Patents by Inventor Brandon M. Vittur

Brandon M. Vittur 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: 20230227712
    Abstract: Methods of reducing drag in a flowing hydrocarbon include introducing to the flowing hydrocarbon an amount of a solid drag reducing additive effective to improve the flow, the solid drag reducing additive including a polymer particle prepared from at least one polar monomer and a percent by weight (wt%) of liquid of 50 wt% or less. Methods also include producing a solid drag reducing additive that includes forming a polymer from at least one polar monomer by emulsion polymerization; and disrupting the emulsion by adding at least one demulsifier and at least one anti-blocking agent to form the solid drag reducing additive. Compositions include a solid drag reducing additive comprising a polymer prepared from at least one polar monomer and having an average particle size in a range of about 100 µm to about 500 µm, wherein the solid drag reducing additive comprises less than 50 wt% of liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2023
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Applicant: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC
    Inventor: Brandon M. Vittur
  • Publication number: 20230167031
    Abstract: A method of reducing hydrogen sulfide emissions from an asphalt or bitumen composition comprises releasing a solid hydrogen sulfide scavenger from an additive package, which comprises the solid hydrogen sulfide scavenger disposed in a sealed pouch; and contacting the asphalt or bitumen composition with the released solid hydrogen sulfide scavenger. The sealed pouch is formed from a pouch material, which includes an polyethylene, a polypropylene, an ethylene propylene copolymer, a polystyrene, a polylactic acid, a polyamide, a polyester, a polystyrene, an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer, a polyvinylpyrrolidone, an ethylene vinylpyrrolidone copolymer, a vinylpyrrolidone vinyl acetate copolymer, a polyvinyl acetate, a polyvinyl alcohol, a polyethylene oxide, a polyethylene glycol, polyvinylidene chloride, a polysaccharide or its derivative, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Applicant: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC
    Inventors: Brandon M. Vittur, Jian Zou
  • Patent number: 11608466
    Abstract: Methods of reducing drag in a flowing hydrocarbon include introducing to the flowing hydrocarbon an amount of a solid drag reducing additive effective to improve the flow, the solid drag reducing additive including a polymer particle prepared from at least one polar monomer and a percent by weight (wt %) of liquid of 50 wt % or less. Methods also include producing a solid drag reducing additive that includes forming a polymer from at least one polar monomer by emulsion polymerization; and disrupting the emulsion by adding at least one demulsifier and at least one anti-blocking agent to form the solid drag reducing additive. Compositions include a solid drag reducing additive comprising a polymer prepared from at least one polar monomer and having an average particle size in a range of about 100 ?m to about 500 ?m, wherein the solid drag reducing additive comprises less than 50 wt % of liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC
    Inventor: Brandon M. Vittur
  • Publication number: 20220306930
    Abstract: Methods of reducing drag in a flowing hydrocarbon include introducing to the flowing hydrocarbon an amount of a solid drag reducing additive effective to improve the flow, the solid drag reducing additive including a polymer particle prepared from at least one polar monomer and a percent by weight (wt %) of liquid of 50 wt % or less. Methods also include producing a solid drag reducing additive that includes forming a polymer from at least one polar monomer by emulsion polymerization; and disrupting the emulsion by adding at least one demulsifier and at least one anti-blocking agent to form the solid drag reducing additive. Compositions include a solid drag reducing additive comprising a polymer prepared from at least one polar monomer and having an average particle size in a range of about 100 ?m to about 500 ?m, wherein the solid drag reducing additive comprises less than 50 wt % of liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Applicant: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC
    Inventor: Brandon M. Vittur
  • Patent number: 11248748
    Abstract: A drag reducing composition comprises a sealed temporary container; and a drag reducing agent and up to 20 weight percent of a dispersing fluid disposed in the sealed temporary container. The drag reducing agent comprises polyolefin particles having a particle size of about 10 to about 2,000 microns; and the dispersing fluid comprising water, an alcohol, a hydrocarbon, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES OILFIELD OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Brandon M. Vittur, Jian Zou
  • Patent number: 11199296
    Abstract: A drag reducing agent has a core comprising a polyolefin; and a temporary container encapsulating the core. The temporary container contains a container material, which includes an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer, a polyvinylpyrrolidone, an ethylene vinylpyrrolidone copolymer, a vinylpyrrolidone vinyl acetate copolymer, a polyvinyl acetate, a polyvinyl alcohol, a polyethylene oxide, a polyethylene glycol, polyvinylidene chloride, a polysaccharide or its derivative, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing. A largest dimension of the drag reducing agent is greater than about 1,000 microns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES OILFIELD OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Jian Zou, David J. Jurek, Brandon M. Vittur, Anthony D. Bravo
  • Patent number: 10982017
    Abstract: A process of manufacturing a polyolefin drag reducing agent comprises: injecting a catalyst and a drag reducing agent forming component comprising (i) at least one olefin monomer, or (ii) at least one olefin oligomer, or a combination of (i) and (ii) into a temporary container comprising a container material, sealing the temporary container; allowing the drag reducing agent forming component to polymerize in the sealed temporary container to form the polyolefin drag reducing agent; and at least partially dissolving the container material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES, A GE COMPANY, LLC
    Inventors: Jian Zou, David J. Jurek, Brandon M. Vittur, Anthony D. Bravo
  • Publication number: 20200392425
    Abstract: A drag reducing composition comprises a sealed temporary container; and a drag reducing agent and up to 20 weight percent of a dispersing fluid disposed in the sealed temporary container. The drag reducing agent comprises polyolefin particles having a particle size of about 10 to about 2,000 microns; and the dispersing fluid comprising water, an alcohol, a hydrocarbon, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2020
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Applicant: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC
    Inventors: Brandon M. Vittur, Jian Zou
  • Publication number: 20200393087
    Abstract: A drag reducing agent has a core comprising a polyolefin; and a temporary container encapsulating the core. The temporary container contains a container material, which includes an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer, a polyvinylpyrrolidone, an ethylene vinylpyrrolidone copolymer, a vinylpyrrolidone vinyl acetate copolymer, a polyvinyl acetate, a polyvinyl alcohol, a polyethylene oxide, a polyethylene glycol, polyvinylidene chloride, a polysaccharide or its derivative, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing. A largest dimension of the drag reducing agent is greater than about 1,000 microns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Applicant: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC
    Inventors: Jian Zou, David J. Jurek, Brandon M. Vittur, Anthony D. Bravo
  • Publication number: 20190382511
    Abstract: A process of manufacturing a polyolefin drag reducing agent comprises: injecting a catalyst and a drag reducing agent forming component comprising (i) at least one olefin monomer, or (ii) at least one olefin oligomer, or a combination of (i) and (ii) into a temporary container comprising a container material, sealing the temporary container; allowing the drag reducing agent forming component to polymerize in the sealed temporary container to form the polyolefin drag reducing agent; and at least partially dissolving the container material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Applicant: Baker Hughes, a GE company, LLC
    Inventors: Jian Zou, David J. Jurek, Brandon M. Vittur, Anthony D. Bravo
  • Publication number: 20160280988
    Abstract: A method of treating a subsurface well comprises: introducing a treatment fluid comprising a viscosity modifying agent and chlorine dioxide into a well, and wherein the chlorine dioxide is present in an amount of greater than about 1,000 ppm based on the total weight of the treatment fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Applicant: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy Underwood, Brandon M. Vittur
  • Publication number: 20140360945
    Abstract: A process for removing polyvalent metal ions from a fluid includes disposing a precipitation composition comprising a precipitating agent in an environment; contacting, with the precipitation composition, a fluid comprising a produced water, a flowback water, or a combination thereof, a plurality of polyvalent metal cations being present in the fluid; forming a plurality of precipitate particles comprising the polyvalent metal cations from the fluid and a polyvalent anion from the precipitating agent; contacting the precipitant particles with a flocculant, a coagulant, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing, to form an aggregate comprising the precipitate particles; and separating the aggregate from the fluid to remove the polyvalent metal ions from the fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Applicant: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Brandon M. Vittur