Patents by Inventor Stephan Rudiger Blum

Stephan Rudiger Blum 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: 20240033652
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides processes and systems for ethanol production. In one embodiment, a first beer column receives a first portion of a feed mixture including ethanol and water to form a first beer column bottom stream and a first beer column vaporous overhead stream. A beer column receives a second portion of the feed mixture. A first portion of the first beer column bottom stream is forwarded to a first beer column reboiler. A second portion of the first beer column bottom stream is forwarded to a plurality of evaporators. A condensed portion of the first beer column vaporous overhead stream is forwarded to a stripper column. The stripper column forms a feed stream, which is contacted with a separation system, thereby forming a permeate and a retentate. The permeate is forwarded directly to at least one selected from the first beer column and the stripper column.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Applicant: Whitefox Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Virginia Andrade, Jin Ming ZHOU, Stephan Rudiger BLUM
  • Patent number: 11779858
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides processes and systems for ethanol production. In one embodiment, a first beer column receives a first portion of a feed mixture including ethanol and water to form a first beer column bottom stream and a first beer column vaporous overhead stream. A beer column receives a second portion of the feed mixture. A first portion of the first beer column bottom stream is forwarded to a first beer column reboiler. A second portion of the first beer column bottom stream is forwarded to a plurality of evaporators. A condensed portion of the first beer column vaporous overhead stream is forwarded to a stripper column. The stripper column forms a feed stream, which is contacted with a separation system, thereby forming a permeate and a retentate. The permeate is forwarded directly to at least one selected from the first beer column and the stripper column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: WHITEFOX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventors: Virginia Andrade, Jin Ming Zhou, Stephan Rudiger Blum
  • Publication number: 20220410028
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides processes and systems for heat integration in ethanol production. In one embodiment, a feed mixture is distilled with one or more distillation units to remove at least a portion of the water, and form a distillation unit bottom stream, a vaporous overhead stream, and a fusel oil stream. Molecular sieve units are regenerated by vacuum or a combination of vacuum and optionally a portion of the product stream to form one or more regenerate streams. A feed tank is configured to receive at least one selected from a condensed portion of the regenerate streams and a portion of a vaporous depressure stream, to form a feed stream. The energy contained in the depressure vapor is recovered by the depressure vapor contacting the feed tank and heating up at least one stream forwarded into the feed tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: Whitefox Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Virginia ANDRADE, Jin Ming ZHOU, Stephan Rüdiger BLUM
  • Patent number: 11426675
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides processes and systems for heat integration in ethanol production. In one embodiment, a feed mixture is distilled with one or more distillation units to remove at least a portion of the water, and form a distillation unit bottom stream, a vaporous overhead stream, and a fusel oil stream. Molecular sieve units are regenerated by vacuum or a combination of vacuum and optionally a portion of the product stream to form one or more regenerate streams. A feed tank is configured to receive at least one selected from a condensed portion of the regenerate streams and a portion of a vaporous depressure stream, to form a feed stream. The energy contained in the depressure vapor is recovered by the depressure vapor contacting the feed tank and heating up at least one stream forwarded into the feed tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: WHITEFOX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventors: Virginia Andrade, Jin Ming Zhou, Stephan Rüdiger Blum
  • Patent number: 11007452
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides processes and systems for dehydrating a byproduct stream in ethanol production. In one embodiment, a feed mixture is distilled with one or more distillation units to remove at least a portion of the water, and form a first byproduct stream. The first byproduct stream is contacted with a molecular sieve unit, thereby forming a product stream. The molecular sieve unit is cyclically contacted with at least a portion of the product stream to regenerate the molecular sieve unit and form one or more regenerate streams. A second byproduct stream including at least one of (1) the regenerate streams and (2) at least a portion of the fusel oil stream is contacted with a separation system, thereby forming a permeate and a retentate. At least a portion of the retentate is forwarded into the product stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: WHITEFOX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventors: Stephan Rüdiger Blum, Virginia Andrade
  • Publication number: 20210113937
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides processes and systems for ethanol production. In one embodiment, a first beer column receives a first portion of a feed mixture including ethanol and water to form a first beer column bottom stream and a first beer column vaporous overhead stream. A beer column receives a second portion of the feed mixture. A first portion of the first beer column bottom stream is forwarded to a first beer column reboiler. A second portion of the first beer column bottom stream is forwarded to a plurality of evaporators. A condensed portion of the first beer column vaporous overhead stream is forwarded to a stripper column. The stripper column forms a feed stream, which is contacted with a separation system, thereby forming a permeate and a retentate. The permeate is forwarded directly to at least one selected from the first beer column and the stripper column.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Applicant: WHITEFOX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventors: Virginia ANDRADE, Jin Ming ZHOU, Stephan Rudiger BLUM
  • Patent number: 10874956
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides processes and systems for ethanol production. In one embodiment, a first beer column receives a first portion of a feed mixture including ethanol and water to form a first beer column bottom stream and a first beer column vaporous overhead stream. A beer column receives a second portion of the feed mixture. A first portion of the first beer column bottom stream is forwarded to a first beer column reboiler. A second portion of the first beer column bottom stream is forwarded to a plurality of evaporators. A condensed portion of the first beer column vaporous overhead stream is forwarded to a stripper column. The stripper column forms a feed stream, which is contacted with a separation system, thereby forming a permeate and a retentate. The permeate is forwarded directly to at least one selected from the first beer column and the stripper column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: WHITEFOX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventors: Virginia Andrade, Jin Ming Zhou, Stephan Rudiger Blum
  • Publication number: 20200360833
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides processes and systems for heat integration in ethanol production. In one embodiment, a feed mixture is distilled with one or more distillation units to remove at least a portion of the water, and form a distillation unit bottom stream, a vaporous overhead stream, and a fusel oil stream. Molecular sieve units are regenerated by vacuum or a combination of vacuum and optionally a portion of the product stream to form one or more regenerate streams. A feed tank is configured to receive at least one selected from a condensed portion of the regenerate streams and a portion of a vaporous depressure stream, to form a feed stream. The energy contained in the depressure vapor is recovered by the depressure vapor contacting the feed tank and heating up at least one stream forwarded into the feed tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Applicant: WHITEFOX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventors: Virginia Andrade, Jin Ming Zhou, Stephan Rüdiger Blum
  • Patent number: 10729987
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides processes and systems for heat integration in ethanol production. In one embodiment, a feed mixture is distilled with one or more distillation units to remove at least a portion of the water, and form a distillation unit bottom stream, a vaporous overhead stream, and a fusel oil stream. Molecular sieve units are regenerated by vacuum or a combination of vacuum and optionally a portion of the product stream to form one or more regenerate streams. A feed tank is configured to receive at least one selected from a condensed portion of the regenerate streams and a portion of a vaporous depressure stream, to form a feed stream. The energy contained in the depressure vapor is recovered by the depressure vapor contacting the feed tank and heating up at least one stream forwarded into the feed tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: WHITEFOX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventors: Virginia Andrade, Jin Ming Zhou, Stephan Rüdiger Blum
  • Publication number: 20200086227
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides processes and systems for dehydrating a byproduct stream in ethanol production. In one embodiment, a feed mixture is distilled with one or more distillation units to remove at least a portion of the water, and form a first byproduct stream. The first byproduct stream is contacted with a molecular sieve unit, thereby forming a product stream. The molecular sieve unit is cyclically contacted with at least a portion of the product stream to regenerate the molecular sieve unit and form one or more regenerate streams. A second byproduct stream including at least one of (1) the regenerate streams and (2) at least a portion of the fusel oil stream is contacted with a separation system, thereby forming a permeate and a retentate. At least a portion of the retentate is forwarded into the product stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Applicant: WHITEFOX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventors: Stephan Rüdiger Blum, Virginia Andrade
  • Publication number: 20200071465
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for modifying and cross-linking polybenzimidazoles, PBI. In one embodiment, the polybenzimidazole reacts with a compound, which has a halogen and a double bond functionality and which comprises a halogen and an organic group to form modified polymers by means of a nucleophilic substitution of the amine proton of the benzimidazole functionality in a solution, and a functional group is connected via each resulting free double bond and/or the polymers that are thus modified are cross-linked.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Applicant: WHITEFOX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventors: Stephan Rüdiger BLUM, Katharina KLEINE, Wolfgang BREMSER
  • Patent number: 10486079
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides processes and systems for dehydrating a byproduct stream in ethanol production. In one embodiment, a feed mixture is distilled with one or more distillation units to remove at least a portion of the water, and form a first byproduct stream. The first byproduct stream is contacted with a molecular sieve unit, thereby forming a product stream. The molecular sieve unit is cyclically contacted with at least a portion of the product stream to regenerate the molecular sieve unit and form one or more regenerate streams. A second byproduct stream including at least one of (1) the regenerate streams and (2) at least a portion of the fusel oil stream is contacted with a separation system, thereby forming a permeate and a retentate. At least a portion of the retentate is forwarded into the product stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: WHITEFOX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventors: Stephan Rüdiger Blum, Virginia Andrade
  • Patent number: 10472468
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for modifying and cross-linking polybenzimidazoles, PBI. In one embodiment, the polybenzimidazole reacts with a compound, which has a halogen and a double bond functionality and which comprises a halogen and an organic group to form modified polymers by means of a nucleophilic substitution of the amine proton of the benzimidazole functionality in a solution, and a functional group is connected via each resulting free double bond and/or the polymers that are thus modified are cross-linked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: WHITEFOX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventors: Stephan Rüdiger Blum, Katharina Kleine, Wolfgang Bremser
  • Publication number: 20190336882
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides processes and systems for ethanol production. In one embodiment, a first beer column receives a first portion of a feed mixture including ethanol and water to form a first beer column bottom stream and a first beer column vaporous overhead stream. A beer column receives a second portion of the feed mixture. A first portion of the first beer column bottom stream is forwarded to a first beer column reboiler. A second portion of the first beer column bottom stream is forwarded to a plurality of evaporators. A condensed portion of the first beer column vaporous overhead stream is forwarded to a stripper column. The stripper column forms a feed stream, which is contacted with a separation system, thereby forming a permeate and a retentate. The permeate is forwarded directly to at least one selected from the first beer column and the stripper column.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Inventors: Virginia Andrade, James Zhou, Stephan Rudiger Blum
  • Publication number: 20180155499
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for modifying and cross-linking polybenzimidazoles, PBI. In one embodiment, the polybenzimidazole reacts with a compound, which has a halogen and a double bond functionality and which comprises a halogen and an organic group to form modified polymers by means of a nucleophilic substitution of the amine proton of the benzimidazole functionality in a solution, and a functional group is connected via each resulting free double bond and/or the polymers that are thus modified are cross-linked.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2018
    Publication date: June 7, 2018
    Applicant: WHITEFOX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventors: Stephan Rüdiger BLUM, Katharina KLEINE, Wolfgang BREMSER
  • Patent number: 9873768
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for modifying and cross-linking polybenzimidazoles, PBI. In one embodiment, the polybenzimidazole reacts with a compound, which has a halogen and a double bond functionality and which comprises a halogen and an organic group to form modified polymers by means of a nucleophilic substitution of the amine proton of the benzimidazole functionality in a solution, and a functional group is connected via each resulting free double bond and/or the polymers that are thus modified are cross-linked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: WHITEFOX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventors: Stephan Rüdiger Blum, Katharina Kleine, Wolfgang Bremser
  • Patent number: 9511328
    Abstract: A method for sealing a membrane module by introducing a seal or a sealing mass between a head plate holding a tube bundle and a mounting ring holding the head plate. Alternatively, a sealing mass containing quartz sand is proposed for sealing cracks in the head plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: WHITEFOX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventor: Stephan Rüdiger Blum
  • Publication number: 20160108177
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for modifying and cross-linking polybenzimidazoles, PBI. In one embodiment, the polybenzimidazole reacts with a compound, which has a halogen and a double bond functionality and which comprises a halogen and an organic group to form modified polymers by means of a nucleophilic substitution of the amine proton of the benzimidazole functionality in a solution, and a functional group is connected via each resulting free double bond and/or the polymers that are thus modified are cross-linked.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Stephan Rüdiger BLUM, Katharina KLEIN, Wolfgang BREMSER
  • Patent number: 9221951
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for modifying and cross-linking polybenzimidazoles, PBI. In one embodiment, the polybenzimidazole reacts with a compound, which has a halogen and a double bond functionality and which comprises a halogen and an organic group to form modified polymers by means of a nucleophilic substitution of the amine proton of the benzimidazole functionality in a solution, and a functional group is connected via each resulting free double bond and/or the polymers that are thus modified are cross-linked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: WHITEFOX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventors: Stephan Rüdiger Blum, Katharina Klein, Wolfgang Bremser
  • Publication number: 20130237619
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for modifying and cross-linking polybenzimidazoles, PBI. The polybenzimidazole reacts with a compound, which has a halogen and a double bond functionality and which comprises a halogen and an organic group to form modified polymers by means of a nucleophilic substitution of the amine proton of the benzimidazole functionality in a solution, and a functional group is connected via each resulting free double bond and/or the polymers that are thus modified are cross-linked.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: WHITEFOX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventors: Stephan Rüdiger Blum, Katharina Klein, Wolfgang Bremser