Patents by Inventor Charles H. Ware
Charles H. Ware 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: 9617840Abstract: A downhole steam generation system may include a burner head assembly, a liner assembly, a vaporization sleeve, and a support sleeve. The burner head assembly may include a sudden expansion region with one or more injectors. The liner assembly may include a water-cooled body having one or more water injection arrangements. The system may be optimized to assist in the recovery of hydrocarbons from different types of reservoirs. A method of recovering hydrocarbons may include supplying one or more fluids to the system, combusting a fuel and an oxidant to generate a combustion product, injecting a fluid into the combustion product to generate an exhaust gas, injecting the exhaust gas into a reservoir, and recovering hydrocarbons from the reservoir.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2013Date of Patent: April 11, 2017Assignee: WORLD ENERGY SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDInventors: Anthony Gus Castrogiovanni, Randall Todd Voland, Charles H. Ware, Blair A. Folsom, M. Cullen Johnson
-
Patent number: 9528359Abstract: A downhole steam generation system may include a burner head assembly, a liner assembly, a vaporization sleeve, and a support sleeve. The burner head assembly may include a sudden expansion region with one or more injectors. The liner assembly may include a water-cooled body having one or more water injection arrangements. The system may be optimized to assist in the recovery of hydrocarbons from different types of reservoirs. A method of recovering hydrocarbons may include supplying one or more fluids to the system, combusting a fuel and an oxidant to generate a combustion product, injecting a fluid into the combustion product to generate an exhaust gas, injecting the exhaust gas into a reservoir, and recovering hydrocarbons from the reservoir.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2013Date of Patent: December 27, 2016Assignee: WORLD ENERGY SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDInventors: Anthony Gus Castrogiovanni, Randall Todd Voland, Charles H. Ware, Blair A. Folsom, M. Cullen Johnson
-
Patent number: 9422797Abstract: A downhole steam generation apparatus and method of use are provided. The apparatus may include an injection section, a combustion section, and an evaporation section. The injection section may include a housing, injector elements, and injector plate. The combustion section may include a liner having channels disposed therethrough. The evaporation section may include conduits in fluid communication with the channels and the combustion chamber, and a nozzle operable to inject a fluid from the channels to the combustion chamber in droplet form. A method of use may include supplying fuel, oxidant, and fluid to the apparatus; combusting fuel and oxidant in a chamber while flowing the fluid through a plurality of channels disposed through a liner, thereby heating the fluid and cooling the liner; and injecting droplets of the heated fluid into the chamber and evaporating the droplets by combustion of the fuel and the oxidant to produce steam.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2014Date of Patent: August 23, 2016Assignee: WORLD ENERGY SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDInventors: Charles H. Ware, Blair A. Folsom
-
Patent number: 8899327Abstract: A method for recovering oil from a reservoir comprises performing a first CHOPS process in one or more first wells, performing a second CHOPS process in one or more second wells that are laterally offset from the first wells, and injecting gas and/or steam into the one or more second wells after the CHOPS processes are at least partially completed. A plurality of channels that extend from the one or more first and second wells may be created as a result of the CHOPS processes. The gas and/or steam may be injected into the channels of the one or more second wells via a downhole steam generator that is located in the one or more second wells. The gas and/or steam may form a gas and/or steam front that drives reservoir products into the channels of the one or more first wells. The reservoir products may be recovered to the surface through the one or more first wells.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2011Date of Patent: December 2, 2014Assignee: World Energy Systems IncorporatedInventors: Myron I. Kuhlman, Charles H. Ware
-
Publication number: 20140238680Abstract: A downhole steam generation system may include a burner head assembly, a liner assembly, a vaporization sleeve, and a support sleeve. The burner head assembly may include a sudden expansion region with one or more injectors. The liner assembly may include a water-cooled body having one or more water injection arrangements. The system may be optimized to assist in the recovery of hydrocarbons from different types of reservoirs. A method of recovering hydrocarbons may include supplying one or more fluids to the system, combusting a fuel and an oxidant to generate a combustion product, injecting a fluid into the combustion product to generate an exhaust gas, injecting the exhaust gas into a reservoir, and recovering hydrocarbons from the reservoir.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2013Publication date: August 28, 2014Applicant: WORLD ENERGY SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDInventors: Anthony Gus CASTROGIOVANNI, Randall Todd VOLAND, Charles H. WARE, Blair A. FOLSOM, M. Cullen JOHNSON
-
Publication number: 20140231078Abstract: A downhole steam generation apparatus and method of use are provided. The apparatus may include an injection section, a combustion section, and an evaporation section. The injection section may include a housing, injector elements, and injector plate. The combustion section may include a liner having channels disposed therethrough. The evaporation section may include conduits in fluid communication with the channels and the combustion chamber, and a nozzle operable to inject a fluid from the channels to the combustion chamber in droplet form. A method of use may include supplying fuel, oxidant, and fluid to the apparatus; combusting fuel and oxidant in a chamber while flowing the fluid through a plurality of channels disposed through a liner, thereby heating the fluid and cooling the liner; and injecting droplets of the heated fluid into the chamber and evaporating the droplets by combustion of the fuel and the oxidant to produce steam.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 10, 2014Publication date: August 21, 2014Applicant: WORLD ENERGY SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDInventors: Charles H. WARE, Blair A. FOLSOM
-
Publication number: 20140209310Abstract: A downhole steam generation system may include a burner head assembly, a liner assembly, a vaporization sleeve, and a support sleeve. The burner head assembly may include a sudden expansion region with one or more injectors. The liner assembly may include a water-cooled body having one or more water injection arrangements. The system may be optimized to assist in the recovery of hydrocarbons from different types of reservoirs. A method of recovering hydrocarbons may include supplying one or more fluids to the system, combusting a fuel and an oxidant to generate a combustion product, injecting a fluid into the combustion product to generate an exhaust gas, injecting the exhaust gas into a reservoir, and recovering hydrocarbons from the reservoir.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2013Publication date: July 31, 2014Inventors: Anthony Gus CASTROGIOVANNI, Randall Todd VOLAND, Charles H. WARE, Blair A. FOLSOM, M. Cullen JOHNSON
-
Patent number: 8678086Abstract: A downhole steam generation apparatus and method of use are provided. The apparatus may include an injection section, a combustion section, and an evaporation section. The injection section may include a housing, injector elements, and injector plate. The combustion section may include a liner having channels disposed therethrough. The evaporation section may include conduits in fluid communication with the channels and the combustion chamber, and a nozzle operable to inject a fluid from the channels to the combustion chamber in droplet form. A method of use may include supplying fuel, oxidant, and fluid to the apparatus; combusting fuel and oxidant in a chamber while flowing the fluid through a plurality of channels disposed through a liner, thereby heating the fluid and cooling the liner; and injecting droplets of the heated fluid into the chamber and evaporating the droplets by combustion of the fuel and the oxidant to produce steam.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2013Date of Patent: March 25, 2014Assignee: World Energy Systems IncorporatedInventors: Daniel Tilmont, Joseph Anthony Alifano, Cyril Cherian Jos, Charles H. Ware, Blair A. Folsom
-
Patent number: 8613316Abstract: A downhole steam generation system may include a burner head assembly, a liner assembly, a vaporization sleeve, and a support sleeve. The burner head assembly may include a sudden expansion region with one or more injectors. The liner assembly may include a water-cooled body having one or more water injection arrangements. The system may be optimized to assist in the recovery of hydrocarbons from different types of reservoirs. A method of recovering hydrocarbons may include supplying one or more fluids to the system, combusting a fuel and an oxidant to generate a combustion product, injecting a fluid into the combustion product to generate an exhaust gas, injecting the exhaust gas into a reservoir, and recovering hydrocarbons from the reservoir.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2011Date of Patent: December 24, 2013Assignee: World Energy Systems IncorporatedInventors: Anthony Gus Castrogiovanni, Randall Todd Voland, Charles H. Ware, Blair A. Folsom, M. Cullen Johnson
-
Patent number: 8584752Abstract: Embodiments include methods for recovering petroleum products from a formation containing heavy crude oil. In one embodiment, a method includes positioning a steam generator within the petroleum-bearing formation, flowing a fuel source and an oxidizing agent into the steam generator, generating and releasing steam from the steam generator to heat the heavy crude oil, flowing a catalytic material containing a nanocatalyst into the petroleum-bearing formation, and exposing the catalytic material to the heavy crude oil. The method further provides forming lighter oil products from the heavy crude oil within the petroleum-bearing formation and extracting the lighter oil products from the petroleum-bearing formation. In some examples, the fuel source contains methane, syngas, or hydrogen gas, and the oxidizing agent contains oxygen gas, air, or oxygen enriched air. The nanocatalyst may contain cobalt, iron, nickel, molybdenum, chromium, tungsten, titanium, alloys thereof, or combinations thereof.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2012Date of Patent: November 19, 2013Assignee: World Energy Systems IncorporatedInventors: John E. Langdon, Charles H. Ware
-
Patent number: 8573292Abstract: A method for producing hydrocarbons from a reservoir. The method includes positioning a burner having a combustion chamber in a first well, supplying a fuel, an oxidant, and one of water or steam from the surface to the burner in the first well, supplying a viscosity-reducing gas from the surface to the reservoir in a conduit separate from the fuel, igniting the fuel and the oxidant in the combustion chamber to generate heat and steam in the burner, injecting the viscosity-reducing gas and steam into the reservoir to reduce the viscosity of and heat hydrocarbons within the reservoir, and recovering hydrocarbons from the reservoir.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2012Date of Patent: November 5, 2013Assignee: World Energy Systems IncorporatedInventors: Charles H. Ware, Myron I. Kuhlman
-
Patent number: 8387692Abstract: A downhole steam generation apparatus and method of use are provided. The apparatus may include an injection section, a combustion section, and an evaporation section. The injection section may include a housing, injector elements, and injector plate. The combustion section may include a liner having channels disposed therethrough. The evaporation section may include conduits in fluid communication with the channels and the combustion chamber, and a nozzle operable to inject a fluid from the channels to the combustion chamber in droplet form. A method of use may include supplying fuel, oxidant, and fluid to the apparatus; combusting fuel and oxidant in a chamber while flowing the fluid through a plurality of channels disposed through a liner, thereby heating the fluid and cooling the liner; and injecting droplets of the heated fluid into the chamber and evaporating the droplets by combustion of the fuel and the oxidant to produce steam.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2010Date of Patent: March 5, 2013Assignee: World Energy Systems IncorporatedInventors: Daniel Tilmont, Joseph Anthony Alifano, Cyril Cherian Jos, Charles H. Ware, Blair A. Folsom
-
Patent number: 8336623Abstract: Embodiments include methods for recovering petroleum products from a formation containing heavy crude oil. In one embodiment, a method includes positioning a steam generator within the petroleum-bearing formation, flowing a fuel source and an oxidizing agent into the steam generator, generating and releasing steam from the steam generator to heat the heavy crude oil, flowing a catalytic material containing a nanocatalyst into the petroleum-bearing formation, and exposing the catalytic material to the heavy crude oil. The method further provides forming lighter oil products from the heavy crude oil within the petroleum-bearing formation and extracting the lighter oil products from the petroleum-bearing formation. In some examples, the fuel source contains methane, syngas, or hydrogen gas, and the oxidizing agent contains oxygen gas, air, or oxygen enriched air. The nanocatalyst may contain cobalt, iron, nickel, molybdenum, chromium, tungsten, titanium, alloys thereof, or combinations thereof.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2010Date of Patent: December 25, 2012Assignee: World Energy Systems, Inc.Inventors: John E. Langdon, Charles H. Ware
-
Patent number: 8286698Abstract: A downhole burner is used for producing heavy-oil formations. Hydrogen, oxygen, and steam are pumped by separate conduits to the burner, which burns at least part of the hydrogen and forces the combustion products out into the earth formation. The steam cools the burner and becomes superheated steam, which is injected along with the combustion products into the earth formation. Carbon dioxide is also pumped down the well and injected into the formation.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2011Date of Patent: October 16, 2012Assignee: World Energy Systems IncorporatedInventors: Charles H. Ware, Myron I. Kuhlman
-
Publication number: 20120067573Abstract: A downhole burner is used for producing heavy-oil formations. Hydrogen, oxygen, and steam are pumped by separate conduits to the burner, which burns at least part of the hydrogen and forces the combustion products out into the earth formation. The steam cools the burner and becomes superheated steam, which is injected along with the combustion products into the earth formation. Carbon dioxide is also pumped down the well and injected into the formation.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 5, 2011Publication date: March 22, 2012Inventors: Charles H. Ware, Myron I. Kuhlman
-
Patent number: 8091625Abstract: A downhole burner is used for producing heavy-oil formations. Hydrogen, oxygen, and steam are pumped by separate conduits to the burner, which burns at least part of the hydrogen and forces the combustion products out into the earth formation. The steam cools the burner and becomes superheated steam, which is injected along with the combustion products into the earth formation. Carbon dioxide is also pumped down the well and injected into the formation.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2006Date of Patent: January 10, 2012Assignee: World Energy Systems IncorporatedInventors: Charles H. Ware, Myron I. Kuhlman
-
Publication number: 20110297374Abstract: A method for recovering oil from a reservoir comprises performing a first CHOPS process in one or more first wells, performing a second CHOPS process in one or more second wells that are laterally offset from the first wells, and injecting gas and/or steam into the one or more second wells after the CHOPS processes are at least partially completed. A plurality of channels that extend from the one or more first and second wells may be created as a result of the CHOPS processes. The gas and/or steam may be injected into the channels of the one or more second wells via a downhole steam generator that is located in the one or more second wells. The gas and/or steam may form a gas and/or steam front that drives reservoir products into the channels of the one or more first wells. The reservoir products may be recovered to the surface through the one or more first wells.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 27, 2011Publication date: December 8, 2011Inventors: Myron I. Kuhlman, Charles H. Ware
-
Publication number: 20110214858Abstract: A downhole steam generation system may include a burner head assembly, a liner assembly, a vaporization sleeve, and a support sleeve. The burner head assembly may include a sudden expansion region with one or more injectors. The liner assembly may include a water-cooled body having one or more water injection arrangements. The system may be optimized to assist in the recovery of hydrocarbons from different types of reservoirs. A method of recovering hydrocarbons may include supplying one or more fluids to the system, combusting a fuel and an oxidant to generate a combustion product, injecting a fluid into the combustion product to generate an exhaust gas, injecting the exhaust gas into a reservoir, and recovering hydrocarbons from the reservoir.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2011Publication date: September 8, 2011Inventors: Anthony Gus Castrogiovanni, Randall Todd Voland, Charles H. Ware, Blair A. Folsom, M. Cullen Johnson
-
Publication number: 20110127036Abstract: A downhole steam generation apparatus and method of use are provided. The apparatus may include an injection section, a combustion section, and an evaporation section. The injection section may include a housing, injector elements, and injector plate. The combustion section may include a liner having channels disposed therethrough. The evaporation section may include conduits in fluid communication with the channels and the combustion chamber, and a nozzle operable to inject a fluid from the channels to the combustion chamber in droplet form. A method of use may include supplying fuel, oxidant, and fluid to the apparatus; combusting fuel and oxidant in a chamber while flowing the fluid through a plurality of channels disposed through a liner, thereby heating the fluid and cooling the liner; and injecting droplets of the heated fluid into the chamber and evaporating the droplets by combustion of the fuel and the oxidant to produce steam.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2010Publication date: June 2, 2011Inventors: Daniel Tilmont, Joseph Anthony Alifano, Cyril Cherian Jos, Charles H. Ware, Blair A. Folsom
-
Publication number: 20100200232Abstract: Embodiments include methods for recovering petroleum products from a formation containing heavy crude oil. In one embodiment, a method includes positioning a steam generator within the petroleum-bearing formation, flowing a fuel source and an oxidizing agent into the steam generator, generating and releasing steam from the steam generator to heat the heavy crude oil, flowing a catalytic material containing a nanocatalyst into the petroleum-bearing formation, and exposing the catalytic material to the heavy crude oil. The method further provides forming lighter oil products from the heavy crude oil within the petroleum-bearing formation and extracting the lighter oil products from the petroleum-bearing formation. In some examples, the fuel source contains methane, syngas, or hydrogen gas, and the oxidizing agent contains oxygen gas, air, or oxygen enriched air. The nanocatalyst may contain cobalt, iron, nickel, molybdenum, chromium, tungsten, titanium, alloys thereof, or combinations thereof.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2010Publication date: August 12, 2010Inventors: John E. Langdon, Charles H. Ware