Patents Assigned to Institut Francais du Petrole
  • Patent number: 7630866
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of dimensioning a riser assembly (1) intended for offshore drilling, connecting an underwater wellhead (2) to a floating support (7) comprising a main pipe (8), wherein the following stages are carried out: selecting a complete architecture for the riser assembly from specifications, notably by fixing the thickness of the main pipe and of the buoyancy means, and calculating the apparent weight of this assembly, determining the tension margin at the top of the assembly, when disconnected from the wellhead, considering the apparent weight and the tension amplified at the top by the motion of the floating support from which the assembly is suspended, in cases where the tension margin corresponds to a value close to a determined value, calculating the Von-Mises stresses in all the sections of the pipe, when connected to the wellhead, in cases where the stresses are close to a criterion determined in connection with the yield limit of the material of the pipe, checking
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Jean Guesnon, Christian Gaillard
  • Patent number: 7625414
    Abstract: A reactor intended to carry out partial oxidation reactions starting from liquid feedstocks that can go from GPL to gas oil for the purpose of producing synthesis gas is characterized by finely controlled hydrodynamics and a high degree of thermal integration, and comprises an elongated jacket along an axis of any orientation, means (12) for supplying a preheated gas that contains oxygen and optionally water vapor, means (9) for supplying a hydrocarbon feedstock, means (11) for evacuation of a hydrogen-rich effluent, a first internal chamber (5) inside of which is carried out an essentially isothermal partial oxidation reaction that is connected to means (9) for supplying the hydrocarbon feedstock and to means (12) for supplying preheated gas, gas turbulizing means that are suitable for creating a perfect mixing flow, means (8) for linking first chamber (5) to a second chamber (7) with a suitable volume for carrying out a piston flow, linking means (8) that comprise at least one orifice, and second chamber (7
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Luc Nougier, Stéphane Bertholin, Willy Nastoll
  • Patent number: 7622099
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparation of a zeolite that is selected from among the ZBM-30, ZSM-48, EU-2 and EU-11 zeolites, comprising the mixing in an aqueous medium of at least one source of at least one element X (Si and/or Ge) and at least one nitrogen-containing organic compound Q. Said nitrogen-containing organic compound Q is selected from among the compounds comprising at least one ether group and two terminal ammonium groups and their precursors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Philippe Caullet, Sylvie Lacombe, Jean-Louis Paillaud, Nicolas Bais, Loic Rouleau
  • Patent number: 7618824
    Abstract: A method for evaluating the acidity of oil samples in small amounts, applicable at any stage of the petroleum industry, includes labelling by an isotope of a chemical element present in at least one acid function present in petroleum samples. Isotopic enrichment of the samples is then determined by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). The acidity of the samples is deduced therefrom. This method is an alternative to the measurement of the Total Acid Number (TAN). In particular, it represents the only possibility to reliably measure the acidity of oil samples available in small amounts. The method can be applied to the economic evaluation of a hydrocarbon production field, to the determination of the carbon range responsible for the acidity of a crude, or to monitoring of the evolution of the acid distribution of a site polluted by hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Philippe Schaeffer, Pierre Albrecht, Nicolas Rouquette, Isabelle Kowalewski, Anne Fafet
  • Patent number: 7617083
    Abstract: A method for simulating flows in reservoirs, such as hydrocarbons, by means of chimera type grid which fluid generates a chimera grid made up of a set of elementary grids for accounting for characteristics of the flows and of the geometry (e.g., radial grid in the well zone and CPG grid for the reservoir) so that their union covers the entire simulation domain and that there is a minimum overlap between two neighboring elementary grids. Interpolation parameters allowing connection of the flows calculated on the grid to the flows calculated on the neighboring grids are then determined on the border of each elementary grid. Finally, flows are simulated within the reservoir and the well, and the variables describing the flow on the border of the overlap zones are interpolated using the interpolation parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Chakib Bennis, Isabelle Faille, Lionel Ladouari, Roland Masson, Bertrand Moraisin
  • Patent number: 7611677
    Abstract: This invention relates to a staged-zone reactor of the axial-flow type that makes it possible to implement strongly endothermic or exothermic reactions. The reactor comprises a constriction of the catalytic bed between an upper zone (3a) and a lower zone (3b), making it possible to house in the reactor a heat exchanger for the intermediate heating or cooling of the effluents. Process of chemical conversion using this reactor for exothermic or endothermic reactions in the gas and/or liquid phase, and in particular for the oligomerization reaction of C2 to C12 fractions for the purpose of producing a diesel fraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Sylvain Louret, Patrice Font, Sylvie Lacombe, Eric Sanchez, Laurent Simon
  • Patent number: 7612246
    Abstract: Process for the production of a RON isomerate that is at least equal to 80 and that contains less than 1% by weight of aromatic compounds and for co-production of an aromatic fraction that for the most part contains toluene, starting from a fraction with 7 carbon atoms containing paraffins, aromatic compounds and naphthenes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Paul Broutin, Dominique Casanave, Jean-Francois Joly, Elsa Jolimaitre
  • Patent number: 7612245
    Abstract: A process for the selective hydrogenation of diolefinic compounds to mono-olefinic compounds uses a catalyst composition comprising at least one salt of a transition metal from groups IB, IIB, VB, VIB, VIIB and VIII of the periodic table, at least one ligand and at least one organometallic reducing agent, optionally in the presence of a non-aqueous ionic liquid selected from the group formed by liquid salts with general formula Q+A? (in which Q+ represents a quaternary ammonium and/or quaternary phosphonium and A? represents any anion which can form a liquid salt below 90° C.).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Gerard Hillion, Laurent Savary, David Proriol, Christophe Gautreau, Denis Uzio, Helene Olivier-Bourbigou
  • Patent number: 7611678
    Abstract: A reaction device includes staged zones making it possible to implement strongly endothermic or exothermic reactions. The device reduces the differences in catalytic activity between these zones using an addition of fresh or regenerated catalyst at the inlet of each reaction zone and provides an integrated heat exchanger. A process of chemical conversion employs the device for gas-phase and/or liquid-phase exothermic or endothermic reactions, and in particular for the oligomerization reaction of C2 to C12 fractions for the purpose of producing a diesel fraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Sylvain Louret, Patrice Font, Sylvie Lacombe, Eric Sancheż, Laurent Simon
  • Patent number: 7608239
    Abstract: A process for the reversible storage of hydrogen, comprising bringing into contact a material that consists of magnesium elements and nitrogen elements with gaseous hydrogen leading to the formation of an amide or corresponding hydrides, comprises the use of a balanced system corresponding to the formula: Mg3N2Mg(NH2)2+2MgHn where n is the number of hydrogen atoms corresponding to the stoichiometry of the hydride or hydrides formed. The material can also comprise, in a minor proportion, at least one transition metal of groups 3 to 12 of the periodic table that is selected from among Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pd.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Pascal Raybaud, François Ropital
  • Patent number: 7603265
    Abstract: A method of the invention provides improvement in the quality of coupled simulations between geomechanical and reservoir models by constructing a geomechanical model of an underground zone intended to be coupled with a reservoir model allowing simulation of fluid flows in the zone, from a geological model of the zone discretized by a fine grid. Geomechanical properties are associated with the various cells of the geological model on the basis of experimental data, the underground zone is discretized by a geomechanical grid with larger cells than the geological grid, and a scale change is applied to the geomechanical data included in the geological model in order to define equivalent geomechanical properties at the scale of the geomechanical grid of the zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Marc Mainguy, Pascal Longuemare, Patrick Lemonnier, Florent Chalon
  • Patent number: 7597872
    Abstract: A process for treating a gas containing hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and sulphur dioxide, contacting the gas at a suitable temperature with an organic solvent containing at least a soluble catalytic system, comprising at least one compound comprising at least one functional group A consisting of a carboxylic acid function and at least one functional group B comprising at least one nitrogen atom and which can produce an acid-base type reaction with at least one functional group A under the operating conditions of said process; and recovering a gaseous effluent substantially depleted in hydrogen sulphide and sulphur dioxide along with liquid sulphur separated from the solvent by liquid-liquid decantation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Pierre-Louis Carrette, Bruno Delfort, Sophie Drozdz, Ludovic Raynal
  • Patent number: 7597796
    Abstract: The present invention concerns an apparatus and associated process for the catalytic cracking of oil cuts in a fluidized bed. The apparatus and process can catalytically crack a conventional feed in a principal riser B and crack a secondary feed in at least one secondary riser C. The lower end of the secondary riser or risers C is open to the bottom portion of the principal riser B; the upper end of the secondary riser or risers C is open to the top portion of the principal riser B.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Régis Andreux, Jean-Luc Duplan
  • Patent number: 7592470
    Abstract: A novel process is described for producing esters of linear monocarboxylic acids containing 6 to 26 carbon atoms, by reacting vegetable or animal oils, neutral or otherwise, with monoalcohols containing 1 to 18 carbon atoms in the presence of a catalyst selected from: mixtures of titanium oxide and alumina having formula: (TiOx)y(Al2O3)1-y where x has the value 1.5 to 2.2 and y, representing the weight ratio of the two oxides, has a value of 0.005 to 0.995; mixtures of zirconium oxide and alumina having formula: (ZrOx)y(Al2O3)1-y where x has the value 1.5 to 2.2 and y has a value of 0.005 to 0.995; and mixtures of antimony oxide and alumina having formula: (SbOx)y(Al2O3)1-y where x has the value 1.2 to 2.6 and y has a value of 0.005 to 0.995, in order to directly produce, in one or more steps, an ester for use as a fuel and a pure glycerin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Thierry Lacome, Gerard Hillion, Bruno Delfort, Renaud Revel, Serge Leporq, Gustave Acakpo
  • Patent number: 7592499
    Abstract: A process for co-producing para-xylene and styrene from a feed (1) of hydrocarbons containing xylenes and ethylbenzene is described, the process comprising the following succession of steps: a step for separating the feed in a simulated moving bed in an adsorption column (6) containing beds of an adsorbent, from which an extract that is rich in para-xylene (7a) of at least 99.7% purity and at least one raffinate (7b) containing ethylbenzene, ortho-xylene, meta-xylene and a very small quantity of para-xylene is withdrawn; a step for dehydrogenating (10) the ethylbenzene contained in the raffinate (7b) to styrene; at least one step for primary separation of the stream (11) from the dehydrogenation step (10), to eliminate by-products; a step for separating the purified mixture (18) derived from the stream (11) containing styrene, unconverted ethylbenzene, meta-xylene and ortho-xylene, from which a stream (21a) that is rich in styrene of at least 99.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Luc Wolff, Philibert Leflaive, Alain Methivier
  • Patent number: 7588678
    Abstract: The invention concerns an improved hydrocracking process having a step for eliminating polyaromatic compounds from at least a portion of a recycled fraction by adsorption on a particular adsorbent based on alumina-silica with a limited macropore content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Karin Barthelet, Patrick Euzen, Hugues Dulot, Patrick Bourges
  • Patent number: 7588943
    Abstract: A method for quantitative monitoring of a gas injected into a reservoir and likely to react chemically with the injection medium includes injecting into a reservoir a mixture of the potentially reactive gas to be quantified with a low proportion of a tracer gas whose chemical inertness is total, and in determining the variation with time of the initial proportion of reactive gas that may have disappeared through conversion, by measuring the concentration variation of the tracer gas in the mixture. The tracer gas is preferably selected from the rare gas family and from isotopes thereof, unlikely to be contaminated by contact of the mixture with the injection medium, and which have physical properties such as solubility in water or diffusion coefficients as close as possible to the gas injected. The method is applicable to monitoring of the evolution and conversion of a reactive gas such as carbon dioxide or methane, injected into an underground reservoir for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Alain Prinzhofer, Alexandre Rojey
  • Patent number: 7588734
    Abstract: The invention describes a laboratory reactor for the kinetic study of catalytic reactions calling for a gaseous reaction phase and a liquid reaction phase, characterized by a capillary shape, a substantially uniform arrangement of the catalyst grains along the reactor, with, on average, every cross-section of the reactor comprising a defined and constant number of catalyst grains, and this number of grains being between 1 and 4. The reactor that is the object of the invention is especially well suited for studying reactions of hydrogenation, hydrotreatment, and hydrocracking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Georgios Bellos, Pierre Galtier, Nikolaos Papayannakos
  • Patent number: 7590516
    Abstract: A method for quantifying uncertainties related to continuous and discrete (qualitative) parameters descriptive of a medium such as an underground zone and/or for managing the selection of a scenario from a series of possible scenarios relative to this medium, by construction of experiment designs and results analysis suited to the experiment designs constructed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Astrid Jourdan, Isabelle Zabalza-Mezghani, Emmanuel Manceau
  • Patent number: 7585479
    Abstract: A method of deacidizing a gaseous effluent including acid compounds includes the following stages: a) contacting the gaseous effluent with a first fraction of an absorbent solution containing reactive compounds with at least two amine functions, so as to obtain a gaseous effluent depleted in acid compounds and a liquid effluent laden with acid compounds, b) contacting the liquid effluent obtained in stage a) with a second fraction of absorbent solution laden with molecules more acid than the acid compounds, so as to cause formation of a first liquid phase depleted in acid compounds and a second liquid phase enriched in acid compounds and laden with more acid molecules, c) separating the first phase from the second phase, and d) regenerating the second phase so as to release a gas stream rich in acid compounds and a liquid stream poor in acid compounds and laden with more acid molecules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Pierre-Louis Carrette, Renaud Cadours, Alexandre Gibert, Monique Prigent, Pierre Boucot