Patents by Inventor Fan-sheng Tao

Fan-sheng Tao 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: 4726937
    Abstract: Waste containing sulfur and nickel sulfide is heated to volatilize sulfur and reacted with hydrogen chloride to form nickel chloride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1988
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Fan-Sheng Tao, Joseph B. Mitchell
  • Patent number: 4463809
    Abstract: The present invention is for a method of regenerating diluted brine containing hardness from a water softening process. The process includes the steps of contacting the diluted brine with a weak acid ion exchange resin to remove the hardness from the brine and evaporating part of the water from the brine using heat from a production casing gas. The production casing gas comes from a producing oil well of a steam injection secondary oil recovery process. The regenerated brine can then be used to regenerate further quantities of strong acid resin which are used to soften water. The softened water can be used for making steam for use in a steam injection secondary oil recovery process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1982
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1984
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventor: Fan-Sheng Tao
  • Patent number: 4175312
    Abstract: A settling tank for resolving a mixture of oil, water, and solids from an oil and solids-in-water influent includes two inclined and parallel baffles about which the influent water successively passes. Each baffle preferably has parallel V-shaped grooves in the under surface thereof for entrapping, guiding, and coalescing the oil droplets into large globs for channeling and passing through the openings between the baffles and the tank wall for rising to the surface for draw off. The clear water outlet is positioned on a horizontal plane intermediate horizontal planes through the low forward end of the upper baffle and the high rear end to ensure delivery of an oil-free and solids-free water. An upper oil outlet ensures delivery of a solids-free and water-free oil from the settling tank. A new method for assembling a settling tank is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1979
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Fan-Sheng Tao, John E. Warner
  • Patent number: 4122009
    Abstract: A method for resolving a mixture of oil, water and solids including flowing the mixture under and over two forwardly inclined baffles for settling out the solids and for causing oil drops to rise, collect, and flow in V-shaped grooves in the under side of the two baffles for coalescing the drops of oil into larger globs. The final steps of flowing the mixture over the upper forwardly declining baffle left all coalesced oil on the surface for being drawn off as solids-free and water-free oil, and draw off water between the oil outlet and the solids outlet for producing oil-free and solids-free water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1977
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1978
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Fan-sheng Tao, John E. Warner
  • Patent number: 4122016
    Abstract: A settling tank for resolving a mixture of oil, water, and solids from an oil and solids-in-water influent includes two inclined and parallel baffles about which the influent water successively passes. Each baffle preferably has parallel V-shaped grooves in the under surface thereof for entrapping, guiding, and coalescing the oil droplets into large globs for channeling and passing through the openings between the baffles and the tank wall for rising to the surface for draw off. The clear water outlet is positioned on a horizontal plane intermediate horizontal planes through the low forward end of the upper baffle and the high rear end to ensure delivery of an oil-free and solids-free water. An upper oil outlet ensures delivery of a solids-free and water-free oil from the settling tank. A new method for assembling a settling tank is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1977
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1978
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Fan-sheng Tao, John E. Warner