to concentrations of Light Nonaqueous Phase Liquid (LNAPL) in monitoring wells to measure the rate of LNAPL flow through the wells and through the adjacent formation. Similar measurements were made for concentrations of water in other formations. A LNAPL-soluble fluorescing tracer was added to LNAPL in the wells, and a water-soluble fluorescing tracer was added to water in the wells. The tracer is initially uniformly-mixed into the LNAPL or water in the well, and the tracer concentration is measured using a fiber optic cable and a spectrometer. The LNAPL or water with dissolved tracer is then allowed to flow from the well without any mixing. At a later time, the LNAPL or water and tracer in the well are mixed to a uniform tracer concentration, and the tracer concentration is remeasured.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 6, 2009Publication date: September 10, 2009Applicants: COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION, CHEVRON CORPORATIONInventors: Thomas C. Sale, Timothy J. Smith, Mark Lyverse
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Patent number: 7281435Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring in situ flow of non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) through a porous medium is described. A tracer is introduced into a well or boring located in the medium and the tracer concentration in the well kept uniform by mixing. The rate at which the tracer is depleted from the well has been determined to be proportional to the flow rate of the NAPL through the well or boring and surrounding formation.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2005Date of Patent: October 16, 2007Assignees: Colorado State University Research Foundation, Chevron U.S.A. Inc.Inventors: Thomas C. Sale, Geoffrey R. Taylor, Mark Lyverse