Patents by Inventor Kevin R. Kitz

Kevin R. Kitz 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: 6539717
    Abstract: As geothermal steam containing contaminants such as boron, arsenic, and mercury is passed through a turbine-condenser system, the contaminants preferentially collect in the initial condensate produced from the steam. Collecting this initially-produced condensate and segregating it from the remainder of the steam being condensed ensures that condensate produced from the remainder of the steam is contaminants-lean, preferably containing the contaminants in concentrations allowing for discharge of the contaminants-lean condensate to the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventor: Kevin R. Kitz
  • Patent number: 6332320
    Abstract: As geothermal steam containing contaminants such as boron, arsenic, and mercury is passed through a turbine-condenser system, the contaminants preferentially collect in the initial condensate produced from the steam. Collecting this initially-produced condensate and segregating it from the remainder of the steam being condensed ensures that condensate produced from the remainder of the steam is contaminants-lean, preferably containing the contaminants in concentrations allowing for discharge of the contaminants-lean condensate to the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventor: Kevin R. Kitz
  • Patent number: 6286314
    Abstract: As geothermal steam containing contaminants such as boron, arsenic, and mercury is passed through a turbine-condenser system, the contaminants preferentially collect in the initial condensate produced from the steam. Collecting this initially-produced condensate and segregating it from the remainder of the steam being condensed ensures that condensate produced from the remainder of the steam is contaminants-lean, preferably containing the contaminants in concentrations allowing for discharge of the contaminants-lean condensate to the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventor: Kevin R. Kitz
  • Publication number: 20010010156
    Abstract: As geothermal steam containing contaminants such as boron, arsenic, and mercury is passed through a turbine-condenser system, the contaminants preferentially collect in the initial condensate produced from the steam. Collecting this initially-produced condensate and segregating it from the remainder of the steam being condensed ensures that condensate produced from the remainder of the steam is contaminants-lean, preferably containing the contaminants in concentrations allowing for discharge of the contaminants-lean condensate to the environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2001
    Publication date: August 2, 2001
    Inventor: Kevin R. Kitz
  • Publication number: 20010007193
    Abstract: As geothermal steam containing contaminants such as boron, arsenic, and mercury is passed through a turbine-condenser system, the contaminants preferentially collect in the initial condensate produced from the steam. Collecting this initially-produced condensate and segregating it from the remainder of the steam being condensed ensures that condensate produced from the remainder of the steam is contaminants-lean, preferably containing the contaminants in concentrations allowing for discharge of the contaminants-lean condensate to the environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2001
    Publication date: July 12, 2001
    Inventor: Kevin R. Kitz
  • Patent number: 6223535
    Abstract: As geothermal steam containing contaminants such as boron, arsenic, and mercury is passed through a turbine-condenser system, the contaminants preferentially collect in the initial condensate produced from the steam. Collecting this initially-produced condensate and segregating it from the remainder of the steam being condensed ensures that condensate produced from the remainder of the steam is contaminants-lean, preferably containing the contaminants in concentrations allowing for discharge of the contaminants-lean condensate to the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventor: Kevin R. Kitz
  • Patent number: 5965031
    Abstract: Sulfurous acid and/or sulfurous acid precursors, such as sulfur dioxide, are introduced into a hydrogen sulfide-containing geothermal brine or fluid prior to extracting energy from the resulting mixture by, e.g., passing the mixture through a flash vessel or a heat exchanger. The introduction of the sulfurous acid or its precursors into the geothermal brine or fluid inhibits scale formation and/or removes previously formed scale during processing of the brine or fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventors: Kevin R. Kitz, Darrell L. Gallup
  • Patent number: 5656172
    Abstract: Sulfur-containing acid is produced at a geothermal energy source from hydrogen sulfide produced as part of a geothermal process and introduced into aqueous liquid brine to lower the pH of the liquid brine. The lowered pH of the brine inhibits silica, metal sulfide and/or calcite formation on the surfaces of geothermal energy processing equipment or in subterranean formations in which the brine is injected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventors: Kevin R. Kitz, Darrell L. Gallup
  • Patent number: 5364439
    Abstract: An integrated system of non-condensable gas (NCG) and condensate treatment allows geothermal power plant condensate and non-condensable gas effluent streams containing H.sub.2 S and ammonia to be commercially useful for more than for cooling tower makeup. In the preferred embodiment, the pH of the condensate is increased by adding ammonia and the pH increased stream is contacted with NCG to scrub and oxidize the H.sub.2 S constituent of the NCG. By reducing the pH, the condensate or aqueous stream mixture can also be used to further transfer ammonia from the non-condensable gas stream to the aqueous stream, enriching the stream for use as a fertilizer/irrigation water mixture. If other commercial uses are desired for the mixture and/or oxidized NCG streams, they can be resin treated to remove the ammonia constituent. With the ammonia and H.sub.2 S constituents decreased, the condensate may be used for a variety of applications and the NCG can be injected or used as a commercial feed stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1994
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventors: Darrell L. Gallup, Kevin R. Kitz, Manuel E. Obando, Donald M. Fenton, Paul A. Peaden, Dennis L. Saunders, Brian J. Kelly
  • Patent number: 4950552
    Abstract: A method is provided for protecting flow-conducting elements, such as pipe, fittings, valves, and vessels which are constructed of austenitic and duplex stainless steel alloy materials and which are used in hot geothermal brine service from stress cracking caused by small amounts of the brine leaking onto exterior surfaces of such flow-conducting elements. According to the method, residual stress regions of the flow-conducting elements are thermally-sprayed with a metal such as mild steel, aluminum, magnesium, or zinc, which is anodic relative to the stainless steel, to provide a metal coating having a preferred thickness of between about 10 mils and about 20 mils, the preferred metal to be thermally-sprayed onto the stainless steel being mild steel. A metallized article made by the present method is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventors: William E. Amend, Kevin R. Kitz