Patents by Inventor Floyd Wilder

Floyd Wilder 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: 20250170587
    Abstract: A centrifuge system includes an inlet fluid conduit to receive a flow of raw fluid, an outlet fluid conduit to receive a flow of effluent fluid, an effluent sensor to determine a density of the effluent fluid, a centrifuge including an inlet to receive the raw fluid, an effluent outlet to discharge the effluent fluid, and a solids outlet configured to discharge solids separated from the raw fluid by the centrifuge, a feed pump to pump the raw fluid to the inlet of the centrifuge at a selected flowrate, and a controller to automatically adjust at least one of a speed of the feed pump, a rotational speed of a bowl of the centrifuge about a rotational axis, and a rotational speed of a conveyor of the centrifuge about the rotational axis in response to a change in the density of the effluent fluid as determined by the effluent sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2023
    Publication date: May 29, 2025
    Applicant: National Oilwell Varco, L.P.
    Inventors: Floyd Wilder, Hector Torres, Ian Holman
  • Patent number: 11772104
    Abstract: A decanter centrifuge includes one or more nozzles through which a slurry may be discharged from a feed chamber into a separation zone within a centrifuge bowl. A scroll conveyor may be coaxially aligned in the separation zone within the centrifuge bowl around the circumference of the feed chamber. In the separation zone, the slurry can be separated into at least a light phase and a heavy phase by centrifugal acceleration generated by rotation of the centrifuge bowl, the feed chamber, and/or the scroll conveyor. Each separated phase can discharge from the centrifuge bowl via respective discharge ports. Each nozzle may include a rectangular aperture and differentiated profiles of its leading edge and trailing edge. In some embodiments, the leading edge of the aperture comprises a rounded profile, while the trailing edge comprises an abrupt edge or a less-rounded edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: NATIONAL OILWELL VARCO, L.P.
    Inventors: Floyd Wilder, Neil Mackley, Carlos Garza Gutierrez, Nicholas Kasunic
  • Publication number: 20210394203
    Abstract: A decanter centrifuge includes one or more nozzles through which a slurry may be discharged from a feed chamber into a separation zone within a centrifuge bowl. A scroll conveyor may be coaxially aligned in the separation zone within the centrifuge bowl around the circumference of the feed chamber. In the separation zone, the slurry can be separated into at least a light phase and a heavy phase by centrifugal acceleration generated by rotation of the centrifuge bowl, the feed chamber, and/or the scroll conveyor. Each separated phase can discharge from the centrifuge bowl via respective discharge ports. Each nozzle may include a rectangular aperture and differentiated profiles of its leading edge and trailing edge. In some embodiments, the leading edge of the aperture comprises a rounded profile, while the trailing edge comprises an abrupt edge or a less-rounded edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventors: Floyd Wilder, Neil Mackley, Carlos Garza Gutierrez, Nicholas Kasunic