By Condensation Of A Paraffin Molecule With An Olefin-acting Molecule, E.g., Alkylation, Etc. Patents (Class 585/709)
  • Patent number: 11912643
    Abstract: A liquid-solid axial moving bed reaction and regeneration apparatus and a solid acid alkylation process by using the liquid-solid axial moving bed reaction and regeneration apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignees: CHINA PETROLEUM & CHEMICAL CORPORATION, RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF PETROLEUM PROCESSING, SINOPEC
    Inventors: Lifeng Hu, Shuandi Hou, Junyi Mao, Zhenxing Zhu, Xiaojin Tang, Zheng Liu, Yongxiang Li, Zhihai Zhao
  • Patent number: 10618858
    Abstract: A method of alkylating a hydrocarbon stream including: providing a feed stream that includes hydrocarbons and ionic liquid catalyst; passing the feed stream through a low efficiency mixer to create a mixed stream, whereby the low efficiency mixer creates droplets within the feed stream that are primarily within a predetermined size range; passing the mixed stream and an olefin stream into a reactor; performing an alkylation reaction within the reactor, thereby forming a reacted stream; and separating the reacted stream into a settled ionic liquid catalyst stream and a hydrocarbon stream through the use of at least one hydrocyclone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: UOP, LLC
    Inventor: Eric Leeton
  • Patent number: 9580366
    Abstract: A continuous mixing reactor has an outer shell having a cylindrical portion with a central section and two opposite conical end sections; a circulation tube within the shell so that an annular passage forms between the shell and the circulation tube; an impeller within and positioned adjacent to one end of the circulation tube; and heat exchange means penetrating the outer shell and extending into the end of the circulation tube opposite the impeller. The outer shell has a hydraulic head forming one end of the shell, a heat exchange medium header at the opposite end of the shell. The circulation tube nearer the heat exchange medium header terminates at or downstream from a tangential plane extending through the shell at the intersection of the central section and the conical end section of the cylindrical portion of shell. The reactor is useful in an alkylation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: E I DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COMPANY
    Inventors: Mark Coleman Puett, Minye Liu
  • Patent number: 9290702
    Abstract: Methods for monitoring ionic liquids using vibrational spectroscopy may involve contacting an infrared (IR) transmissive medium with the ionic liquid, recording an IR spectrum of the ionic liquid, and quantifying at least one chemical characteristic of the ionic liquid based on the IR spectrum. The IR spectrum may be recorded ex situ or in situ. Methods for controlling ionic liquid catalyzed processes are also disclosed, wherein a condition of the ionic liquid may be determined during such processes based on IR spectral analysis of the ionic liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Howard Steven Lacheen
  • Patent number: 8927800
    Abstract: We provide a method for making hydrocarbon products with reduced organic halide contamination, comprising: a. separating an effluent from an ionic liquid catalyzed hydrocarbon conversion reaction into: i. a hydrocarbon fraction comprising an organic halide contaminant and from greater than zero to less than 5000 wppm olefins; and ii. a used ionic liquid catalyst fraction comprising a used ionic liquid catalyst; and b. contacting the hydrocarbon fraction with an aromatic hydrocarbon reagent and an ionic liquid catalyst to reduce a level of the organic halide contaminant to from greater than zero to 20 wppm in a finished hydrocarbon product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Cedrick Mahieux, Sven Ivar Hommeltoft
  • Patent number: 8865960
    Abstract: Methods for starting and operating ionic liquid catalyzed hydrocarbon conversion processes and systems to provide maximum process efficiency, system reliability and equipment longevity may include: purging air and free water from at least a portion of the system; introducing at least one reactant into the at least a portion of the system; and re-circulating the at least one reactant through the at least a portion of the system, via at least one feed dryer unit, until the at least one reactant exiting the at least a portion of the system has a water content at or below a threshold value, prior to the introduction of an ionic liquid catalyst and/or additional reactant(s) and feeds into the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Hye-Kyung Timken, Howard S. Lacheen, Shawn S. Winter
  • Patent number: 8747783
    Abstract: One exemplary embodiment can be an acid alkylation system. The system can include a cooler-reactor and a settler. The settler can have a height and a width. Usually, the height exceeds the width. Generally, the cooler-reactor receives a feed of at least one of a stream including an olefin and a stream including an isobutane. Typically, at least a portion of one of the streams is bypassed around the cooler-reactor to the settler to control the temperature within the settler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Daryl Dunham, Dale James Shields
  • Patent number: 8729328
    Abstract: A method for the oxidative coupling of hydrocarbons, such as the oxidative coupling of methane to toluene, includes providing an oxidative catalyst inside a reactor, and carrying out the oxidative coupling reaction under a set of reaction conditions. The oxidative catalyst includes (A) at least one element selected from the group consisting of the Lanthanoid group, Mg, Ca, and the elements of Group 4 of the periodic table (Ti, Zr, and Hf); (B) at least one element selected from the group consisting of the Group 1 elements of Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, and the elements of Group 3 (including La and Ac) and Groups 5-15 of the periodic table; (C) at least one element selected from the group consisting of the Group 1 elements of Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, and the elements Ca, Sr, and Ba; and (D) oxygen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Fina Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Sivadinarayana Chinta, Joseph L. Thorman, James R. Butler, Joe Hunter, Taylor Rives
  • Publication number: 20140066678
    Abstract: We provide processes, and process units for practicing the processes, comprising a. regenerating a used catalyst comprising an ionic liquid catalyst and a chloride, from an alkylation reactor, in a hydrogenation reactor to produce a regenerated catalyst effluent; b. separating at least a portion of the regenerated catalyst effluent into a gas fraction comprising a hydrogen gas and into a light hydrocarbon fraction comprising a hydrogen chloride; c. recycling at least a part of the gas fraction comprising the hydrogen gas to the hydrogenation reactor; and d. recovering at least an amount of the light hydrocarbon fraction comprising the hydrogen chloride and recycling the at least the amount of the light hydrocarbon fraction to the alkylation reactor. The alkylation process units comprise a hydrogenation reactor, a fractionation unit, and connections for transmitting the gas fraction to the hydrogenation reactor and for transmitting the light hydrocarbon fraction to the alkylation reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Hye Kyung Cho Timken, Bong-Kyu Chang
  • Patent number: 8658847
    Abstract: In the present invention, a biofuel composition and processes for the incorporation of biologically-derived ethanol into gasoline are disclosed. The present invention discloses ways to use biologically-derived ethanol in gasoline while simultaneously enabling the blending of products from saturation of benzene. In addition, the present invention also discloses ways to use this ethanol with other volatile compounds from petroleum such as isopentane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Dennis J. O'Rear, Sven I. Hommeltoft, Hye-Kung Timken
  • Patent number: 8653318
    Abstract: The present invention provides process for preparing an alkylate comprising contacting in a reactor a hydrocarbon mixture comprising at least an isoparaffin and an olefin with an acidic ionic liquid catalyst under alkylation conditions to obtain an alkylate, which process further comprises: —withdrawing an alkylate-comprising reactor effluent from the reactor, wherein the reactor effluent comprises an ionic liquid phase and a hydrocarbon phase; —separating at least part the reactor effluent into a hydrocarbon phase effluent and a multiple-phase effluent in a centrifugal separation unit; —fractionating at least part of said hydrocarbon phase effluent into at least a stream comprising alkylate and a stream comprising isoparaffin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Zhichang Liu, Chunming Xu, Rui Zhang, Xianghai Meng, Ana Cecilia Patroni, Peter Anton August Klusener, Albertus Vincentius Petrus Van Den Bosch
  • Patent number: 8633346
    Abstract: The present invention provides process for preparing an alkylate comprising contacting in a reaction zone a hydrocarbon mixture comprising at least an isoparaffin and an olefin with an acidic ionic liquid catalyst under alkylation conditions to obtain an alkylate-comprising effluent, in which process: —solids are formed in the reaction zone; —a solids-comprising effluent comprising hydrocarbons and acidic ionic liquid is withdrawn from the reaction zone; and—at least part of the solids-comprising effluent is treated to remove at least part of the solids to obtain a solids-depleted effluent. The invention further provides a process for treating an acidic ionic liquid comprising at least 0.1 wt % of solids based on the total weight of the acidic ionic liquid, wherein at least part of the solids are removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Zhichang Liu, Chunming Xu, Rui Zhang, Xianghai Meng, Ana Cecilia Patroni, Peter Anton August Klusener, Albertus Vincentius Petrus Van Den Bosch
  • Patent number: 8603407
    Abstract: A novel catalytic reactor is provided for controlling the contact of a limiting reactant with a catalyst surface. A first flow vessel defines an interior surface and an exterior surface, and the interior surface has a catalyst deposited on at least a portion thereof. A second flow vessel is positioned within the first flow vessel and the second flow vessel defines a porous surface designed to deliver a fluid uniformly to at least a portion of the interior surface of the first flow vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Precision Combustion, Inc.
    Inventors: William C. Pfefferle, Shahrokh Etemad
  • Patent number: 8569561
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for revamping an HF or sulphuric acid alkylation unit to an ionic liquid alkylation unit, wherein the HF or sulphuric acid alkylation unit comprise at least: —a reactor unit for contacting catalyst and hydrocarbon reactants; —a separator unit for separating a reactor effluent into a catalyst phase and an alkylate-comprising hydrocarbon phase; —a fractionator unit for fractionating the alkylate-comprising hydrocarbon phase into at least one stream comprising alkylate; and which method includes: —providing one or more cyclone units downstream of the reactor unit to separate at least part of the reactor effluent in a catalyst phase and a alkylate-comprising hydrocarbon phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Zhichang Liu, Chunming Xu, Rui Zhang, Xianghai Meng, Ana Cecilia Patroni, Peter Anton August Klusener, Albertus Vincentius Petrus Van Den Bosch
  • Patent number: 8552243
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing an alkylate, comprising: contacting in a reaction zone a hydrocarbon mixture comprising at least isoparaffin and an olefin with an acidic ionic liquid catalyst under alkylation conditions to obtain an alkylate; withdrawing an alkylate-comprising effluent from the reaction zone; separating at least part of the alkylate-comprising effluent into an hydrocarbon-rich phase and an ionic liquid catalyst-rich phase; fractionating part of the hydrocarbon-rich phase into at least an alkylate-comprising product and a isoparaffin-comprising stream; mixing another part of the hydrocarbon-rich phase with an olefin-comprising stream to form the hydrocarbon mixture; and providing the hydrocarbon mixture to the reaction zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Zhichang Liu, Chunming Xu, Rui Zhang, Xianghai Meng, Ana Cecilia Patroni, Peter Anton August Klusener, Albertus Vincentius Petrus Van Den Bosch
  • Patent number: 8536395
    Abstract: A solid catalyst, such as a molecular sieve catalyst or solid acid catalyst, is supported by a binder, such as amorphous silica or alumina, wherein the binder is charged with metal ions to form an ion-modified binder. The ion-modified binder is capable of attachment to polar contaminants and inhibit their contact with the catalyst. The catalyst can be a zeolite and can be the catalyst for an alkylation reaction, such as the alkylation of benzene with ethylene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Fina Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph E. Pelati, Taylor Rives
  • Patent number: 8487154
    Abstract: A process comprising adjusting a level of conjunct polymers in an ionic liquid catalyst between a low level that favors production of C5+ products boiling at 137.8° C. or below and a higher level that favors production of both C5+ products boiling at 137.8° C. or below and C5+ products boiling above 137.8° C.; wherein the adjusting is done in response to market demand. A process unit, comprising a reactor that operates with an ionic liquid catalyst comprising a low level or a higher level of conjunct polymers, and the alkylation reactor is switched between operating with the low and the higher levels in response to market demand. A process unit, comprising a reactor that operates in an alkylate mode and a distillate mode, and a catalyst regenerator that operates with varying severity to adjust the level of conjunct polymers in response to demand for gasoline or distillate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Hye-Kyung Timken, Shawn Winter, Howard S. Lacheen, Sven Ivar Hommeltoft
  • Patent number: 8455708
    Abstract: A process for producing hydrocarbon products, comprising: a) operating a process unit in an alkylate mode wherein greater than 50 wt % of a C5+ hydrocarbon stream from the process unit boils at 137.8° C. or below, b) adjusting one or more process conditions in the process unit, and c) after the adjusting step, operating the process unit in a distillate mode wherein greater than 50 wt % of the C5+ hydrocarbon stream from the process unit boils above 137.8° C. Also, a process unit, comprising: a) an alkylation reactor; and b) a control system that enables the alkylation reactor to be operated in the alkylate mode and in the distillate mode; wherein the alkylation reactor can switch back and forth from operating in the alkylate mode to the distillate mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Hye-Kyung Timken, Shawn Winter, Howard S. Lacheen, Sven Ivar Hommeltoft
  • Patent number: 8383874
    Abstract: A reactor for the autorefrigerant alkylation process has a reactor vessel with a lower end inlet for the refrigerant reactant and the sulfuric acid and a series of inlets for the olefin reactant at vertically spaced intervals. A flow path for the reactants is provided by co-acting baffles which define sequential reaction zones. The baffles interact with a rotary mixer with multiple impellers to provide agitation. Outlets for the vaporized refrigerant and the reaction effluent are provided at the upper end of the vessel. In the alkylation process, the liquid isoparaffin hydrocarbon reactant/refrigerant with a sulfuric acid alkylation catalyst is introduced into the lower end and passed along the extended reactant flow path with the olefin reactant introduced at intervals along the path. The reaction mixture flows in the sequence of serial reaction zones within the reactor to promote mixing of the isoparaffin reactant with the acid catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Ramon A. Strauss, Ramesh R. Hemrajani, Guido L. Spinelli
  • Patent number: 8373014
    Abstract: Systems and processes for the alkylation of a hydrocarbon are provided that utilize a plurality of moving bed radial flow reactors. An olefin injection point can be provided prior to each reactor by providing a mixer that mixes olefin with a hydrocarbon feed, or with the effluent stream from an upstream reactor, to produce a reactor feed stream. Catalyst can be provided from the reaction zone of one reactor to the reaction zone of a downstream reactor through catalyst transfer pipes, and can be regenerated after passing through the reaction zones of the reactors. The moving bed radial flow reactors can be stacked in one or more reactor stacks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Clayton C. Sadler, Mary Jo Wier, Laurence O. Stine, Christopher Naunheimer
  • Patent number: 8350108
    Abstract: Processes and reactor systems are provided for the conversion of oxygenated hydrocarbons to paraffins useful as liquid fuels. The process involves the conversion of water soluble oxygenated hydrocarbons to oxygenates, such as alcohols, furans, ketones, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, diols, triols, and/or other polyols, followed by the subsequent conversion of the oxygenates to paraffins by dehydration and alkylation. The oxygenated hydrocarbons may originate from any source, but are preferably derived from biomass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Virent, Inc.
    Inventors: Randy D. Cortright, Paul G. Blommel, Michael J. Werner, Matthew R. Vanstraten
  • Patent number: 8319000
    Abstract: A process for reacting an iso-pentane, comprising: alkylating the iso-pentane with a converted olefinic feedstock comprising at least 5 wt % C5 olefins, wherein the C5 olefins in the converted olefinic feedstock are predominantly 2-pentene, to make a naphtha and a middle distillate, and wherein a formation of iso-butane during the alkylating is less than 35 wt % of an amount of olefins in the converted olefinic feedstock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Sven Hommeltoft
  • Patent number: 8319001
    Abstract: A process for reacting an iso-pentane, comprising: a) partially converting an olefinic feedstock comprising at least 15 wt % iso-pentene to make a converted olefinic feedstock, wherein the iso-pentene is reduced and an amount of 2-pentene is retained; and b) alkylating the iso-pentane with the converted olefinic feedstock to make a naphtha and a middle distillate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Sven Hommeltoft
  • Patent number: 8314045
    Abstract: A porous solid acid catalyst having high concentration of acidic sites and a large surface area includes a porous silica support and a sulfonated carbon layer disposed within the pores of the silica support. The catalyst, in certain embodiments, has a concentration of —SO3H groups of at least about 0.5 mmol/g and a predominant pore size of at least about 300 ?. The catalyst is used to catalyze a variety of acid-catalyzed reactions, including but not limited to alkylation, acylation, etherification, olefin hydration and alcohol dehydration, dimerization of olefin and bicyclic compounds, esterification and transesterification. For example, the catalyst can be used to catalyze esterification of free fatty acids (FFAs) and, in certain embodiments, to catalyze transesterification of triglycerides in fats and oils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Entreprises Sinoncelli S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Jacques Sinoncelli, Sergey V. Gurevich
  • Patent number: 8299311
    Abstract: A process for reacting an iso-pentane with an olefinic feedstock, comprising: a) partially converting one or more olefins in the olefinic feedstock with an ionic liquid catalyst to make a converted olefinic feedstock, wherein linear internal olefins remain unconverted; and b) alkylating the converted olefinic feedstock with the iso-pentane. A process, comprising: alkylating an iso-pentane with a converted olefinic feedstock comprising at least 5 wt % C5 olefins, wherein the C5 olefins in the converted olefinic feedstock are predominantly 2-pentene, to make a naphtha and a middle distillate, and wherein a formation of iso-butane during the alkylating is low. Also a process, comprising: a) partially converting an olefinic feedstock comprising at least 15 wt % iso-pentene to make a converted olefinic feedstock, wherein the iso-pentene is reduced and an amount of 2-pentene is retained; and b) alkylating the iso-pentane with the converted olefinic feedstock to make a naphtha and a middle distillate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Sven Ivar Hommeltoft
  • Patent number: 8288601
    Abstract: A process for reacting an iso-alkane, comprising: a) partially converting one or more olefins in an olefinic feedstock to make a converted olefinic feedstock, wherein the converting is different from isomerization; b) isolating from the converted olefinic feedstock: i. an enriched feed that has linear internal olefins, and ii. products having a boiling point of 150° C. or higher; and c) alkylating the iso-alkane with the enriched feed to make an alkylate gasoline blending component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Sven Ivar Hommeltoft, Hye Kyung Cho Timken, Steve Sarup Mathur
  • Patent number: 8247628
    Abstract: A process for reacting an iso-alkane, comprising: a) partially converting one or more olefins in an olefinic feedstock with an ionic liquid catalyst to make a converted olefinic feedstock; and b) alkylating the iso-alkane with the converted olefinic feedstock, wherein a reaction heat that is evolved during the alkylating is at least 20% less than if the alkylating step is done with the iso-alkane and the olefinic feedstock without the partially converting step. Also, a process for reacting an iso-alkane, comprising: a) partially converting one or more olefins in an olefinic feedstock to make a converted olefinic feedstock, wherein the converting is different from isomerization; b) isolating from the converted olefinic feedstock: i. an enriched feed that has linear internal olefins, and ii. products having a boiling point of 150° C. or higher; and c) alkylating the iso-alkane with the enriched feed to make an alkylate gasoline blending component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Sven Ivar Hommeltoft, Hye-Kyung C. Timken, Steve S. Mathur
  • Patent number: 8212098
    Abstract: An improved process for removing polymeric by-product (ASO) from the HF alkylation acid in an HF alkylation unit used for the production of gasoline boiling range alkylate product by olefin/iso-paraffin alkylation, comprises fractionating a portion of the circulating HF alkylation acid inventory of the unit with a portion of hot alkylate product in a fractionation zone to from an overhead product comprising HF alkylation acid and water and a bottoms fraction comprising the polymeric by-product and alkylate. The bottoms fraction is sent to the isoparaffin stripper of the unit to remove trace HF alkylation acid as overhead and form a product stream of hot alkylate as a bottoms fraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company
    Inventors: D'Arcy H. J. Blais, Doug F. Bodeux, Steve L. Burgwin, Alexander D. Chan, Gary S. Locke, Jerry H. Squires, Sarah J. Virtue
  • Patent number: 8203027
    Abstract: Biogases such as natural gas and other gases capable of being biologically derived by digestion of organic matter are converted to a clean-burning hydrocarbon liquid fuel in a continuous process wherein a biogas is fed to a reaction vessel where the biogas contacts a liquid petroleum fraction and a transition metal catalyst immersed in the liquid, vaporized product gas is drawn from a vapor space above the liquid level, condensed, and fed to a product vessel where condensate is separated from uncondensed gas and drawn off as the liquid product fuel as uncondensed gas is recycled to the reaction vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Inventors: Rudolf W. Gunnerman, Peter W. Gunnerman
  • Patent number: 8151880
    Abstract: A method for producing alkylated hydrocarbons is disclosed. Formation fluid is produced from a subsurface in situ heat treatment process. The formation fluid is separated to produce a liquid stream and a first gas stream. The first gas stream includes olefins. The liquid stream is fractionated to produce at least a second gas stream including hydrocarbons having a carbon number of at least 3. The first gas stream and the second gas stream are introduced into an alkylation unit to produce alkylated hydrocarbons. At least a portion of the olefins in the first gas stream enhance alkylation. The alkylated hydrocarbons may be blended with one or more components to produce transportation fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Augustinus Wilhelmus Maria Roes, Weijian Mo, Michel Serge Marie Muylle, Remco Hugo Mandema, Vijay Nair
  • Patent number: 8142725
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising: a) an alkylation reactor holding an ionic liquid catalyst and a reactant mixture, b) a means for measuring levels of a halide in an effluent from the alkylation reactor, and c) a control system that receives a signal in response to the measuring and communicates changes in an operating condition that influences the yield of products from the reactant mixture. The control system is responsive to deviations outside a predetermined range of halide level that has been selected to obtain a ratio of a yield of an alkylate gasoline and a yield of a middle distillate from 0.31 to 4.0 in the product from the alkylation reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Sven Ivar Hommeltoft, Howard S. Lacheen
  • Patent number: 8128895
    Abstract: Processing schemes and arrangements are provided for obtaining propylene and propane via the catalytic cracking of a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock and converting the propylene into cumene without separating the propane from the propane/propylene feed stream. The disclosed processing schemes and arrangements advantageously eliminate any separation of propylene from propane produced by a FCC process prior to using the combined propane/propane stream as a feed for a cumene alkylation process. A bottoms stream from the cumene column of the cumene alkylation process can be used and an absorption solvent in the FCC process thereby eliminating the need for a transalkylation reactor and a DIPB/TIPB column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: Michael A. Schultz
  • Publication number: 20110319694
    Abstract: Methods for starting and operating ionic liquid catalyzed hydrocarbon conversion processes and systems to provide maximum process efficiency, system reliability and equipment longevity may include: purging air and free water from at least a portion of the system; introducing at least one reactant into the at least a portion of the system; and re-circulating the at least one reactant through the at least a portion of the system, via at least one feed dryer unit, until the at least one reactant exiting the at least a portion of the system has a water content at or below a threshold value, prior to the introduction of an ionic liquid catalyst and/or additional reactant(s) and feeds into the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Inventors: Hye-Kyung Timken, Howard S. Lacheen, Shawn S. Winter
  • Patent number: 8084661
    Abstract: A process for the regeneration of spent sulfuric acid including contacting spent sulfuric acid containing acid soluble oils (ASO) with sulfur dioxide to extract at least a portion of the ASO from the spent sulfuric acid into the sulfur dioxide. The sulfuric acid phase having a reduced ASO content and a sulfur dioxide phase containing at least a portion of the ASO may be recovered. The resulting sulfuric acid and sulfur dioxide phases may be further separated to recover ASO, sulfur dioxide, and sulfuric acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventor: William M. Cross, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20110306088
    Abstract: A honeycomb body is disclosed having cells extending along a common direction, a first plurality of the cells being open at both ends of the body and a second plurality of the cells being closed at one or both ends of the body, the second plurality of cells arranged in one or more groups of cells cooperating to define one or more fluid passages extending through the body at least in part perpendicularly to the common direction, wherein, in a plane perpendicular to the common direction, the ratio of the area of cells of the first plurality to the area of cells of the second plurality varies along the length of at least one of the one or more fluid passages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Inventors: Peng Chen, Yi Jiang, James Scott Sutherland, Andrew David Woodfin
  • Patent number: 8067656
    Abstract: A process for separating an ionic liquid from hydrocarbons employs a coalescer material having a stronger affinity for the ionic liquid than the hydrocarbons. The coalescer material can be a high surface area material having a large amount of contact area to which ionic liquid droplets dispersed in the hydrocarbons may adhere. The process includes feeding a mixture comprising ionic liquid droplets dispersed in hydrocarbons to a coalescer comprising the coalescer material. The process further includes a capture step involving adhering at least a portion of the ionic liquid droplets to the coalescer material to provide captured droplets and a coalescing step involving coalescing captured droplets into coalesced droplets. After the capture and coalescence steps, the coalesced droplets are allowed to fall from the coalescer material to separate the ionic liquid from the hydrocarbons and provide a hydrocarbon effluent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Huping Luo, Moinuddin Ahmed, Krishniah Parimi, Bong-Kyu Chang
  • Patent number: 7988747
    Abstract: A method for producing a low sulphur containing fuel from a hydrocarbon feed having from 10 to 80 ppm of sulphur is disclosed. The method comprises contacting a hydrocarbon stream comprising at least one olefin having from 2 to 6 carbon atoms and at least one paraffin having from 4 to 6 carbon atoms with an ionic liquid catalyst and a halide containing additive in an alkylation reaction zone under alkylating conditions to produce a fuel having sulphur content up to 10 ppm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Howard Lacheen, Hye-Kyung C. Timken
  • Patent number: 7956230
    Abstract: A method for reducing halide concentration in a hydrocarbon product made by a hydrocarbon conversion process using an ionic liquid catalyst comprising a halogen-containing an acidic ionic liquid comprising: (i) separating at least a portion of the hydrocarbon product from the ionic liquid catalyst used in the hydrocarbon conversion process from the hydrocarbon product; (ii) contacting at least a portion of the separated hydrocarbon product with an ionic liquid catalyst having the same formula as the ionic liquid catalyst used in the hydrocarbon conversion process; (iii) separating at least a portion of the hydrocarbon product from the ionic liquid catalyst of step (ii); and (iv) recovering at least a portion of the separated hydrocarbon product of step (iii) having a halide concentration less than the halide concentration of the hydrocarbon product of step (i) is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Hye-Kyung C. Timken, Michael S. Driver, Thomas V. Harris
  • Publication number: 20110118516
    Abstract: A process for producing a feedstock for gasolines having very little aromatic concentrations is disclosed. The present process uses by-product olefins and alkanes to produce an alkylate for use in gasoline blending.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2011
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: UOP LLC
    Inventors: John J. Senetar, David A. Wegerer, Gavin P. Towler
  • Patent number: 7935320
    Abstract: A system and/or process for decreasing the level of at least one organic fluoride present in a hydrocarbon phase contained in an alkylation settler by contacting the hydrocarbon phase with an HF containing stream, containing greater than about 80 wt. % and less than about 94 wt. % HF, in the intermediate portion of the settler which contains at least one tray system, with each tray system comprising a perforated tray defining a plurality of perforations and a layer of packing below the perforated tray, are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Keith W. Hovis, Bruce B. Randolph
  • Patent number: 7914754
    Abstract: Processing schemes and arrangements are provided for obtaining ethylene and ethane via the catalytic cracking of a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock and converting the ethylene into ethyl benzene without separating the ethane from the feed stream. The disclosed processing schemes and arrangements advantageously eliminate any separation of ethylene from ethane produced by a FCC process prior to using the combined ethylene/ethane stream as a feed for an ethyl benzene process. Further, heat from the alkylation reactor is used for one of the strippers of the FCC process and at least one bottoms stream from alkylation process is used as an absorption solvent in the FCC process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: Michael A. Schultz
  • Patent number: 7906700
    Abstract: A process for alkylating isobutene by introducing a feed containing isobutene and an isoparaffin, in the form of droplets, into an acid catalyst to produce an alkylation product, wherein the Sauter mean diameter of the droplets is greater than or equal to about 150 ?m and is less than or equal to about 500 ?m, is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Bruce B. Randolph, Keith W. Hovis, Kenneth C. Hoover
  • Patent number: 7875754
    Abstract: A method of operation for producing high yield of alkylate product using catalytic reactors. The catalytic reactors which cycle between reaction mode and catalyst regeneration mode have their contents exchanged with each other at the beginning of each cycle in order to increase the yield of the desired product. This exchange increases the yield by minimizing the contact of reactant in reaction mode with regenerant utilized in regeneration mode. Thus, reducing/preventing the undesirable alternate reaction between the two, which consumes the reactant making it unavailable for the production of the desired product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Lummus Technology Inc.
    Inventor: Vincent James D′Amico
  • Patent number: 7781634
    Abstract: A process for the removal of aromatic compounds from an olefin feed to a paraffin alkylation is disclosed. The process may include feeding a olefin and aromatic containing hydrocarbon stream and a dilute alkylate product stream comprising alkylate product and unreacted material from the paraffin alkylation to a distillation zone and removing the unreacted material as overheads and removing a more concentrated alkylate product stream and a portion of the aromatic compounds as bottoms resulting in an improved alkylation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventor: William M. Cross, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7744828
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process and apparatus for removing nitrogen compounds from an alkylation substrate such as benzene. A conventional adsorbent bed can be used to adsorb basic organic nitrogen compounds and a hot adsorbent bed of acidic molecular sieve can adsorb the weakly basic nitrogen compounds such as nitrites. Water facilitates the adsorption of the weakly basic nitrogen compounds. Running an alkylation substrate stream from a fractionation column of elevated temperature and suitable water concentration to the hot adsorbent bed may be advantageous.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Robert J. Schmidt, Andrew S. Zarchy
  • Patent number: 7728185
    Abstract: A process for increasing the propylene yields for hydrocarbon cracking processes. The process includes adding using alkylation of the C4s coming from the hydrocarbon cracker, and passing larger olefins to an olefin cracking unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: John J. Senetar, Bryan K. Glover
  • Publication number: 20090306427
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for chemically functionalizing carbon nanotubes. The process comprises dispersing carbon nanotube salts in a solvent; and chemically functionalizing the carbon nanotube salts to provide chemically functionalized carbon nanotubes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Inventors: Yadienka Martinez-Rubi, Jingwen Guan, Benoit Simard
  • Patent number: 7581589
    Abstract: A method for producing alkylated hydrocarbons is disclosed. Formation fluid is produced from a subsurface in situ heat treatment process. The formation fluid is separated to produce a liquid stream and a first gas stream. The first gas stream includes olefins. The liquid stream is fractionated to produce at least a second gas stream including hydrocarbons having a carbon number of at least 3. The first gas stream and the second gas stream are introduced into an alkylation unit to produce alkylated hydrocarbons. At least a portion of the olefins in the first gas stream enhance alkylation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Augustinus Wilhelmus Maria Roes, Weijian Mo, Michel Serge Marie Muylle, Remco Hugo Mandema, Vijay Nair
  • Patent number: 7534340
    Abstract: Process for the contemporaneous production of fuels and lubricating bases from synthetic paraffinic mixtures, which includes a hydrocracking step in the presence of a solid bi-functional catalyst comprising: (A) a support of an acidic nature consisting of a catalytically active porous solid, including silicon, aluminum, phosphorus and oxygen bonded to one another in such a way as to form a mixed amorphous solid characterized by an Si/Al atomic ratio of between 15 and 250, a P/Al ratio of at least 0.1, but lower than 5, a total pore volume ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 ml/g, with an average pore diameter ranging from 3 nm. to 40 nm, and a specific surface area ranging from 200 to 1000 M2/g; (B) at least one metal with a hydro-dehydrogenating activity selected from groups 6 to 10 of the periodic table of elements, dispersed on said support (A) in an amount of between 0.05 and 5% by weight with respect to the total weight of the catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignees: ENI S.p.A., Institute Francais du Petrole, Enitecnologie S.p.A.
    Inventors: Vincenzo Calemma, Cristina Flego, Luciano Cosimo Carluccio, Wallace Parker, Roberto Giardino, Giovanni Faraci
  • Patent number: 7470645
    Abstract: A catalytic material includes microporous zeolites supported on a mesoporous inorganic oxide support. The microporous zeolite can include zeolite Beta, zeolite Y (including “ultra stable Y”—USY), mordenite, Zeolite L, ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-12, ZSM-20, Theta-1, ZSM-23, ZSM-34, ZSM-35, ZSM-48, SSZ-32, PSH-3, MCM-22, MCM-49, MCM-56, ITQ-1, ITQ-2, ITQ-4, ITQ-21, SAPO-5, SAPO-11, SAPO-37, Breck-6, ALPO4-5, etc. The mesoporous inorganic oxide can be e.g., silica or silicate. The catalytic material can be further modified by introducing some metals e.g. aluminum, titanium, molybdenum, nickel, cobalt, iron, tungsten, palladium and platinum. It can be used as catalysts for acylation, alkylation, dimerization, oligomerization, polymerization, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, aromatization, isomerization, hydrotreating, catalytic cracking and hydrocracking reactions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Lummus Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Zhiping Shan, Peter Wilhelm, Bowden George Maingay, Philip J. Angevine, Jacobus Cornelis Jansen, Chuen Y. Yeh, Thomas Maschmeyer, Frits M. Dautzenberg, Leonardo Marchese, Heloise de Oliveira Pastore