Patents by Inventor Howard V. Hess

Howard V. Hess 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: 4104035
    Abstract: Preparation of a solid fuel-water slurry suitable for use as feed to a partial oxidation zone for the production of synthesis gas by forming a mixture of finely-divided solid fuel and water, heating the mixture to a temperature above 300.degree. F. under pressure sufficient to maintain water in the liquid phase, cooling the mixture and adding a surface active agent and sufficient water to form a mixture having a water content between 40 and 50 weight %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1975
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1978
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Edward L. Cole, Howard V. Hess, Frank E. Guptill, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4102749
    Abstract: A process for making low sulfur oil by reacting aqueous reactive sludges and slurries with hot, pressurized carbon monoxide and hydrogen (synthesis gas) wherein the wastes are first concentrated by coking in the liquid phase under a pressure of 300 to 3000 psig at a temperature of 400.degree. to 550.degree. F for from 5 minutes to 2 hours.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1978
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Howard V. Hess, William F. Franz, Edward L. Cole
  • Patent number: 4057399
    Abstract: Water is removed from carbonaceous materials such as coal by treatment with a hydrocarbon at elevated temperatures and a pressure sufficiently high to maintain the system liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1975
    Date of Patent: November 8, 1977
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Edward L. Cole, Howard V. Hess, William F. Franz
  • Patent number: 4052169
    Abstract: The heating value of solid fuel is increased and the particle size decreased by passing a slurry of the fuel in liquid water at a temperature between 400.degree. F. and the critical temperature of water through a tubular attrition under conditions of turbulent flow. The product slurry is suitable for pipelining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1975
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1977
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Edward L. Cole, Howard V. Hess, William F. Franz
  • Patent number: 4047898
    Abstract: Low rank fuels are beneficiated by treatment with water at elevated temperature under superatmospheric pressure in the presence of hydrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1976
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1977
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Edward L. Cole, Howard V. Hess, James Wong, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4043386
    Abstract: A method for recovering energy from a geothermal reservoir in which brine from the reservoir is first employed to heat an immiscible fluid, such as a hydrocarbon in direct heat exchange and the heated hydrocarbon is then utilized in direct heat exchange to heat a second fluid, such as boiler feed water, to raise steam as the actual working fluid in the power cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1975
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1977
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: William F. Franz, Howard V. Hess
  • Patent number: 4030981
    Abstract: Process for making low sulfur oil by reacting aqueous reactive sludges and slurries with hot, pressurized carbon monoxide and hydrogen (synthesis gas) wherein the wastes are first concentrated by coking in the liquid phase under a pressure of 300 to 3000 psig at a temperature of 400.degree. to 550.degree. F for from 5 minutes to 2 hours.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1974
    Date of Patent: June 21, 1977
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Howard V. Hess, William F. Franz, Edward L. Cole
  • Patent number: 4018571
    Abstract: Low rank solid fuels are upgraded by heating a mixture of particulate fuel and water to a temperature between 300.degree. F. and the critical temperature of water under a pressure sufficient to maintain substantially all of the water in liquid state, cooling the mixture and separating the particles from the water by agglomeration with a hydrocarbon liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1975
    Date of Patent: April 19, 1977
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Edward L. Cole, Howard V. Hess
  • Patent number: 4014661
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process for making a hydrocarbon coke slurry fuel by coking carbonaceous materials in the liquid phase under autogenous pressure to form coke which is then extracted with a combustible hydrocarbon at high temperatures and pressures to produce a dense slurry of coke in the hydrocarbon suitable for use as a fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1975
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1977
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Howard V. Hess, William F. Franz, Edward L. Cole
  • Patent number: 3983032
    Abstract: Described is an improvement in a water desalination process comprising extracting salt water with a hydrocarbon to form a salt-water hydrocarbon phase having a temperature of 500.degree. to 650.degree. F wherein the phase is broken into salt-free water and hydrocarbon by injecting therein a hydrocarbon at a temperature of 70.degree. to 200.degree. F.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1975
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1976
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Howard V. Hess, William F. Franz
  • Patent number: 3962076
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a process for disposing of aqueous sewage and for producing fresh water by coking the sewage in the liquid phase to form gases, coke and an effluent which is extracted with a hot liquid hydrocarbon to form a hydrocarbon-water solution and a hot concentrated brine. The hot brine is injected into the sewage sludge to heat same to coking temperature. Hot water is removed from the hydrocarbon-water solution, used for space heating or the like and thereby cooled. The cool water then is passed through a carbon absorber to remove traces of hydrocarbon dissolved therein, and chlorinated to give potable water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1974
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1976
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Howard V. Hess, William F. Franz, Edward L. Cole
  • Patent number: 3944462
    Abstract: The liquid phase coking of waste kraft pulping liquors can be effected with a shorter residence time in the coking means at lower temperature, and lower pressure by reducing the pH of such liquors by at least one pH unit before coking. Products are lower in malodorous organic sulfur components than those produced at a higher pH.The lowering of the pH is achieved by adding sulfur dioxide to the liquor either as free SO.sub.2 or as an aqueous solution of SO.sub.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1973
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1976
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Howard V. Hess, Edward L. Cole, William F. Franz