Patents by Inventor Per Lothe

Per Lothe 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: 8500995
    Abstract: A method is for the treatment of ballast water, in which the ballast water is carried into a ballast tank via a down pipe and in which an underpressure created at the upper portion of the down pipe induces the formation of gas bubbles in the ballast water. Before flowing into the down pipe, the ballast water is carried via a throttling device into a closed container at the upper portion of the down pipe, the closed container having a flow area larger than the flow area of the down pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Knutsen Ballastvann AS
    Inventor: Per Lothe
  • Publication number: 20130015140
    Abstract: A method is for the treatment of ballast water, in which the ballast water is carried into a ballast tank via a down pipe and in which an underpressure created at the upper portion of the down pipe induces the formation of gas bubbles in the ballast water. Before flowing into the down pipe, the ballast water is carried via a throttling device into a closed container at the upper portion of the down pipe, the closed container having a flow area larger than the flow area of the down pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2011
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Applicant: Knutsen Ballastvann AS
    Inventor: Per Lothe
  • Patent number: 7625438
    Abstract: A method and device are provided for reducing the oxygen content of seawater, where the seawater is introduced into the upper part (14) of a downcomer (12), particularly for treatment of ballast water in a ballast tank (4) of a ship (1). A seawater intake pipe (6) runs from the outside of the ship to a ballast pump (8) that is designed to pump the water on through a pump pipe (10) and up to the upper part of the downcomer. The downcomer extends mainly vertically down to the ballast compartment of the ship, where the ballast water can be distributed between several ballast compartments by means of distribution headers and valves. One aim of the invention is to neutralize organisms in the ballast water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Knutsen OAS Shipping AS
    Inventor: Per Lothe
  • Patent number: 7597115
    Abstract: A method and arrangement for reducing the evaporation of volatile organic compounds (VOC) or other gases during the filling of an essentially liquid petroleum product on a storage and/or transport tank (2) via a feed pipe (6), and where the petroleum product is led into the storage/transport tank via a loading column (8) having a significantly larger cross section than that of the feed pipe (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Knutsen OAS Shipping AS
    Inventor: Per Lothe
  • Patent number: 7526923
    Abstract: A device for condensing volatile organic compounds (VOC) from a storage or transport tank (4) into oil from the same or another storage or transport tank (4) via a downcomer (6), where the upper part (8) of the downcomer (6), which upper part has a cross sectional area that is essentially unreduced, is connected to a gas pipe (14), the gas pipe (14) communicating with the upper part (16) of the storage or transport tank (4), and where the upper part (8) of the downcomer (6) is arranged at a sufficient height above the upper part (16) of the storage or transport tank (4) to cause an inflow of gas from the upper part (16) of the storage or transport tank (4) due to the underpressure created in the upper part (8) of the downcomer (6) when oil flows down through the downcomer (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Knutsen OAS Shipping AS
    Inventor: Per Lothe
  • Patent number: 7363870
    Abstract: A method and a device for protecting a vessel's loading space, the hold (1) of the vessel being provided with cargo pressure tanks (12), from excess pressure if a gas leakage should occur in the hold (1), the vessel being provided with a ventilating duct (8) which is separated in a gastight manner from the remaining rooms of the vessel and extends along the hold (1) of the vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Knutsen OAS Shipping AS
    Inventor: Per Lothe
  • Publication number: 20080023484
    Abstract: A compression tank device (1) for sea transport of petroleum products, comprising a relatively elongated metallic cylindrical portion (4) and end gables (6, 6?), the cylindrical portion (4) being fixedly connected to the end gables (6, 6?) through sealing connections (16, 16?), and the cylindrical portion (4) of the compression tank (1) and a portion of the end gables (6, 6?) being braided with a fibrous material (8), the fibrous material (8) being oriented mainly in the circumferential direction of the compression tank (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Publication date: January 31, 2008
    Applicant: Knutsen OAS Shipping AS
    Inventor: Per Lothe
  • Patent number: 7228871
    Abstract: A device for reducing evaporation of volatile organic compounds (VOC) during filling of a substantially liquid petroleum product into a storage and/or transportation tank (18) via a down pipe (14), wherein the down pipe (14), which has a non-constricted flow-section, is provided with an inlet (22) for gas at its upper portion, the inlet (22) being arranged to enable inflow of gas due to the underpressure being formed in the upper portion of the down pipe (14) when the petroleum product flows down through the down pipe (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Knutsen Oas Shipping AS
    Inventor: Per Lothe
  • Publication number: 20070125286
    Abstract: A method and a device for protecting a vessel's loading space, the hold (1) of the vessel being provided with cargo pressure tanks (12), from excess pressure if a gas leakage should occur in the hold (1), the vessel being provided with a ventilating duct (8) which is separated in a gastight manner from the remaining rooms of the vessel and extends along the hold (1) of the vessel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2004
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Inventor: Per Lothe
  • Publication number: 20070068860
    Abstract: A method and device are provided for reducing the oxygen content of seawater, where the seawater is introduced into the upper part (14) of a downcomer (12), particularly for treatment of ballast water in a ballast tank (4) of a ship (1). A seawater intake pipe (6) runs from the outside of the ship to a ballast pump (8) that is designed to pump the water on through a pump pipe (10) and up to the upper part of the downcomer. The downcomer extends mainly vertically down to the ballast compartment of the ship, where the ballast water can be distributed between several ballast compartments by means of distribution headers and valves. One aim of the invention is to neutralize organisms in the ballast water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Publication date: March 29, 2007
    Inventor: Per Lothe
  • Patent number: 7159524
    Abstract: A device for a pipe (10) in a cargo pressure tank of a ship (2), the pipe (10) mainly being used for loading and unloading of fluids, and the open end portion (13) of the pipe (10) being placed immediately above the lower bottom section (14) of the cargo pressure tank (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Knutsen OAS Shipping AS
    Inventor: Per Lothe
  • Patent number: 7128008
    Abstract: A device for and method of fixing vertically installed cargo pressure tanks (2), particularly the type used for sea transport of pressurised petroleum products, wherein at least two cargo pressure tanks (2) constitute a liftable cassette (1), the tanks (2) of which preferably are placed in the upright position on a cassette lifting frame (4) and are interconnected by means of a guide frame (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Knutsen OAS Shipping AS
    Inventor: Per Lothe
  • Patent number: 7096689
    Abstract: A method of separating volatile organic components, so-called VOC, from crude oil, where, as it is loaded onto a ship, the crude oil is passed into a process vessel (2) in which is established a negative pressure adjusted according to the vapour pressure of the oil, from where the liquid phase of the crude oil flows to the ship's cargo tanks, while the gas phase, the VOC, is extracted from the process vessel (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Knutsen OAS Shipping AS
    Inventor: Per Lothe
  • Publication number: 20060150638
    Abstract: A device for condensing volatile organic compounds (VOC) from a storage or transport tank (4) into oil from the same or another storage or transport tank (4) via a downcomer (6), where the upper part (8) of the downcomer (6), which upper part has a cross sectional area that is essentially unreduced, is connected to a gas pipe (14), the gas pipe (14) communicating with the upper part (16) of the storage or transport tank (4), and where the upper part (8) of the downcomer (6) is arranged at a sufficient height above the upper part (16) of the storage or transport tank (4) to cause an inflow of gas from the upper part (16) of the storage or transport tank (4) due to the underpressure created in the upper part (8) of the downcomer (6) when oil flows down through the downcomer (6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Publication date: July 13, 2006
    Inventor: Per Lothe
  • Patent number: 7004211
    Abstract: A method and a device for reducing the evaporation of volatile organic compounds (VOC) when an essentially liquid petroleum product is being filled into a storage and/or transport tank (16) through a drop line (14), possibly also through a loading point (8), in which a gas or mixture of gases is supplied to the upper portion of the drop line (14) or the loading point (8) during the filling operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Knutsen OAS Shipping AS
    Inventor: Per Lothe
  • Publication number: 20060005757
    Abstract: A device for a pipe (10) in a cargo pressure tank of a ship (2), the pipe (10) mainly being used for loading and unloading of fluids, and the open end portion (13) of the pipe (10) being placed immediately above the lower bottom section (14) of the cargo pressure tank (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Publication date: January 12, 2006
    Inventor: Per Lothe
  • Publication number: 20050257728
    Abstract: A device for and method of fixing vertically installed cargo pressure tanks (2), particularly the type used for sea transport of pressurised petroleum products, wherein at least two cargo pressure tanks (2) constitute a liftable cassette (1), the tanks (2) of which preferably are placed in the upright position on a cassette lifting frame (4) and are interconnected by means of a guide frame (6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Publication date: November 24, 2005
    Inventor: Per Lothe
  • Publication number: 20050166982
    Abstract: A device for reducing evaporation of volatile organic compounds (VOC) during filling of a substantially liquid petroleum product into a storage and/or transportation tank (18) via a down pipe (14), wherein the down pipe (14), which has a non-constricted flow-section, is provided with an inlet (22) for gas at its upper portion, the inlet (22) being arranged to enable inflow of gas due to the underpressure being formed in the upper portion of the down pipe (14) when the petroleum product flows down through the down pipe (14).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2003
    Publication date: August 4, 2005
    Inventor: Per Lothe
  • Patent number: 6886482
    Abstract: A device by pressure vessels (2) for sea transport of petroleum fluids, where at least two pressure vessels (2) are connected to and communicate with a manifold (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Knutsen OAS Shipping AS
    Inventors: Per Lothe, Harald â„«rseth
  • Publication number: 20050039800
    Abstract: A method and arrangement for reducing the evaporation of volatile organic compounds (VOC) or other gases during the filling of an essentially liquid petroleum product on a storage and/or transport tank (2) via a feed pipe (6), and where the petroleum product is led into the storage/transport tank via a loading column (8) having a significantly larger cross section than that of the feed pipe (6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2002
    Publication date: February 24, 2005
    Inventor: Per Lothe