Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm James C. Paschall
  • Patent number: 8193401
    Abstract: Slurry hydrocracking a heavy hydrocarbon feed produces a HVGO stream and a pitch stream. At least a portion of the pitch stream is subjected to SDA to prepare a DAO stream low in metals. The DAO is blended with at least a portion of the HVGO stream to provide turbine or marine fuel with acceptable properties for combustion in gas turbines or for marine fuel grades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: James F. McGehee, Lorenz J. Bauer
  • Patent number: 8173567
    Abstract: Disclosed is a catalyst distributor and process for spreading catalyst over a regenerator vessel. Nozzles disposed angular to a header of the distributor spread catalyst throughout a full cross section of the catalyst bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Paolo Palmas, Lawrence A. Lacijan, Sujay R. Krishnamurthy, Mohammad-Reza Mostofi-Ashtiani, Paul S. Nishimura, Lisa M. Wolschlag
  • Patent number: 8173856
    Abstract: One exemplary embodiment can be a process for reducing corrosion during removal of one or more sulfur-containing hydrocarbons from a gas. Generally, the process includes producing an effluent including a caustic, one or more hydrocarbons, one or more sulfur compounds, and a gas from an oxidation vessel; sending the effluent to a stack of a disulfide separator; passing the gas, including oxygen and one or more sulfur compounds, through the stack; and passing a stream including one or more hydrocarbons to the stack at a temperature of less than about 38° C. for absorbing the one or more sulfur compounds. Typically, the stack includes one or more walls surrounding a void and adapted to receive a fluid including one or more phases, a packed bed positioned within the void, and a distributor including one or more risers and one or more compartments coupled to a substantially horizontal member forming a plurality of apertures there-through.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: Jonathan Andrew Tertel
  • Patent number: 8173009
    Abstract: One exemplary embodiment can be a process for improving a hydrotreated stream for lubricating a machine. The hydrotreated stream can include an effective amount of one or more saturated hydrocarbons. Generally, the process includes hydrogenating the hydrotreated stream having no more than about 300 ppm, by weight, sulfur based on the weight of the stream in a hydrogenation reaction zone to produce a product stream having no more than about 5 ppm, by weight, sulfur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: Tom N. Kalnes
  • Patent number: 8163247
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for contacting feed with mixed catalyst in a secondary reactor that is incorporated into an FCC reactor. The mixed catalyst used in the secondary reactor is regenerated catalyst from a regenerator that regenerates spent catalyst from an FCC reactor that is mixed with spent catalyst from either the FCC reactor or the secondary reactor. The mixing of spent and regenerated catalyst reduces the catalyst temperature and tempers catalyst activity to inhibit both thermal and catalytic cracking reactions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: David A. Lomas, Rusty M. Pittman
  • Patent number: 8158069
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for hydroprocessing two hydrocarbon streams at two different pressures. A hydrogen stream is compressed and split. A first split compressed stream is further compressed to feed a first hydroprocessing unit that requires higher pressure for operation. A second split compressed stream is fed to a second hydroprocessing unit that requires lower pressure. Recycle hydrogen from the second hydroprocessing unit is recycled back to the compression section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: Andrew P. Wieber
  • Patent number: 8158070
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for hydroprocessing two hydrocarbon streams at two different pressures. A hydrogen stream is compressed and split. A first split compressed stream is further compressed to feed a first hydroprocessing unit that requires higher pressure for operation. A second split compressed stream is fed to a second hydroprocessing unit that requires lower pressure. Recycle hydrogen from the second hydroprocessing unit is recycled back to the compression section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: Andrew P. Wieber
  • Patent number: 8137534
    Abstract: Catalyst compositions comprising a siliceous zeolite component, either in separately formed catalyst particles or dispersed in the same binder or matrix as other zeolites of the compositions, are described. The catalyst compositions, for example as blends of three different bound zeolite catalysts, are particularly useful in fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) processes due to the reductions in coke and dry gas yields that allow FCC throughput, which is normally constrained by gas handling and/or catalyst regeneration capacity, to be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Lawrence L. Upson, Lazlo T. Nemeth
  • Patent number: 8137631
    Abstract: One exemplary embodiment can be a fluid catalytic cracking unit. The fluid catalytic cracking unit can include a first riser, a second riser, and a disengagement zone. The first riser can be adapted to receive a first feed terminating at a first reaction vessel having a first volume. The second riser may be adapted to receive a second feed terminating at a second reaction vessel having a second volume. Generally, the first volume is greater than the second volume. What is more, the disengagement zone can be for receiving a first mixture including at least one catalyst and one or more products from the first reaction vessel, and a second mixture including at least one catalyst and one or more products from the second reaction vessel. Typically, the first mixture is isolated from the second mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Paolo Palmas, Robert L. Mehlberg
  • Patent number: 8133446
    Abstract: Slurry hydrocracking a heavy hydrocarbon feed produces a HVGO stream and a pitch stream. At least a portion of the pitch stream is subjected to SDA to prepare a DAO stream low in metals. The DAO is blended with at least a portion of the HVGO stream to provide turbine or marine fuel with acceptable properties for combustion in gas turbines or for marine fuel grades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: James F. McGehee, Lorenz J. Bauer
  • Patent number: 8128810
    Abstract: A process and apparatus is disclosed for converting heavy hydrocarbon feed into lighter hydrocarbon products. The heavy hydrocarbon feed is slurried with a catalyst comprising iron oxide and alumina to form a heavy hydrocarbon slurry and hydrocracked to produce lighter hydrocarbons. The iron sulfide crystallites have diameters in the nanometer range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Alakananda Bhattacharyya, Beckay J. Mezza
  • Patent number: 8128879
    Abstract: The apparatus converts FCC olefins to heavier compounds. The heavier compounds are more easily separated from the unconverted paraffins. The heavier compounds can be recycled to an FCC unit or delivered to a separate FCC unit. Suitable conversion zones are oligomerization and aromatic alkylation zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Joao Jorge da Silva Ferreira Alves, James E. Rekoske, Christopher P. Nicholas
  • Patent number: 8128807
    Abstract: This invention is directed to a process for fluid catalytic cracking, including, fluidizing a hydrocarbon stream in a riser, cracking the hydrocarbon stream with catalyst in the riser to produce a cracked stream and spent catalyst, separating the cracked stream and the spent catalyst in a primary separator to obtain a cracked stream with a first concentration of spent catalyst, and transporting the cracked stream with the first concentration of spent catalyst through a conduit to a multi-cyclone separator comprising multiple cyclones extending through a tube sheet to obtain a cracked stream with a second concentration of spent catalyst. The invention is also directed to an apparatus for catalytic cracking including a riser, a primary separator, a disengagement vessel surrounding the primary separator to collect the catalyst, a gas conduit having a first end in fluid connection with the disengagement vessel, and a multi-cyclone separator comprising a plurality of cyclones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Kelly D. Seibert, Todd P. Mitchell, Mindy B. Kuhn
  • Patent number: 8124020
    Abstract: A process and apparatus is described in which a sulfiding agent is added to a catalytic conversion reactor to prevent metal catalyzed coking. The catalytic reactor may be downstream from a first fluid catalytic cracking reactor that provides C10— hydrocarbons as feed to the downstream catalytic reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Keith A. Couch, Christopher D. Gosling
  • Patent number: 8124822
    Abstract: A process and apparatus is described in which a sulfiding agent is added to a catalytic conversion reactor to prevent metal catalyzed coking. The catalytic reactor may be downstream from a first fluid catalytic cracking reactor that provides C10-hydrocarbons as feed to the downstream catalytic reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Keith A. Couch, Christopher D. Gosling
  • Patent number: 8124034
    Abstract: One exemplary embodiment can be a method of modifying an alkylation unit to increase capacity. The method may include combining a first alkylation zone with a second alkylation zone. Generally, the first alkylation zone includes a first settler having a height and a width. Typically, the width is greater than the height. In addition, the second alkylation zone may have a second settler having a height and a width. Usually, the height is greater than the width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Daryl Dunham, Dale James Shields
  • Patent number: 8123933
    Abstract: A process and apparatus is disclosed for converting heavy hydrocarbon feed into lighter hydrocarbon products. The heavy hydrocarbon feed is slurried with a catalyst comprising iron oxide and alumina to form a heavy hydrocarbon slurry and hydrocracked to produce lighter hydrocarbons. The iron oxide and alumina catalyst does not require as much iron content relative to non-gaseous material in the reactor to obtain useable products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Alakananda Bhattacharyya, Beckay J. Mezza
  • Patent number: 8110090
    Abstract: Integrated slurry hydrocracking (SHC) and solvent deasphalting (SDA) methods for making slurry hydrocracking (SHC) distillates are disclosed. Representative methods involve passing a slurry comprising a vacuum column resid, a recycled, deasphalted oil obtained from SDA, and a solid particulate through an SHC reaction zone in the presence of hydrogen to obtain the SHC distillate. Fractionation or distillation in the SHC product recovery section yields a combined SHC gas oil/SHC pitch stream that is sent to SDA. In a representative embodiment, vacuum distillation in the SHC product recovery is avoided, thereby eliminating equipment that is often most susceptible to fouling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Paul R. Zimmerman, Mark Van Wees, Robert S. Haizmann, Milan Skripek
  • Patent number: 8110092
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process for recovery power from an FCC product. Gaseous hydrocarbon product from an FCC reactor is heat exchanged with a heat exchange media which is delivered to an expander to generate power. Cycle oil from product fractionation may be added to the gaseous FCC product to wash away coke precursors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: John A. Petri
  • Patent number: 8066867
    Abstract: Methods are disclosed for the hydrotreating and hydrocracking of highly aromatic distillate feeds such as light cycle oil (LCO) to produce ultra low sulfur gasoline and diesel fuel. Optimization of hydrotreater severity improves the octane quality of the gasoline or naphtha fraction. In particular, the operation of the hydrotreater at reduced severity to allow at least about 20 ppm by weight of organic nitrogen into the hydrocracker feed is shown to lead to these important benefits. Post-treating of the hydrocracker effluent over an additional hydrotreating catalyst bed may be desired to meet specifications for ultra low sulfur fuel components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Bart Dziabala, Vasant P. Thakkar, Suheil F. Abdo