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).

  • Publication number: 20140187833
    Abstract: The invention provides a process for preparing olefins, comprising: (a) reacting an oxygenate and/or olefinic feed in a first reactor in the presence of a molecular sieve catalyst to form a first effluent comprising olefins; (b) fractionating at least part of the first effluent into an olefinic product fraction comprising ethylene and propylene and an olefinic product fraction comprising olefins containing 4 or more carbon atoms; (c) subjecting a paraffin-containing hydrocarbon feedstock in a second reactor to a steam cracking process to form a second effluent comprising olefins including butadiene; (d) fractionating the second effluent into an olefinic product fraction comprising ethylene and/or propylene and an olefinic product fraction comprising mono-olefins containing 4 or more carbon atoms; and (e) recycling the olefinic product fraction comprising at least part of the ethylene and/or propylene as obtained in step (d) to the reactor in step (a).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Leslie Andrew CHEWTER, Sivakumar SADASIVAN VIJAYAKUMARI, Jeroen VAN WESTRENEN
  • Publication number: 20140187806
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing an olefinic product, comprising (a) preparing a reaction product by converting an oxygenate-comprising feedstock in an oxygenate to olefin process, the reaction product comprising at least C2+ olefins and DME, (b) separating at least part of the reaction product by means of extractive distillation using a butanol solvent into: (i) a first fraction comprising C3? olefins and butanol; and (ii) a second fraction comprising C4+ olefins, DME and butanol; (c) separating the first fraction into: (iii)a C3? olefinic product; and (iv) a third fraction comprising butanol; (d) separating the second fraction into: (v) a DME-comprising C4-C5 olefinic product; and (vi) a fourth fraction comprising butanol and C6+ olefins, wherein at least part of the third and/or fourth fraction are recycled to step (b) together with or as part of the butanol solvent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: Shell Oil Company
    Inventor: Jeroen VAN WESTRENEN
  • Publication number: 20140171665
    Abstract: The present invention provides 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 ethanol, 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: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: Shell Oil Company
    Inventor: Jeroen VAN WESTRENEN
  • Patent number: 8754280
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for start-up of an Oxygenate-to-Olefins process, which process comprises the steps: a) providing an oxygenate-comprising feedstock to an Oxygenate-to-Olefins reaction zone and contacting the feedstock with a zeolite-comprising catalyst at a temperature in the range of from 450 to 700° C. ° C., to obtain an reaction product containing olefins; b) separating the reaction product obtained in step a) in at least a product fraction containing ethylene and/or propylene and a product fraction containing C4+ olefins; c) recycling at least part of the C4+ olefins in the product fraction containing C4+ olefins to the Oxygenate-to-Olefins reaction zone in step (a), characterized in that upon start-up the oxygenate-comprising feedstock initially comprises a first amount of externally supplied tert-alkyl ether and subsequently the amount of externally supplied tert-alkyl ether in the oxygenate-comprising feedstock is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Leslie Andrew Chewter, Rajaram Ramesh, Sivakumar Sadasivan Vijayakumari, Jeroen Van Westrenen
  • Patent number: 8754277
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing ethylene and/or propylene, comprising the steps of providing a hydrocarbon stream, comprising C4+ normal olefins and C4+ iso-olefins; converting C4+ isoolefins to tert-alkyl ether and separating the ethers from the hydrocarbon stream; isomersing the C4+ normal olefins to iso-olefins and converting C4+ isoolefins to tert-alkyl ether and separating the ethers from the hydrocarbon stream; converting the obtained tert-alkyl ether to ethylene and propylene by contacting the tert-alkyl ether with a molecular sieve-comprising catalyst and retrieving an olefinic product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Sivakumar Sadasivan Vijayakumari, Jeroen Van Westrenen
  • Patent number: 8742188
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing ethylene and/or propylene and an iso-olefin-depleted olefinic product, comprising the steps of: a) providing a C5 hydrocarbon-comprising stream, comprising C5 cyclopentene and C5 iso-olefins; b) subjecting the C5 hydrocarbon-comprising stream to an etherification process with methanol and/or ethanol wherein at least part of the C5 iso-olefins are converted with methanol and/or ethanol to an tert-alkyl ether, and retrieving an etherification product stream; c) separating at least part of the etherification product stream into at least an ether-enriched stream and a first iso-olefin-depleted olefinic product; d) converting at least part of the tert-alkyl ether in the ether-enriched stream to ethylene and/or propylene by contacting at least part of the ether-enriched stream with a molecular sieve-comprising catalyst at a temperature in the range of from 350 to 1000° C. and retrieving a second olefinic product comprising ethylene and/or propylene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Leslie Andrew Chewter, Rajaram Ramesh, Sivakumar Sadasivan Vijayakumari, Jeroen Van Westrenen
  • Publication number: 20140148631
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing ethylene and/or propylene, wherein an oxygenate feedstock is contacted with a zeolite-comprising catalyst at a temperature in the range of from 500 to 700° C. to obtain a reactor effluent comprising ethylene and/or propylene and the oxygenate feedstock is contacted with the catalyst in a riser reactor having a reactor wall defining a flow trajectory towards a downstream outlet for reactor effluent, wherein at least oxygenate feedstock and catalyst are provided at one or more upstream inlets of the riser reactor and wherein C5 olefins are admitted to the riser reactor at one or more of locations along the length of the flow trajectory. The invention further provides a reaction system suitable for preparing ethylene and propylene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Inventors: Leslie Andrew CHEWTER, Ye-Mon CHEN, Timothy NISBET, Sivakumar SADASIVAN VIJAYAKUMARI, Jeroen VAN WESTRENEN
  • Patent number: 8704027
    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 to retrieve 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 subjected to an etherification process with wherein at least part of the iso-olefins are converted with methanol and/or ethanol to an tert-alkyl ether and an etherification product stream is retrieved and separated into an ether-enriched stream and an iso-olefin-depleted C4+ hydrocarbon stream. Part of the iso-olefin-depleted C4+ hydrocarbon stream from the process to purge part of the paraffinic C4+ hydrocarbons while another part of the iso-olefin-depleted C4+ hydrocarbon stream is recycled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Leslie Andrew Chewter, Rajaram Ramesh, Jeroen Van Westrenen
  • Patent number: 8686211
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing ethylene and propylene and a butadiene-enriched product, comprising the steps of: a) providing a C4 hydrocarbon stream, comprising iso-olefins and butadiene. b) subjecting the C4 hydrocarbon stream to an etherification process, wherein the iso-olefins are converted with methanol and/or ethanol to an tert-alkyl ether in the presence of a catalyst, wherein the molar ratio of alcohol to iso-olefin is maintained above 1, and retrieving an etherification product stream; c) separating the etherification product stream into an ether-enriched stream and a butadiene-enriched product; d) converting the tert-alkyl ether in the ether-enriched stream to ethylene and/or propylene by contacting least part of the ether-enriched stream with a molecular sieve-comprising catalyst at a temperature in the range of from 350 to 1000° C. and retrieving an olefinic product comprising ethylene and/or propylene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventor: Jeroen Van Westrenen
  • Patent number: 8686207
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing ethylene and propylene, comprising the step of: a) contacting a feed comprising methanol, ethanol and C4+ olefins with a catalyst, comprising ZSM-5 having a silica to alumina ratio in the range of from 40 to 100, at a temperature in the range of from 350 to 1000° C. to obtain a olefinic product comprising ethylene and propylene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Sivakumar Sadasivan Vijayakumari, Jeroen Van Westrenen
  • Publication number: 20140018556
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of ethylene oxide, comprising the steps of: producing ethylene by converting a stream comprising an oxygenate into a stream comprising ethylene and ethane; producing ethylene oxide by subjecting ethylene and ethane from the stream comprising ethylene and ethane to oxidation conditions resulting in a stream comprising ethylene oxide, unconverted ethylene and ethane; and recovering ethylene oxide from the stream comprising ethylene oxide, unconverted ethylene and ethane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Inventors: Michiel Johannes Franciscus Maria Verhaak, Jeroen Van Westrenen
  • Patent number: 8598398
    Abstract: Process for the preparation of ethylene and/or propylene comprising reacting an oxygenate feed and an olefinic co-feed in a reactor in the presence of a zeolite catalyst to prepare an olefinic reaction mixture; wherein the olefinic co-feed is partially obtained from an olefinic refinery stream and partially obtained from a olefinic recycle stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Leslie Andrew Chewter, Michiel Johannes Franciscus Maria Verhaak, Jeroen Van Westrenen
  • Patent number: 8569525
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing ethylene oxide, comprising (a) cracking an ethane-comprising feed in a cracking zone under cracking conditions to obtain olefins including at least ethylene and hydrogen; (b) converting an oxygenate feedstock in an oxygenate-to-olefin zone to obtain olefins, including at least ethylene; providing at least part of the ethylene obtained in step (a) and /or (b) to an ethylene oxidation zone together with a feed containing oxygen and oxidizing ethylene to obtain at least ethylene oxide and carbon dioxide. At least part of the oxygenate feedstock is obtained by providing carbon dioxide obtained in step (c) and a feed containing hydrogen to an oxygenate synthesis zone and synthesizing oxygenates, which feed containing hydrogen comprises hydrogen obtained in step (a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Leslie Andrew Chewter, Herve Henry, Jeroen Van Westrenen
  • Publication number: 20130245294
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for start-up of an Oxygenate-to-Olefins process, which process comprises the steps: a) providing an oxygenate-comprising feedstock to an Oxygenate-to-Olefins reaction zone and contacting the feedstock with a zeolite-comprising catalyst at a temperature in the range of from 450 to 700° C. ° C., to obtain an reaction product containing olefins; b) separating the reaction product obtained in step a) in at least a product fraction containing ethylene and/or propylene and a product fraction containing C4+ olefins; c) recycling at least part of the C4+ olefins in the product fraction containing C4+ olefins to the Oxygenate-to-Olefins reaction zone in step (a), characterised in that upon start-up the oxygenate-comprising feedstock initially comprises a first amount of externally supplied tert-alkyl ether and subsequently the amount of externally supplied tert-alkyl ether in the oxygenate-comprising feedstock is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: SHELL OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Leslie Andrew CHEWTER, Rajaram RAMESH, Sivakumar SADASIVAN VIJAYAKUMARI, Jeroen VAN WESTRENEN
  • Publication number: 20130245290
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing ethylene and propylene, comprising the step of: a) contacting a feed comprising methanol, ethanol and C4+ olefins with a catalyst, comprising ZSM-5 having a silica to alumina ratio in the range of from 40 to 100, at a temperature in the range of from 350 to 1000° C. to obtain a olefinic product comprising ethylene and propylene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: SHELL OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Sivakumar SADASIVAN VIJAYAKUMARI, Jeroen VAN WESTRENEN
  • Publication number: 20130245292
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing ethylene and/or propylene and an iso-olefin-depleted olefinic product, comprising the steps of: a) providing a C5 hydrocarbon-comprising stream, comprising C5 cyclopentene and C5 iso-olefins; b) subjecting the C5 hydrocarbon-comprising stream to an etherification process with methanol and/or ethanol wherein at least part of the C5 iso-olefins are converted with methanol and/or ethanol to an tert-alkyl ether, and retrieving an etherification product stream; c) separating at least part of the etherification product stream into at least an ether-enriched stream and a first iso-olefin-depleted olefinic product; d) converting at least part of the tert-alkyl ether in the ether-enriched stream to ethylene and/or propylene by contacting at least part of the ether-enriched stream with a molecular sieve-comprising catalyst at a temperature in the range of from 350 to 1000° C. and retrieving a second olefinic product comprising ethylene and/or propylene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: SHELL OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Leslie Andrew CHEWTER, Rajaram RAMESH, Sivakumar SADASIVAN VIJAYAKUMARI, Jeroen VAN WESTRENEN
  • Publication number: 20130245221
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process preparing ethylene and propylene, comprising the step of: a) contacting a feed comprising a tert alkyl ether obtained from an etherification reaction between ethanol and a tertiary iso-olefin with a zeolite-comprising catalyst at a temperature in the range of from 350 to 1000° C. to obtain a olefinic product comprising ethylene and propylene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: SHELL OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Leslie Andrew CHEWTER, Sivakumar SADASIVAN VIJAYAKUMARI, Jeroen VAN WESTRENEN
  • Publication number: 20130245293
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing ethylene and/or propylene, comprising the steps of providing a hydrocarbon stream, comprising C4+ normal olefins and C4+ iso-olefins; converting C4+ isoolefins to tert-alkyl ether and separating the ethers from the hydrocarbon stream; isomersing the C4+ normal olefins to iso-olefins and converting C4+ isoolefins to tert-alkyl ether and separating the ethers from the hydrocarbon stream; converting the obtained tert-alkyl ether to ethylene and propylene by contacting the tert-alkyl ether with a molecular sieve-comprising catalyst and retrieving an olefinic product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: SHELL OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Sivakumar SADASIVAN VIJAYAKUMARI, Jeroen VAN WESTRENEN
  • Publication number: 20130245295
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing ethylene and propylene and a butadiene-enriched product, comprising the steps of: a) providing a C4 hydrocarbon stream, comprising iso-olefins and butadiene. b) subjecting the C4 hydrocarbon stream to an etherification process, wherein the iso-olefins are converted with methanol and/or ethanol to an tert-alkyl ether in the presence of a catalyst, wherein the molar ratio of alcohol to iso-olefin is maintained above 1, and retrieving an etherification product stream; c) separating the etherification product stream into an ether-enriched stream and a butadiene-enriched product; d) converting the tert-alkyl ether in the ether-enriched stream to ethylene and/or propylene by contacting least part of the ether-enriched stream with a molecular sieve-comprising catalyst at a temperature in the range of from 350 to 1000° C. and retrieving an olefinic product comprising ethylene and/or propylene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: SHELL OIL COMPANY
    Inventor: Jeroen VAN WESTRENEN
  • Publication number: 20130245291
    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: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: SHELL OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Sivakumar SADASIVAN VIJAYAKUMARI, Jeroen VAN WESTRENEN