Patents by Inventor Michael R. Kimbrell

Michael R. Kimbrell 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).

  • Predictive crude oil compatibility model
    Patent number: 7618822
    Abstract: A method for blending at least two hydrocarbon liquids, the method comprising: (a) determining the critical solvent power for each hydrocarbon liquid by (i) mixing each hydrocarbon liquid with predetermined amounts of a paraffin; (ii) centrifuging each resulting mixture; (iii) recovering and weighing any resulting precipitated insolubles from step (ii); and (iv) correlating the weight of the insolubles in step (iii) to the solvent power at which asphaltenes begin to precipitate out of the hydrocarbon; (b) determining the solvent power for each hydrocarbon liquid by: (i) determining the distillation curve and density of each hydrocarbon liquid; (ii) numerically integrating the distillation curve of each hydrocarbon liquid, producing the volume average boiling point for each hydrocarbon liquid; (iii) calculating the characterization K factor for each hydrocarbon liquid using the volume average boiling point in step (ii); and (iv) determining the solvent power of each hydrocarbon liquid using the characterizatio
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: BP Corporation North America Inc.
    Inventors: Sailendra Nemana, Michael R. Kimbrell, Eugene Zaluzec
  • Predictive crude oil compatibility model
    Publication number: 20040121472
    Abstract: A method for blending at least two hydrocarbon liquids, the method comprising: (a) determining the critical solvent power for each hydrocarbon liquid by (i) mixing each hydrocarbon liquid with predetermined amounts of a paraffin; (ii) centrifuging each resulting mixture; (iii) recovering and weighing any resulting precipitated insolubles from step (ii); and (iv) correlating the weight of the insolubles in step (iii) to the solvent power at which asphaltenes begin to precipitate out of the hydrocarbon; (b) determining the solvent power for each hydrocarbon liquid by: (i) determining the distillation curve and density of each hydrocarbon liquid; (ii) numerically integrating the distillation curve of each hydrocarbon liquid, producing the volume average boiling point for each hydrocarbon liquid; (iii) calculating the characterization K factor for each hydrocarbon liquid using the volume average boiling point in step (ii); and (iv) determining the solvent power of each hydrocarbon liquid using the characterizatio
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2002
    Publication date: June 24, 2004
    Inventors: Sailendra Nemana, Michael R. Kimbrell, Eugene Zaluzec