Patents by Inventor Clifford S. Crossland
Clifford S. Crossland 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).
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Publication number: 20040000731Abstract: A collapsible sparger for insertion into a vessel through a flanged opening is disclosed having a central tubular conduit having a plurality of rotatable members along its length. The rotatable members may be rotated and secured into position after insertion.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 11, 2002Publication date: January 1, 2004Applicant: CATALYTIC DISTILLATION TECHNOLOGIESInventors: Ralph E. Casas, Henry J. Semerak, Rodney D. Chevalier, Willibrord A. Groten, Clifford S. Crossland
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Patent number: 6659434Abstract: A collapsible sparger for insertion into a vessel through a flanged opening is disclosed having a central tubular conduit having a plurality of rotatable members along its length. The rotatable members may be rotated and secured into position after insertion.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2002Date of Patent: December 9, 2003Assignee: Catalytic Distillation TechnologiesInventors: Ralph E. Casas, Henry J. Semerak, Rodney D. Chevalier, Willibrord A. Groten, Clifford S. Crossland
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Patent number: 6583325Abstract: A process for the production of tertiary ethers from the reaction of isoolefins with lower alcohols, such as methanol, uses two distillation column reactors in series to maximize conversion, especially for isopentenes and isohexenes. The second distillation column reactor may be concurrently used as a C5 polishing reactor and a reactor for producing MTBE or ETBE from isobutene, for example.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2002Date of Patent: June 24, 2003Assignee: Catalytic Distillation TechnologiesInventors: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr., Hugh M. Putman, Henry J. Semerak, Clifford S. Crossland
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Patent number: 5942456Abstract: A catalytic distillation structure containing (1) a solid catalytic material comprising a catalyst component and (2) a structure. The total volume of open space for the catalytic distillation structure should be at least 10 volume % and preferably at least 20 volume % up to about 65 volume %. The catalytic material may be a mixture of two or more catalysts or the individual catalyst may occupy separate and distinct areas of the structure without physical mixing of the catalysts. The structural element may contain substantially rigid elements and porous containers which contain the catalytic material. The structural element may be comprised of the porous containers. Other catalytic distillation structures may comprises the porous containers for the catalysts and a resilient material such as demister wire.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 1996Date of Patent: August 24, 1999Assignee: Catalytic Distillation TechnologiesInventors: Clifford S. Crossland, John R. Adams
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Patent number: 5837130Abstract: A process for hydrotreating petroleum fractions early in the refining process by employing catalyst prepared as components of distillation structures or as contained beds of catalyst in atmospheric distillation columns and or side draw columns. For example, a crude petroleum is hydrotreated by taking side streams from an atmospheric distillation column and the vacuum gas oil from a vacuum distillation column which are individually fed to separate desulfurizations, preferably in distillation column reactors containing a hydrodesulfurization catalyst. The overheads from each of the distillation column reactors is returned to the atmospheric column and the bottoms from each distillation column reactor is withdrawn as hydrotreated product. The process may also be used for upgrading the effluent from a fluid catalytic cracking unit, preferably operated as a catalytic distillation reactor.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 1996Date of Patent: November 17, 1998Assignee: Catalytic Distillation TechnologiesInventor: Clifford S. Crossland
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Patent number: 5730843Abstract: A contact structure, useful as a distillation structure, has a rigid frame made of two substantially vertical duplicate grids spaced apart and held rigid by a plurality of substantially horizontal rigid members and a plurality of substantially horizontal wire mesh tubes mounted to the grids to form a plurality of fluid pathways among the tubes. For use as a catalytic distillation structure, which serves as both the distillation structure and the catalyst, at least a portion of the wire mesh tubes contain a particulate catalytic material. The catalyst within the tubes provides a reaction zone where catalytic reactions may occur and the wire mesh provides mass transfer surfaces to effect a fractional distillation. The spacing elements provide for a variation of the catalyst density and loading and structural integrity.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 1995Date of Patent: March 24, 1998Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing CompanyInventors: Willibrord A. Groten, Derwyn Booker, Clifford S. Crossland
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Patent number: 5431890Abstract: A bale shaped catalytic distillation structure formed by placing multiple link or continuous tube shaped structures on top of a wire mesh screen, such as demister wire, arrayed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the bale, such that when the wire mesh screen is rolled up, the rolled structure provides a catalytic distillation structure. The tube comprises flexible, semi-rigid open mesh tubular element filled with a particulate catalytic material, the tube shaped structure having a fastener every 1-12 inches in length to form a multiple link.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 1994Date of Patent: July 11, 1995Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing CompanyInventors: Clifford S. Crossland, Gary R. Gildert, Dennis Hearn
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Patent number: 5346676Abstract: Paraffin alkylation using solid, particulate catalyst is carried out by preparing an alkane-catalyst mixture in a wash zone, passing the alkane-catalyst mixture to a plug flow reactor where a minor amount of olefin is introduced to contact the alkane-catalyst mixture and react to form alkylate and the alkane-catalyst-alkylate mixture is passed through the reactor with a minimum of back mixing to restrict the reaction of alkylate with olefin, thus substantially preventing polymerization. The alkane-catalyst-alkylate mixture, substantially free of olefin is passed to a disengaging zone where the liquid is removed and the solid particulate catalyst is recovered and returned to the wash zone for recycle. The alkane is present in the reactor in sufficient molar excess to react substantially all of the olefin. Any unreacted isoalkane is recycled to the reactor with make-up isoalkane added to maintain the molar excess.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 1993Date of Patent: September 13, 1994Inventors: Clifford S. Crossland, Alan Johnson, John Woods, Elliot G. Pitt
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Patent number: 5190904Abstract: Paraffin alkylation using solid, particulate catalyst is carried out by preparing an alkane-catalyst mixture in a wash zone, passing the alkane-catalyst mixture to a plug flow reactor where a minor amount of olefin is introduced to contact the alkane-catalyst mixture and react to form alkylate and the alkane-catalyst-alkylate mixture is passed through the reactor with a minimum of back mixing to restrict the reaction of alkylate with olefin, thus substantially preventing polymerization. The alkane-catalyst-alkylate mixture, substantially free of olefin is passed to a disengaging zone where the liquid is removed and the solid particulate catalyst is recovered and returned to the wash zone for recycle. The alkane is present in the reactor in sufficient molar excess to react substantially all of the olefin. Any unreacted isoalkane is recycled to the reactor with make-up isoalkane added to maintain the molar excess.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 1991Date of Patent: March 2, 1993Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing CompanyInventors: Clifford S. Crossland, Alan Johnson, John Woods, Elliot G. Pitt
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Patent number: 5157196Abstract: Paraffin alkylation using solid, particulate catalyst is carried out by preparing an alkane-catalyst mixture in a wash zone, passing the alkane-catalyst mixture to a plug flow reactor where a minor amount of olefin is introduced to contact the alkane-catalyst mixture and react to form alkylate and the alkane-catalyst-alkylate mixture is passed through the reactor with a minimum of back mixing to restrict the reaction of alkylate with olefin, thus substantially preventing polymerization. The alkane-catalyst-alkylate mixture, substantially free of olefin is passed to a disengaging zone where the liquid is removed and the solid particulate catalyst is recovered and returned to the wash zone for recycle. The alkane is present in the reactor in sufficient molar excess to react substantially all of the olefin. Any unreacted isoalkane is recycled to the reactor with make-up isoalkane added to maintain the molar excess.Type: GrantFiled: December 24, 1990Date of Patent: October 20, 1992Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing CompanyInventors: Clifford S. Crossland, Alan Johnson, John Woods, Elliot G. Pitt
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Process for the alkylation of organic aromtic compounds in the presence of inert aliphatic compounds
Patent number: 5043506Abstract: An improvement in the operation to a catalytic distillation process for the alkylation of organic aromatic compounds with an olefin contained wherein aliphatic compounds are contained in either the olefin feed stream, the aromatic feed stream or both is disclosed. Aliphatic compounds are added to the upper portion of a secondary distillation column reactor wherein aromatic is being reacted with unreacted olefin from a primary distillation column reactor to polish the conversion of olefin. The additional aliphatic compound produces an equilibrium in the secondary column wherein unreacted aromatic and alkylation product are recovered as bottoms which may be recycled to the primary distillation column reactor.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 1990Date of Patent: August 27, 1991Inventor: Clifford S. Crossland