Patents Examined by Natasha Young
  • Patent number: 9433917
    Abstract: A process for producing alkylated hydrocarbons includes the steps of: (a) combining a first feed stream comprising an olefin and an isoparaffin with an alkylation catalyst stream in a first alkylation reactor, (b) removing heat of reaction from the first alkylation reactor, (c) passing an effluent of the first alkylation reactor to a first reaction zone of a second alkylation reactor operating adiabatically to thereby form a first reaction zone effluent, (d) passing the first reaction zone effluent to a second reaction zone of the second alkylation reactor for mixture with a second feed stream comprising an olefin and an isoparaffin, and (e) passing an effluent of the second alkylation reactor to a settler for separation into a hydrocarbon stream and an alkylation catalyst effluent stream. An alkylation unit for carrying out the process is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Mark L. Gravley, Martyn E. Pfile
  • Patent number: 9428593
    Abstract: A low temperature polymerization reactor for the production of butyl rubber by catalytic polymerization of isobutylene with small amount of a conjugated diolefin such as isoprene includes: an extended upper head with fluid deflector fixed to the top tube-sheet, the shapes of the head and deflector being optimized in order to reach a very homogeneous slurry velocity in the rows of tubes and to minimize the pressure drop due to the inversion of flow from up-flow to down-flow and to the entrance of the slurry in the tubes; an hemispheric bottom head with fluid deflectors placed between the impeller and the bottom itself and designed to minimize the pressure drop due to the inversion of flow from down-flow to up-flow; and straightening baffles inside the draft tube, which shape and dimensions are optimized to turn the radial velocity components produced by the rotation of the impeller into axial velocity components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: CONSER SPA
    Inventors: Flavio Simola, Aldo Appetiti, Andrea Angeletti
  • Patent number: 9421509
    Abstract: The hydrocarbon production apparatus is provided with a gas-liquid separator for cooling gaseous state hydrocarbons drawn out from a gas phase portion of a reactor for the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reaction and liquefying a portion of the hydrocarbons. A light liquid hydrocarbon supply line for supplying light hydrocarbons is disposed between a downstream side line which is downstream from the last stage of a gas-liquid separating unit of the gas-liquid separator, and an upstream side line which is upstream from the last stage of the gas-liquid separating unit of the gas-liquid separator, wherein the downstream side line is a liquid hydrocarbon line on the downstream side through which the light hydrocarbons having cloud points lower than the temperature at an outlet of a cooler in the last stage of the gas-liquid separating unit are flowed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignees: Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation, INPEX CORPORATION, JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation, Japan Petroleum Exploration Co., Ltd., COSMO OIL CO., LTD., NIPPON STEEL & SUMIKIN ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shinya Arai
  • Patent number: 9416077
    Abstract: An integrated plant is provided to improve carbon utilization of carbon molecules from gasified woody biomass to be converted into methanol. Detectors ensure a minimized sulfur content of less than 0.05% by dry weight of the woody biomass. A biomass gasifier reacts woody biomass in a rapid gasification reaction to produce a syngas composition having a ratio of hydrogen to carbon dioxide that is higher than needed for methanol synthesis. Parallel to the gasifier, a hydrocarbon reforming reactor provides a syngas composition having a ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide that is higher than needed for methanol synthesis. The combined syngas mixture from the biomass gasifier and the hydrocarbon reforming reactor comprises feed to a methanol synthesis plant, such that a majority of the carbon dioxide produced by the biomass gasification reaction and the hydrogen produced by the hydrocarbon reforming reactor are synthesized into methanol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Sundrop Fuels, Inc.
    Inventors: Renus Constantyn Kelfkens, Herbert Mark Kosstrin
  • Patent number: 9415364
    Abstract: A reactor for the synthesis of gaseous HCl from chlorine and hydrogen, including a convector and a furnace having in a bottom portion a burner supplied with chlorine and hydrogen in order to form gaseous HCl. The convector is arranged coaxially above the furnace, and includes a plurality of tubes in contact with a heat-transport fluid, the reactive gases of the furnace passing through the tubes. The heat-transport fluid flows in the space between the tubes, with a perforated tubular plate whereon are attached the tubes of the convector being arranged between the furnace and the convector. All of the inner walls of the reactor in contact with the gaseous HCl are made of a metal alloy, and in the furnace, at least one portion of the inner surfaces of the walls in contact with the gaseous HCl is made of an alloy comprising at least 20 wt % nickel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: MERSEN FRANCE PY SAS
    Inventors: Jérémie Benoit, Jérôme Mellard
  • Patent number: 9409137
    Abstract: A support grid for a chemical reactor fixed bed catalyst. The support grid is formed of (i) a center support cylinder, made in areas of a vertical cylinder, that is assembled within the vessel on the bottom closure head; (ii) a peripheral support skirt located at the outer circumference of the grid, assembled in sections inside the reactor pressure vessel, that sets without welding to bottom closure head of the reactor vessel; (iii) a set of radial support arms that extend from the center support structure to the support skirt to tie these sections into a rigid frame to support the catalyst bed support grid wedges; and (iv) a grid or disc formed of a plurality of catalyst bed support grid wedges or sections that are radial in orientation and are assembled inside the reactor pressure vessel to form a disc that is about 80% of the reactor vessel in outside diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Woven Metal Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence L. Williams, Gregorio Castillo
  • Patent number: 9408994
    Abstract: A nitric oxide delivery system, which includes a gas bottle having nitrogen dioxide in air, converts nitrogen dioxide to nitric oxide and employs a surface-active material, such as silica gel, coated with an aqueous solution of antioxidant, such as ascorbic acid. A nitric oxide delivery system may be used to generate therapeutic gas including nitric oxide for use in delivering the therapeutic gas to a mammal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: GENO LLC
    Inventors: David H. Fine, David R. Rounbehler, Gregory Vasquez, Brian Johnson
  • Patent number: 9409138
    Abstract: A reactor has a container through which a reactive medium is passed and a plurality of plates in the container defining a plurality of between-plate reaction spaces through which the reactive medium travels. The plates are self-supporting and fixed in the container. Respective self-contained packings each formed by a support independent of the container are each of a flat shape that completely or almost completely fills the between-plate space and are each fittable to a variable depth in and removable from a respective one of the spaces. The supports each hold a catalyst for the reactive medium and are also removable from and insertable with the respective catalyst into the respective spaces such that when the catalyst is exhausted the packings can be replaced with fresh packings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: DEG ENGINEERING GMBH
    Inventor: Freimut Marold
  • Patent number: 9403738
    Abstract: Described herein an apparatus and methods used to remove unwanted by-products of metathesis reactions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: APEIRON CATALYSTS SP. ZO.O
    Inventor: Krzysztof Skowerski
  • Patent number: 9403735
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fluidized bed reactor and its use for producing olefins from oxygenates, the fluidized bed reactor comprises: a reaction zone located in the lower portion of the fluidized bed reactor and comprising a lower dense phase zone and an upper riser, wherein the dense phase zone and the riser are connected with each other transitionally; a separation zone located in the upper portion of the fluidized bed reactor and comprising a settling chamber, a fast gas-solid separation means, a cyclone and a gas collecting chamber, wherein the riser extends upwardly into the separation zone and is connected at its outlet with the inlet of the fast gas-solid separation means, the fast gas-solid separation means is connected at its outlet with the inlet of the cyclone via a fast gas passage, the cyclone is connected at its outlet with the gas collecting chamber, and the gas collecting chamber is located below the reactor outlet and connected therewith; and a catalyst recycle line for recycling the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignees: FUDE (BEIJING) CHEMICAL & INDUSTRY CO., LTD, TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Fei Wei, Xiaobo Wei, Yao Wang, Chang Zhu
  • Patent number: 9403140
    Abstract: Multiple catalytic processing stations couple with a system which produces volatile gas streams from biomass decomposition at discrete increasing temperatures. These catalytic processing stations can be programmed to maximize conversion of biomass to useful renewable fuel components based on input feedstock and desired outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Cool Planet Energy Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael C. Cheiky, Rajashekharam Malyala
  • Patent number: 9404056
    Abstract: An apparatus for carrying out a carbon monoxide shift reaction, which includes converting carbon monoxide and water into carbon dioxide and hydrogen, the converting proceeding in a liquid phase with removal of a product gas including carbon dioxide and hydrogen, is provided. The apparatus includes dry methanol, as a first solvent in a first region for an absorption of carbon monoxide with simultaneous formation of methyl formate, and water, as a second solvent in a second region for a liberation of the product gas in order to avoid losses of hydrogen in a carbon dioxide region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Manfred Baldauf, Carsten Graeber, Marc Hanebuth, Gerhard Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 9395081
    Abstract: Reactor vessels with pressure and heat transfer features for producing hydrogen-based fuels and structural elements, and associated systems and methods. A representative reactor system includes a first reaction zone and a heat path, a reactant source coupled to the first reaction zone, and a first actuator coupled to cyclically pressurize the first reaction zone. A second reaction zone is in fluid communication with the first, a valve is coupled between the first and second reaction zones to control a flow rate therebetween, and a second actuator is coupled in fluid communication with the second reaction zone to cyclically pressurize the second reaction zone. First and second heat exchangers direct heat from products to reactants in the reaction zones. A controller controls the first and second actuators in a coordinated manner based at least in part on a flow rate of the second product from the second reaction zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: McAlister Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Roy Edward McAlister
  • Patent number: 9388093
    Abstract: Systems for ionic liquid catalyzed hydrocarbon conversion comprise a reactor vessel, a mixing device in fluid communication with the reactor vessel, and at least one circulation loop in fluid communication with the reactor vessel and the mixing device. The mixing device may comprise an upper venturi, at least one feed injection component, and a lower venturi. Such systems may be used for ionic liquid catalyzed alkylation reactions. Processes for ionic liquid catalyzed hydrocarbon conversion are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Huping Luo, Moinuddin Ahmed, Krishniah Parimi, Bong Kyu Chang, Michael John Girgis, Donald Henry Mohr, Hye Kyung Cho Timken
  • Patent number: 9387456
    Abstract: Reactor for Fischer-Tropsch reaction which is carried out in a three-phase system essentially consisting of a reacting gaseous phase, a reacted liquid phase and a solid catalytic phase, wherein the solid catalytic phase consists of packed or structured bodies of catalytic material encaged within at least one honeycomb monolithic structure with a high thermal conductivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: ENI S.p.A.
    Inventors: Massimo Iovane, Roberto Zennaro, Pio Forzatti, Gianpiero Groppi, Luca Lietti, Enrico Tronconi, Carlo Giorgio Visconti, Stefano Rossini, Elsa Mignone
  • Patent number: 9387423
    Abstract: A reactor having at least one reaction chamber and rotor, the reaction chamber having at least one sealed housing with at least one inlet and outlet opening. The rotor has at least one shaft with at least a first part in the housing the shaft extending from the first part through the housing, the first part of the rotor having at least one hammer At least one fan blade is positioned on the shaft near an outlet opening in the reaction chamber. The outlet opening is situated near at least one shaft seal and on the shaft between the reaction chamber and surroundings. The fan blade is situated between the shaft seal and central part of the reactor The shaft extends in one direction from the first part through the housing and the fan blade being an axial distance from the hammer on the first part of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Cassandra Oil Technology AB
    Inventor: Anders Olsson
  • Patent number: 9381509
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods and designs of enclosed-channel reactor system for manufacturing catalysts or supports. Both of the configuration designs force the gaseous precursors and purge gas flow through the channel surface of reactor. The precursors will transform to thin film or particle catalysts or supports under adequate reaction temperature, working pressure and gas concentration. The reactor body is either sealed or enclosed for isolation from atmosphere. Another method using super ALD cycles is also proposed to grow alloy catalysts or supports with controllable concentration. The catalysts prepared by the method and system in the present invention are noble metals, such as platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium, or transition metals such as iron, silver, cobalt, nickel and tin, while supports are silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, cerium oxide or magnesium oxide, or refractory metals, which can be chromium, molybdenum, tungsten or tantalum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: NATIONAL APPLIED RESEARCH LABORATORIES
    Inventors: Chi-Chung Kei, Bo-Heng Liu, Chien-Pao Lin, Chien-Nan Hsiao, Yang-Chih Hsueh, Tsong-Pyng Perng
  • Patent number: 9381486
    Abstract: There is herein described a Fischer-Tropsch reactor. More particularly, there is described a Fischer-Tropsch reactor that incorporates forced flow through a small pore, thick layer, monolith supported catalyst and high levels of heat transfer that is able to operate with high levels of catalyst effectiveness. The catalyst bed (103) is supported on a distinct porous structure (101) through which the syn-gas flow is forced and the catalyst layer has a thickness of more than 200 microns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Gas2 Limited
    Inventor: James Banister
  • Patent number: 9382482
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for continuous fuel production are provided. Some embodiments may utilize two pyrolysis platforms, which may utilize biomass as a feedstock. One platform may generally utilize a high temperature pyrolysis process that may generate at least hydrogen and carbon monoxide. This high temperature gas stream may be fed into a lower temperature fast pyrolysis stream as a cover gas. The hot cover gas may react with the fast pyrolysis vapors hydrotreating while the vapors may still be hot and the molecules may still be small. The reacted product may then be distilled on the cool down. This may provide a rapid continuous process for the production of liquid fuels from biomass or other compounds that include carbon-oxygen-hydrogen (C—O—H) compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: PROTON POWER, INC.
    Inventors: Samuel C. Weaver, Daniel L. Hensley, Samuel P. Weaver, Daniel C. Weaver
  • Patent number: 9376326
    Abstract: Method for modifying a hot wall ammonia reactor con vessel (2) having partial opening, comprising: assembly directly inside the vessel (2) of a catalytic cartridge (7) with modular elements, said modular elements being of a size compatible with introduction into the vessel through a pre-existing partial opening (6) of the vessel, and each comprising at least one panel (11); the panels (11) of said modular elements forming a substantially cylindrical outer wall (7a) of said cartridge (7), and an annular flux space (8) between said outer wall of the cartridge and an inner wall of the vessel; said panels (11) being provided with a respective heat insulation layer (13) before introduction into the vessel (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Casale SA
    Inventors: Marco Badano, Mirco Tarozzo, Federico Maffietti