Patents Examined by Tam M. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11248174
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure produce a method and system for deasphalting a hydrocarbon feed. The hydrocarbon feed and a first solvent is combined using a Taylor-Couette mixer to form a mixed stream. The mixed stream and a second solvent are introduced to an extractor to produce a first deasphalted oil stream and a pitch stream. The first deasphalted oil stream is introduced to a solvent recovery unit to recover the first solvent and the second solvent via a recovered solvent stream and to produce a second deasphalted oil stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Mohammad F. Aljishi, Ki-Hyouk Choi
  • Patent number: 11248172
    Abstract: Pitch production systems utilizing coal tar or decant oil for coal or petroleum based pitch are disclosed. Total pitch production yields are increased by heat treating distillate fractions from the pitch production process. A heat treatment system and process are disclosed in embodiments. The heaviest distillates having the highest molecular weights are subjected to heat treatment, though other embodiments contemplate heat treating a variety of combined distillate fractions. The heat treatment systems require heat soaking the distillate(s) at elevated temperatures of 459-535° C. at a near-constant temperature with near-uniform flow. A fraction of the heat-treated distillate may be reintroduced to the pitch production system as part of a continuous process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Koppers Delaware, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Bech Malmqvist, Billy Jay Cairns, Carl Camille Mueller, John Thomas Baron, James T Dietz
  • Patent number: 11242302
    Abstract: The present invention describes a process for obtaining para-xylene from a feedstock containing xylenes, ethylbenzene and C9+ hydrocarbons, said process comprising a single stage A of separation in a simulated moving bed carried out with a zeolite as adsorbent and a desorbent and making it possible to obtain at least three fractions, a fraction A1 comprising a mixture of para-xylene and of desorbent and two fractions A21, A22 comprising ethylbenzene (EB), ortho-xylene (OX) and meta-xylene (MX) and desorbent, said stage is carried out at a temperature between 20° C. and 250° C., under a pressure between the bubble pressure of the xylenes at the operating temperature and 2.0 MPa, and with a ratio by volume of the desorbent to the feedstock in the unit for separation 2 in a simulated moving bed is between 0.4 and 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: AXENS
    Inventors: Isabelle Prevost, Jerome Pigourier, Gerard Hotier
  • Patent number: 11242491
    Abstract: A process for optimising the removal of calcium from a hydrocarbon feedstock in a refinery desalting process, the refinery desalting process comprising the following steps: (a) mixing one or more wash water streams with one or more hydrocarbon feedstock streams; (b) at least partially separating the wash water from the hydrocarbons in a refinery desalter; and (c) removing the separated water and hydrocarbons from the refinery desalter as one or more desalted hydrocarbon streams and one or more effluent water streams; the process optimisation comprising: (i) providing at least one x-ray fluorescence analyser at at least one point in the refinery desalting process; (ii) measuring the concentration of calcium at the at least one point in the process using the at least one x-ray fluorescence analyser; and (iii) optionally adjusting at least one process condition of the refinery desalting process in response to the calcium concentration measurement in step (ii).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: BP Corporation North America Inc.
    Inventors: Jason English, Craig Hackett
  • Patent number: 11220470
    Abstract: Various illustrative embodiments of a system and process for recovering high-quality biomethane and carbon dioxide product streams from biogas sources and utilizing or sequestering the product streams are provided. The system and process synergistically yield a biomethane product which meets gas pipeline quality specifications and a carbon dioxide product of a quality and form that allows for its transport and sequestration or utilization and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The system and process result in improved access to gas pipelines for products, an improvement in the carbon intensity rating of the methane fuel, and improvements in generation of credits related to reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: WM INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY HOLDINGS, L.L.C.
    Inventor: Noah Whitmore
  • Patent number: 11203557
    Abstract: The invention relates to catalysts and their use in processes for dehydrocyclization of light paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock to higher-value hydrocarbon, such as aromatic hydrocarbon, to dehydrocyclization catalysts useful in such processes, and to the methods of making such catalysts. One of more of the dehydrocyclization catalysts comprising a crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite having a constraint index of less than or equal to about 12, at least one Group 3 to Group 13 metal of the IUPAC Periodic Table and phosphorous.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Samia Ilias, Mayank Shekhar, Paul F. Keusenkothen, John S. Buchanan
  • Patent number: 11203723
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process (100) for deriving polymerizable aromatic compounds having nine carbon atoms (S) in which a component mixture (B) is formed at least partially by steam cracking, in which the component mixture (B) is subjected to a workup (2, 3, 4, 5) comprising a gasoline removal (5) and thereafter is a compression (8) and a fractionation (10), and wherein one or more pyrolysis gasoline fractions (H, L) is or are formed in the gasoline removal (5) and/or the compression (8). The invention provides that a separation feed is formed which comprises predominantly exclusively pyrolysis gasoline from the or at least one of the pyrolysis gasoline fractions (H, L) and that the separation feed is subjected to a separation (7), wherein in the separation (7) at least one fraction (P) enriched in aromatic compounds having nine carbon atoms compared to the separation feed is formed. A corresponding plant likewise forms part of the subject matter of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: LINDE GmbH
    Inventors: David Bruder, Helmut Fritz
  • Patent number: 11198661
    Abstract: In a propane dehydrogenation (PDH) process, the purpose of the deethanizer and chilling train systems is to separate the cracked gas into a methane-rich tail gas product, a C2, and a C3 process stream. By the use of staged cooling, process-to-process inter-change against propane feed to the reactor and use of high efficiency heat exchangers and distributed distillation techniques, refrigeration power requirements are reduced and a simple and reliable design is provided by the process described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: KELLOGG BROWN & ROOT LLC
    Inventor: Rian Reyneke
  • Patent number: 11198822
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a process for converting a hydrocarbon feed includes introducing a hydrocarbon feed comprising a C2-C50 acyclic alkane and a C3-C50 cyclic alkane to a catalyst composition in a reactor. The process further includes converting the hydrocarbon feed in the reactor under reactor conditions to a product mixture comprising at least one of a C6-C9 aromatic product or a C12+ distillate product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Kun Wang, Jonathan E. Mitchell
  • Patent number: 11193070
    Abstract: Producing mesophase pitch from liquid hydrocarbon feed comprising multi-ring aromatic compounds. In a first stage reactor feed is converted to isotropic pitch product contaminated with mesophase pitch. Contaminated isotropic pitch is charged to a second stage reactor where mesophase formation by self-assembly into spherical crystal clusters produces a mesophase pitch product. Water or steam added to the first stage reactor increases conversion of aromatic liquid feed, increases mesophase contamination of isotropic pitch product and reduces coke formation in the isotropic pitch reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Advanced Carbon Products, LLC
    Inventors: David C Boyer, Thomas C Holcombe
  • Patent number: 11180705
    Abstract: A method comprising the steps of feeding condensate to a splitter unit; directing the resulting naphtha product to a naphtha hydrotreater and the resulting diesel product to a diesel hydrotreater; directing ULSD product from the diesel hydrotreater to ULSD storage and naphtha product from the diesel hydrotreater to the naphtha hydrotreater; directing treated naphtha product from the naphtha hydrotreater to a naphtha splitter; isomerizing the light naphtha product and reforming the heavy naphtha product; sending the isomerate and the reformate to a gasoline separator; directing the products to storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Inventors: Michael F. Milam, Gerry Obluda
  • Patent number: 11180701
    Abstract: Hydrocracked bottoms fractions are treated to separate HPNA compounds and/or HPNA precursor compounds and produce a reduced-HPNA hydrocracked bottoms fraction effective for recycle, in a configuration of a single-stage hydrocracking reactor, series-flow once through hydrocracking operation, or two-stage hydrocracking operation. A process for separation of HPNA and/or HPNA precursor compounds from a hydrocracked bottoms fraction of a hydroprocessing reaction effluent comprises contacting the hydrocracked bottoms fraction with an effective quantity of a non-polar solvent to promote precipitation of HPNA compounds and/or HPNA precursor compounds. The soluble hydrocarbons in the hydrocracked bottoms fraction are separated into an HPNA-reduced hydrocracked bottoms portion that is recycled within hydrocracking operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Omer Refa Koseoglu, Adnan Al-Hajji, Hendrik Muller, Nadrah Al-Awani
  • Patent number: 11180706
    Abstract: Processes herein may be used to thermally crack various hydrocarbon feeds, and may eliminate the refinery altogether while making the crude to chemicals process very flexible in terms of crude. In embodiments herein, crude is progressively separated into at least light and heavy fractions. Depending on the quality of the light and heavy fractions, these are routed to one of three upgrading operations, including a fixed bed hydroconversion unit, a fluidized catalytic conversion unit, or a residue hydrocracking unit that may utilize an ebullated bed reactor. Products from the upgrading operations may be used as feed to a steam cracker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignees: LUMMUS TECHNOLOGY LLC, Saudi Aramco Technologies Company, Chevron Lummus Global LLC
    Inventors: Essam Abdullah Al-Sayed, Ujjal Mukherjee, Kareemuddin Shaik, Pedro Santos, Theodorus Maesen, Mazin Tamimi, Julie Chabot, Ibrahim Abba, Kandasamy Sundaram, Sami Barnawi, Ronald Venner, Raghu Narayan, Meredith Lansdown
  • Patent number: 11174437
    Abstract: Provided is a continuous process for converting waste plastic into recycle for polypropylene polymerization. The process comprises selecting waste plastics containing polyethylene and/or polypropylene and passing the waste plastics through a pyrolysis reactor to thermally crack at least a portion of the polyolefin waste and produce a pyrolyzed effluent. The pyrolyzed effluent is separated into offgas, a naphtha/diesel fraction, a heavy fraction, and char. Pyrolysis oil and wax, comprising the naphtha/diesel fraction and heavy fraction, is sent to a refinery FCC unit. A liquid petroleum gas C3-C5 olefin/paraffin mixture is recovered from the FCC unit and passed to a refinery alkylation unit. A propane fraction is recovered from the alkylation unit and passed to a dehydrogenation unit to produce propylene. The propylene is passed to a propylene polymerization reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Hye-Kyung Timken
  • Patent number: 11174436
    Abstract: Provided is a continuous process for converting waste plastic into a feedstock for polyethylene polymerization. The process comprises selecting waste plastics containing polyethylene and/or polypropylene, and then passing the waste plastics through a pyrolysis reactor to thermally crack at least a portion of the polyolefin waste and produce a pyrolyzed effluent. The pyrolyzed effluent is then separated into offgas, a pyrolysis oil comprising a naphtha/diesel/heavy fraction, and char. The pyrolysis oil is passed to a crude unit in a refinery from which a naphtha fraction (C5-C8), or a propane and butane (C3-C4) fraction, is recovered. The naphtha fraction, or propane and butane (C3-C4) fraction, is then passed to a steam cracker for ethylene production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Hye-Kyung Timken
  • Patent number: 11168275
    Abstract: Methods for separation of oxygenates or other chemical components from fuels using chemical processes and separations including, but not limited to, onboard applications in vehicles. These separations may take place using a variety of materials and substances whereby a target material of interest is captured, held, and then released at a desired location and under desired conditions. In one set of experiments we demonstrated an enhancement in the separation of diaromatics by >38 times over gasoline and aromatics by >3.5 times over gasoline. This would give an advantage to reducing cold-start emissions, or emissions during transient conditions, in either gasoline or diesel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE
    Inventors: John T. Bays, Katarzyna Grubel, David J. Heldebrant, John C. Linehan
  • Patent number: 11148091
    Abstract: A method and system for manufacturing and using a self-supporting structure in processing unit for adsorption or catalytic processes. The self-supporting structure has greater than 50% by weight of the active material in the self-supporting structure to provide a foam-geometry structure providing access to the active material. The self-supporting structures, which may be disposed in a processing unit, may be used in swing adsorption processes and other processes to enhance the recovery of hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: John F. Brody, Paul J. Tindall
  • Patent number: 11141706
    Abstract: The present application provides systems and methods for upgrading an oil stream. The system includes a reactor, a phase separator, an expansion device, a cooling unit, and two separation units. The reactor receives the oil stream, ammonia, and supercritical water. The supercritical water upgrades the oil stream, and the ammonia reacts with sulfur initially present in the oil stream to produce ammonia-sulfur compounds. The phase separator receives a mixture stream comprising the upgraded oil stream, supercritical water, and the ammonia-sulfur compounds, and separates out non-dissolved components. The expansion device reduces the pressure of the mixture stream below a water critical pressure. The cooling unit reduces the temperature of the mixture stream. A first separation unit separates the mixture stream it into a hydrocarbon-rich gaseous phase, a water stream containing ammonia-sulfur compounds, and a treated oil stream. A second separation unit separates the ammonia-sulfur compounds from the water stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Mourad Younes, Aqil Jamal
  • Patent number: 11136513
    Abstract: A multi-stage process for reducing the production of a Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil from Distressed Fuel Oil Materials (DFOM) involving a pre-treatment process that transforms the DFOM into Feedstock HMFO which is subsequently sent to a Core Process for removing the Environmental Contaminates. The Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil complies with ISO 8217 for residual marine fuel oils and has a sulfur level has a maximum sulfur content (ISO 14596 or ISO 8754) between the range of 0.05 mass % to 1.0 mass. A process plant for conducting the process is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Magëmä Technology LLC
    Inventors: Michael Joseph Moore, Bertrand Ray Klussmann, Carter James White
  • Patent number: 11130721
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for recovering light olefins, which can achieve an increase in propylene production and a reduction in the basic unit of a process by feeding steam into five serially connected dehydrogenation reactors, and can diversify the product of a propane dehydrogenation reaction process from a propylene single product into propylene and ethylene by separately collecting ethane and ethylene, i.e., by-products of the propylene production process, and converting the ethane into ethylene, thereby improving the economic efficiency of the process and selectivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Hyosung Chemical Corporation
    Inventors: Bu Young Jo, Won Il Kim, Jae Han Cho, Jae Young Woo, Hee Chul Yeom, Dan Bi Chung, Min Jung Cho