Patents Assigned to GE Oil & Gas, Inc.
  • Patent number: 10928128
    Abstract: A system and process that are configured to prepare incoming hydrocarbon feedstocks for storage. For incoming ethane gas, the embodiments can utilize a plurality of vessels to distill the incoming feedstock to vapor and liquid ethane that is suitable for storage. The embodiments can direct the vapor to a demethanizer column that is downstream of the vessels and other components. The process can include stages for distilling an incoming feedstock at a plurality of vessels to form a vapor and a liquid for storage; directing the vapor to a demethanizer column; and circulating liquid from the demethanizer column back to the plurality of vessels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: GE Oil & Gas, Inc.
    Inventors: David Allen Kennedy, Mark Mulherin Salamon, Christopher Scott Yount
  • Patent number: 10760850
    Abstract: A liquefaction system that is configured to use a single methane expander to provide primary refrigeration duty. The liquefaction system can include a first or main heat exchanger and a fluid circuit coupled with the heat exchanger, the fluid circuit configured to circulate a process stream derived from an incoming feedstock of natural gas. The fluid circuit can comprise a compression circuit, methane expander coupled with the compression circuit and the main heat exchanger, a sub-cooling unit coupled with the methane expander, the sub-cooling unit configured to form a liquid natural gas (LNG) product from the process stream, and a first throttling device interposed between the main heat exchanger and the sub-cooling unit. The first throttling device can be configured to expand the process stream to a process pressure that corresponds with the suction pressure internal to the compression circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: GE OIL & GAS, INC
    Inventors: David Allen Kennedy, John Raymond Zigtema, Deanna Koreen Hamm
  • Patent number: 10215190
    Abstract: A cooling system is provided for cooling a motor that drives a compressor in a liquefaction system. The coolant used for cooling the motor includes portions of a discharge from a compressor. The coolant for the motor is generated from a vapor component of the discharge from the compressor. The discharge from the compressor is cooled and the vapor component is separated from a liquid component and treated prior to being introduced into the motor. Remaining portions of the discharge from the compressor are routed to cold boxes producing a compressed refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: GE Oil & Gas, Inc.
    Inventors: Philippe Augy, Shukui Zhao, David Kennedy, Pierre Laboube, Ravikumar Vipperla
  • Patent number: 10029204
    Abstract: A system and process for regenerating sieve materials in a gas processing system. The process can include circulating a cooling gas through sieve material of a first bed, the cooling gas having a first concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) suitable for liquefaction into a liquid natural gas (LNG) product. The process can also include circulating a regenerating gas through sieve material of a second bed, the regenerating gas having a second concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) that is greater than the first concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) of the cooling gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: GE Oil & Gas, Inc.
    Inventors: David Allen Kennedy, John Raymond Zigtema
  • Patent number: 10006698
    Abstract: A process that is configured for treating natural gas mixed with carbon dioxide (CO2) in high concentrations of 30% mole by volume or more. In one embodiment, the process comprises contacting a first feedstream comprising liquid natural gas (LNG) with a feedstock comprising methane to form an overhead product comprising methane vapor and a bottom product comprising carbon dioxide (CO2). The embodiment can also comprise liquefying the methane vapor to form a LNG product and using the LNG product as the liquid natural gas (LNG) in the first feedstream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: GE Oil & Gas, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Scott Yount, John Raymond Zigtema
  • Patent number: 9970280
    Abstract: A system and method captures and processes flare gas so that the gas is usable as compressed natural gas (“CNG”). The flare gas is pressurized by a combination of a booster compressor and a CNG compressor. While interstage and between the booster compressor and the CNG compressor, the gas is treated to remove moisture and to separate out higher molecular weight hydrocarbons. The moisture is removed by contacting the interstage gas with a hygroscopic agent within a dehydration unit. The moisture free hydrocarbon fluid is expanded, and/or externally cooled and directed to a knock out drum. Higher molecular weight hydrocarbons are separated from the fluid in the knock out drum. Gas from the knock out drum is compressed in the CNG compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: GE Oil & Gas Inc.
    Inventor: Rajesh Athirathnam
  • Publication number: 20170254187
    Abstract: A system and method captures and processes flare gas so that the gas is usable as compressed natural gas (“CNG”). The flare gas is pressurized by a combination of a booster compressor and a CNG compressor. While interstage and between the booster compressor and the CNG compressor, the gas is treated to remove moisture and to separate out higher molecular weight hydrocarbons. The moisture is removed by contacting the interstage gas with a hygroscopic agent within a dehydration unit. The moisture free hydrocarbon fluid is expanded, and/or externally cooled and directed to a knock out drum. Higher molecular weight hydrocarbons are separated from the fluid in the knock out drum. Gas from the knock out drum is compressed in the CNG compressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Applicant: GE Oil & Gas Inc.
    Inventor: Rajesh ATHIRATHNAM
  • Publication number: 20170248130
    Abstract: A system for compressing gas from a wellbore that uses a single reciprocating compressor unit to boost pressure of the gas to an intermediate stage, and from the intermediate stage to a final stage. The final stage is at a destination pressure for distribution. Between the intermediate and final stages the gas is treated to remove water and higher molecular weight hydrocarbons so that the gas pressurized to the final stage is compressed natural gas. The reciprocating compressor is made up of a series of throw assemblies that are all driven by a single shaft. Each throw assembly includes a cylinder with a piston that reciprocates within the cylinder to compress and pressurize the fluid therein. The reciprocating compressor can be a non-lube design thereby eliminating lube oil contamination of downstream compressed natural gas or higher molecular weight hydrocarbons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2014
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Applicant: GE Oil & Gas, Inc.
    Inventors: Rajesh ATHIRATHNAM, Manik KAPOOR, Mohsin KHAN
  • Publication number: 20140336299
    Abstract: A solution based polymer nanofiller composite processing method to improve mechanical, electrical, thermal and/or chemical properties. The solution based synthesis method may include the steps of surface functionalizing carbon nanomaterials and dissolving a polymer in a solvent. The functionalized carbon nanomaterials and dissolved polymer may be mixed until the mixture is homogenous. The mixture may be cured to form the polymer carbon nano-composite material, which provides significant improvements in modulus, hardness, strength, fracture toughness, wear, fatigue, creep, and damping performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicants: University of Houston, GE Oil & Gas, Inc.
    Inventors: Li Sun, Anil Pitta, Hung Duong
  • Patent number: 8079414
    Abstract: Electromagnetic free point tools are configured to determine the free point of a downhole pipe in a wellbore utilizing the amplitude or phase change in a transmitted signal for stressed and unstressed pipe. Certain examples of electromagnetic free point tools comprise a housing, one or more transmitter coils, one or more receiver coils, each coil spaced apart from one another, a power source for applying an oscillating voltage to the one or more transmitter coils which then induces a current in the receiver coil(s), and electronics for measuring the induced current in the receiver coil(s). In another embodiment, at least one of the coils is axially adjustable in position within the tool to permit the relative distance between coils to be adjusted to optimize performance of the tool in various conditions. By measuring the amplitude or phase of the induced current relative to the oscillating voltage, a log of the amplitude or phase is generated while passing the tool through a length of unstressed pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: GE Oil & Gas, Inc.
    Inventors: John E. Smaardyk, Jose A. Garcia