Patents by Inventor Bart Prast

Bart Prast 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: 20220203381
    Abstract: Provided is a cyclonic fluid separator, method of fluid separation, and a method of installing a cyclonic fluid separator. The cyclonic fluid separator includes a throat portion arranged between a converging fluid inlet section and a diverging fluid outlet section including an inner primary outlet for condensables depleted fluid components and an outer secondary outlet for condensables enriched fluid components. A central body extends along a central axis of the cyclonic fluid separator through at least part of the inlet section of the separator. The central body has, at a location upstream of the throat portion, a larger outer width than a smallest inner width of the throat portion; swirl imparting means arranged in the inlet section for creating a swirling motion of the fluid within at least part of the separator. The swirl imparting means are adjustable; and an adjusting mechanism configured for adjusting the swirl imparting means for varying the swirling motion of the fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Bart Prast, Marco Betting, Pieter Wolter Berghuis, Tijmen Antonie Ton
  • Patent number: 8475572
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of removing carbon dioxide from a fluid stream by a fluid separation assembly. The fluid separation assembly has a cyclonic fluid separator with a tubular throat portion arranged between a converging fluid inlet section and a diverging fluid outlet section and a swirl creating device. The separation vessel has a tubular section positioned on and in connection with a collecting tank. In the method, a fluid stream with carbon dioxide is provided. Subsequently, a swirling motion is imparted to the fluid stream so as to induce outward movement. The swirling fluid stream is then expanded such that components of carbon dioxide in a meta-stable state within the fluid stream are formed. Subsequently, the outward fluid stream with the components of carbon dioxide is extracted from the cyclonic fluid separator and provided as a mixture to the separation vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Twister B.V.
    Inventors: Bart Prast, Jakob Arie Cornelis Langerak, Marco Betting, Cornelis Antonie Tjeenk Willink
  • Patent number: 8226743
    Abstract: The invention relates to fluid separator comprising:—a throat portion (4) which is arranged between a converging fluid inlet section and a diverging fluid outlet section, the diverging fluid outlet section comprising an inner primary outlet (7) for condensables depleted fluid components and an outer secondary outlet for condensables enriched fluid components (6); and—a central body (10) provided upstream of the throat portion (4) in the fluid inlet section, the central body (10) being arranged substantially coaxial to a central axis I of the fluid separator. The fluid separator is arranged to facilitate a main flow through the converging fluid inlet section, the throat portion towards the diverging fluid outlet section. The central body (10) comprises an outlet (13), directed towards the tubular throat portion (4) and is arranged to add a central flow towards the throat portion (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Twister, B.V.
    Inventors: Marco Betting, Cornelis Antonie Tjeenk Willink, Bart Prast, Zvonimir Opic
  • Patent number: 8105422
    Abstract: The invention is a method and cyclonic separator for degassing a fluid mixture comprising a carrier liquid and gaseous or vaporizable components. In this method, the fluid mixture is accelerated in a throat section of a vortex tube such that the static pressure of the fluid mixture is decreased and vaporizable components evaporate into a gaseous phase and the fluid mixture flows as a substantially homogeneously dispersed gas-liquid mixture through the throat section; the accelerated fluid mixture is induced to swirl within a tubular mid section of the vortex tube such that the fluid mixture is separated by centrifugal forces into a degassed liquid fraction and a gas enriched fraction; the degassed liquid fraction is induced to flow into an annular liquid outlet conduit; and the gas enriched fraction is induced to flow into a central gas outlet conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Marco Betting, Bart Prast, Helmar Van Santen, Cornelius Johannes Schellekens, Paulus Henricus Joannes Verbeek, Peter Mervyn Wilkinson
  • Publication number: 20120017638
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of removing carbon dioxide from a fluid stream by a fluid separation assembly. The fluid separation assembly has a cyclonic fluid separator with a tubular throat portion arranged between a converging fluid inlet section and a diverging fluid outlet section and a swirl creating device. The separation vessel has a tubular section positioned on and in connection with a collecting tank. In the method, a fluid stream with carbon dioxide is provided. Subsequently, a swirling motion is imparted to the fluid stream so as to induce outward movement. The swirling fluid stream is then expanded such that components of carbon dioxide in a meta-stable state within the fluid stream are formed. Subsequently, the outward fluid stream with the components of carbon dioxide is extracted from the cyclonic fluid separator and provided as a mixture to the separation vessel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: TWISTER B.V.
    Inventors: Bart Prast, Jakob Arie Cornelis Langerak, Marco Betting, Cornelis Antonie Tjeenk Willink
  • Patent number: 7909912
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for enhancing condensation and separation in a fluid separator, wherein: —a fluid mixture is accelerated to a transonic or supersonic velocity in a throat section of a flow channel and thereby expanded and cooled such that at least some initially gaseous components become supersaturated and condense; —at least some condensed components are removed from the fluid mixture in the flow channel at a location downstream of the throat section; and —condensation of at least some supersaturated components is enhanced by illuminating the fluid mixture flowing through the flow channel by a radiation source (10), such as an Ultraviolet (UV) light source which excites and/or ionizes and induces mercury, water, aromatic hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide and/or other components to condense thereby forming condensation nuclei for other supersaturated fluid components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Twister B.V.
    Inventors: Cornelis Antonie Tjeenk Willink, Marco Betting, Jeroen Geldorp, Bart Prast
  • Publication number: 20110016917
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of removing carbon dioxide from a fluid stream by a fluid separation assembly. The fluid separation assembly has a cyclonic fluid separator with a tubular throat portion arranged between a converging fluid inlet section and a diverging fluid outlet section and a swirl creating device. The separation vessel has a tubular section positioned on and in connection with a collecting tank. In the method, a fluid stream with carbon dioxide is provided. Subsequently, a swirling motion is imparted to the fluid stream so as to induce outward movement. The swirling fluid stream is then expanded such that components of carbon dioxide in a meta-stable state within the fluid stream are formed. Subsequently, the outward fluid stream with the components of carbon dioxide is extracted from the cyclonic fluid separator and provided as a mixture to the separation vessel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: TWISTER B.V.
    Inventors: Bart Prast, Jakob Arie Cornelis Langerak, Marco Betting, Cornelis Antonie Tjeenk Willink
  • Publication number: 20100147021
    Abstract: The invention relates to fluid separator comprising: —a throat portion (4) which is arranged between a converging fluid inlet section and a diverging fluid outlet section, the diverging fluid outlet section comprising an inner primary outlet (7) for condensables depleted fluid components and an outer secondary outlet for condensables enriched fluid components (6); and —a central body (10) provided upstream of the throat portion (4) in the fluid inlet section, the central body (10) being arranged substantially coaxial to a central axis I of the fluid separator. The fluid separator is arranged to facilitate a main flow through the converging fluid inlet section, the throat portion towards the diverging fluid outlet section. The central body (10) comprises an outlet (13), directed towards the tubular throat portion (4) and is arranged to add a central flow towards the throat portion (4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Applicant: TWISTER B.V.
    Inventors: Marco Betting, Cornelis Antonie Tjeenk Willink, Bart Prast, Zvonimir Opic
  • Publication number: 20090205488
    Abstract: A method and cyclonic separator are disclosed for degassing a fluid mixture comprising a carrier liquid and gaseous and/or vaporizable components, wherein: the fluid mixture is accelerated in a throat section (6, 21) of a vortex tube (1, 20) such that the static pressure of the fluid mixture is decreased and vaporizable components evaporate into a gaseous phase and the fluid mixture flows as a substantially homogeneously dispersed gas-liquid mixture through the throat section; the accelerated fluid mixture is induced to swirl within a tubular mid section of the vortex tube such that the fluid mixture is separated by centrifugal forces into a degassed liquid fraction and a gas enriched fraction; the degassed liquid fraction is induced to flow into a annular liquid outlet conduit (4, 21); and the gas enriched fraction is induced to flow into a central gas outlet conduit (3, 24).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Inventors: Marco Betting, Bart Prast, Helmar Van Santen, Cornelius Johannes Schellekens, Paulus Henricus Joannes Verbeek, Peter Mervyn Wilkinson
  • Publication number: 20080196582
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for enhancing condensation and separation in a fluid separator, wherein: —a fluid mixture is accelerated to a transonic or supersonic velocity in a throat section of a flow channel and thereby expanded and cooled such that at least some initially gaseous components become supersaturated and condense; —at least some condensed components are removed from the fluid mixture in the flow channel at a location downstream of the throat section; and —condensation of at least some supersaturated components is enhanced by illuminating the fluid mixture flowing through the flow channel by a radiation source (10), such as an Ultraviolet (UV) light source which excites and/or ionizes and induces mercury, water, aromatic hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide and/or other components to condense thereby forming condensation nuclei for other supersaturated fluid components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: Twister B.V.
    Inventors: Cornelis Antonie Tjeenk Willink, Marco Betting, Jeroen Geldorp, Bart Prast
  • Patent number: 7357825
    Abstract: A cyclonic fluid separator of the type comprising a tubular throat portion in which a fluid mixture is accelerated to a subsonic or supersonic speed and thereby expanded and cooled down so that condensable components condense and/or solidify and then swirl into a diverging fluid outlet section that comprises an outer secondary outlet for condensables enriched fluid components and an inner primary outlet for condensables depleted fluid components comprises swirl imparting vanes that protrude from a central body that extends through at least part of an inlet section of the separator, wherein the central body has, at a location upstream of the throat portion, a larger outer width (2Ro max) than the smallest inner width (2Rn min) of the throat portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Marco Betting, Theodoor Van Holten, Bart Prast
  • Publication number: 20040262218
    Abstract: A cyclonic fluid separator of the type comprising a tubular throat portion in which a fluid mixture is accelerated to a subsonic or supersonic speed and thereby expanded and cooled down so that condensable components condense and/or solidify and then swirl into a diverging fluid outlet section that comprises an outer secondary outlet for condensables enriched fluid components and an inner primary outlet for condensables depleted fluid components comprises swirl imparting vanes that protrude from a central body that extends through at least part of an inlet section of the separator, wherein the central body has, at a location upstream of the throat portion, a larger outer width (2Ro max) than the smallest inner width (2Rn min) of the throat portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2004
    Publication date: December 30, 2004
    Inventors: Marco Betting, Theodoor Van Holten, Bart Prast