Patents by Inventor Kevin C. Holmes

Kevin C. Holmes 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: 9926769
    Abstract: A method of conducting multiple stage treatments. The method includes running a string into a borehole. The string having at least a first sleeve assembly and a second sleeve assembly. The first sleeve assembly in a position closing a port in the string; communicating from a radial exterior of the string or from a location downhole of the first and second sleeve assemblies to a first electronic trigger of the first sleeve assembly to trigger the first sleeve assembly into moving longitudinally relative to the string to open the port. Performing a treatment operation through the port; communicating from the radial exterior of the string or from a location downhole of the first and second sleeve assemblies to a second electronic trigger of the second sleeve assembly to trigger the second sleeve assembly into moving longitudinally relative to the string to close the port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES, A GE COMPANY, LLC
    Inventors: Edward T. Wood, Kevin C. Holmes, Aubrey C. Mills
  • Publication number: 20150122493
    Abstract: A downhole communication and control system configured for use in a non-sequential order of treating a borehole, the system includes a string having at least three ports including first, second, and third longitudinally spaced ports arranged sequentially in a downhole to uphole manner in the string; at least three frac sleeve systems including first, second, and third frac sleeve systems arranged sequentially in a downhole to uphole manner in the string and arranged to open and close the first, second, and third ports, respectively, each frac sleeve system having self-powered, electronically triggered first and second sleeves; and, communication signals to trigger the first, second, and third frac sleeve systems into moving the first and second sleeves to open and close the ports. Also included is a method of completing downhole operations in a non-sequential order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Edward T. Wood, Kevin C. Holmes, Aubrey C. Mills
  • Publication number: 20150122489
    Abstract: A method of conducting multiple stage treatments. The method includes running a string into a borehole. The string having at least a first sleeve assembly and a second sleeve assembly. The first sleeve assembly in a position closing a port in the string; communicating from a radial exterior of the string or from a location downhole of the first and second sleeve assemblies to a first electronic trigger of the first sleeve assembly to trigger the first sleeve assembly into moving longitudinally relative to the string to open the port. Performing a treatment operation through the port; communicating from the radial exterior of the string or from a location downhole of the first and second sleeve assemblies to a second electronic trigger of the second sleeve assembly to trigger the second sleeve assembly into moving longitudinally relative to the string to close the port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Edward T. Wood, Kevin C. Holmes
  • Patent number: 8413727
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a dissolvable downhole tool. The tool includes, a dissolvable body constructed of at least two materials and at least one of the at least two materials is a reactive material, and a first material of the at least two materials being configured to substantially dissolve the dissolvable body and a second material configured to control reaction timing of the first material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Bakers Hughes Incorporated
    Inventor: Kevin C. Holmes
  • Patent number: 7980265
    Abstract: A valve for downhole use has the ability to throttle between fully open and closed and is fully variable in positions in between. The valve is preferably responsive to flowing fluid viscosity and uses a three dimensional flow through restrictor in combination with a relatively movable cover. At a given flow, a higher viscosity fluid will create a greater relative movement and make it possible for flowing fluid to bypass more of the flow through member. In a particular application involving production from a zone, an array of such valves can allow more production where the viscosity is higher and less production where the viscosity drops due to, for example, water production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Kevin C. Holmes, Sean L. Gaudette
  • Publication number: 20100294510
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a dissolvable downhole tool. The tool includes, a dissolvable body constructed of at least two materials and at least one of the at least two materials is a reactive material, and a first material of the at least two materials being configured to substantially dissolve the dissolvable body and a second material configured to control reaction timing of the first material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Applicant: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Kevin C. Holmes
  • Patent number: 7717178
    Abstract: A coupler for gravel packing completions comprising an annular member having an upper end, a lower end, at least one flange disposed along an inner wall surface of the annular member intermediate the upper and lower ends, and at least one deformable portion is disclosed. The coupler may be used to connect one or more screens to a base pipe in a gravel packing completion by deforming the deformable portion such as by passing a swage over the outer wall surface of the annular member. In a similar manner, the coupler may also be used to connect a gravel packing completion component, such as an inflow control device to the base pipe of the gravel packing completion, to contemporaneously connect a screen section and a gravel packing completion component to the base pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Sean L. Gaudette, Bennett M. Richard, Jason J. Barnard, Kevin C. Holmes
  • Publication number: 20100011559
    Abstract: A seal is retrofit to an existing seal groove and made whole after being positioned in the groove. It can be an initial coil shape to allow it to slip over a shaft to get to the groove or it can be in a plurality of sections that are joined in place. The sections can be abutting or overlapping and are preferably coated with a brazing material that will ultimately join such ends. The ends can then have a nano-engineered coating that comprises alternating layers of aluminum and nickel that when initiated with applied heat becomes reactive exothermically to join the ends using the brazing material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Inventors: Edward J. O'Malley, Douglas J. Murray, Kevin C. Holmes, Steve Rosenblatt
  • Publication number: 20100012323
    Abstract: A method of making porous shapes from unit structures such as beads involves coating the beads with two or more layers of material deposited such that it forms an energetic material. These bi-layer energetic materials are formed from a variety of materials including, but not limited to: Ti & B, Zr & B, Hf & B, Ti & C, Zr & C, Hf & C, Ti & Si, Zr & Si, Nb & Si, Ni & Al, Zr & Al, or Pd & Al, all of which can be deposited from vapor. Pressure is applied to prevent the components from moving and the solid-state reaction between the alternating layers produces exothermic heat. Heat from the reaction alone or in conjunction of an applied brazing compound joins the beads forming a porous shape that is desired. The reaction in the materials may be activated with a small pulse of local energy that can be applied using optical, electrical, or thermal sources. Common examples include an electrical pulse, spark, hot filament, a laser beam, etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicant: Oceaneering International, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin C. Holmes, Robert S. O'Brien
  • Patent number: 7644854
    Abstract: A method of making porous shapes from unit structures such as beads involves coating the beads with two or more layers of material deposited such that it forms an energetic material. These bi-layer energetic materials are formed from a variety of materials including, but not limited to: Ti & B, Zr & B, Hf & B, Ti & C, Zr & C, Hf & C, Ti & Si, Zr & Si, Nb & Si, Ni & Al, Zr & Al, or Pd & Al, all of which can be deposited from vapor. Pressure is applied to prevent the components from moving and the solid-state reaction between the alternating layers produces exothermic heat. Heat from the reaction alone or in conjunction of an applied brazing compound joins the beads forming a porous shape that is desired. The reaction in the materials may be activated with a small pulse of local energy that can be applied using optical, electrical, or thermal sources. Common examples include an electrical pulse, spark, hot filament, a laser beam, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Kevin C. Holmes, Robert S. O'Brien
  • Publication number: 20090173498
    Abstract: A coupler for gravel packing completions comprising an annular member having an upper end, a lower end, at least one flange disposed along an inner wall surface of the annular member intermediate the upper and lower ends, and at least one deformable portion is disclosed. The coupler may be used to connect one or more screens to a base pipe in a gravel packing completion by deforming the deformable portion such as by passing a swage over the outer wall surface of the annular member. In a similar manner, the coupler may also be used to connect a gravel packing completion component, such as an inflow control device to the base pipe of the gravel packing completion, to contemporaneously connect a screen section and a gravel pakcing completion component to the base pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2008
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Inventors: Sean L. Gaudette, Bennett M. Richard, Jason J. Barnard, Kevin C. Holmes
  • Publication number: 20090145609
    Abstract: A valve for downhole use has the ability to throttle between fully open and closed and is fully variable in positions in between. The valve is preferably responsive to flowing fluid viscosity and uses a three dimensional flow through restrictor in combination with a relatively movable cover. At a given flow, a higher viscosity fluid will create a greater relative movement and make it possible for flowing fluid to bypass more of the flow through member. In a particular application involving production from a zone, an array of such valves can allow more production where the viscosity is higher and less production where the viscosity drops due to, for example, water production.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2007
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Inventors: Kevin C. Holmes, Sean L. Gaudette
  • Publication number: 20090114395
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an actuatable downhole member. The actuatable downhole member includes, a downhole member with a selected density, the selected density being comparable to an anticipated downhole fluid density such that a difference in the density of the downhole member and the density of the downhole fluid creates a bias on the downhole member to actuate the downhole member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2007
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Applicant: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Kevin C. Holmes, Michael H. Johnson
  • Publication number: 20090101354
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling fluid flow in a wellbore includes a reactive element that reacts when exposed to a fluid and a flow control device configured to control a flow of the fluid. The flow control device may be actuated by a reaction of the reactive element to the fluid. In embodiments, the reactive element reacts by exhibiting a change in a material property. The reaction of the reactive element may be reversible. In embodiments, the reactive element may be a shape memory polymer. The flow control device may include an actuating element operably coupled to the reactive element. The reaction of the reactive element to a given fluid releases the actuating element to actuate the flow control device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2007
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Applicant: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Kevin C. Holmes, Priyesh Ranjan, Steven R. Hayter, Stephen L. Crow
  • Publication number: 20090050314
    Abstract: The technique of laser induced surface improvement is used for tool surfaces in downhole tools that experience erosion from slurry or high velocity flows.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Publication date: February 26, 2009
    Inventor: Kevin C. Holmes
  • Publication number: 20080196797
    Abstract: A method for making a downhole tool material for a hydrocarbon well that includes solution heat treating a precipitation hardening nickel alloy; cold working the alloy following the solution heat treating; aging the alloy following the cold working and the material made therefrom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2007
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Inventors: Kevin C. Holmes, William M. Bailey