Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100002858 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ISSUING A CREDIT - A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a method to monitor service outages of a service center, detect a service outage, identify one or more customers affected by the service outage, and assign a credit to each of the affected one or more customers. Additional embodiments are disclosed. | 01-07-2010 |
20100091649 | REPORTING DIAL UP ACCESS PROBLEMS USING A REAL-TIME AUTOMATED SYSTEM - A server for automatically handling dial-up connectivity problems via a voice connection can include a controller to interface with a caller during a voice call, query a network operations center using a data connection to determine whether a dial-up number associated with the caller and received by the server is out of service, and present alternative dial-up numbers during the voice call without prompting the caller for further information. Other embodiments are disclosed. | 04-15-2010 |
20120093302 | Dynamic Load Balancing Between Multiple Locations With Different Telephony System - A method includes receiving a call from a primary interactive voice response (IVR) system at a load-balancing IVR system. The primary IVR system routes a first percentage of calls to routing logic and a second percentage of calls to the load-balancing IVR system. A telephony system is selected from among a plurality of telephony systems based on agent availability data associated with call center sites of the plurality of telephony systems. The method includes routing the call to a routing protocol component of the routing logic, where the routing protocol component routes the call to a call center of the selected telephony system. | 04-19-2012 |
20120213342 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROPER ROUTING OF CUSTOMERS - A call routing system stores includes a processor that retrieves account information from a storage and identifies a previously provided telecommunications service that was provided to the party based on the account information. The processor restricts access to telecommunications services based on the identified previously provided telecommunications service and determines additional telecommunications services, distinct from the previously provided telecommunications service, desired by the party. The processor receives a selection from the party of the additional telecommunications services and processes a service request from the party based upon the selection by the party. A routing element suppresses routing of the call to a service center that provides the previously provided telecommunications service that was provided to the party, and routes the call to a service center that provides the additional telecommunications services selected by the party. | 08-23-2012 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080257739 | High Velocity Electrostatic Coalescing Oil/Water Separator - An apparatus for separating water from a water-in-oil mixture having an elongated inlet vessel with a lower outlet end and an upper inlet end, the length thereof being a multiple of the largest vessel cross-sectional dimension. A separation vessel having an oil outlet and a divergent water outlet has an inlet passageway in communication with the inlet vessel lower outlet end. At least one electrode is positioned within the inlet vessel by which a mixture flowing therethrough is subjected to an electric field. | 10-23-2008 |
20090139192 | Revolution Vortex Tube Gas/Liquids Separator - A centrifugal separator for separating immiscible components of a wet gas stream is formed by an upright cylindrical vortex tube having an internal wall surface, a top with a gas outlet opening therein, a bottom providing a liquid outlet opening and a wet gas stream inlet tangential to the internal wall surface, the inlet being spaced below the top. A helical baffle is secured to the vortex tube internal wall surface and extends from below the top but above the inlet to a lower end spaced above the vortex tube bottom. A plurality of spaced apart vertical outlet fins are affixed to and extending radially from the internal wall surface adjacent the vortex tube bottom, each outlet fin having a top end spaced below the helical baffle lower end. | 06-04-2009 |
20090242384 | Low Pressure Mixing System for Desalting Hydrocarbons - A method and system for reducing the salt content of a crude oil stream includes using a quill to disperse a water stream into the crude oil and then routing the mixed oil/water stream through a plurality of mixing stages. The water stream may include a wash water that has been preconditioned with recycled effluent water. Each mixing stage increases the homogeneity of the mixed oil/water stream. The first and third mixing stages are preferably lower pressure stages relative to the second mixing stage, which provides pressure effective for flowing the mixed oil/water stream through the third and fourth mixing stages. Upon exiting the fourth mixing stage, the mixed oil/water stream is electrostatically treated in a dual frequency separator vessel or a dual polarity separator vessel. | 10-01-2009 |
20100108523 | Removal of Glycerin from Biodiesel Using an Electrostatic Process - A vertical electrostatic coalescer comprises a first and second electrode surface and a horizontally disposed foraminous surface. The first electrode surface and horizontally disposed foraminous surface are at ground potential. The first and second electrode surfaces share the same planar orientation relative to the central longitudinal axis of the vessel. The unique arrangement of the vessel and opposing pairs of first and second electrode surfaces provides for a substantially uniform voltage field around a perimeter of the vessel and an effective voltage field for coalescence within a center of the vessel. A circular-shaped distributor pipe or a distributor housing serves to absorb momentum of the incoming emulsion stream and distribute the stream into an interior of the vessel. | 05-06-2010 |
20100276375 | Treatment of Interface Rag Produced during Heavy Crude Oil Processing - A method for treating an interface rag includes the steps of removing a volume of rag at a controlled rate from an upstream rag source and passing the rag through a high pressure pump and a heater. The heater heats the rag to a temperature of at least 350° F. to thermally decomposing any chemicals that had been added to the interface rag to promote separation. Diluent is then mixed with the heated rag to cool the rag to a temperature less than 300° F. and produce a 30 API rag. The cooled diluted rag is then treated in an electrostatic treater or sent directly to a hydrocyclone cluster. The electrostatic treater is preferably a vertical electrostatic treater with a conical-shaped lower portion and a means for agitating the solid-laden water within the treater to prevent the solids from settling on the bottom of the treater. | 11-04-2010 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130082005 | Method to Process Effluent Brine and Interface Rag from an Oil Dehydration/Desalting System - A method for processing interface emulsion, water, and solids contained within a separator vessel that comprises the steps of continually extracting those components from the vessel and then passing them through a gas flotation cell. The cell, which is preferably a vertical induced gas flotation cell, separates the oil and water contained in the interface emulsion and discharges recovered oil from an upper portion of the cell and treated water from a bottom portion of the cell. The recovered oil and treated water may be further processed and recycled to the vessel or sent elsewhere. The treated water may also be recycled to the cell or sent to a process sewer. Fuel gas residing in an upper portion of the cell may be cooled and passed through a splitter. All the steps of the method comprise a closed system with no air emissions. | 04-04-2013 |
20130126357 | PETROLEUM DESALTING UTILIZING VOLTAGE MODULATION - A method of removing entrained salt containing water from an inlet crude oil stream includes the steps of applying an electrical energy to at least one electrode of a plurality of horizontally oriented, spaced-apart electrodes ( | 05-23-2013 |
20130220816 | Removal of Glycerin From Biodiesel Using An Electrostatic Process - A vertical electrostatic coalescer comprises a first and second electrode surface and a horizontally disposed foraminous surface. The first electrode surface and horizontally disposed foraminous surface are at ground potential. The first and second electrode surfaces share the same planar orientation relative to the central longitudinal axis of the vessel. The unique arrangement of the vessel and opposing pairs of first and second electrode surfaces provides for a substantially uniform voltage field around a perimeter of the vessel and an effective voltage field for coalescence within a center of the vessel. A circular-shaped distributor pipe or a distributor housing serves to absorb momentum of the incoming emulsion stream and distribute the stream into an interior of the vessel. | 08-29-2013 |
20130327646 | High Velocity Electrostatic Coalescing Oil/Water Separator - An apparatus and method for separating water from an oil-and-water mixture includes at least two elongated separator vessels oriented at an incline and connected to one another so that an upwardly flowing oil predominant fluid passes from the first separator vessel to the second separator vessel where further electrostatic separation of water from the oil predominant fluid occurs. Each vessel has an electrode at its upper end preferably connected to a different voltage source. The inlet to each vessel is located relative to the electrode to provide an up flow or a down flow vessel. Additionally, the first vessel may be at a different elevation than the second vessel. An additional vessel may be included with output from the first vessel bypassing the additional vessel, the second vessel, or both. Baffles may be added in the water collection portion of each vessel to reduce turbulence and settling distance. | 12-12-2013 |
20140034504 | High Velocity Electrostatic Coalescing Oil/Water Separator - An apparatus for separating water from a water-in-oil mixture having an elongated inlet vessel with a lower outlet end and an upper inlet end, the length thereof being a multiple of the largest vessel cross-sectional dimension. A separation vessel having an oil outlet and a divergent water outlet has an inlet passageway in communication with the inlet vessel lower outlet end. At least one electrode is positioned within the inlet vessel by which a mixture flowing therethrough is subjected to an electric field. | 02-06-2014 |
20140042028 | High Temperature High Pressure Electrostatic Treater - A high temperature high pressure electrostatic treater and method of use are described for removing water from heavy crude oil. The electrostatic treater is comprised of a vessel with a wet bitumen inlet and water outlet in the upper portion of the vessel, a dry bitumen outlet in the lower portion of the vessel, a plurality of electrodes on an electrically isolating support inside the vessel, an entrance bushing, and an interface control to regulate the flow of water through the water outlet. The water outlet is located above the dry bitumen outlet. The electrostatic treater and method reduce the amount of diluent needed to process the heavy crude when compared to the prior art. | 02-13-2014 |
20140209176 | Use Of Pressure Reduction Devices For Improving Downstream Oil-And-Water Separation - A system and method for improving oil-and-water separation in a blended fluid stream are presented. The system includes a pressure reduction device that causes cyclonic flow in the stream. The pressure reduction device may be a wafer-based hydrocyclone or a modified hydrocyclone having an underflow outlet but no overflow outlet. The system may also include a valve that is located upstream or downstream of the pressure reduction device. Both the valve and the pressure reduction device reduce the pressure of the fluid stream while reducing the shearing of oil and water droplets within the stream. As a result, the droplets are more likely to coalesce and less likely to form emulsions, thus improving oil-and-water separation in downstream treatment processes. | 07-31-2014 |
20140251140 | Methods To Reduce Gas Carry-Under For Cyclonic Separators - A system and process for an improvement to a gas-liquid cylindrical cyclone (“GLCC”) separator to reduce gas carry-under to the liquid outlet of the separator is described. The means for reducing gas carry-under is arranged within the interior space of the separator and below the inclined inlet of the separator to affect the tangential flow of the incoming liquid-and-gas mixture stream into the interior space. The reducing means may be a vortex locator, preferably in the form of a horizontal plate, arranged coaxial with the separator vessel and located at a vortex formation point within the interior space. The reducing means may also be a plurality of vertical baffles located at a lower end of the separator vessel and extending radially inward from the wall of the vessel. The reducing means may also be a combination of the horizontal plate and vertical baffles. | 09-11-2014 |
20150083648 | SYSTEM TO PROCESS EFFLUENT BRINE AND INTERFACE RAG FROM AN OIL DEHYDRATION / DESALTING SYSTEM - A method system for processing interface emulsion, water, and solids contained within a separator vessel that comprises the steps of continually extracting those components from the vessel and then passing them through a gas flotation cell. The cell, which is preferably a vertical induced gas flotation cell, separates the oil and water contained in the interface emulsion and discharges recovered oil from an upper portion of the cell and treated water from a bottom portion of the cell. The recovered oil and treated water may be further processed and recycled to the vessel or sent elsewhere. The treated water may also be recycled to the cell or sent to a process sewer. Fuel gas residing in an upper portion of the cell may be cooled and passed through a splitter. All the steps of the system comprise a closed system with no air emissions. | 03-26-2015 |
20150299581 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DELIVERING DILUTION WATER DROPLETS WITHIN AN OIL-AND-WATER STREAM - A system for desalting a crude oil stream includes an elongated, vertically oriented vessel that has an interior piping structure arranged concentric to the vessel. The piping structure, which may have more than one level, has a plurality of spray nozzles oriented at a downward angle for atomizing wash water into a downward flowing crude oil stream. The spray nozzles may be located on a same side or opposite sides of the piping structure. Where multiple levels are used, the number of spray nozzles on each level may be the same as or different than the number of spray nozzles on other levels. The pressure drop through each spray nozzle is preferably no greater than 300 psi and the nozzles preferably deliver a dilution water droplet preferably no larger than 300 microns in diameter. A mixing valve, static mixer, or both can be placed downstream of the vessel. | 10-22-2015 |
20150361016 | Salt Removal and Transport System and Method For Use In A Mono Ethylene Glycol Reclamation Process - A system for removing salt from a rich mono ethylene glycol (MEG) stream being fed into a flash separator isolates the fluid residing in the brine column of the separator from the MEG and introduces a swirling motive fluid into the column. The swirling motive fluid comes into contact with salt components residing in the isolated fluid of the column to create a salt slurry. The salt slurry is then removed and sent to a brine generation vessel. Saturated brine from the vessel is transported back to the column to replace the motive fluid in the column. | 12-17-2015 |
20160023977 | System For Removing Salt From A Rich Mono Ethylene Glycol Stream - A system for, and method of, recovering salt from fluid stream in a recycle loop of a flash separator has a desanding hydrocyclone located in the hot recycle loop of the flash separator; a first solids fluidization device located at the bottom end of the flash separator's brine column; a second desanding hydrocyclone arranged to receive a salt slurry stream created by the first solids fluidization device; and an accumulator located downstream of the second desanding hydrocyclone and having a second solids fluidization device located at its bottom end. Each solids fluidization device causes a motive fluid to exit the device in a swirling motion to fluidize the salt components contained in the resident fluid. The overflow from the second desanding hydrocyclone is the motive fluid for the brine column and a produced water, condensate water, or seawater stream is the motive fluid for the accumulator. | 01-28-2016 |
20160039684 | Water Treating Equipment Providing Coalescence And Flotation Within A Single Vessel - A vessel for treating an oil-in-water inlet stream houses an inlet flow distributor arranged to direct an inlet flow toward a perforated baffle of a coalescing section, the coalescing section housing a packing and being arranged upstream of a second baffle; a flotation section arranged to receive a flow exiting the coalescing section and being divided by one or more perforated baffles; and an outlet water collecting pipe arranged to receive a flow exiting the flotation section, the outlet water collecting pipe having one or more openings located along its length. The coalescing section may be divided into two sections, with one section preferably housing a different pre-selected sized packing than the other section. The flotation section may include one or more gas-inducing devices. A solid baffle may be arranged downstream of the second baffle and ahead of the flotation section to provide single or dual flow through that section. | 02-11-2016 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110261601 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING A MULTI-STAGE POWER INVERTER - A method for controlling an multi-stage inverter comprises controlling an input converter of the multi-stage inverter with an input controller and controlling an output converter of the multi-stage inverter with an output controller separate from the input controller. The input controller and output controller may be galvanically isolated. Additionally, the method may include communicating data between the input controller and the output controller over a power bus of the multi-stage inverter. | 10-27-2011 |
20120275196 | MULTI-STAGE POWER INVERTER - An inverter for converting an input direct current (DC) waveform from a DC source to an output alternating current (AC) waveform for delivery to an AC grid includes an input converter, an output converter, an input controller, and an output controller. The input controller is configured to control the operation of the input converter, and the output controller is configured to control the operation of the output controller. The input and output controllers are electrically isolated from each other and may be incapable of direct communications between each other. In some embodiments, the input and output controllers may communicate with each other via the input and output converters. | 11-01-2012 |
20150249405 | MULTI-STAGE POWER INVERTER - An inverter for converting an input direct current (DC) waveform from a DC source to an output alternating current (AC) waveform for delivery to an AC grid includes an input converter, an output converter, an input controller, and an output controller. The input controller is configured to control the operation of the input converter, and the output controller is configured to control the operation of the output controller. The input and output controllers are electrically isolated from each other and may be incapable of direct communications between each other. In some embodiments, the input and output controllers may communicate with each other via the input and output converters. | 09-03-2015 |