Bizarre Patents
Pet Toilet-Like Water Disk and Food Storage
One pet-friendly inventor patented "a device for watering pets, e.g., a dog or cat." The device, he helpfully noted, "has the general shape of a toilet."
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8183422 | Hydrocarbons from pyrolysis oil Described is a process for converting pyrolysis oil obtained by pyrolysis of biomass into fuel range hydrocarbon by alcoholysis of pyrolysis oil with subsequent hydrotreatment. A straightforward methodology to prepare upgradeable pyrolysis oil via alcoholysis. A met... | 05/22/2012 |
| 8167082 | Seismic transducers having improved polygonal baseplates and methods of use Methods and systems are provided for inducing seismic energy waves in a subterranean formation. More specifically, seismic transducers are provided that incorporate enhanced seismic baseplates. In certain embodiments, baseplates comprise certain enhancements such as... | 05/01/2012 |
| 8142933 | Anode material for high power lithium ion batteries A battery with a carbonaceous anode and a lithium manganese oxide spinel cathode. The carbonaceous anode is manufactured from graphite particles selected from the group consisting of: synthetic graphite particles, carbon-coated graphite particles, carbonized petrole... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8137565 | Naphthenic acid removal and conversion Methods and apparatus relate to handling of organic contaminants in aqueous streams. The methods and apparatus enable removing the contaminants, such as naphthenic acids, from the aqueous streams and then converting the contaminants into hydrocarbons. The removing a... | 03/20/2012 |
| 8133399 | Thiosulfate removal methods and systems Described herein is a cost effective method and system for removal of thiosulfate from a solution in-line with a process system. The method and system include passing the solution in contact with an open-structured substrate impregnated with a Group 16 element, whic... | 03/13/2012 |
| 8132632 | Method for recovering valuable drilling mud materials using a binary fluid This invention relates to a system and process for recovering and recycling valuable target recycle materials such lost circulation material and weighting agents from drilling fluid used in hydrocarbon drilling operations. The system and process includes use of a bi... | 03/13/2012 |
| 8124673 | Low-viscosity drag reducer Low-viscosity drag reducers, systems for delivering low-viscosity drag reducers, and methods of making low-viscosity drag reducers are disclosed. The low-viscosity drag reducers have a viscosity less than 350 cP at a shear rate of 250 sec−1 and a temper... | 02/28/2012 |
| 8118095 | In situ combustion processes and configurations using injection and production wells Methods and systems relate to in situ combustion utilizing configurations of injection and production wells to facilitate the in situ combustion. The wells define vertically deviated lengths that have different orientations from one another. Further, heating process... | 02/21/2012 |
| 8088188 | Gasification system and process with staged slurry addition A system and process for gasifying carbonaceous feedstock with staged slurry addition in order to prevent the formation of tar that causes deposition problems. Dry solid carbonaceous material is partially combusted, then pyrolyzed along with a first slurry stream co... | 01/03/2012 |
| 8083519 | Burner nozzle A burner comprises a body, a nozzle, and at least one attachment element for removably attaching the nozzle to the body. The body defines an oxidant inlet, a feedstock inlet, a body outlet, and one or more passages for conveying the oxidant from the oxidant inlet to... | 12/27/2011 |
| 8080156 | Mercury removal from crude oil Methods and apparatus relate to removal of mercury from crude oil. Such removal relies on transferring mercury from a liquid hydrocarbon stream to a natural gas stream upon contacting the liquid hydrocarbon stream with the natural gas stream. Processing of the natur... | 12/20/2011 |
| 8079417 | Wireline retrievable dsg/downhole pump system for cyclic steam and continuous steam flooding operations in petroleum reservoirs A non-rigid carrier conveys a pump and/or the steam generator through a bore of the production tubing string to support enhanced oil recovery operations. An annular space separates the production tubing string and a wall of a wellbore intersecting a hydrocarbon-bear... | 12/20/2011 |
| 8075866 | Sulfur degassing process A process is disclosed for removing hydrogen sulfide from liquid sulfur including: passing a liquid sulfur feed comprising liquid sulfur and hydrogen sulfide to a vaporizer; vaporizing at least a portion of the liquid sulfur feed in the vaporizer to thereby form a f... | 12/13/2011 |
| 8071829 | Alkylation process A process is disclosed for the alkylation of aromatics by charging a hydrocarbon feed containing aromatic hydrocarbons and olefinic hydrocarbons to a distillation column for separation into at least one fraction; removing an aromatics/olefin stream containing at lea... | 12/06/2011 |
| 8067658 | Isomerization process An isomerization process is disclosed including contacting a n-hexane hydrocarbon feed containing less than about 10 volume % naphthenic hydrocarbons with a catalyst to produce an iso-hexane containing product; wherein the catalyst is prepared by: a) incorporating t... | 11/29/2011 |
| 8043510 | Mercury removal with sorbents magnetically separable from treated fluids Methods and apparatus relate to treatment of fluids to remove mercury contaminants in the fluid. Contact of the fluid with active outer surfaces of particles magnetically separable from the fluid loads the particles with the mercury contaminants. Magnetic separation... | 10/25/2011 |
| 8022118 | Drag reduction of asphaltenic crude oils A system for reducing pressure drop associated with the turbulent flow of asphaltenic crude oil through a conduit. The crude oil has a high asphaltene content and/or a low API gravity. Such reduction in pressure drop is achieved by treating the asphaltenic crude oil... | 09/20/2011 |
| 8017819 | Thermal treatment of triglycerides A triglyceride or a triglyceride/hydrocarbon combination can be heated to produce thermally treated feeds. The thermally treated feeds can then be contacted with a hydrotreating catalyst in a reaction zone. ... | 09/13/2011 |
| 8004931 | Dynamic source parameter selection for seismic vibrator data acquisition A method and system of operating single vibrator source points for seismic data acquisition includes acquiring real-time field survey locations for a first plurality of seismic vibrators, determining at least one geometrical relationship between each of the first pl... | 08/23/2011 |
| 8002038 | Liquid carbon dioxide cleaning of wellbores and near-wellbore areas using high precision stimulation The invention relates to cleaning wellbores and the near wellbore areas adjacent to a hydrocarbon bearing formations and coal bed methane formations. In a particular aspect, the invention relates to removing liquids such as water and/or oil from the formation near t... | 08/23/2011 |
| 8002034 | Recovery of hydrocarbons from oil shale deposits This invention relates to recovering hydrocarbons from oil shale preferably in-situ where the temperature of the oil shale deposit is controlled to maximize recovery of hydrocarbons and minimize decomposition of carbonate minerals into carbon dioxide that might be r... | 08/23/2011 |
| 8000168 | Dynamic source parameter selection for seismic vibrator data acquisition A method and system of operating single vibrator source points for seismic data acquisition includes acquiring real-time field survey locations for a first plurality of seismic vibrators, determining at least one geometrical relationship between each of the first pl... | 08/16/2011 |
| 7998451 | Sulfur degassing process A process is disclosed for removing hydrogen sulfide from liquid sulfur including: passing a liquid sulfur feed comprising liquid sulfur and hydrogen sulfide to a vaporizer; vaporizing at least a portion of the liquid sulfur feed in the vaporizer to thereby form a f... | 08/16/2011 |
| 7993131 | Burner nozzle A burner comprises a body, a nozzle, and at least one attachment element for removably attaching the nozzle to the body. The body defines an oxidant inlet, a feedstock inlet, a body outlet, and one or more passages for conveying the oxidant from the oxidant inlet to... | 08/09/2011 |
| 7982872 | Residual chemical monitoring system using surface enhanced raman spectroscopy Target chemicals are monitored at very low concentrations in pipelines or vessels such as storage tanks using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy analysis of a sample. A liquid sample having a target chemical such as biocides, corrosion inhibitors, scale inhibitors,... | 07/19/2011 |
| 7975763 | Process for enhanced production of heavy oil using microwaves A process for utilizing microwaves to heat H2O within a subterranean region wherein the heated H2O contacts heavy oil in the subterranean region to lower the viscosity of the heavy oil and improve production of the heavy oil. ... | 07/12/2011 |
| 7964240 | Producing coated graphitic anode powders by extracting pitch from high volatile matter coke and coating the same in-situ This invention relates to a process for making carbon coated graphitic anode powders for use in batteries including rechargeable lithium-ion batteries wherein the process includes a side product isotropic pitch for use as a precursor in other products and more prefe... | 06/21/2011 |
| 7541310 | Silica-alumina catalyst support, catalysts made therefrom and methods of making and using same This invention relates to catalysts comprising a catalytic metal deposited on a composite support with well-dispersed chemical “anchor” species acting as nucleation centers for catalytic metal crystallites growth. The catalysts have the advantage that the averag... | 06/02/2009 |
| 7388303 | Stand-alone electrical system for large motor loads An electrical power system that can be used to interconnect a plurality of generators to a plurality to loads while being rated at less than a total power consumed. The system is preferably used to distribute power for a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility. The sys... | 06/17/2008 |
| 7371317 | Process for producing coke A delayed coking process for producing more uniform and higher quality coke by increasing the drum inlet temperature of the feedstock at least 2° F. during a fill cycle. ... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7347052 | Methods and systems for processing uncalcined coke Methods and systems for processing uncalcined coke are provided. The methods and systems provide for combusting effluent gas from a refinery unit and a stream of uncalcined coke. The refinery unit effluent gas may be the offgas from a rotary kiln calciner. The refin... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7311054 | High volume liquid containment system for ships A liquid containment system for an ocean-going vessel. The liquid containment system includes a tank having converging upper walls. The converging upper walls of the tank contain a substantial portion of the liquid therebetween and reduce the free surface area assoc... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7213413 | Noninvasive measurement and control system for use in hydrocarbon processing Raman spectrometers are employed in a hydrocarbon processing plant for online measurement of at least one compositional property of a hydrocarbon stream. The Raman spectrometers can be used to control separations equipment, determine energy content, and/or determine... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7204661 | Pipeline system utilizing cold bends An expansion loop for an above-ground pipeline that utilizes cold bent pipe sections having a bend angle of less than 90 degrees and a bend rate (in degrees per foot) of relatively low severity. ... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7182918 | Desulfurization process A hydrocarbon desulfurization system that circulates fluidizable solid particles through a fluidized bed reactor, a fluidized bed regenerator, and a fluidized bed reducer to thereby provide for substantially continuous desulfurization of a hydrocarbon-containing flu... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7172685 | Desulfurization system with novel sorbent transfer mechanism A hydrocarbon desulfurization system employing regenerable solid sorbent particulates in a fluidized bed desulfurization reactor. The sulfur-loaded sorbent particulates are continuously withdrawn from the reactor and transferred to a regenerator. A novel solids tran... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7168889 | Floating platform having a spoolable tether installed thereon and method for tethering the platform using same The present invention discloses a process for installing a floating platform to the ocean floor using a spoolable (preferably composite) tether, comprising installing the spooled tether onto the floating platform; towing the floating platform to a site for installat... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7138101 | Two-stage catalytic process for recovering sulfur from an HS-containing gas stream Apparatus and process for recovering elemental sulfur from a H2S-containing waste gas stream are disclosed. The apparatus preferably comprises a first reaction zone for carrying out the catalytic partial oxidation of H2S, a second reaction zone... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7122170 | Catalysts for SPOC™ enhanced synthesis gas production A process and system for producing synthesis gas by a SPOC® enhanced catalytic partial oxidation process is disclosed. Light hydrocarbons in a H2S-containing feed gas are partially oxidized to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide over a catalyst that sim... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7100399 | Enhanced operation of LNG facility equipped with refluxed heavies removal column Improved methodology for starting up a LNG facility employing a refluxed heavies removal column. The improved methodology involves varying the temperature of the feed to the heavies removal column between start-up and normal operation. This allows a larger amount of... | 09/05/2006 |
