Patents by Inventor Keith Richard Waltz

Keith Richard Waltz 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: 20240133586
    Abstract: A fluid heating system for heating a production fluid using a thermal transfer fluid, the production fluid being contained in a vessel includes an electric blower configured to receive ambient air and electrical input power and to provide output source air, a combustion system configured to receive the source air from the electric blower and to receive fuel and to provide the thermal transfer fluid, a heat exchanger configured to receive the thermal transfer fluid from the combustion system and configured to provide heat exchange from the thermal transfer fluid to the production fluid, and to provide output exhaust gas, and wherein the electric fan provides a predetermined volume flow rate of the output source air at a predetermined blower efficiency such that the fluid heating system has a Bulk Heat Flux of at least about 14.7 kBTU/Hr/ft2 and a Pressure Drop of at least about 0.7 psi.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventors: Alexander Thomas Frechette, Carl Nicholas Nett, Thomas William Tighe, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Patent number: 11867427
    Abstract: A fluid heating system for heating a production fluid using a thermal transfer fluid, the production fluid being contained in a vessel includes an electric blower configured to receive ambient air and electrical input power and to provide output source air, a combustion system configured to receive the source air from the electric blower and to receive fuel and to provide the thermal transfer fluid, a heat exchanger configured to receive the thermal transfer fluid from the combustion system and configured to provide heat exchange from the thermal transfer fluid to the production fluid, and to provide output exhaust gas, and wherein the electric fan provides a predetermined volume flow rate of the output source air at a predetermined blower efficiency such that the fluid heating system has a Bulk Heat Flux of at least about 14.7 kBTU/Hr/ft2 and a Pressure Drop of at least about 0.7 psi.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: FULTON GROUP N.A., INC.
    Inventors: Alexander Thomas Frechette, Carl Nicholas Nett, Thomas William Tighe, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Patent number: 11835302
    Abstract: A method for transferring heat between a first fluid and a second fluid includes providing a tubeless heat exchanger having a tubeless heat exchanger core, the tubeless heat exchanger core having an inner casing and an outer casing disposed around the inner casing, the inner and outer casings defining therebetween a flow passage for a thermal transfer fluid to flow, the tubeless heat exchanger core having a core inlet arranged to receive the first fluid and a core outlet arranged to provide the first fluid, the core inlet and core outlet being fluidically connected to the flow passage, and at least one of the core inlet and core outlet being disposed on the inner casing, wherein each of the outer casing and the inner casing has an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the respective inner surfaces face each other and define therebetween the flow passage for the first fluid to flow from the core inlet to the core outlet and wherein at least a portion of the respective outer surfaces are arranged to be co
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignees: FULTON GROUP N.A., INC., HANGZHOU FULTON THERMAL EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Carl Nicholas Nett, Richard James Snyder, Keith Richard Waltz, Jian Chen, Weiqiang Xu, Yuchen Guo
  • Publication number: 20230017453
    Abstract: A method for transferring heat between a first fluid and a second fluid includes providing a tubeless heat exchanger having a tubeless heat exchanger core, the tubeless heat exchanger core having an inner casing and an outer casing disposed around the inner casing, the inner and outer casings defining therebetween a flow passage for a thermal transfer fluid to flow, the tubeless heat exchanger core having a core inlet arranged to receive the first fluid and a core outlet arranged to provide the first fluid, the core inlet and core outlet being fluidically connected to the flow passage, and at least one of the core inlet and core outlet being disposed on the inner casing, wherein each of the outer casing and the inner casing has an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the respective inner surfaces face each other and define therebetween the flow passage for the first fluid to flow from the core inlet to the core outlet and wherein at least a portion of the respective outer surfaces are arranged to be co
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Carl Nicholas Nett, Richard James Snyder, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Patent number: 11441846
    Abstract: A method for transferring heat between a first fluid and a second fluid includes providing a tubeless heat exchanger having a tubeless heat exchanger core, the tubeless heat exchanger core having an inner casing and an outer casing disposed around the inner casing, the inner and outer casings defining therebetween a flow passage for a thermal transfer fluid to flow, the tubeless heat exchanger core having a core inlet arranged to receive the first fluid and a core outlet arranged to provide the first fluid, the core inlet and core outlet being fluidically connected to the flow passage, and at least one of the core inlet and core outlet being disposed on the inner casing, wherein each of the outer casing and the inner casing has an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the respective inner surfaces face each other and define therebetween the flow passage for the first fluid to flow from the core inlet to the core outlet and wherein at least a portion of the respective outer surfaces are arranged to be co
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: FULTON GROUP N.A., INC.
    Inventors: Carl Nicholas Nett, Richard James Snyder, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Publication number: 20220154926
    Abstract: An inward-firing combustion burner, includes a burner casing configured to receive a fuel-air mixture at a burner inlet and to provide hot combustion gas at a burner output, a combustion substrate disposed within the burner casing, the substrate having a shape comprising at least a semi-cone or a flat surface or equivalent shape, having a substrate porosity defined by a plurality of pores, and having a substrate inner surface and a substrate outer surface, the substrate configured to receive the fuel-air mixture at the outer surface of the substrate, the fuel-air mixture passing through the pores at a mixture flow rate from the substrate outer surface toward the substrate inner surface, and the burner configured such that, in operation, the fuel-air mixture ignites near the plurality of pores to form a respective plurality of flamelets, each flamelet corresponding to one of the pores.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2022
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Inventors: Carl Nicholas Nett, Alireza Bahrami, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Patent number: 11236903
    Abstract: An inward-firing combustion burner, includes a burner casing configured to receive a fuel-air mixture at a burner inlet and to provide hot combustion gas at a burner output, a combustion substrate disposed within the burner casing, the substrate having a shape comprising at least a semi-cone or a flat surface or equivalent shape, having a substrate porosity defined by a plurality of pores, and having a substrate inner surface and a substrate outer surface, the substrate configured to receive the fuel-air mixture at the outer surface of the substrate, the fuel-air mixture passing through the pores at a mixture flow rate from the substrate outer surface toward the substrate inner surface, and the burner configured such that, in operation, the fuel-air mixture ignites near the plurality of pores to form a respective plurality of flamelets, each flamelet corresponding to one of the pores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: FULTON GROUP N.A., INC.
    Inventors: Carl Nicholas Nett, Alireza Bahrami, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Publication number: 20210215392
    Abstract: A fluid heating system for heating a production fluid using a thermal transfer fluid, the production fluid being contained in a vessel includes an electric blower configured to receive ambient air and electrical input power and to provide output source air, a combustion system configured to receive the source air from the electric blower and to receive fuel and to provide the thermal transfer fluid, a heat exchanger configured to receive the thermal transfer fluid from the combustion system and configured to provide heat exchange from the thermal transfer fluid to the production fluid, and to provide output exhaust gas, and wherein the electric fan provides a predetermined volume flow rate of the output source air at a predetermined blower efficiency such that the fluid heating system has a Bulk Heat Flux of at least about 14.7 kBTU/Hr/ft2 and a Pressure Drop of at least about 0.7 psi.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Inventors: Alexander Thomas Frechette, Carl Nicholas Nett, Thomas William Tighe, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Patent number: 10989441
    Abstract: A fluid heating system including: a pressure vessel shell com including prising a first inlet; a heat exchanger disposed in the pressure vessel shell, the heat exchanger including a second inlet and a second outlet, wherein the second inlet of the heat exchanger is connected to the first inlet of the pressure vessel shell; and an exhaust manifold disposed in the pressure vessel shell, the exhaust manifold including a third inlet and a third outlet, wherein the third inlet of the exhaust manifold is connected to the second outlet of the heat exchanger, wherein the third outlet of the exhaust manifold is outside of the pressure vessel shell, and wherein the exhaust manifold penetrates the pressure vessel shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: FULTON GROUP N.A., INC.
    Inventors: Alexander Thomas Frechette, Carl Nicholas Nett, Richard James Snyder, Thomas William Tighe, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Patent number: 10989406
    Abstract: An inward-firing combustion burner, includes a burner casing configured to receive a fuel-air mixture at a burner inlet and to provide hot combustion gas at a burner output, a combustion substrate disposed within the burner casing, the substrate having a shape comprising at least a semi-cone or a flat surface, having a substrate porosity defined by a plurality of pores, and having a substrate inner surface and a substrate outer surface, the substrate configured to receive the fuel-air mixture at the outer surface of the substrate, the fuel-air mixture passing through the pores at a mixture flow rate from the substrate outer surface toward the substrate inner surface, and the burner configured such that, in operation, the fuel-air mixture ignites near the plurality of pores to form a respective plurality of flamelets, each flamelet corresponding to one of the pores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: FULTON GROUP N.A., INC.
    Inventors: Carl Nicholas Nett, Alireza Bahrami, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Patent number: 10962257
    Abstract: A fluid heating system for heating a production fluid using a thermal transfer fluid, the production fluid being contained in a vessel includes an electric blower configured to receive ambient air and electrical input power and to provide output source air, a combustion system configured to receive the source air from the electric blower and to receive fuel and to provide the thermal transfer fluid, a heat exchanger configured to receive the thermal transfer fluid from the combustion system and configured to be in thermal communication with the production fluid to provide convective heat exchange from the thermal transfer fluid to the production fluid, and to provide output exhaust gas, and wherein the electric fan provides a predetermined volume flow rate of the output source air at a predetermined blower efficiency such that the fluid heating system has a Bulk Heat Flux of at least about 14.7 kBTU/Hr/ft2 and a Pressure Drop of at least about 0.7 psi.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: FULTON GROUP N.A., INC.
    Inventors: Alexander Thomas Frechette, Carl Nicholas Nett, Thomas William Tighe, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Patent number: 10948218
    Abstract: A method for heating a production fluid in a fluid heating system includes receiving the production fluid by a pressure vessel, the pressure vessel arranged to receive the production fluid and to provide heated production fluid, receiving a thermal transfer fluid by a tubeless heat exchanger core, the tubeless heat exchanger core disposed at least partially within the vessel, the tubeless heat exchanger core comprising an inner casing and an outer casing disposed around the inner casing, the inner and outer casings defining therebetween a flow passage for a thermal transfer fluid to flow, the tubeless heat exchanger core further comprising a core inlet and a core outlet, and at least one of the core inlet and core outlet being disposed on the inner casing, and wherein the flow passage guides the flow of the thermal transfer fluid from the core inlet to the core outlet and wherein at least a portion of respective outer surfaces of the inner and outer casings are arranged to be contacted by the production fluid
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: FULTON GROUP N.A., INC.
    Inventors: Carl Nicholas Nett, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Publication number: 20200386400
    Abstract: An inward-firing combustion burner, includes a burner casing configured to receive a fuel-air mixture at a burner inlet and to provide hot combustion gas at a burner output, a combustion substrate disposed within the burner casing, the substrate having a shape comprising at least a semi-cone or a flat surface or equivalent shape, having a substrate porosity defined by a plurality of pores, and having a substrate inner surface and a substrate outer surface, the substrate configured to receive the fuel-air mixture at the outer surface of the substrate, the fuel-air mixture passing through the pores at a mixture flow rate from the substrate outer surface toward the substrate inner surface, and the burner configured such that, in operation, the fuel-air mixture ignites near the plurality of pores to form a respective plurality of flamelets, each flamelet corresponding to one of the pores.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: Carl Nicholas Nett, Alireza Bahrami, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Patent number: 10690377
    Abstract: A combustion gas supply system and method includes: a cyclonic air filter (or separator), a blower having an inlet and an outlet, and a combustible gas inlet, wherein the cyclonic air filter, the blower, and the combustible gas inlet are in fluid communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: FULTON GROUP N.A., INC.
    Inventors: Carl Nicholas Nett, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Patent number: 10612816
    Abstract: A fluid heating system including: a pressure vessel; an assembly comprising: a heat exchanger core including a second inlet and a second outlet; a first conduit having a first end connected to the second inlet of the heat exchanger core and a second end disposed outside of the pressure vessel; a second conduit having a first end connected to the second outlet of the heat exchanger core and a second end disposed outside of the pressure vessel; and a blower in fluid connection with the first end of the first conduit, wherein the fluid heating system satisfies the condition that a Bulk Heat Flux between the first end of the first conduit and the first end of the second conduit is between 45 kW/m2 and 300 kW/m2, and wherein the Pressure Drop between the first conduit and the second conduit is between 3 kiloPascals and 30 kiloPascals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: FULTON GROUP N.A., INC.
    Inventors: Alexander Thomas Frechette, Carl Nicholas Nett, Thomas William Tighe, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Publication number: 20200103174
    Abstract: A compliant heating system includes a dynamic component including a heat exchanger; a pressure vessel shell encompassing at least a portion of the dynamic component; and a metallic expansion joint that connects the dynamic component and the pressure vessel shell, wherein the metallic expansion joint includes a deformable section comprising a convolution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventors: Alexander Thomas Frechette, Carl Nicholas Nett, James Pettiford, Richard James Snyder, Thomas William Tighe, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Publication number: 20190360756
    Abstract: A fluid heating system assembly includes a first tube sheet, a second tube sheet opposite the first sheet, a plurality heat exchanger tubes, which connect the first tube sheet and the second tube sheet, and a plurality of baffles, comprising at least one plate baffle and at least one annular baffle disposed between the first tube sheet and the second tube sheet, wherein the heat exchanger tubes sealingly pass through the baffles, and wherein the tubes are arranged in a staggered ring configuration and the baffles have a baffle spacing, such that there is a substantially uniform temperature distribution and efficient exchange of thermal energy across the heat exchanger tube walls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2019
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Inventors: Alexander Thomas Frechette, Carl Nicholas Nett, Thomas William Tighe, Keith Richard Waltz, Joel Richard Landry, Richard James Snyder, Alireza Bahrami
  • Publication number: 20190293285
    Abstract: An inward-firing dual fuel combustion burner system comprising a burner casing configured to receive a gaseous mixture at a burner inlet and to provide hot combustion gas at a burner output; a combustion substrate disposed within the burner casing, the substrate having a shape comprising at least a semi-cone, having a substrate angle measured from a longitudinal axis, having a substrate porosity defined by a plurality of pores, and having a substrate inner surface and a substrate outer surface; the substrate configured to receive the fuel-air mixture at the outer surface of the substrate, the fuel-air mixture passing through the pores at a mixture flow rate from the substrate outer surface toward the substrate inner surface; one or a plurality of oil nozzles disposed within the combustion cavity defined by the substrate in fluidic communication with a source of pre-heated and pre-pressurized oil fuel, an oil nozzle configured to receive the oil fuel and disperse the oil fuel into the cavity; the burner config
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Inventors: Carl Nicholas Nett, Alireza Bahrami, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Publication number: 20190285370
    Abstract: A compliant heating system includes a dynamic component including a heat exchanger; a pressure vessel shell encompassing at least a portion of the heat exchanger; and a accessible and detachable compressive seal expansion that connects the dynamic component and the pressure vessel shell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Inventors: Alexander Thomas Frechette, Carl Nicholas Nett, James Pettiford, Richard James Snyder, Thomas William Tighe, Keith Richard Waltz
  • Publication number: 20190264910
    Abstract: An inward-firing combustion burner, includes a burner casing configured to receive a fuel-air mixture at a burner inlet and to provide hot combustion gas at a burner output, a combustion substrate disposed within the burner casing, the substrate having a shape comprising at least a semi-cone or a flat surface, having a substrate porosity defined by a plurality of pores, and having a substrate inner surface and a substrate outer surface, the substrate configured to receive the fuel-air mixture at the outer surface of the substrate, the fuel-air mixture passing through the pores at a mixture flow rate from the substrate outer surface toward the substrate inner surface, and the burner configured such that, in operation, the fuel-air mixture ignites near the plurality of pores to form a respective plurality of flamelets, each flamelet corresponding to one of the pores.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventors: Carl Nicholas Nett, Alireza Bahrami, Keith Richard Waltz