Patents by Inventor Clay HEARN

Clay HEARN 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: 11466678
    Abstract: A linear motor compressor including a compressor housing and a cylinder housing having a plurality of opposing compression chambers. A piston freely reciprocates within the cylinder housing using a linear electric motor. A piston position feedback control system provides adaptive current output as a function of position feedback and/or velocity feedback from the piston and/or the electric motor, to directly power and control the electric motor, wherein the piston reciprocates without assistance from a mechanical spring or other equivalent centering force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignees: GAS TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE, BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UNIVERSITY OF
    Inventors: Jason Stair, Anthony Lindsay, Michael Lewis, Raymond Zowarka, Siddharth Pratap, Clay Hearn, Charles Penney, Michael Worthington, Hsing-Pang Liu
  • Patent number: 10323628
    Abstract: A linear motor compressor including a compressor housing and a cylinder housing having a plurality of opposing compression chambers. A piston freely reciprocates within the cylinder housing using a linear electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignees: GAS TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE, BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM
    Inventors: Jason Stair, Anthony Lindsay, Michael Lewis, Raymond Zowarka, Siddharth Pratap, Clay Hearn, Charles Penney, Michael Worthington, Hsing-Pang Liu
  • Patent number: 10125589
    Abstract: Described herein are methods and system that use electromagnetic heating to heat wellbores and the fluids therein. The heating is achieved by placing one or more permanent magnets in the wellbore and moving a metallic component and/or the one or more permanent magnets relative to each other. This generates eddy currents in the metallic component, which heat the metallic component. This heat is transferred to the fluids in the wellbore from the metallic component by convection. In some embodiments, permanent magnets are installed in the tubing to induce eddy current heating in a well by converting the linear motion of a sucker rod to rotary motion of a conducting tube using a lead or ball screw. The heater may directly integrate with existing pump jack equipment with little or no additional infrastructure required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System
    Inventors: Raymond C. Zowarka, Mukul M. Sharma, Michael D. Werst, Clay Hearn, Michael Worthington, Jon Hahne, Hsing-Pang Liu, Bryan Bunkowski, Siddharth Pratap
  • Publication number: 20180051690
    Abstract: A linear motor compressor including a compressor housing and a cylinder housing having a plurality of opposing compression chambers. A piston freely reciprocates within the cylinder housing using a linear electric motor. A piston position feedback control system provides adaptive current output as a function of position feedback and/or velocity feedback from the piston and/or the electric motor, to directly power and control the electric motor, wherein the piston reciprocates without assistance from a mechanical spring or other equivalent centering force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2017
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Applicants: GAS TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE, BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM
    Inventors: Jason STAIR, Anthony LINDSAY, Michael LEWIS, Raymond ZOWARKA, Siddharth PRATAP, Clay HEARN, Charles PENNEY, Michael WORTHINGTON, Hsing-Pang LIU
  • Publication number: 20170362923
    Abstract: Described herein are methods and system that use electromagnetic heating to heat wellbores and the fluids therein. The heating is achieved by placing one or more permanent magnets in the wellbore and moving a metallic component and/or the one or more permanent magnets relative to each other. This generates eddy currents in the metallic component, which heat the metallic component. This heat is transferred to the fluids in the wellbore from the metallic component by convection. In some embodiments, permanent magnets are installed in the tubing to induce eddy current heating in a well by converting the linear motion of a sucker rod to rotary motion of a conducting tube using a lead or ball screw. The heater may directly integrate with existing pump jack equipment with little or no additional infrastructure required.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Inventors: Raymond C. Zowarka, Mukul M. Sharma, Michael D. Werst, Clay Hearn, Michael Worthington, Jon Hahne, Hsing-Pang Liu, Bryan Bunkowski, Siddharth Pratap
  • Publication number: 20150125323
    Abstract: A linear motor compressor including a compressor housing and a cylinder housing having a plurality of opposing compression chambers. A piston freely reciprocates within the cylinder housing using a linear electric motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicants: Gas Research Institute, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Jason STAIR, Anthony LINDSAY, Michael LEWIS, Raymond ZOWARKA, Siddharth PRATAP, Clay HEARN, Charles PENNEY, Michael WORTHINGTON, Hsing-Pang LIU