Organic Gas, Liquid Particle, Or Solid Particle Sorbed (e.g., Vapor, Mist, Dust, Etc.) Patents (Class 95/237)
  • Patent number: 5551972
    Abstract: An absorption process for separating a feed gas stream having components with a spectrum of volatilities including volatile (light) components, intermediate volatility components, and least volatile (heavy) components. The disclosed process includes the steps of: (1) contacting the feed gas stream with an internally generated liquid lean solvent stream in an absorber to produce a light product gas stream that is composed of predominantly light components and a rich solvent stream containing most of the intermediate and heavy components; (2) flashing the rich solvent stream at reduced pressure in a flash zone to produce an intermediate product gas stream composed predominantly of intermediate components and a lean solvent stream; (3) conveying the lean solvent stream from the flashing zone to the absorber, wherein the lean solvent is composed predominantly of heavy components supplied from the feed; the process does not use an external lean solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: Advanced Extraction Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Glenn C. Wood, Yuv R. Mehra
  • Patent number: 5536303
    Abstract: A method of low temperature regeneration of glycol used for dehydrating natural gas in a glycol dehydration system including the steps of passing natural gas against flowing glycol in an absorber vessel so that the glycol absorbs water from the gas, providing spent glycol and dehydrated gas, conducting the spent glycol into a reboiler vessel, feeding a portion of the dehydrated gas into a burner positioned within the reboiler vessel where the dehydrated gas is combusted to heat the spent glycol, conducting a first portion of dehydrated gas into a gas distributor located within a lower portion of the reboiler vessel, the gas distributor causing small bubbles of gas to move upwardly through the spent glycol within the reboiler to augment separation of water from the heated glycol, conducting a second portion of the dehydrated gas into an upper gas stripper vessel mounted within an upper portion of the reboiler vessel to contact the dehydrated gas with the spent glycol to further augment the separation of water
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1996
    Inventor: Harold O. Ebeling
  • Patent number: 5529612
    Abstract: A method for removing volatile organics from landfill gas, in which the landfill gas, which consists primarily of methane and contains volatile organic components, is passed through a quantity of liquid tetraglyme to cause the volatile organic components to be absorbed in the tetraglyme.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1996
    Assignee: Southern Petroleum Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: John R. Troost
  • Patent number: 5520723
    Abstract: A method and system for reducing emissions from glycol dehydrators which employ a vapor-liquid contactor operated under ambient conditions to treat the organic vapors and liquids exiting from a condenser attached to the vapor vent of the glycol reboiler. A stream of the organic liquids is passed to the top of the contactor and allowed to descend in counter-current relation to the upward moving gas introduced at the bottom portion of the contactor. Liquids containing a relatively high content of hydrocarbons may be recovered from the bottom of the contactor, and vapors having a reduced content of organic emissions can be emitted directly to the atmosphere from the top the contactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Inventor: Robert A. Jones, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5521264
    Abstract: A process for gas phase polymerization of olefins wherein reactor vent gas stream(s) comprising unreacted monomers and light components are treated in an absorption process to recover the monomers. The absorption process comprises contacting the reactor vent gas stream(s) with an absorption solvent in an absorption zone to produce a gas stream comprising the light components, and a liquid stream comprising the absorption solvent and absorbed monomers. The liquid stream is fractionated in a distillation column to produce a distillation column bottoms stream that is the absorption solvent which is conveyed to the absorption zone, and an overhead stream comprising the monomers which can be conveyed to the reactor. In a preferred embodiment, the absorption solvent consists essentially of components derived from the reactor vent gas stream(s) so that no external solvent is required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Assignee: Advanced Extraction Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuv R. Mehra, Robert H. Stodghill
  • Patent number: 5520722
    Abstract: The invention is a process for the preferential removal of a variable amount of alkynes and multiunsaturates from a gas stream containing at least hydrogen, olefins, alkynes, and multiunsaturates by contacting a gas stream containing H.sub.2, olefins, alkynes and multiunsaturates with a metal complex-containing stream selected from the group consisting of liquids and slurries, at conditions sufficient to form multiunsaturate adducts of the metal complex, by introducing the metal complex stream at a rate sufficient to form stoichiometric adducts of the alkynes and multiunsaturates to be removed, and removing the alkyne and multiunsaturate adducts of the metal complex. The invention has utility for removal of multiunsaturates from multicomponent syngas streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Frank Hershkowitz, Gabor Kiss
  • Patent number: 5512084
    Abstract: A method of removing organic contaminants from a process gas such as raw, untreated landfill gas is disclosed. The steps involve collecting the process gas that includes organic contaminants for removal. An absorption liquid such as a terpene, is injected as a mist into the process gas to form a two-state absorption liquid and process gas fluid. The two-state absorption liquid and gas fluid communicates through a heat exchange module for absorption of organic contaminants in the process gas by the absorption liquid resulting in a cleaned process gas. The absorption liquid then is separated from the cleaned process gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 30, 1996
    Assignee: Contaminant Separations, Inc.
    Inventor: David Mauterer
  • Patent number: 5481881
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system for removing an organic compound capable of forming a negative azeotrope mixture with water from a vapor stream using condensation, comprising a conducting system for providing a path for communicating the vapor stream into a condensation region; first sensing apparatus positioned in the path and operable for detecting and for evaluating the mass rate flow of the organic compound in the vapor stream flowing towards the condensation region; a second sensing apparatus positioned in the path operable for sensing the temperature in the condensation region; first supplying apparatus operable for supplying water in the form of a mist or vapor into the vapor stream; second supplying apparatus operable for supplying a hydrophobic agent into the vapor stream; third supplying apparatus operable for supplying air at a predetermined temperature into the vapor stream so that the temperature of the vapor stream is at a temperature at least above the lowest boiling point of the mixture of t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1996
    Inventors: Michael P. Buet, Steve I. Petvai
  • Patent number: 5476986
    Abstract: A method for cleaning a mixture of air and vapour from volatile crude oil with recovery of the hydrocarbons, wherein the vapours are absorbed in an absorption means (3) by direct contact with a petroleum distillate, such as "petroleum" which has been cooled sufficiently beforehand to cause combined cooling condensation and absorption of the hydrocarbons, the petroleum distillate having a substantially constant hydrocarbon concentration is transferred from the absorption means (3) to a buffer tank (5), from which it is conveyed either to a stripping means (4) in which the hydrocarbons dissolved in the petroleum distillate are stripped so that the petroleum distillate circulates in a substantially closed circuit, or for further processing or use. Prior to absorption under pressure in the absorption means (3) the entering mixture of air and vapour is compressed in a compressor (1) and washed with crude oil under pressure in a washing column (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 19, 1995
    Inventor: Anker J. Jacobsen
  • Patent number: 5476536
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for removing harmful hydrocarbons, particularly plant protective aerosols and vapors, from the fresh air supplied to a vehicle cabin. The loaded fresh air is subjected to a partial condensation with subsequent phase separation. The fresh air is cooled below the dew point of the components to be removed in a type of cold trap. It has a device for collecting and draining the obtained condensate. A standard cooling plant may be installed for providing the cold necessary for partial condensation. If the vehicle is already equipped with an air conditioning system, then the cooling necessary for partial condensation is tapped directly from the air conditioner cycle. It is possible for the fresh air stream to be passed over the evaporator of the air conditioner. The cold air stream present following the removal of the condensate can be warmed in heat exchange with fresh air which is to be cooled prior to its further release into the vehicle cabin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 19, 1995
    Assignee: Holter GmbH
    Inventor: Heinz Holter
  • Patent number: 5462583
    Abstract: An absorption process for separating a feed gas stream having components with a spectrum of volatilities including volatile (light) components, intermediate volatility components, and least volatile (heavy) components. The disclosed process includes the steps of: (1) contacting the feed gas stream with a liquid lean solvent stream in an absorber to produce a light product gas stream that is composed of predominantly light components and a rich solvent stream containing most of the intermediate and heavy components; (2) flashing the rich solvent stream at reduced pressure in a flash zone to produce an intermediate product gas stream composed predominantly of intermediate components and a lean solvent stream; (3) conveying the lean solvent stream from the flashing zone to the absorber, wherein the lean solvent is composed predominantly of heavy components taken from the feed; the process does not use an external lean solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1995
    Assignee: Advanced Extraction Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Glenn C. Wood, Yuv R. Mehra
  • Patent number: 5462582
    Abstract: When a vapor-phase mixture is brought in contact with a liquid absorbent kept at a temperature above the condensation temperature of the vapor-phase mixture, the vapor-phase mixture becomes concentrated for those components which are absorbed by the absorbent in small or negligible amounts. In the method according to the invention, the regeneration of the absorbent essentially utilizes the heat of absorption of the absorbed components. The actual absorption process can be isothermal or adiabatic or a combination of these. The method is particularly suited to the separation of vapor-phase mixtures of minimum boiling point azeotropes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1995
    Assignee: K.H. Innovations Oy
    Inventor: Kaj Holm
  • Patent number: 5453114
    Abstract: A method of dehydrating natural gas and for reducing emissions of hydrocarbon aromatics including the steps of passing natural gas upwardly in an absorber against downwardly flowing liquid desiccant to provide treated gas, the desiccant absorbing water and hydrocarbon impurities from the gas and forming spent desiccant, passing a portion of the treated gas from the absorber through a desiccant stripper vessel, the balance of the treated gas being passed for distribution, heating the spent desiccant and passing it downwardly through the desiccant stripper vessel to purge the spent desiccant of hydrocarbon aromatics, conducting the spent desiccant from the stripper vessel into a reboiler to again heat the spent desiccant and conveying treated gas from the stripper vessel to a burner in the reboiler where the treated gas is combusted with air, the spent desiccant is being heated in the reboiler to boil off entrained water to provide a regenerated desiccant that is recirculated back to the absorber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1995
    Inventor: Harold O. Ebeling
  • Patent number: 5434330
    Abstract: A process and an apparatus for separating desired clathrate forming gases from a gas mixture containing the desired clathrate forming gases. The process includes providing a stream of the gas mixture, contacting the stream of the gas mixture with an aqueous solvent to form a solid clathrate hydrate suspension in the aqueous solvent. The forming of the solid clathrate hydrate suspension in the aqueous solution causing the gaseous stream to be thereafter leaner in the desired clathrate forming gases. The solid clathrate hydrate suspension and the aqueous solution are subjected to an elevated temperature and to a reduced pressure to produce a product gaseous stream which is richer in the desired clathrate forming gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1995
    Inventors: Miguel A. Hnatow, John Happel
  • Patent number: 5429668
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process for removing emissions originated in the manufacturing industry, especially from polymerization operations and thermoplastic polymer processing operations by collecting air containing the emissions, directing the air containing the emissions to a candle filter in a candle filter housing and rinsing the air containing the emissions within the candle filter with a solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignee: BASF Corporation
    Inventors: Beth O. Teague, Dennis G. Shealy
  • Patent number: 5423901
    Abstract: A method for conditioning a gas containing entrained asphaltene-containing hydrocarbons for pipeline transportation, having the steps of providing a stream of gas containing entrained asphaltene-containing hydrocarbons; and applying a surface active compound to the stream of gas, the surface active compound being a mixture of demulsifying agent, antifoaming agent, dispersant, aromatic solvent and alcohol solvent, whereby formation of emulsion from asphaltene containing hydrocarbons is prevented. The surface active compound has the following composition by volume: 5-15% demulsifying agent; 1-3% antifoaming agent; 10-40% dispersant; 10-60% aromatic solvent; and 20-60% alcohol solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1995
    Assignee: Corpoven, S.A.
    Inventor: Alberto L. Mendoza
  • Patent number: 5421964
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an extractive distillation process for separating HCl from pentafluoroethane, chloropentafluoroethane, chlorotrifluoroethane, trifluoromethane, and other fully saturated and unsaturated fluorocarbons, chlorofluorocarbons and chlorocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 6, 1995
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Barry A. Mahler, Vinci M. Felix, Ralph N. Miller
  • Patent number: 5413714
    Abstract: This invention relates to a process for remediating vaporous pollutants which comprises passing a vaporous stream containing one or more of pollutants through a bioreactor, the bioreactor comprising a plurality of biologically active bodies, the biologically active body comprising a macroporous substrate and one or more of microorganisms capable of remediating one or more of said pollutants, wherein the substrate is fabricated from a decomposition-resistant material. The present invention further provides an apparatus for this process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1995
    Assignee: AlliedSignal Inc.
    Inventors: Louis J. DeFilippi, Francis S. Lupton, Mansour Mashayekhi
  • Patent number: 5378264
    Abstract: An offgas containing an organic compound is scrubbed by providing a spray of a scrubbing fluid containing a water-soluble organic surfactant, an organic cosurfactant comprising an alkanediol and water. The spray is mixed with an offgas containing a volatile organic compound, thereby forming an oil-in-water microemulsion and reducing content of the organic compound in the offgas. The process and apparatus of the invention are especially suitable for scrubbing offgas generated by aluminum rolling mills.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1995
    Assignee: Aluminum Company of America
    Inventors: Maurice W. Wei, Girma Biresaw
  • Patent number: 5356460
    Abstract: Methacrolein is removed from a gaseous mixture by absorption by means of an aqueous solution which contains from 60 to 90% by weight of methacrylic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1994
    Assignee: BASF Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Herbert Vogel, Herbert Exner, Gerd Bohner
  • Patent number: 5352366
    Abstract: To purify smoke from a liquid fuel (in particular heavy fuel oil) boiler by eliminating unwanted components including acids, the smoke, before it is exhausted to the atmosphere, is caused to pass along a vertical path in a heat exchanger adapted to recover the latent heat of condensible components together with the substantive heat of the smoke. Water is sprayed at the top of the vertical path and collected at the bottom in the form of an effluent comprising the water, condensates and soot. A reserve water supply is provided. Water is fed from this reserve supply to the top of the heat exchanger where it is sprayed after adding to it an alkaline solution in sufficient quantity to neutralize acid components of the smoke. The effluent is recovered at the bottom of the heat exchanger. An effective dose of a floculating agent is added to it. The effluent is fed into a settling tank where is separates into a soot sludge and a clarified effluent which is fed to the reserve water supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1994
    Assignee: AQUAFRANCE
    Inventors: Yves Courtaud, Claude Caveriviere
  • Patent number: 5298156
    Abstract: Process for the simultaneous decarbonation and gasoline stripping of a gaseous mixture at an absolute pressure higher than 0.5 MPa containing methane, C.sub.2 and higher hydrocarbons and CO.sub.2 in which a demethanized rich solvent is regenerated so the process can be carried out more easily and at lower costs than previously known systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1994
    Assignee: Societe Nationale Elf Aquitaine (Production)
    Inventors: Claude Blanc, Henri Paradowski
  • Patent number: 5279646
    Abstract: A venturi scrubbing system optimized for removing the most optically active sized particles from a gaseous effluent stream is disclosed. Before entering the venturi the effluent stream is subcooled to cause condensation of water vapor and other condensibles, thereby greatly reducing the volume of the effluent stream. In the venturi stage a scrubbing liquid is added in the form of droplets having a median diameter which is optimized to remove the optically active particles. Preferably, the median diameter of the scrubbing liquid droplets is between 10 and 200 microns. A two-fluid nozzle may be used to efficiently form the droplets. After passing through the scrubbing stage, which may also comprise one or more impingement plates, the cleansed effluent may be passed through an afterburner to remove combustible materials such as organic vapors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 18, 1994
    Assignee: Process and Control Technology Corporation
    Inventor: James J. Schwab