Michael Roman Luque
Engineers in Orem, UT

6695010, Feb 24, 2004

Dec 1, 2000

09/728001

Jeffrey C. Robison - Provo UT
Stephen R. Chipman - Provo UT
Michael R. Luque - Orem UT
Craig C. Smith - Provo UT

Caldera Engineering LC - Provo UT

F15D 102

138 39, 138 44

A new segmented choke is provided. Designed to reduce thermal stresses created when the fluid temperature fluctuate, this invention is constructed of segmented ceramic members fit within a relatively thin-walled retainer, shrunk fit thereto, thereby allowing the retainer to be more compliant. Shorter, multiple segments used in this invention are also easier to manufacture, can be produced with tighter tolerances, provide easier access thereby reducing maintenance costs and allow for the inclusion of sensors in the individual ceramic segments. This invention also provides improvements in size, manufacturing cost, ease of use and operating efficiency over prior choke devices.

6685167, Feb 3, 2004

Apr 9, 2001

09/829583

Jeffrey C. Robison - Provo UT
Stephen R. Chipman - Provo UT
Michael R. Luque - Orem UT
Craig C. Smith - Provo UT

Caldera Engineering LC - Provo UT

F16K 3100

251368, 251210

A new valve device adapted specifically for use with hot erosive flow streams is provided. This valve device has an inner plug head, which modulates and throttles the amount of flow passing through the valve when the valve is open. The inner plug head is shaped so that as the valve plug approaches the closed position, the inner plug head blocks most of the flow path, reducing the flow to a small amount. The valve of this invention has an outer plug head the contacts the valves outer ceramic seat as the valve reaches the closed position. Contact between the outer ceramic seat and the outer ceramic plug entirely shuts off flow through the valve.

7237574, Jul 3, 2007

May 12, 2005

11/127918

Stephen R. Chipman - Provo UT, US
Michael R. Luque - Orem UT, US
Herman Pieterse - Tucson AZ, US
Jeffrey C. Robison - Provo UT, US
Craig C. Smith - Provo UT, US

Caldera Engineering LLC - Provo UT

F16K 51/00

138 44, 251122

A nozzle design and method for designing such a nozzle being adapted for three phase slurry flow from the choke into the flash tank during pressure let-down in autoclave mining operations that uses a selection of the expansion ratio in the choke to select a nozzle dispersion angle to select a spread of the flow over the slurry pool in the flash tank, to generally maximize the use of the pool for energy dissipation without causing undo wear and tear on the tank walls.

2008001, Jan 17, 2008

Jun 21, 2007

11/766715

Jeffrey Robison - Provo UT, US
Michael Luque - Orem UT, US
Craig Smith - Provo UT, US
Stephen Chipman - Provo UT, US

CALDERA ENGINEERING, LC - Provo UT

F16K 27/00

251366000

As set forth in the detailed description, the present invention includes, in various exemplary embodiments, a valve device to control fluid flow that incorporates a substantially flat plug head. By incorporating a substantially flat plug head, the valve device realizes lower stresses than other typical valve configurations; namely thermal and tensile stress is reduced throughout the valve device. In an exemplary embodiment of this invention, the valve device comprises a housing, at least one plug head seat within the housing, a substantially planar or flat plug head configured to control or stop flow of a substance and a plug stem configured to actuate the substantially flat plug head. In accordance with one exemplary embodiment, the substantially flat plug head comprises a solid disk shaped or cylindrical shaped plug head. Additionally, in one exemplary embodiment, the plug head and plug head seat material can comprise ceramics and various metal alloys.

2011003, Feb 10, 2011

Aug 10, 2009

12/538725

John Roger Peterson - Provo UT, US
M. Robert Mock - Midway UT, US
Jeffrey C. Robison - Provo UT, US
Stephen R. Chipman - Provo UT, US
Grant Jay Brockbank - Springville UT, US
Michael R. Luque - Orem UT, US

CALDERA ENGINEERING, LC - Provo UT

G21B 1/00, B32B 37/14, F16K 99/00

376150, 156 94, 251368

Systems and methods for bonding ceramic materials are disclosed herein. In various embodiments, a process is provided comprising the steps of disposing a bonding material at least partially adjacent to a surface of a first silicon carbide component and at least partially adjacent to a surface of a second silicon carbide component, and bonding said first silicon carbide component to said second silicon carbide component by heating, wherein said bonding material comprises vanadium or titanium.

2002006, Jun 13, 2002

Jun 29, 2001

09/895039

Jeffrey Robison - Provo UT, US
Stephen Chipman - Provo UT, US
Michael Luque - Orem UT, US
Craig Smith - Provo UT, US

Caldera Engineering, LC

F15D001/00

138/044000, 138/039000, 138/038000

A new flash tube device adapted specifically for use with hot erosive flow streams is provided. This flash tube uses an extension cone fixed to the outlet of a choke to create an extension choke to insure that the shock wave occurs within the extension choke, thereby decreasing the flow velocity to a subsonic level, reducing the kinetic energy of the flow as it leaves the extension choke. By moving the shock wave into the extension choke, this device dramatically improves the working life of the flash tank, allowing for easier separation of fluid/solids and vapor in the flash tank.