The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 04, 1981
Filed:
Jul. 09, 1979
Milton D Wood, Portola Valley, CA (US);
Daniel Silverman, Tulsa, OK (US);
M. D. Wood, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
An underground combustion operation in which combustible material, in a selected geologic formation at a selected depth, is burned by forcing air under pressure down a first well into the formation, and collecting products of combustion at a second well, a selected distance away from the first well. The overburden above the formation is supported, in part, by the combustible material, which might be viscous oil, tar, etc. This material is ignited at the first well and a flame front is formed which burns in the form of a circular front, which moves radially outwardly as a function of time and the rate of air supply. A plurality of electronic tilt meters are positioned at or near the surface of the earth, in at least one linear array directed along the radius from the first well to the second well. Combustion air is provided and the outputs of the tilt meters are amplified and recorded as a function of time. As the flame front progresses, the overburden behind the front will slump, which will be selected by a corresponding slump and tilting of the earth surface, which will be reflected in the corresponding readings of the tilt meters.