Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Kurt D. Van Tassel
  • Patent number: 7816571
    Abstract: The use of a layered catalyst composition to selectively hydrogenate C5-C11 diolefins in a hydrocarbon mixture to one or more respective C5-C11 monoolefins is disclosed. The layered catalyst comprises an inner core having a first inorganic oxide and an outer layer bonded to the inner core. The outer layer has a non-refractory second inorganic oxide with at least one Group 1-2 metal and at least one Group 8-10 metal dispersed thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Antoine Negiz, Gregory J. Gajda
  • Patent number: 7740751
    Abstract: One exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be a hydrocarbon conversion process. The process may include passing a hydrocarbon stream through at least one heater including at least one burner, a radiant section, and a convection section. Generally, the stream passes through the radiant section and then through the convection section before exiting the heater. Desirably, the hydrocarbon stream includes, in percent or parts by weight based on the total weight of hydrocarbons in the stream: C4 or less: less than about 0.5%, sulfur or sulfur containing compounds: less than about 1 ppm, and nitrogen or nitrogen containing compounds: less than about 1 ppm. Preferably, the sulfur or sulfur containing compounds and the nitrogen or nitrogen containing compounds are measured as, respectively, elemental sulfur or nitrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: Kenneth D. Peters
  • Patent number: 7585405
    Abstract: Increased yields of middle distillate and jet fuel and increased catalyst activity are obtained in a hydrocracking process by the use of a catalyst containing a beta zeolite and a Y zeolite having a unit cell size from 24.37 to 24.43 angstrom. The catalyst has a relatively high amount of Y zeolite relative to beta zeolite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: Li Wang
  • Patent number: 6777480
    Abstract: A networked polymer/clay alloy is produced from a monomer/clay mixture comprising a monomer, a cross-linking agent and clay particles. An initiator means is used to initiate polymerization of the monomer/clay mixture. The clay is chemically integrated with the polymer such that, on exposure to water, the networked polymer/clay alloy swells with substantially no clay separating from the alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Alberta Research Council Inc.
    Inventors: John Donald Payzant, Zhihong Zhou
  • Patent number: 6737472
    Abstract: A reinforced networked polymer/clay alloy composite is produced by contacting a monomer/clay mixture with a reinforcing agent. The monomer/clay mixture comprises a monomer, a cross-linking agent and clay particles. An initiator means is used to initiate polymerization of the monomer/clay mixture, while the cross-linking agent concurrently acts to network oligomeric and polymeric species formed during polymerization to produce a networked polymer/clay alloy in the presence of the reinforcing agent. The networked polymer/clay alloy is intimately integrated with the reinforcing agent such that, on exposure to water, the networked polymer/clay alloy swells with substantially no clay separating from the composite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignees: Alberta Research Council Inc., Nilex, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhihong Zhou, John Donald Payzant, Walter Van Woudenberg
  • Patent number: 6720292
    Abstract: A method is provided for blocking high permeability regions in subterranean geological formations, using a reinforced swelling clay gel. A reinforced clay slurry is prepared by mixing swelling clay, such as bentonite, an aqueous solution containing the salt of certain cations, which inhibit clay swelling, and a reinforcing agent. The cations K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cs2+, Fe2+, Al3+ and NR4+, where each R can independently be H, CH3, C6H5, or CH2CH3, and combinations thereof, among others, are clay swelling inhibitors. The reinforcing agent is non-swelling particles, including, without limitation, particles of produced sand, silica sand, sandy or silty soil, crushed rock, minerals, mine tailings, and combinations thereof. The reinforced clay slurry is introduced into a geological formation, where it preferentially enters high permeability regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Alberta Oil Sands & Research Authority
    Inventors: Zhihong Zhou, Bernard Tremblay, Brian Wayne Wiwchar
  • Patent number: 6644555
    Abstract: The invention concerns an RF-type contactless chip card, comprising a sensor coil (1), an electronic circuit (2) connected to the coil and an antenna (3) made form a material with high magnetic permeability, including a first part located substantially in the plane of the coil upper surface (A), a second part located substantially in the plane of the coil lower surface (B) and a connecting part (C) located in the center of the coil. The latter part is dimensioned relative to the antenna (3) such that the voltages induced at its terminals are of the same order of magnitude, whether the antenna is parallel or perpendicular to the lines of flux generated by a reader.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: NJC Innovations
    Inventor: Jean-Claude Berney
  • Patent number: 6631761
    Abstract: A wet electric heating (“WEH”) process involves establishing electrode zones (“e-zones”) around conductors (e.g., wells) for distributing electric current and thereby generating and distributing heat accordingly through a target region in a subterranean formation having hydrocarbons. The inventive WEH process takes into account e-zone geometric shape, spacing and/or spatial orientation to provide a more diffuse distribution of increased temperature values within the target region, compared to conventional electric heating processes, during at least the first 10% of a time interval when an electric potential is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Assignee: Alberta Science and Research Authority
    Inventors: Jian-Yang Yuan, Ezra Eddy Isaacs, Haibo Huang, Deborah G. Vandenhoff
  • Patent number: 6610780
    Abstract: A networked polymer/clay alloy is produced from a monomer/clay mixture comprising a monomer, a cross-linking agent and clay particles. An initiator means is used to initiate polymerization of the monomer/clay mixture. The clay is chemically integrated with the polymer such that, on exposure to water, the networked polymer/clay alloy swells with substantially no clay separating from the alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignee: Alberta Research Council Inc.
    Inventors: John Donald Payzant, Zhihong Zhou
  • Patent number: 6610781
    Abstract: A reinforced networked polymer/clay alloy composite is produced by contacting a monomer/clay mixture with a reinforcing agent. The monomer/clay mixture comprises a monomer, a cross-linking agent and clay particles. An initiator means is used to initiate polymerization of the monomer/clay mixture, while the cross-linking agent concurrently acts to network oligomeric and polymeric species formed during polymerization to produce a networked polymer/clay alloy in the presence of the reinforcing agent. The networked polymer/clay alloy is intimately integrated with the reinforcing agent such that, on exposure to water, the networked polymer/clay alloy swells with substantially no clay separating from the composite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignees: Alberta Research Council Inc., Nilex, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhihong Zhou, John Donald Payzant, Walter Van Woudenberg
  • Patent number: 6591908
    Abstract: A method for producing hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation comprises injecting a heated injection fluid composition into the formation. The heated injection fluid composition comprises at least steam and/or hot water (“W”) and a solvent (“S”) into the formation. Suitable solvents include C1 to C30 hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and combinations thereof. The heated injection fluid composition has a first W to S volume ratio, (W:S)1, greater than or equal to about 5:1. The W to S volume ratio is subsequently reduced, at least once, to a different W to S volume ratio, (W:S)n, wherein at least one (W:S)n is less than (W:S)1 and each (W:S)n is greater than or equal to about 1.5:1 and n is in the range of from about 2 to about 12,000.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Alberta Science and Research Authority
    Inventor: Tawfik Noaman Nasr
  • Patent number: 6551566
    Abstract: A gas stream containing at least about 90% (vol.) hydrogen and at least one halogen-containing compound is contacted with a nickel hydrogenation catalyst. When the gas stream contacts the hydrogenation catalyst substantially all halogen-containing compounds are dehalogenated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignees: Air Liquide Process and Construction, Inc., Haldor Topeos Inc.
    Inventors: Bhadra S. Grover, Henrik W. Rasmussen
  • Patent number: 6513778
    Abstract: A bracing device for bracing a first surface against a second surface is useful for emergency response, commercial, industrial and residential environments. The bracing device has a bracing member with a first end and a second end. A first end member affixed to the first end has a sufficient curvature to produce a substantially convex shape over at least a portion of the end member's external surface for frictionally engaging the first surface. The radius of the convex curvature is predetermined so that the bracing device may be readily adapted to a predetermined range of bracing distances between the first and second surfaces so that the desired bracing strength can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: Evertax Corporation
    Inventors: R. Duane Hefley, Kenneth A. Strode, Michael S. Andrich
  • Patent number: 6412559
    Abstract: A process for recovering methane from a coal bed and/or sequestering a fluid more strongly adsorbing than methane (“SAG”) in a coal bed involves fracturing an injection well and cyclically injecting SAG with intervening shut-in periods. Even though the absolute permeability of the coal bed decreases with continued SAG sorption, the SAG injectivity, surprisingly and unexpectedly, increases while injecting SAG at pressures greater than reservoir pressure, but less than fracture pressure or fracture extension pressure. The increased injectivity is thought to be due to a reduction in near-well flow resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Alberta Research Council Inc.
    Inventors: William Daniel Gunter, Matthew John Mavor, David Hin-Sum Law
  • Patent number: 6412557
    Abstract: A well configuration is provided comprising an injection well (102) completed relatively high in an oil reservoir (100) and a production well (103-106) completed relatively low in the reservoir (100). The production well has a horizontal leg (107) oriented generally perpendicularly to a generally linear and laterally extending, upright combustion front propagated from the injection well (102). The leg (107) is positioned in the path of the advancing front. Oil upgrading catalyst has been emplaced along the horizontal leg. The production well (103-106) is maintained open, thereby providing a low pressure sink which induces the front to advance along the leg. The hot combustion gases react with the commingled oil over the catalyst to provide in situ upgrading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Alberta Research Council Inc.
    Inventors: Conrad Ayasse, Malcolm Greaves, Alex Turta
  • Patent number: 6348999
    Abstract: A micro relief element which comprises a) a first layer of a first substrate, the first layer having a receptive surface capable of retaining a relief forming polymer; b) an overlay of a desired thickness of the relief forming polymer over the receptive surface; and c) at least one relief feature formed from the relief forming polymer and which protrudes above the overlay; structures and elements comprising such micro relief element; micro-optical, micro-fluidic, micro-electrical and micro-chemical applications thereof; and a method and apparatus for the preparation thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2002
    Assignee: Epigem Limited
    Inventors: Philip Summersgill, Thomas Grierson Harvey, George Timothy Ryan, Neil Carter
  • Patent number: 6282901
    Abstract: An integrated air separation process produces an O2-enriched gas stream and an N2-enriched gas stream in an air separation unit. The N2-enriched gas stream is heated in a first heat exchanger associated with a first boiler and then power is generated from the heated gas stream. The O2-enriched gas stream is introduced with fuel to a combustor associated with the first boiler, producing flue gas. At least a portion of the flue gas exiting the first boiler is used to generate power. In a preferred embodiment, another portion of the flue gas exiting the first boiler is recycled to the first boiler, as a temperature controlling fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Ovidiu Marin, Olivier Charon, Bao Ha
  • Patent number: 6230814
    Abstract: A method for producing hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation comprises injecting steam and an additive into the formation. The additive has at least one nonaqueous fluid, which is selected so that the evaporation temperature of the additive is within about ±150° C. of the steam temperature at the operating pressure. Suitable additives include C1 to C25 hydrocarbons, and combinations thereof. At least a portion of the additive condenses in the formation. The mobility of the hydrocarbons is greater than that obtained using steam alone under substantially similar formation conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: Alberta Oil Sands Technology and Research Authority
    Inventors: Tawfik Noaman Nasr, Ezra Eddy Isaacs
  • Patent number: 6221130
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for compressing and drying a gas, typically air, are provided in which a multistage compressor is employed to produce interstage and final stage compressed gas. Regenerative adsorbent is employed to dry the final stage compressed gas. Interstage gas is used to regenerate the saturated adsorbent. Preferably, two beds of regenerable adsorbent are provided, each operable in a drying mode and a regeneration mode. In the drying mode, final stage compressed gas is passed through the bed of adsorbent in order to be dried, until the adsorbent is saturated. In the regeneration mode, moisture is removed from the saturated adsorbent by a stream of interstage compressed gas. The two beds are preferably alternately operated in the drying mode and the regeneration mode, in order to provide a continuous process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Cooper Turbocompressor, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert M. Kolodziej, Edward S. Czechowski
  • Patent number: 6193473
    Abstract: A centrifugal compressor assembly, especially one having two or more stages, has a first compressor casing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and a first impeller rotatable within the first compressor casing. A second compressor casing provided having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and a second impeller rotatable within the second compressor casing. Drive for the compressors is provided by a switched reluctance motor disposed between the first and second compressor casings and comprising a stator and a rotor rotatable within the stator. A drive shaft is provided, wherein the first impeller, second impeller and the rotor are mounted on the drive shaft and rotatable therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Cooper Turbocompressor, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald K. Mruk, Peter J. Weber, Forrest G. Landes