Patents by Inventor Dennis E. O'Brien

Dennis E. O'Brien 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).

  • Patent number: 4333817
    Abstract: A process for the catalytic reforming of a hydrocarbonaceous feedstock, preferably to produce high quality gasoline boiling range products, is disclosed. Relatively impure hydrogen is separated from the reforming zone effluent, compressed, and recontacted with at least a portion of the liquid reformate product to provide relatively pure hydrogen, a portion of which is recycled to the reforming zone. The balance is further compressed and recontacted with at least a portion of the liquid reformate product in a plural stage absorption zone to provide an improved recovery of normally gaseous hydrocarbons as well as an improved recovery of purified hydrogen at a pressure suitable, for example, the relatively high pressure hydrotreating of sulfur-containing feedstocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1981
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1982
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Dennis E. O'Brien
  • Patent number: 4322329
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for forming a polymeric solution or gel having a viscosity of less than about 50,000 cps which includes the steps of forming a solvent system of an organic liquid and a polar cosolvent, the polar cosolvent being less than about 15 wt. % of the solvent system, a viscosity of the solvent system being less than about 1,000 cps: dissolving a neutralized sulfonated polymer in the solvent system to form a solution, a concentration of the neutralized sulfonated polymer in the solution being about 0.5 to about 20 wt. %, a viscosity of the solution being about 5 to about 5,000 cps; and adding about 1 to about 500 vol. % water to the solution having a viscosity less than about 5,000 cps, the water being immiscible with the solution and the polar cosolvent transferring from the solution phase to the water phase thereby causing the viscosity of said solution to increase by a factor of at least 2 to less than 50,000 cps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1980
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1982
    Assignee: Exxon Research & Engineering Co.
    Inventors: Robert D. Lundberg, Dennis E. O'Brien, Henry S. Makowski, deceased, Robert R. Klein
  • Patent number: 4307063
    Abstract: An apparatus for contacting two immiscible fluids is disclosed. A liquid stream enters the top of the apparatus and travels downward within an annular bed of packing. A vapor stream or a less dense liquid stream enters the bottom of the apparatus and travels upward making many radial flow passes succeedingly higher parts of the annular bed. The sigmoid flow of the rising stream is channeled by horizontal disks within the open central volume of the annular bed and by horizontal open-centered rings which surround the annular bed at staggered elevations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1980
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1981
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Dennis E. O'Brien
  • Patent number: 4282130
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for forming a polymeric solution or gel having a viscosity of at least about 50,000 cps which includes the steps forming a solvent system of an organic liquid and a polar cosolvent, the polar cosolvent being less than about 15 wt. % of the solvent system, a viscosity of the solvent system being less than about 1000 cps; dissolving a neutralized sulfonated polymer in the solvent system to form a solution, a concentration of the neutralized sulfonated polymer in the solution being about 0.1 to about 20 wt. %, a viscosity of the solution being less than about 20,000 cps; and adding about 5 to about 500 vol. % water to the solution having viscosity less than about 20,000 cps, the water being immiscible with the solution and the polar cosolvent transferring from the solution phase to the water phase thereby causing the viscosity of said solution to increase from less than 20,000 cps to greater than 50,000 cps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1979
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1981
    Assignee: Exxon Research & Engineering Co.
    Inventors: Robert D. Lundberg, Dennis E. O'Brien, Henry S. Makowski, Robert R. Klein
  • Patent number: 4183406
    Abstract: Improvements in the treatment of wells that penetrate subterranean formations are accomplished through the use of a polymer solution which includes a neutralized ionomeric polymer dissolved in an organic solvent and a polar cosolvent. The polymer has a backbone that is substantially soluble in the organic solvent and pendant ionomeric groups that are substantially insoluble in the organic solvent. The polar cosolvent solubilizes the pendant ionomeric groups such that the polymer solution upon introduction into the well has a viscosity less than about 20,000 centipoises and upon mixing with water the polar cosolvent is taken up by the water causing the polymer to aggregate and increase in viscosity sufficient to form a plug. The polymer solution may be used in well drilling operations, well completion operations, and secondary recovery operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1978
    Date of Patent: January 15, 1980
    Assignee: Exxon Production Research Company
    Inventors: Robert D. Lundberg, Dennis E. O'Brien, Henry S. Makowski, Robert R. Klein