Geothermics, Vol. 18, No, 3, pp. 477-480, 1989. 0375-6505/89 $3.00 + 0.00 Printed in Great Britain. Pergamon Press pie

NEW PATENTS

This Section contains abstracts and, where appropriate, illustrations of recently issued United States patents and published patent applications filed from over 30 countries under the Patent Cooperation Treaty. This information was obtained from recent additions to the Pergamon PATSEARCH" online database in accordance wilh interest profiles developed by the Editors. Further information about Pergamon PATSEARCH" can be obtained from Pergamon Orbit InfoLine Inc., 8000 Westpark Drive. McLean, Virginia 22102 U.S.A.

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4760881

D O W N H O L E S T E A M S A M P L E R

Stephen Long, Gene Christ assigned to Texaco lnc

A downhole steam sampler for collecting the li- quid phase content of a steam flow, immediately prior to the latter being injected into a substrate surrounding a hole or well. A reservoir within the sampler separates and retains the liquid phase while permitting the vaporous phase to pass. Detent means cooperates with a pair of spaced apart flow control valves to permit said valves to be closed simultaneously when the steam sampling operation is completed.

4761182

P R O C E S S F O R U S I N G S L U D G E F R O M G E O T H E R M A L B R I N E T O

M A K E C O N C R E T E A N D C O N C R E T E C O M P O S I T I O N

Olin Whitescarver, Jonathan Kwan, M Kennet Chan, Daniel Hoyer assigned to Union Oil Co of California

A process is provided for using silicious sludge (filter cake), obtained by precipitation of silica from silica-rich geothermal brine, to make a con- crete material (geocrete). The process includes combining the sladge with a cementing material. such as portland cement and/or flyash and ac- tivating the cementing material with an ac- tivating media. When portland cement is used as the cemcnting material, the activating media is water. In such case, the sludge is preferably dewatered and the residual water content is determined, the entrapped brine adding to the water content of the mixture. Preferably, the dry

477

weight ratio of sludge to cementing material is about 2:1 to about 3:1: although, ratios as high as 9:1 can be used when high strength of the geocrete is not required. The preferred amount of water used is about 40 weight percent, in- cluding water content of the sludge, which may typically be between about 10 and about 30 weight percent. The sludge may contain hazardous or toxic materials which precipitate from the brine with the silica and which are pre- sent in the entrapped brine; therefore, the sludge may be water washed before use to flush out residual brine and some contaminants contained in the sludge or may be otherwise treated. Chlorides present in the brine, which may un- desirably accelerate setting time, are also removed by the water wash. Slurry mixability of the geocrete is enhanced by the addition of coarse aggregate to the mix, the preferred amount of aggregate added being less than about 50 weight percent of the dry mixture. A cement having a 60 day cure compression strength of at least about 3000 psig is thereby provided. A cor- responding composition of concrete is provided.

4762540

N O I S E S U P P R E S S I O N A N D P A R T I C L E S E P A R A T I O N A P P A R A T U S F O R HIGH

P R E S S U R E G A S E O U S F L U I D F L O W S

David M Ruiz, Alvin Timmons assigned to Union Oil Company of California

Noise suppression and particle separation ap- paratus for flows of high pressure, high velocity, particleqaden, gaseous fluid, such as geothermal steam, comprises a gaseous fluid conduit that has axially installed around its discharge end a larger diameter, cylindrical inner expansion