Patents by Inventor Steven B. Hawthorne

Steven B. Hawthorne 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: 10254269
    Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed relate to methods and apparatus for sampling an oil composition. In various embodiments, the present invention provides a method of sampling one or more components of an oil composition. The method includes placing a fluid into a pressure chamber at a first pressure. The pressure chamber includes an oil composition therein. The oil composition contacts the fluid. The fluid includes at least one of a gas, a liquid, and a supercritical fluid. The method also includes taking a sample of at least one of the fluid and the oil composition from the pressure chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Energy & Environmental Research Center Foundation
    Inventors: David J. Miller, Steven B. Hawthorne
  • Patent number: 9879522
    Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed relate to methods and apparatuses for determining a minimum miscibility pressure of a fluid with and oil composition. In various embodiments, the method can include placing a fluid into a pressure chamber at a first pressure. The pressure chamber can include at least one capillary tube having one end disposed in an oil composition in the pressure chamber. The fluid can include at least one of a gas, a liquid, and a supercritical fluid. The method can include measuring a height of the oil composition in at least one of the capillary tubes. The method can include repeating the measuring for at least one cycle using a second pressure different than the first pressure. The method can include determining the minimum miscibility pressure of the oil composition with the fluid by extrapolating from the two or more measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Energy and Environmental Research Center Foundation
    Inventors: Steven B. Hawthorne, David J. Miller
  • Patent number: 9851339
    Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed relate to methods and apparatuses for determining a minimum miscibility pressure of a fluid with and oil composition. In various embodiments, the method can include placing a fluid into a pressure chamber at a first pressure. The pressure chamber can include at least one capillary tube having one end disposed in an oil composition in the pressure chamber. The fluid can include at least one of a gas, a liquid, and a supercritical fluid. The method can include measuring a height of the oil composition in at least one of the capillary tubes. The method can include repeating the measuring for at least one cycle using a second pressure different than the first pressure. The method can include determining the minimum miscibility pressure of the oil composition with the fluid by extrapolating the pressure at a height of the oil in the at least one capillary tube of zero from the two or more measurements of the height of the oil composition in the at least one capillary tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Energy and Environmental Research Center Foundation
    Inventors: Steven B. Hawthorne, David J. Miller
  • Publication number: 20160047226
    Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed relate to methods and apparatuses for determining a minimum miscibility pressure of a fluid with and oil composition. In various embodiments, the method can include placing a fluid into a pressure chamber at a first pressure. The pressure chamber can include at least one capillary tube having one end disposed in an oil composition in the pressure chamber. The fluid can include at least one of a gas, a liquid, and a supercritical fluid. The method can include measuring a height of the oil composition in at least one of the capillary tubes. The method can include repeating the measuring for at least one cycle using a second pressure different than the first pressure. The method can include determining the minimum miscibility pressure of the oil composition with the fluid by extrapolating the pressure at a height of the oil in the at least one capillary tube of zero from the two or more measurements of the height of the oil composition in the at least one capillary tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2015
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Inventors: Steven B. Hawthorne, David J. Miller
  • Publication number: 20160047791
    Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed relate to methods and apparatus for sampling an oil composition. In various embodiments, the present invention provides a method of sampling one or more components of an oil composition. The method includes placing a fluid into a pressure chamber at a first pressure. The pressure chamber includes an oil composition therein. The oil composition contacts the fluid. The fluid includes at least one of a gas, a liquid, and a supercritical fluid. The method also includes taking a sample of at least one of the fluid and the oil composition from the pressure chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2015
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Inventors: David J. Miller, Steven B. Hawthorne
  • Publication number: 20150060057
    Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed relate to methods and apparatuses for determining a minimum miscibility pressure of a fluid with and oil composition. In various embodiments, the method can include placing a fluid into a pressure chamber at a first pressure. The pressure chamber can include at least one capillary tube having one end disposed in an oil composition in the pressure chamber. The fluid can include at least one of a gas, a liquid, and a supercritical fluid. The method can include measuring a height of the oil composition in at least one of the capillary tubes. The method can include repeating the measuring for at least one cycle using a second pressure different than the first pressure. The method can include determining the minimum miscibility pressure of the oil composition with the fluid by extrapolating from the two or more measurements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventors: Steven B. Hawthorne, David J. Miller
  • Patent number: 6352644
    Abstract: The method of the present invention is adapted to manipulate the chemical properties of water in order to improve the effectiveness of a desired process. The method involves heating the water in the vessel to subcritical temperatures between 100° to 374° C. while maintaining sufficient pressure to the water to maintain the water in the liquid state. Various physiochemical properties of the water can be manipulated including polarity, solute solubility, surface tension, viscosity, and the disassociation constant. The method of the present invention has various uses including extracting organics from solids and semisolids such as soil, selectively extracting desired organics from liquids, selectively separating organics using sorbent phases, enhancing reactions by controlling the disassociation constant of water, cleaning waste water, removing organics from water using activated carbon or other suitable sorbents, and degrading various compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Assignee: Energy & Environmental Research Center Foundation
    Inventors: Steven B. Hawthorne, David J. Miller, Arnaud Jean-Marie Lagadec, Peter James Hammond, Anthony Alan Clifford
  • Patent number: 6001256
    Abstract: The method of the present invention is adapted to manipulate the chemical properties of water in order to improve the effectiveness of a desired chemical process. The method involves heating the water in the vessel to subcritical temperatures between 100.degree. to 374.degree. C. while maintaining sufficient pressure to the water to maintain the water in the liquid state. Various physiochemical properties of the water can be manipulated including polarity, solute solubility, surface tension, viscosity, and the disassociation constant. The method of the present invention has various uses including extracting organics from solids and semisolids such as soil, selectively extracting desired organics from nonaqueous liquids, selectively separating organics using sorbent phases, enhancing reactions by controlling the disassociation constant of water, cleaning waste water, and removing organics from water using activated carbon or other suitable sorbents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Energy & Environmental Research Center
    Inventors: Steven B. Hawthorne, David J. Miller, Yu Yang, Arnaud Jean-Marie Lagadec
  • Patent number: 4967590
    Abstract: An injector for use with a capillary supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) apparatus includes an operable four-port switching valve having a body portion and a rotor rotatably mounted within the body portion. The rotor has a hole therethrough which will selectively register with pairs of aligned ports. Thus, the rotor is rotatable between a loading position, wherein a first and third port are in communication, and a chromatographic position, wherein a second and fourth port are in communication. A first tubular member extends from the third port and is connected to a retention gap, which is in turn connected to an end of a capillary SFC column. A bypass tube connects the fourth port to the first tubular member. The loading position of the rotor and the first tubular member form a straight pathway to permit a needle to be inserted therethrough into the retention gap to inject a sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1990
    Assignee: UND-SEM Foundation
    Inventors: David J. Miller, Steven B. Hawthorne