Patents by Inventor Keith D. Fairchild

Keith D. Fairchild 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: 9656221
    Abstract: A liquid treatment method includes mixing a liquid with an agent to form a mixture, aging the mixture to obtain to a predetermined condition in at least one of the liquid and the agent, and dispensing the aged mixture. An interaction between the liquid and the agent causes the predetermined condition to occur. Also, a majority of the aging occurs while the mixture is in a dynamic state. A related system includes a mixer receiving a liquid and a drag reducing agent and an aging module connected to the mixer. The mixer disperses the drag reducing agent in the liquid to form a mixture and the aging module has a flow path along which the mixture flows. The flow path has a distance sufficient for a majority of the aging to occur while the mixture is in a dynamic state, wherein the aging changes the drag reducing agent to a predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Nagesh S. Kommareddi, Keith D. Fairchild, Jack B. Ward, Lu-chien Chou, Daniel L. Reed
  • Publication number: 20170130154
    Abstract: Hydrocarbon streams, such as crude oil streams, may have reduced drag when an effective amount to reduce drag of a drag reducing composition is added to a liquid hydrocarbon, where the drag reducing composition includes a drag reducing latex comprising at least one plasticizer in an amount effective to improve the ability to pump the latex into a hydrocarbon composition or stream with assured flow of the latex. Latex formulations are known to cause agglomerated particles during pumping operations, and the agglomerated hard particles tend to plug check valves in injection pump equipment, but the inclusion of at least one plasticizer reduces or prevents such problems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Publication date: May 11, 2017
    Applicant: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: NAGESH S. KOMMAREDDI, KEITH D. FAIRCHILD, JACK B. WARD, ROSS POLAND, JERRY J. WEERS
  • Patent number: 9644161
    Abstract: Hydrocarbon streams, such as crude oil streams, may have reduced drag when an effective amount to reduce drag of a drag reducing composition is added to a liquid hydrocarbon, where the drag reducing composition includes a drag reducing latex comprising at least one plasticizer in an amount effective to improve the ability to pump the latex into a hydrocarbon composition or stream with assured flow of the latex. Latex formulations are known to cause agglomerated particles during pumping operations, and the agglomerated hard particles tend to plug check valves in injection pump equipment, but the inclusion of at least one plasticizer reduces or prevents such problems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Nagesh S. Kommareddi, Keith D. Fairchild, Jack B. Ward, Ross Poland, Jerry J. Weers
  • Publication number: 20150291903
    Abstract: Hydrocarbon streams, such as crude oil streams, may have reduced drag when an effective amount to reduce drag of a drag reducing composition is added to a liquid hydrocarbon, where the drag reducing composition includes a drag reducing latex comprising at least one plasticizer in an amount effective to improve the ability to pump the latex into a hydrocarbon composition or stream with assured flow of the latex. Latex formulations are known to cause agglomerated particles during pumping operations, and the agglomerated hard particles tend to plug check valves in injection pump equipment, but the inclusion of at least one plasticizer reduces or prevents such problems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Applicant: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Nagesh S. Kommareddi, KEITH D. FAIRCHILD, JACK B. WARD, ROSS POLAND, JERRY J. WEERS
  • Publication number: 20150209738
    Abstract: A liquid treatment method includes mixing a liquid with an agent to form a mixture, aging the mixture to obtain to a predetermined condition in at least one of the liquid and the agent, and dispensing the aged mixture. An interaction between the liquid and the agent causes the predetermined condition to occur. Also, a majority of the aging occurs while the mixture is in a dynamic state. A related system includes a mixer receiving a liquid and a drag reducing agent and an aging module connected to the mixer. The mixer disperses the drag reducing agent in the liquid to form a mixture and the aging module has a flow path along which the mixture flows. The flow path has a distance sufficient for a majority of the aging to occur while the mixture is in a dynamic state, wherein the aging changes the drag reducing agent to a predetermined condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Applicant: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Nagesh S. Kommareddi, Keith D. Fairchild, Jack B. Ward, Lu-chien Chou, Daniel L. Reed
  • Patent number: 7271205
    Abstract: A method for producing a particulate polymer drag reducing agent, comprising granulating a bulk polymer DRA having an average size of greater than about 100 mm in the presence of a liquid wetting agent to form a granulated polymer DRA having an average size of from about 1 to about 100 mm. The granulated polymer DRA may then be ground to form a particulate polymer DRA having an average particle size of less than about 1 mm. The “wet” granulation process may advantageously enable one-step granulation and therefore simplified production of polymer DRAs. Examples of the liquid wetting agent include blends of glycols with water and/or an alcohol. Preferred production apparatus includes use of multiple rotary jaws for the granulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Thomas Mathew, Keith D. Fairchild, Nagesh S. Kommareddi