Patents Examined by Derek N Mueller
  • Patent number: 10974161
    Abstract: A system for concentrating wastewater with a heated gas is disclosed wherein a heated gas is directed into a first wastewater heating chamber at a first velocity and a first wastewater stream is directed into the first wastewater heating chamber. A second wastewater heating chamber is coupled to the first wastewater heating chamber and in fluid communication with the first wastewater heating chamber. A second wastewater stream is directed into the second wastewater heating chamber at a velocity that is greater than the velocity of the heated gas directed into the first wastewater heating chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Purestream Services, LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin Clegg, Neil Richardson, Ryan Mawson, Brian Busath
  • Patent number: 10969055
    Abstract: Described are direct flame impingement shields for fire tubes in heater treaters which reduce corrosion of the fire tubes. The direct flame impingement shield is removable and replaceable. The direct flame impingement shield may be formed from a variety of types of stainless steel or other corrosion resistant material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Inventor: Derek Allen
  • Patent number: 10967292
    Abstract: A distillation apparatus has a fraction collector with an internal region surrounded by a concave wall with portals. An inner wall of a lower vertical tube extends downward from the concave wall. An outer wall of the lower vertical tube surrounds a portion of a vertical extent of the inner wall and extends downward from a portion of the fraction collector exterior to the concave wall. A cooling channel extends from above into a portion of the fraction collector interior to the concave wall. An outer shell substantially covers the fraction collector, a portion of a vertical extent of the inner and outer walls of the vertical tube, and a portion of a vertical extent of the cooling channel, excepting for a lower portal from which a portion of a vertical extent of the inner and outer walls of the vertical tube extend, an upper portal from which a portion of a vertical extent of the cooling channel extends, and a side portal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Inventor: Elliot Kremerman
  • Patent number: 10961471
    Abstract: A process for producing catalytic cracking gasoline includes the following steps: i) subjecting a heavy feedstock oil to a catalytic cracking reaction in the presence of a first catalytic cracking catalyst to obtain a first reaction product; ii) subjecting a hydrogenated cycle oil to a catalytic cracking reaction in the presence of a second catalytic cracking catalyst to obtain a second reaction product; iii) separating a mixture of the first reaction product and the second reaction product to obtain a catalytic cracking gasoline and a catalytic cracking light cycle oil; iv) subjecting the catalytic cracking light cycle oil or a fraction thereof to hydrogenation to obtain a hydrogenated product; and v) recycling the hydrogenated product to the step ii) as the hydrogenated cycle oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignees: CHINA PETROLEUM & CHEMICAL CORPORATION, RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF PETROLEUM PROCESSING, SINOPEC
    Inventors: Jianhong Gong, Zekun Li, Jinlian Tang, Anguo Mao, Jiushun Zhang, Yuying Zhang, Jun Long
  • Patent number: 10960445
    Abstract: A wood chip fermentation device includes: a chip fermenter 11 that is charged with wood chips serving as a heat source and that ferments the wood chips; a temperature sensor 11a that is provided inside the chip fermenter 11 and measures the temperature inside the chip fermenter; a thermal energy extracting pipe 12 that is disposed inside the chip fermenter and extracts fermentation heat from inside the chip fermenter; a pump section 13 that supplies a medium to or takes out a medium from the thermal energy extracting pipe 12; a stirring blade 14a that stirs wood chips 10a put in the chip fermenter 11; and a discharge conveyor 15 that is disposed at a lower portion of the chip fermenter 11 and discharges fermented material. The stirring blade 14a is disposed between the thermal energy extracting pipes 12 and a rotating surface thereof is in a state of being parallel to the thermal energy extracting pipes 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: TAKEMURA ENGEI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Junichi Takemura
  • Patent number: 10961459
    Abstract: A system and method for torrefying a combination of biomass and biochar colloidal dispersion is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Inventor: Marc A. Seidner
  • Patent number: 10954457
    Abstract: According to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, a method for processing a heavy oil includes introducing the heavy oil to a hydroprocessing unit, the hydroprocessing unit being operable to hydroprocess the heavy oil to form a hydroprocessed effluent by contacting the heavy oil feed with an HDM catalyst, an HDS catalyst, and an HDA catalyst. The hydroprocessed effluent is passed directly to a HS-FCC unit, the HS-FCC unit being operable to crack the hydroprocessed effluent to form a cracked effluent comprising at least one product. The cracked effluent is passed out of the HS-FCC unit. The heavy oil has an API gravity of from 25 degrees to 50 degrees and at least 20 wt. % of the hydroprocessed effluent passed to the HS-FCC unit has a boiling point less than 225 degrees ° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Mansour Ali Al-Herz, Musaed Salem Al-Ghrami
  • Patent number: 10947456
    Abstract: A system and method for separating bitumen from oil sands material is disclosed. The method may include mixing the oil sands material with a solvent in a mix tank then passing it through a centrifuge. The method may also include drying the clean oil sands material and recovering the vapors through a condenser unit. The system may further include passing the mixture of bitumen and solvent through a flash evaporator to produce pure bitumen or leaving it mixed with the higher API hydrocarbon condensate for the production of crude oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Vivakor, Inc.
    Inventor: Matt Nicosia
  • Patent number: 10947463
    Abstract: Methods of reducing a phosphorus content of a liquid hydrocarbon. The liquid hydrocarbon may be co-fed with an olefin to an alkylation unit to produce a low-phosphorus content liquid hydrocarbon product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Lyondell Chemical Technology, L.P.
    Inventors: Lei Zhang, Daniel F. White
  • Patent number: 10940432
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process for regenerating a hybrid solvent used to remove contaminants from a fluid stream and to provide an improved yield of purified fluid. Said process comprises at least two purification units and at least one regeneration unit wherein regenerated lean hybrid solvent and condensed water from the regeneration unit is used to reclaim additional purified fluid in the second purification unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: John R. Dowdle, Timothy D. Halnon, Christophe R. Laroche, Diego Ortiz Vega, Linda L. Pirtle, Gerardo Padilla
  • Patent number: 10941360
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to conversion of hydrocarbons. A hydrocarbon feed is hydroprocessed wherein it is hydrocracked in the presence of a catalyst to obtain different hydrocarbon products, which can be suitably processed further to obtain valuable hydrocarbon products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited
    Inventors: Kanuparthy Naga Raja, Pudi Satyanarayana Murty, Bhavesh Sharma, Peddy Ventaka Chalapathi Rao, Nettem Venkateswarlu Choudary, Sriganesh Gandham
  • Patent number: 10927015
    Abstract: Method for removal of oxygen from seawater includes leading a stream of seawater and a pressurized stripping gas to a first mixer, mixing the seawater with stripping gas, leading the combined stream to a first gas/liquid inline separator, separating the stream into a liquid rich and a gas rich phase, leading the liquid stream and a stripping gas stream to a second mixer, mixing the liquid stream with the gas stream, leading the combined stream to a second stage inline separator, separating the combined stream into a liquid- and gas-rich phases, mixing the gas stream with a fresh water stream, leading this combined stream to a first stage scrubber, removing a portion of the salt entrained in the combined stream from the scrubber, and leading the salt depleted gas stream from the first scrubber via a heat exchanger or electrical preheater together with a fuel stream to a catalytic deoxidizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Minox Technology AS
    Inventors: Tor Skovdal Friis, Ingvild Lindheim Sisjord
  • Patent number: 10927314
    Abstract: An integrated process to convert crude oil into petrochemical products includes distilling crude oil to produce gases fraction, naphtha, kerosene, gasoil and resid; subjecting resid to resid upgrading to produce LPG, light-distillate and middle-distillate; subjecting at least a portion of one or more of the group consisting of middle-distillate produced by resid upgrading, kerosene and gasoil to middle-distillate hydrocracking to produce LPG, light-distillate and hydrowax; and subjecting at least a portion of one or more of the group consisting of light-distillate produced by resid upgrading, light-distillate produced by middle-distillate hydrocracking and hydrowax to steam cracking. A process installation for performing the process is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: SABIC GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES B.V.
    Inventors: Andrew Mark Ward, Arno Johannes Maria Oprins, Egidius Jacoba Maria Schaerlaeckens, Raul Velasco Pelaez
  • Patent number: 10927306
    Abstract: A method of desulfurizing a liquid hydrocarbon comprises providing an initial processing unit and an end processing unit, the initial processing unit having an initial reactor assembly and an initial sorption system, the end processing unit having an end reactor assembly, a separator and an end sorption system. The method further comprises feeding a liquid hydrocarbon having a sulfur content into the initial reactor assembly, feeding an aqueous feed into the initial reactor assembly, shear mixing the liquid hydrocarbon and the aqueous feed within the initial reactor assembly, to, in turn, react the aqueous feed with the sulfur content of the liquid hydrocarbon, and directing the liquid hydrocarbon and aqueous feed to the initial sorption system. The method even further comprises feeding a sorbent into the initial sorption system and adsorbing at least some of the sulfur content that has reacted with the aqueous feed from the liquid hydrocarbon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Alternative Petroleum Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jack Lawrence Waldron, Kylen J. Smith
  • Patent number: 10927309
    Abstract: Methods for conserving the use of fresh wash water in crude oil desalting are described. A crude oil stream including salt mixes with a wash water stream to form an emulsion. The emulsion flows to a desalter, and the wash water coalesces to reform the wash water stream and to transfer at least a portion of the salt from the crude oil stream to the wash water stream. The crude oil stream with reduced salt content separates from the wash water stream. The effluent, which includes the wash water stream, flows from the desalter to a processing unit. The effluent is processed to reduce a concentration of salt in the effluent to be substantially equal to or less than a concentration of salt in the wash water stream. At least a portion of the processed effluent mixes with the crude oil stream before the emulsion flows to the desalter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Vilas S. Koleshwar, Saif F. AlBluwi
  • Patent number: 10918966
    Abstract: A system and method to vaporize a process or feed water stream does so in a liquid pool zone of a vessel as the stream comes into contact with a heating medium that is less volatile than the process stream. To keep the pool hot, the heating medium can be recirculated through a heater of a pump-around loop or a heater can be placed in the liquid pool. As the process stream is vaporized, any solids present in the process stream come out of the process stream and move into the heating medium. These solids may be further removed from the heating medium in the pool or in the pump-around loop. The vaporized process stream can be further condensed. Any heat recovered can be used to pre-heat the process stream or used in the pump around loop's heater in case of mechanical vapor recovery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Z. Frank Zheng, Christopher Stephen King, Harihara V. Nemmara, Brian Edward Messenger
  • Patent number: 10913012
    Abstract: Systems and methods for separation of hydrocarbon containing fluids are provided. More particularly, the disclosure is relevant to separating fluids having a gas phase, a hydrocarbon liquid phase, and an aqueous liquid phase using indirect heating. In general, the system uses a first gas separation followed by pressure reduction and then a second gas separation. Indirect follows the second gas separation and then three-phase separation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: John Zink Company, LLC
    Inventors: Stephen Rehm, Timothy Oneal, Gene Bittel, Mark Ferguson, Daniel Wright, Nicholas Jensen, Todd Earls
  • Patent number: 10899635
    Abstract: A seawater desalination device of industrial exhaust heat-driven ejector refrigeration and an application method thereof. The seawater desalination device comprises a seawater collecting pool, a low-pressure seawater storage tank, an ejector refrigeration system and a fresh water storage tank which are fluidly connected; the ejector refrigeration system comprising a nozzle for spraying low-pressure vapor, a mixing chamber, a diffuser, a first heat-exchanger, a condenser, a condensate pump and a generator; bottom of the low-pressure seawater storage tank being connected with a second heat-exchanger; the mixing chamber being connected with the nozzle, the diffuser and the low-pressure seawater storage tank, respectively; and the diffuser, the first heat-exchanger, the condenser and the fresh water storage tank being successively connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Dongguan University of Technology
    Inventors: Runhua Jiang, Huibin Yin, Baiman Chen, Yanxue Zhou
  • Patent number: 10899976
    Abstract: An integrated process for maximizing recovery of LPG is provided. The process comprises providing a hydrocarbonaceous feed comprising naphtha, and a hydrogen stream to a reforming zone. The hydrocarbonaceous feed is reformed in the reforming zone in the presence of the hydrogen stream and a reforming catalyst to provide a reformate effluent stream. At least a portion of the reformate effluent stream and at least one stream comprising C6? hydrocarbons from one or more of a hydrocracking zone, an isomerization zone, and a transalkylation zone is passed to a debutanizer column of the reforming zone to provide a fraction comprising liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and a debutanizer column bottoms stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Gautam Madhusadan Pandey, Krishna Mani, Deepak Bisht, Priyesh Jayendrakumar Jani, Vikrant Vilasrao Dalal, Ram Ganesh Rokkam
  • Patent number: 10899971
    Abstract: Methods are provided for performing fluid catalytic cracking (and/or other hydrothermal processing for cracking of hydrocarbons) on a feedstock containing hydrocarbons in the presence of a catalyst that includes zeolite Beta that is stabilized toward hydrothermal conditions. The hydrothermally stabilized zeolite Beta (including any of the various polymorphs) corresponds to zeolite Beta that is formed without the use of an organic structure directing agent, and that is further stabilized by addition of one or more stabilizers, such as lanthanide series elements or phosphorus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Allen W. Burton, Scott J. Weigel, Mobae Afeworki