Patents by Inventor David Allen Kennedy
David Allen Kennedy 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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Patent number: 11988445Abstract: A system and process that are configured to prepare incoming hydrocarbon feedstocks for storage. For incoming ethane gas, the embodiments can utilize a plurality of vessels to distill the incoming feedstock to vapor and liquid ethane that is suitable for storage. The embodiments can direct the vapor to a demethanizer column that is downstream of the vessels and other components. The process can include stages for distilling an incoming feedstock at a plurality of vessels to form a vapor and a liquid for storage; directing the vapor to a demethanizer column; and circulating liquid from the demethanizer column back to the plurality of vessels.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2021Date of Patent: May 21, 2024Assignee: GE Oil & Gas, Inc.Inventors: David Allen Kennedy, Mark Mulherin Salamon, Christopher Scott Yount
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Patent number: 11598578Abstract: A plant and process are used to liquefy and purify a high pressure ethane feed stream. The plant includes a cascaded refrigeration system that refrigerates the ethane feed stream. The refrigeration system includes a propylene circuit, an ethylene circuit and a mixed refrigerant circuit. The mixed refrigerant circuit includes a refrigerant that includes ethane and methane. The plant includes a demethanizer that is configured to remove methane and other natural gas liquids from the refrigerated ethane stream.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2014Date of Patent: March 7, 2023Assignee: Baker Hughes Energy Services LLCInventors: David Allen Kennedy, Thomas Lyons, Christopher Yount
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Publication number: 20210172676Abstract: A system and process that are configured to prepare incoming hydrocarbon feedstocks for storage. For incoming ethane gas, the embodiments can utilize a plurality of vessels to distill the incoming feedstock to vapor and liquid ethane that is suitable for storage. The embodiments can direct the vapor to a demethanizer column that is downstream of the vessels and other components. The process can include stages for distilling an incoming feedstock at a plurality of vessels to form a vapor and a liquid for storage; directing the vapor to a demethanizer column; and circulating liquid from the demethanizer column back to the plurality of vessels.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2021Publication date: June 10, 2021Inventors: David Allen Kennedy, Mark Mulherin Salamon, Christopher Scott Yount
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Patent number: 10928128Abstract: A system and process that are configured to prepare incoming hydrocarbon feedstocks for storage. For incoming ethane gas, the embodiments can utilize a plurality of vessels to distill the incoming feedstock to vapor and liquid ethane that is suitable for storage. The embodiments can direct the vapor to a demethanizer column that is downstream of the vessels and other components. The process can include stages for distilling an incoming feedstock at a plurality of vessels to form a vapor and a liquid for storage; directing the vapor to a demethanizer column; and circulating liquid from the demethanizer column back to the plurality of vessels.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2015Date of Patent: February 23, 2021Assignee: GE Oil & Gas, Inc.Inventors: David Allen Kennedy, Mark Mulherin Salamon, Christopher Scott Yount
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Patent number: 10760850Abstract: A liquefaction system that is configured to use a single methane expander to provide primary refrigeration duty. The liquefaction system can include a first or main heat exchanger and a fluid circuit coupled with the heat exchanger, the fluid circuit configured to circulate a process stream derived from an incoming feedstock of natural gas. The fluid circuit can comprise a compression circuit, methane expander coupled with the compression circuit and the main heat exchanger, a sub-cooling unit coupled with the methane expander, the sub-cooling unit configured to form a liquid natural gas (LNG) product from the process stream, and a first throttling device interposed between the main heat exchanger and the sub-cooling unit. The first throttling device can be configured to expand the process stream to a process pressure that corresponds with the suction pressure internal to the compression circuit.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2016Date of Patent: September 1, 2020Assignee: GE OIL & GAS, INCInventors: David Allen Kennedy, John Raymond Zigtema, Deanna Koreen Hamm
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Patent number: 10029204Abstract: A system and process for regenerating sieve materials in a gas processing system. The process can include circulating a cooling gas through sieve material of a first bed, the cooling gas having a first concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) suitable for liquefaction into a liquid natural gas (LNG) product. The process can also include circulating a regenerating gas through sieve material of a second bed, the regenerating gas having a second concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) that is greater than the first concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) of the cooling gas.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2015Date of Patent: July 24, 2018Assignee: GE Oil & Gas, Inc.Inventors: David Allen Kennedy, John Raymond Zigtema
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Publication number: 20170307291Abstract: A plant and process are used to liquefy and purify a high pressure ethane feed stream. The plant includes a cascaded refrigeration system that refrigerates the ethane feed stream. The refrigeration system includes a propylene circuit, an ethylene circuit and a mixed refrigerant circuit. The mixed refrigerant circuit includes a refrigerant that includes ethane and methane. The plant includes a demethanizer that is configured to remove methane and other natural gas liquids from the refrigerated ethane stream.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 2, 2014Publication date: October 26, 2017Inventors: David Allen KENNEDY, Thomas LYONS, Christopher YOUNT
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Publication number: 20170227283Abstract: A liquefaction system that is configured to use a single methane expander to provide primary refrigeration duty. The liquefaction system can include a first or main heat exchanger and a fluid circuit coupled with the heat exchanger, the fluid circuit configured to circulate a process stream derived from an incoming feedstock of natural gas. The fluid circuit can comprise a compression circuit, methane expander coupled with the compression circuit and the main heat exchanger, a sub-cooling unit coupled with the methane expander, the sub-cooling unit configured to form a liquid natural gas (LNG) product from the process stream, and a first throttling device interposed between the main heat exchanger and the sub-cooling unit. The first throttling device can be configured to expand the process stream to a process pressure that corresponds with the suction pressure internal to the compression circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 20, 2016Publication date: August 10, 2017Inventors: David Allen Kennedy, John Raymond Zigtema, Deanna Koreen Hamm
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Publication number: 20170198966Abstract: A liquefaction process configured to facilitate thermal transfer in a heat exchanger during liquefaction of a natural gas feedstock. The liquefaction process can include compressing a process stream to a first pressure, the process stream comprising predominantly methane, cooling the process stream to a first temperature, expanding the process stream from the first pressure to a second pressure that is less than the first pressure, bleeding-off a first product from the process stream at the second pressure, and conditioning the first product for storage as liquid natural gas (LNG).Type: ApplicationFiled: January 11, 2016Publication date: July 13, 2017Inventors: Eduardo Andrade, Negar Davani, David Allen Kennedy, John Raymond Zigtema
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Publication number: 20170100690Abstract: A system and process for regenerating sieve materials in a gas processing system. The process can include circulating a cooling gas through sieve material of a first bed, the cooling gas having a first concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) suitable for liquefaction into a liquid natural gas (LNG) product. The process can also include circulating a regenerating gas through sieve material of a second bed, the regenerating gas having a second concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) that is greater than the first concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) of the cooling gas.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 12, 2015Publication date: April 13, 2017Inventors: David Allen Kennedy, John Raymond Zigtema
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Publication number: 20170059241Abstract: A liquefaction system that is configured to use a single methane expander to provide primary refrigeration duty. The liquefaction system can include a heat exchanger and a fluid circuit coupled with the heat exchanger, the fluid circuit configured to circulate a process stream derived from an incoming feedstock of natural gas. The fluid circuit can comprise a methane expander coupled with the heat exchanger, a sub-cooling unit coupled with the methane expander, the sub-cooling unit configured to form a liquid natural gas (LNG) product from the process stream, and a first throttling device interposed between the heat exchanger and the sub-cooling unit. The methane expander and the first throttling device can be configured to expand the process stream to a process pressure that is between a first pressure of the incoming feedstock and a second pressure of the process that exits the sub-cooling unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 31, 2015Publication date: March 2, 2017Inventors: David Allen Kennedy, Shukui Zhao
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Publication number: 20160327336Abstract: A system and process that are configured to prepare incoming hydrocarbon feedstocks for storage. For incoming ethane gas, the embodiments can utilize a plurality of vessels to distill the incoming feedstock to vapor and liquid ethane that is suitable for storage. The embodiments can direct the vapor to a demethanizer column that is downstream of the vessels and other components. The process can include stages for distilling an incoming feedstock at a plurality of vessels to form a vapor and a liquid for storage; directing the vapor to a demethanizer column; and circulating liquid from the demethanizer column back to the plurality of vessels.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2015Publication date: November 10, 2016Inventors: David Allen Kennedy, Mark Mulherin Salamon, Christopher Scott Yount