About us

Direct Combustion Technologies, LLC (DCT) was founded in 2005 by Dr. Dandina Rao, a professor of petroleum engineering at Louisiana State University. DCT has patented a process for burning fuel directly in a flowing stream of water without any metallic barriers between the flame and the water. Hence this concept is also given the name HydroFlame to reflect its true nature of direct contact combustion and heat transfer. This “direct contact” results in a very compact device with minimal footprint that can be moved from well to well in onshore oil fields and can also be deployed in offshore platforms. Because of its uniqueness, the HydroFlame process has several practical applications in the oil and gas industry, including steam+fluegas generation for heavy oil recovery, flue gas generation for conventional and shale oil recovery, frac-water and produced water treatment and recycle, minerals recovery from produced waters and in power generation. DCT was founded to commercialize the HydroFlame process in these applications.

Who we are
HydroFlame Technologies, LLC was established with the sole purpose of commercializing the HydroFlame novel direct contact combustion heat transfer process. In January 2007, a patent application was filed by HydroFlame Technologies, LLC in the United States and several other countries to protect the HydroFlame process. On August 24, 2010, HydroFlame Technologies, LLC was issued the U.S. Patent No. 7,780,152 and granted a full 20 years of patent protection. The Mexican Patent No. 285319 was issued on April 1, 2011.

The patented, innovative HydroFlame process is a new concept of direct contact combustion and heat transfer based on enclosing a high-intensity flame in the vortex core of a rotating body of water. A 1 MMBtu/hr working prototype of the steam generator has been built and successfully tested in the HydroFlame facility in Baton Rouge. This was followed immediately with the design, development and successful testing of a 5 MMBtu/hr steam generator at a design pressure of 750 psi and operating pressure of 500 psi. The 5 MMBtu/hr steam generator is designed as a trailer mounted skid unit and can be used on the surface or placed downhole in the well.
We are currently in the process of building higher capacity steam generators – 10 MMBtu/hr, 15 MMBtu/hr and 25 MMBtu/hr units for various pressures of operations and for surface and downhole applications.

Dr. Dandina N. Rao, Chairman and CEO

Dr. Dandina N. Rao is also Emmett C. Wells Jr. Distinguished Professor at the Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering at Louisiana State University. He invented the HydroFlame Process and built its earliest prototypes in Calgary in the 1980s. He has held several positions in the oil industry as a researcher and has been involved with government/private sector partnerships to solve some of the industry’s most complex problems. 

Dr. Rao recognized and honored at National Academy of Inventors
Engineering Faculty Ranked Among World’s Best by Stanford University
Arthur R. Cooper, Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Arthur Cooper has extensive experience with establishing programs for entrepreneurial development, business support, and technology-based companies. His background also includes venture, small business and seed funding for start-up and early-stage companies. Mr. Cooper holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Louisiana State University and a Juris Doctorate from the LSU Law School. Mr. Cooper also serves as the Executive Director of the Louisiana Emerging Technology Center.
In the News
EXTERNAL LINK
Dr. Rao recognized and honored at National Academy of Inventors
Description of article, Description of article, Description of article, Description of article, Description of article, Description of article, Description of article, Description of article, Description of article.
EXTERNAL LINK
Putting the Carbon Genie to Work
Description of article, Description of article, Description of article, Description of article, Description of article, Description of article, Description of article, Description of article, Description of article.
EXTERNAL LINK
Integrated Technologies for Addressing Environmental Challenges in the Energy Industries
Description of article, Description of article, Description of article, Description of article, Description of article, Description of article, Description of article, Description of article, Description of article.