| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090320475 | System and method of capturing geothermal heat from within a drilled well to generate electricity - A closed-loop, solid-state system generates electricity from geothermal heat from a well by flow of heat, without needing large quantities of water to conduct heat from the ground. The present invention contemplates uses for depleted oil or gas wells and newly drilled wells to generate electricity in an environmentally-friendly method. Geothermal heat is conducted from the Earth to a heat exchanging element to heat the contents of pipes. The pipes are insulated between the bottom of the well and the surface to minimize heat dissipation as the heated contents of the pipes travel to the surface. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20100269501 | Control system to manage and optimize a geothermal electric generation system from one or more wells that individually produce heat - A control system manages and optimizes a geothermal electric generation system from one or more wells that individually produce heat. The control system includes heat sensors that measure temperature and fluid flow and are placed at critical points in the wells, in piping, in a hot fluid reservoir, in a cold fluid reservoir and in a cooling system. The control system also includes pump and valve controls, generator controls, a network for gathering information and delivering instructions, and a processing module that collects information and communicates control information to each component. | 10-28-2010 |
| 20100270001 | System and method of maximizing grout heat conductibility and increasing caustic resistance - A method of transferring heat using a grout that has been optimized for heat transfer includes a heat conductive particulate mixed with the grout. The grout and particulate mixture includes enough particulate to form connections to create heat conductive paths. A method of treating grout so that it is resistant to the caustic environment existing at the bottom of a well, mixing an aggregate with the grout to form a mixture having a PH opposite to the caustic environment at the bottom of the well. | 10-28-2010 |
| 20100270002 | System and method of maximizing performance of a solid-state closed loop well heat exchanger - A heat exchanger transfers heat from solid state heat conducting material to a fluid in a closed loop system. A heat harnessing component includes a closed-loop solid state heat extraction system having a heat exchanging element positioned within a heat nest in a well designed to optimize the transfer of heat from heat conductive material to a closed loop fluid flow. A piping system conveys contents heated by the heat exchanging element to a surface of the well. | 10-28-2010 |
| 20100276115 | System and method of maximizing heat transfer at the bottom of a well using heat conductive components and a predictive model - A system and method of maximizing heat transfer at the bottom of a well using heat conductive components and a predictive model are used to design and implement a closed-loop solid state heat extraction system to conduct geothermal heat from rock within the well. A heat conductive material inserted into the well conducts heat to the fluid heat exchanging element. The closed-loop solid state heat extraction system extracts geothermal heat from the well without exposing the rock surrounding the heat nest to a liquid flow. | 11-04-2010 |
| 20140000838 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF MAXIMIZING PERFORMANCE OF A SOLID-STATE CLOSED LOOP WELL HEAT EXCHANGER | 01-02-2014 |
| 20140047836 | System and Method of Capturing Geothermal Heat From Within a Drilled Well to Generate Electricity - A closed-loop, solid-state system generates electricity from geothermal heat from a well by flow of heat, without needing large quantities of water to conduct heat from the ground. The present invention contemplates uses for depleted oil or gas wells and newly drilled wells to generate electricity in an environmentally-friendly method. Geothermal heat is conducted from the Earth to a heat exchanging element to heat the contents of pipes. The pipes are insulated between the bottom of the well and the surface to minimize heat dissipation as the heated contents of the pipes travel to the surface. | 02-20-2014 |
| 20150159917 | METHOD AND APPARATUS OF USING HEAT GENERATED BY SINGLE WELL ENGINEERED GEOTHERMAL SYSTEM (SWEGS) TO HEAT OIL LADEN ROCK OR ROCK WITH PERMEABLE FLUID CONTENT FOR ENHANCE OIL RECOVERY - Apparatus is provided having a heat extraction system for generating geothermal heat from within a drilled well, comprising: a heat conductive material injected into an area within a heat nest near a bottom of a drilled well between a heat exchanging element and rock, and any fluid around the rock, surrounding the heat nest to form a closed-loop solid state heat exchange to heat contents of a piping system flowing into and out of the heat exchanging element at an equilibrium temperature at which the rock surrounding the heat nest and generating the geothermal heat continually recoups the geothermal heat that the rock is conducting to the heat conductive material. | 06-11-2015 |
| 20150159918 | SWEGS ADAPTED FOR USE IN COOLING, HEATING, VOC REMEDIATION, MINING, PASTEURIZATION AND BREWING APPLICATIONS - Apparatus includes a heat extraction system (SWEGS) in combination with some further apparatus for implementing some further functionality, e.g., associated with cooling/heating, remediation, mining, pasteurization and brewing applications. The SWEGS generates geothermal heat from within a drilled well, and includes a heat conductive material injected into an area within a heat nest near a bottom of a drilled well between a heat exchanging element and rock surrounding the heat nest to form a closed-loop solid state heat exchange to heat contents of a piping system flowing into and out of the heat exchanging element at an equilibrium temperature at which the rock surrounding the heat nest and generating the geothermal heat continually recoups the geothermal heat that the rock is conducting to the heat conductive material and above which the geothermal heat generated by the rock surrounding the heat nest dissipates as the heat conductive material conducts heat from the rock surrounding the heat nest to the heat exchanging element. The heat conductive material may be configured to solidify to substantially fill the area within the heat nest to transfer heat from the rock surrounding the heat nest and the heat exchanging element. The piping system may be configured to bring the contents from a surface of the well into the heat nest and carry heated contents to the surface of the well from the heat nest. The closed-loop solid state heat exchange may be configured to extract geothermal heat from the well without exposing the rock surrounding the heat nest to a liquid flow, and provide heated contents to the piping system for further processing. The further apparatus receives the heated content and further processes the heated content in order to implement some further functionality based at least partly on using the heated content. | 06-11-2015 |
| 20150163965 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF MANAGING COOLING ELEMENTS TO PROVIDE HIGH VOLUMES OF COOLING - In combination, an electrical generation system has a condenser configured to receive a condenser cooling fluid for cooling the condenser and provide the condenser cooling fluid for re-cooling; a cooling reservoir receives a re-cooled condenser cooling fluid and provides the re-cooled condenser cooling fluid as the condenser cooling fluid; and a multiphase cooling nest receives in a first cooling phase the condenser cooling fluid; and either provides a first cooling phase fluid as the re-cooled condenser cooling fluid to the cooling reservoir for recirculating to the condenser, or provides the first fluid cooling fluid for further cooling by the multiphase cooling nest, based on the temperature of the first stage cooling fluid. The multiphase cooling nest includes a further cooling stage that receives the first cooling stage fluid, and either provides a further cooling stage fluid as the re-cooled condenser cooling fluid to the cooling reservoir for recirculating to the condenser in the electrical generation system, or provides the further cooling stage fluid for subsequent further cooling by the multiphase cooling nest, based on the temperature of the further cooling stage fluid. | 06-11-2015 |
