Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Nicholas Gallo
  • Patent number: 7901578
    Abstract: A method and system for treating an aqueous stream in the production of hydrocarbon are provided. An osmotic operation is performed between the stream of produced water and a stream of draw fluid to transfer water from the produced water to the draw fluid, thereby diluting the draw fluid to form a stream of diluted draw fluid and concentrating the produced water to form a stream of concentrated produced water. The concentration of the produced water can facilitate the subsequent removal of contaminants therefrom, and, in some cases, the diluted draw fluid can be re-used, e.g., for injection into the well of the hydrocarbon production operation or as a fertilizing fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Randall Boyd Pruet
  • Patent number: 6682321
    Abstract: A turbocharger including center housing with a thermally decoupling flange is provided. The flange, which extends generally radially outward from a body of the center housing, has a connection portion that can be used to mount the center housing to a turbine housing of the turbocharger. A curved portion of the flange is disposed between the connection portion and the housing body and provides a thermal decouple for reducing the thermal gradient in the connection portion. The curved portion can also increase the flexibility of the flange to reduce the stresses therein that result from temperature variations in the center housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Shankar Mukherjee, Zandrie J. Wiesma, Maitreya Madhyastha, Marion Janik