1. A Crude Stabilizer Tank, for collecting crude oil of the type found in waste pits, comprising:
a) a removable screening basket, equipped with a thick mesh filter at the bottom, for initial filtration to remove contaminated solids andor debris mixed with the crude recovered from the pits;
b) a tank with a system of interconnected coils on its inside walls, for preheating the thick mixture of crude recovered from the pits;
c) a connecting system for initial treatment, using heat or by injecting chemicals, or a combination of both, making it possible to create a liquid oil-bearing mass; and
d) a mechanical thermowell connection, for controlling the temperature of the crude in the tank, through a connection with a external flow control valve installed on the steam feed line.
2. A Crude Treatment Device, comprising a closed horizontal or tilted receptacle, self-transported and lined with heat insulation, whose components separate the oil-bearing emulsion, dividing it into two different currents for final disposal and removal of solid interstitial particles contained in the oil-bearing mass, by fine filtering with grooved plates including:
a) a system with steam-heated coils, welded to each other with guides to prevent heat expansion, which reinforce heat transfer to the crude during upgrading, and maintains the mass temperature at liquefying levels;
b) a crude inlet or loading nozzle with an internal filter, for screening the crude;
connecting nozzles for the steam-heating system; and recovery of remaining condensate andor steam;
c) a deflector plate located at the bottom of the DT-2, so that the crude will overflow into this final section of the Device, so as to keep the water separated in the main section of the DT-2 to be extracted by means of a pump connected to the nozzle;
d) a nozzle located at the bottom of the DT-2 for connecting to the pump carrying the crude mixture to the temporary storage tank;
e) a system of lateral mechanical connections for instrumentation and control: glasses for measuring liquid levels, temperature and pressure gauges, and a thermowell, for automatic control of steam injection by means of valves located on the steam feed line;
f) upper shafts for accessing the inside of the DT-2; and g) a wheeled chassis, on which the receptacle referred to in the heading of claim 2 is mounted, with extendible stabilizing legs and seating shoes, for transporting the chassis, with increased stability of the DT-2 on muddy and irregular terrain.
3. A General System for Treatment, Upgrading and Storage of the crude recovered from the waste pits, including pumps, measurement plates and safety devices, for operating and controlling the dewatering process, including:
a) a positive displacement pump for high-density oil-bearing mixtures, with an internal steam injection ring, for connection to steam supply lines;
b) a filtration system upstream from the treatment device DT-2, using strainer filters with screening baskets;
c) an automatic steam flow control system based on temperature, using thermowell controls in the devices TE-1 and DT-2, and in the Crude Storage Tank, and which are connected to the flow control valves installed on the steam supply lines
d) a system for disposal, measurement and storage of crude, by pumping from the DT-2 to a Storage Tank, which includes a rotary, gear-operated, positive displacement pump, connected to a liquid level switch for discharging the dewatered crude and interconnected with discharge and pumping lines, with a measuring section for indicating and recording, up to the storage tank;
e) a single-stage, electric-motor driven centrifugal pump, connected to the water treatment device in the water reception tank, through discharge lines with a section for measuring and recording; and
f) peripheral control mechanisms, safety and pressure-relief valves, incorporated into the feed pump; flow controller at treatment device inlet; temperature gauge for the Treatment Device DT-2; crude discharge pump; water discharge pump; and a steam generator.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. An insurance claims management system comprising:
a hub server communicatively linking a secure server to a plurality of authorized users and an insurer;
a plurality of databases maintained by the secure server;
at least one of a class of authorized users or an insurance claims file contained in each database;
wherein the insurer associates and refers one or more of the authorized users to one or more of the claims files in the secured server;
wherein the association and referral of the authorized user is through the hub server; and
wherein the insurer and the authorized users have simultaneous and real time access to the claims file.
2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a distributive network linking the secure server to a plurality of insurers and a plurality of third-party decision support services, the distributive network providing the simultaneous and real time access to the claims file.
3. The system of claim 1 further comprising an Internet connection wherein the plurality of authorized users and insurer access the hub server via the Internet connection.
4. The system of claim 1 further comprising an authorized user assigned hierarchical position, the authorized user assigned hierarchical position determines a breadth of detail and a depth of detail of the claims data that is accessed.
5. The system of claim 4 further comprising authorized user modification, wherein a first authorized user has access to modify a plurality of details in a first user account and access to modify a plurality of details in a second user’s account, the second user’s account has a lower hierarchical position that the hierarchical position of the first user.
6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a workflow management interface, the workflow management interface directing the users to a best practice set of claims handling parameters.
7. The system of claim 6 wherein the best practice set of claims handling parameters of the workflow management interface includes actions selected from the group consisting of providing an automated procedural reminder, sharing of a claims diary, providing guidance on process requirements, and accessing a third-party supplier of decision support services.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein the insurer is an entity in the business of providing insurance coverage or a self-insured employer.
9. An insurance claims management system comprising:
a hub server communicatively linking the secure server to a plurality of authorized parties, the hub server processing a client request;
a secure server containing a plurality of databases;
each of said plurality of databases contained within the secure server is a database of a class of users, or a database of claims data specific to an insurer participant;
each claim having associated authorized parties; and
a distributive network linking the secure server to a plurality of insurers and to a plurality of service providers as authorized parties and to a plurality of third-party suppliers of decision support services.
10. The system of claim 9 wherein the insurer is an entity in the business of providing insurance coverage or a self-insured employer.
11. The system of claim 9 wherein the authorized parties access the claims data via an Internet connection to the hub server.
12. The system of claim 9 wherein the authorized parties in each class of users access the claims data by an authenticated login access wherein the user’s login access grants the user access according to a hierarchy for each of a plurality of subscriber accounts, the hierarchy determines a breadth and a depth of access within a class view observed by a subscriber class to a specific claim.
13. The system of claim 9 wherein the authorized parties in each class of users has access to modify a plurality of details in a user account and access to modify a plurality of details in an account of second user, the second user having a lower position in a hierarchy of login access grants.
14. The system of claim 9 wherein all user classes access the claims data through a workflow management interface, the workflow management interface provides an automated procedural reminder, sharing of a claims diary, a guide of process requirements and access to a third-party supplier of decision support services.
15. The system of claim 14 wherein:
the authorized parties access the claims data and conducts an action on the claims data selected from the group consisting of retrieving, commenting on, adding to and updating; and
where a login access provides an audit trail of one or a plurality of previous actions on the claims data.
16. The system of claim 15 wherein an automated notification is sent to another authorized party upon the action on the claims data.
17. The system of claim 15 wherein:
a selected set of authorized users access the third party suppliers of decision support services to achieve an expedited claim resolution, a tightly managed claims process, or enhanced outcomes; and
results from the third party suppliers are automatically returned to the claims data on the secure server.
18. A method of managing insurance claims, the method comprising the steps of:
filing an on-line first report of injury to an insurer;
converting the first report of injury to a claim stored within a secure server;
identifying and authorizing a set of relevant parties; and
sharing claim data automatically and in real time between the set of relevant parties.
19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the steps of:
prior to the step of converting the first report of injury to a claim, generating an on-line communication to the insurer’s claims processing system; and
attaching a unique claim number to the first report of injury.