Patents by Inventor Albrecht HEINZEL

Albrecht HEINZEL has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230331550
    Abstract: Process and apparatus for producing a low-nitrogen synthesis gas from a natural gas containing nitrogen and carbon dioxide, from which water and carbon dioxide are removed in a first temperature swing adsorption plant and subsequently nitrogen is removed in a cryogenic gas fractionator, to give a low-nitrogen, water-free and carbon dioxide-free natural gas, which is next supplied to a thermochemical conversion, so as to recover a crude syngas comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide, water and carbon dioxide, from which the low-nitrogen synthesis gas is obtained at least by the removal of water and carbon dioxide in a second temperature swing adsorption plant. The characteristic feature here is that at least a part of the low-nitrogen, water-free and carbon dioxide-free natural gas prior to its thermochemical conversion is used as regenerating gas in the regeneration of the first and/or second temperature swing adsorption plant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Inventors: Josef SCHWARZHUBER, Albrecht HEINZEL, Thomas HASELSTEINER, Florian ETTNER
  • Patent number: 11434141
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the synthesis of ammonia, in which a fresh gas consisting largely of hydrogen and nitrogen is compressed via a compressor and subsequently fed to an ammonia converter for conversion into a converter product containing ammonia and comprising hydrogen and nitrogen. Upstream of the compressor, ammonia is evaporated into the fresh gas in order to cool the fresh gas and to produce a cold substance mixture comprising ammonia and the fresh gas. The substance mixture is heated in a heat exchanger against at least one process stream to be cooled, and subsequently compressed via the compressor, to obtain a compressed substance mixture comprising ammonia and the fresh gas. Upstream of the circuit cooler, a gas mixture consisting largely of hydrogen and nitrogen is fed to a substance stream comprising the fresh gas. The constituents of the gas mixture are separated from the converter product and/or from the compressed substance mixture comprising ammonia and the fresh gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Linde Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Albrecht Heinzel, Thomas Haselsteiner, Florian Ettner
  • Publication number: 20220135402
    Abstract: A method and to a device for producing a synthesis gas, which contains carbon monoxide and hydrogen, wherein natural gas having a first carbon dioxide partial pressure (CO2 pressure) is provided and is processed inter alia by means of a pressure increase to form a natural gas input for a thermochemical conversion, in which a synthesis raw gas having a second CO2 pressure greater than the first CO2 pressure is produced, from which synthesis raw gas at least carbon dioxide is subsequently separated in order to obtain the synthesis gas and carbon dioxide, at least some of which is returned and is used in the thermochemical conversion of the natural gas input. To separate carbon dioxide, the synthesis raw gas is conducted across the one membrane on the retentate side, which membrane is permeable to carbon dioxide and is flushed on the permeate side by the provided natural gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: Albrecht Heinzel, Thomas Haselsteiner, Stefan Pleintinger
  • Publication number: 20190185332
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the synthesis of ammonia, in which a fresh gas consisting largely of hydrogen and nitrogen is compressed via a compressor and subsequently fed to an ammonia converter for conversion into a converter product containing ammonia and comprising hydrogen and nitrogen. Upstream of the compressor, ammonia is evaporated into the fresh gas in order to cool the fresh gas and to produce a cold substance mixture comprising ammonia and the fresh gas. The substance mixture is heated in a heat exchanger against at least one process stream to be cooled, and subsequently compressed via the compressor, to obtain a compressed substance mixture comprising ammonia and the fresh gas. Upstream of the circuit cooler, a gas mixture consisting largely of hydrogen and nitrogen is fed to a substance stream comprising the fresh gas. The constituents of the gas mixture are separated from the converter product and/or from the compressed substance mixture comprising ammonia and the fresh gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Applicant: Linde Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Albrecht HEINZEL, Thomas HASELSTEINER, Florian ETTNER
  • Patent number: 9790433
    Abstract: A process for producing hydrocarbons is disclosed in which a first feed substream and a second feed substream are obtained from a hydrocarbonaceous feed stream, of which the first feed substream is converted by means of partial oxidation or autothermal reforming to a first synthesis gas stream and the second feed substream is converted by means of steam reforming to a second synthesis gas stream and subsequently combined with the first synthesis gas stream to give a third synthesis gas stream, of which at least a first portion is converted by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis to a crude product stream comprising hydrocarbons of different chain lengths, from which light hydrocarbons are separated in a tail gas, in order to recycle them and use them in the partial oxidation or autothermal reforming. The characteristic feature here is that unsaturated hydrocarbons are separated from at least a portion of the tail gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Linde Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Albrecht Heinzel, Rachid Mabrouk
  • Publication number: 20170260457
    Abstract: A process for producing hydrocarbons is disclosed in which a first feed substream and a second feed substream are obtained from a hydrocarbonaceous feed stream, of which the first feed substream is converted by means of partial oxidation or autothermal reforming to a first synthesis gas stream and the second feed substream is converted by means of steam reforming to a second synthesis gas stream and subsequently combined with the first synthesis gas stream to give a third synthesis gas stream, of which at least a first portion is converted by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis to a crude product stream comprising hydrocarbons of different chain lengths, from which light hydrocarbons are separated in a tail gas, in order to recycle them and use them in the partial oxidation or autothermal reforming. The characteristic feature here is that unsaturated hydrocarbons are separated from at least a portion of the tail gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Inventors: Albrecht Heinzel, Rachid Mabrouk
  • Patent number: 9464246
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for purifying synthesis gas, in particular for ammonia synthesis, wherein a partial stream (26) of an H2-rich, CO-containing synthesis gas stream is burned, in particular to generate electrical energy, and wherein at least one component contained in the remaining H2-rich, CO-containing synthesis gas stream (26a), in particular in the form of carbon dioxide, methanol and/or water, is absorbed by an adsorber at low temperatures, after which said absorbed component is desorbed from the adsorber by flushing using nitrogen (33) at higher temperatures. According to the invention the H2-rich partial stream (26) is diluted using the nitrogen (35) used for the flushing before being burned. The invention further relates to a system (1) for purifying synthesis gas, in particular for ammonia synthesis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: LINDE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Bernd Klein, Albrecht Heinzel
  • Publication number: 20150175916
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for purifying synthesis gas, in particular for ammonia synthesis, wherein a partial stream (26) of an H2-rich, CO-containing synthesis gas stream is burned, in particular to generate electrical energy, and wherein at least one component contained in the remaining H2-rich, CO-containing synthesis gas stream (26a), in particular in the form of carbon dioxide, methanol and/or water, is absorbed by an adsorber at low temperatures, after which said absorbed component is desorbed from the adsorber by flushing using nitrogen (33) at higher temperatures. According to the invention the H2-rich partial stream (26) is diluted using the nitrogen (35) used for the flushing before being burned. The invention further relates to a system (1) for purifying synthesis gas, in particular for ammonia synthesis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2013
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: Bernd Klein, Albrecht Heinzel
  • Publication number: 20130161011
    Abstract: A method for producing nitrogen for injection into an enhanced oil recovery operation wherein the nitrogen is produced in an air separation device and the oxygen stream produced is not discarded but recovered and employed with or without an additional air gas stream for feeding to a partial oxidation unit/autothermal reformer and shift conversion to produce carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The carbon dioxide can additionally be used for injection into an enhanced oil recovery operation and the hydrogen can be used as a fuel for a gas turbine driven closed cycle power plant for providing energy to the air separation device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Inventors: Ilaria Ciattaglia, Albrecht Heinzel
  • Publication number: 20110300054
    Abstract: A method for producing carbon dioxide using the waste gas oxygen stream from an air separation unit producing nitrogen as the oxygen feed. The oxygen is fed to an autothermal reformation or partial oxidation unit to produce synthesis gas which is subjected to a shift reaction to produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is separated and recovered and can be employed in an enhanced oil recovery operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Inventors: Ilaria CIATTAGLIA, Albrecht HEINZEL