Patents by Inventor Jeroen Van Westrenen

Jeroen Van Westrenen 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: 8946496
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing lower olefins from an oxygenate, the process comprising: subjecting C4 hydrocarbons obtained in an oxygenate-to-olefins conversion step to extractive distillation to an etherification step to convert isobutene into an alkyl tertiary butyl ether to obtain an isobutene-depleted C4 hydrocarbon stream and alkyl tertiary-butyl ether; subjecting the isobutene-depleted C4 hydrocarbon stream to extractive distillation to obtain a stream enriched in unsaturated C4 hydrocarbons and a stream enriched in saturated C4 hydrocarbons; and recycling at least part of the stream enriched in unsaturated C4 hydrocarbons and/or at least part of the alkyl tertiary-butyl ether to the oxygenate-to-olefins conversion step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Leslie Andrew Chewter, Rajaram Ramesh, Jeroen Van Westrenen
  • Patent number: 8946106
    Abstract: Process for the regeneration of an at least partially coked molecular sieve catalyst comprising introducing the at least partially coked catalyst into a regenerator; introducing into the regenerator an oxygen-containing gas to regenerate at least part of the at least partially coked catalyst, thereby producing a gaseous mixture and at least partially regenerated catalyst; recovering part of the at least partially regenerated catalyst; analysing the at least partially regenerated catalyst to control the burning rate of the coke present on the at least partially coked catalyst in the regenerator by adjusting one or more conditions of the regeneration of the at least partially coked catalyst on the basis of the analysis of the at least partially regenerated catalyst; and separating at least partially regenerated catalyst and at least part of the gaseous mixture as obtained in step (b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Jose Atilio Quevedo Enriquez, Leslie Andrew Chewter, Jeroen Van Westrenen
  • Publication number: 20150018591
    Abstract: A method of converting an oxygenate comprising feedstock to olefins comprising: feeding an oxygenate comprising feedstock into a reactor containing an oxygenate to olefins conversion catalyst; contacting the feedstock with the catalyst at oxygenate conversion conditions to produce olefins; removing an effluent comprising the olefins from the reactor; passing the effluent through a compression section to form a compressed effluent; and adding methane to the compression section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Saravana BHAVAN, Jeroen VAN WESTRENEN, Jeroen Gerard MARSMAN, Lesllie Andrew CHEWTER
  • Publication number: 20140357919
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the oxidative regeneration of a deactivated catalyst comprising molecular sieve to provide a regenerated molecular sieve catalyst, wherein said deactivated catalyst is from one or both of an oxygenate to olefin process and a olefin cracking process, said regeneration process comprising at least the steps of providing a regeneration gas stream comprising oxidant; treating the regeneration gas stream with a liquid adsorbent stream comprising an ethylene glycol in a contaminant absorption zone to remove at least a part of one or more of any water, any alkali metal ion and any alkaline earth metal ion present in the regeneration gas stream to provide a treated regeneration gas stream comprising oxidant; regenerating a deactivated catalyst comprising molecular sieve with the treated regeneration gas stream to provide a regenerated catalyst comprising regenerated molecular sieve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Sivakumar Sadasivan Vijayakumari, Jeroen Van Westrenen
  • Patent number: 8895792
    Abstract: An oxygenate to olefins (OTO) process, comprising the steps of: (i) purifying an oxygenate feedstream comprising one or more ionic contaminants by contacting the feedstream with a membrane, resulting in the formation of a retentate and a permeate separated by the membrane, which permeate is a purified oxygenate stream which contains a lower ionic contaminant concentration than the original oxygenate feedstream; (ii) introducing the purified oxygenate stream into an oxygenate to olefins reaction zone; and (iii) contacting the purified oxygenate stream with a molecular sieve catalyst in the oxygenate to olefins reaction zone to form a product stream comprising olefins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Sivakumar Sadasivan Vijayakumari, Jeroen Van Westrenen
  • Publication number: 20140343336
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the oxidative regeneration of a deactivated catalyst comprising providing a catalyst comprising molecular sieve in hydrogen form to a guard zone; passing a regeneration gas stream comprising oxidant through the guard zone to remove part of one or both of any alkali metal ion and alkaline earth metal ion from the regeneration gas stream, to provide a treated regeneration gas stream; providing deactivated catalyst comprising molecular sieve in a regeneration zone, said deactivated catalyst from one or both of an oxygenate to olefin process and an olefin cracking process; regenerating the deactivated catalyst in the regeneration zone with the treated regeneration gas stream to provide regenerated molecular sieve catalyst; wherein said catalyst in said guard zone is one or both of deactivated catalyst comprising molecular sieve in hydrogen form and regenerated catalyst comprising regenerated molecular sieve in hydrogen form.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Inventors: Sivakumar SADASIVAN VIJAYAKUMARI, Jeroen VAN WESTRENEN
  • Patent number: 8889941
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing lower olefins from an oxygenate, the process comprising subjecting C4 hydrocarbons obtained in an oxygenate-to-olefins conversion step to extractive distillation to obtain a stream enriched in unsaturated C4 hydrocarbons comprising isobutene and n-butenes, and a stream enriched in saturated C4 hydrocarbons; converting the isobutene in the stream enriched in unsaturated C4 hydrocarbons into an alkyl tertiary butyl ether to obtain an isobutene-depleted unsaturated C4 hydrocarbon stream and alkyl tertiary-butyl ether; and recycling at least part of the isobutene-depleted unsaturated C4 hydrocarbon stream and/or at least part of the alkyl tertiary-butyl ether, optionally after conversion into tertiary butanol and/or isobutene, to the oxygenate-to-olefins conversion step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Leslie Andrew Chewter, Rajaram Ramesh, Jeroen Van Westrenen
  • Patent number: 8884089
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing olefins, comprising: a. cracking an ethane-comprising feed in a cracking zone under cracking conditions to obtain at least olefins and hydrogen; b. converting an oxygenate feedstock in an oxygenate-to-olefin zone to obtain at least olefins; wherein at least part of the oxygenate feedstock is obtained by providing hydrogen obtained in step a) and a feed containing carbon monoxide and/or carbon dioxide to an oxygenate synthesis zone and synthesizing oxygenates. In another aspect the invention provides an integrated system for producing olefins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Leslie Andrew Chewter, Jeroen Van Westrenen
  • Patent number: 8884090
    Abstract: An olefin is prepared from an alkyl alcohol in a process which comprises the steps: a) converting the alkyl alcohol into a dialkylether over a first catalyst, to yield a hot dialkylether product stream containing alkyl alcohol, dialkylether and water; b) cooling the hot dialkylether product stream at least partly by indirect heat exchange with a cold dialkylether product stream to below the dew point of water at the prevailing conditions to obtain a gas-liquid mixture; c) separating the obtained mixture into a liquid water-containing stream and a vaporous dialkylether-rich stream; d) subjecting at least part of the vaporous dialkylether-rich stream, as the cold dialkylether product stream in step b), to heat exchange with the hot dialkylether product stream, to yield a heated dialkylether-rich feed; and e) converting the heated dialkylether-rich feed to an olefin over a second catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Jeroen Van Westrenen, Leslie Andrew Chewter, Ferry Winter
  • Patent number: 8822749
    Abstract: Process for the preparation of an olefinic product, which process comprises reacting an oxygenate feedstock and an olefinic co-feed in a reactor in the presence of an oxygenate conversion catalyst comprising a molecular sieve having one-dimensional 10-membered ring channels, and a further molecular sieve having more-dimensional channels, wherein the weight ratio between the one-dimensional molecular sieve and the further molecular sieve is in the range of from 1:1 to 100:1, to prepare an olefinic reaction effluent; separating the olefinic reaction effluent into at least a first olefinic fraction and a second olefinic fraction; recycling at least part of the second olefinic fraction; and recovering at least part of the first olefinic fraction as olefinic product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Jeroen Van Westrenen, Leslie Andrew Chewter, Ferry Winter
  • Patent number: 8822710
    Abstract: The invention relates to an integrated process for preparing an epoxide from an oxygenate, wherein the production of a lower olefin from the oxygenate and the subsequent epoxidation of the lower olefin is combined and wherein isobutene, a by-product of the lower olefin production, is converted into a hydroperoxide that is used for the conversion of the lower olefin into the corresponding epoxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Leslie Andrew Chewter, Hervé Henry, Pieter Oldenhove, Rajaram Ramesh, Jeroen Van Westrenen
  • Patent number: 8822709
    Abstract: The invention relates to an integrated process for preparing an epoxide from an oxygenate, wherein the oxygenate is converted into a lower olefin and the lower olefin is subsequently epoxidised, and wherein isobutane obtained after hydrogenation and subsequent normal/iso separation of C4 hydrocarbons obtained as by-product of the oxygenate conversion, is converted into a hydroperoxide that is used for the conversion of the lower olefin into the corresponding epoxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Leslie Andrew Chewter, Hervé Henry, Pieter Oldenhove, Rajaram Ramesh, Jeroen Van Westrenen
  • Patent number: 8785703
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing ethylene and/or propylene, comprising the steps of contacting a stream comprising C4+ olefins with a zeolite-comprising catalyst at a temperature in the range of from 350 to 1000° C. and retrieving an olefinic product stream comprising: ethylene and/or propylene, and a C4+ hydrocarbon fraction, comprising paraffins, normal olefins and iso-olefins; The C4+ hydrocarbon fraction is recycled while part of the fraction is purged. The part of the C4+ hydrocarbon with is purged is treated to extract C4+ isoolefins as tert-alkyl ethers. At least part of tert-alkyl ethers are converted to further ethylene and propylene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Sivakumar Sadasivan Vijayakumari, Jeroen Van Westrenen
  • Patent number: 8779226
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing ethylene and/or propylene, comprising the steps of: a) providing an oxygenate-comprising feedstock; b) contacting the oxygenate-comprising feedstock with a molecular sieve-comprising catalyst at a temperature in the range of from 450 to 700° C. and converting at least part of the oxygenate into an olefinic product comprising ethylene and/or propylene; and c) retrieving the olefinic product, wherein the oxygenate-comprising feedstock comprises in the range of from 1 to 97 wt % of at least one tert-alkyl ether selected from the group MTBE, ETBE, TAME and TAEE, based on the weight of the oxygenates in the oxygenate-comprising feedstock, and further comprises methanol and/or DME.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Leslie Andrew Chewter, Rajaram Ramesh, Jeroen Van Westrenen
  • Publication number: 20140187835
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of ethylene and/or propylene comprising: (a) an oxygenate conversion step wherein a gaseous effluent comprising olefins is obtained; (b) subjecting the effluent to water removal and compression steps; (c) acid gas removal from the effluent obtained in step (b), wherein the gaseous effluent is treated with a caustic solution and a non-aqueous liquid stream comprising aromatic C7+ hydrocarbons is added to the caustic solution to control the formation of red oil, to obtain a treated gaseous effluent and a spent liquid phase comprising spent caustic solution, aromatic C7+ hydrocarbons and high molecular weight contaminants; and (d) separating an aqueous phase and a non-aqueous phase from the spent liquid phase; (e) purifying the non-aqueous phase by membrane separation using a hydrophobic non-porous or nano-porous membrane; and (f) separating the olefinic product from the treated gaseous effluent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Jeroen VAN WESTRENEN, Sivakumar SADASIVAN VIJAYAKUMARI
  • Publication number: 20140187805
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for removing dimethylether from an olefin stream comprising dimethylether, comprising: (a) providing to an oxygenate recovery zone the olefin stream comprising dimethylether and a methanol-comprising solvent, treating the olefin stream comprising dimethylether with the methanol comprising solvent, and retrieving at least a dimethylether-depleted, methanol-comprising olefin stream; and (b) providing to the oxygenate recovery zone a non-aqueous C2 to C4 alcohol solvent and treating the dimethylether-depleted, methanol-comprising olefin stream with the non-aqueous C2 to C4 alcohol solvent, and retrieving from the oxygenate recovery zone at least an olefinic product that is depleted in dimethylether and methanol and a spent solvent comprising at least one C2 to C4 alcohol and methanol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: Shell Oil Company
    Inventor: Jeroen VAN WESTRENEN
  • Publication number: 20140187834
    Abstract: The current invention provides a process for extracting C4+ olefins from a stream comprising C4+ olefins and C4+ paraffins, wherein an oxygenate, preferably methanol (MeOH) is used as extractant, and wherein the resulting extract phase comprising C4+ olefins and extractant is converted into olefins. Also provided is a process for converting oxygenates to olefins, wherein the oxygenate preferably comprises MeOH, wherein the oxygenate is used as extractant and wherein an extract phase comprising C4+ olefins and the extractant are converted into olefins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Sivakumar SADASIVAN VIJAYAKUMARI, Jeroen VAN WESTRENEN
  • Publication number: 20140187824
    Abstract: An oxygenate to olefins (OTO) process, comprising the steps of: (i) purifying an oxygenate feedstream comprising one or more ionic contaminants by contacting the feedstream with a membrane, resulting in the formation of a retentate and a permeate separated by the membrane, which permeate is a purified oxygenate stream which contains a lower ionic contaminant concentration than the original oxygenate feedstream; (ii) introducing the purified oxygenate stream into an oxygenate to olefins reaction zone; and (iii) contacting the purified oxygenate stream with a molecular sieve catalyst in the oxygenate to olefins reaction zone to form a product stream comprising olefins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Sivakumar SADASIVAN VIJAYAKUMARI, Jeroen VAN WESTRENEN
  • Publication number: 20140187836
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for removing oxygenate from an olefin stream comprising oxygenate, comprising providing to an oxygenate recovery zone the olefin stream comprising oxygenate and a liquid solvent comprising: (a) butanol; (b)alkyl tert-alkyl ether; or (c) alkyl tert-alkyl ether and butanol, treating the olefin stream comprising oxygenate with the liquid solvent, and retrieving from the oxygenate recovery zone at least one oxygenate-depleted olefinic product stream comprising olefin and a spent liquid solvent comprising at least part of the oxygenate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Sivakumar SADASIVAN VIJAYAKUMARI, Jeroen VAN WESTRENEN
  • Publication number: 20140187804
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for removing oxygenate from an olefin stream comprising oxygenate, comprising providing to an oxygenate recovery zone the olefin stream comprising oxygenate and a solvent comprising propanol, treating the olefin stream comprising oxygenate with the solvent, and retrieving from the oxygenate recovery zone at least one oxygenate-depleted olefinic product stream comprising olefin and a spent solvent comprising at least part of the oxygenate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: Shell Oil Company
    Inventor: Jeroen VAN WESTRENEN