Abstract: An intelligent controls system for remotely monitoring and controlling a chemical process is disclosed. The system comprises a piece of remote field equipment for performing the chemical process, a user device, a server, and program codes to perform the steps of establishing an equipment-server and a client-server connection, receiving a set of chemical process input parameters and a set of desired chemical process output parameters, controlling a set of chemical process control parameters to achieve the desired chemical process output parameters, and providing an interface to allow an operator to manually control and/or manually override the set of chemical process control parameters. The controls system allows any piece of remote field equipment for performing complex chemical processing to be monitored, controlled, and operated remotely. A large array of distributed field equipment situated around the world can all be controlled primarily through a single interface provided in a central control center.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method that reforms flare gas or other raw natural gas source, using air without steam, to directly produce dimethyl ether (DME), a direct diesel substitute. The method first reforms an air-natural gas mixture at ambient atmospheric pressures, and then compresses the resulting CO-hydrogen-nitrogen gas mixture to 100-2,000 psi, and feeds it through a combined reactor which reacts the gas mixture directly into DME. The nitrogen is returned to the atmosphere. DME is an excellent diesel fuel, and can be used to displace significantly costlier and dirtier petroleum-based diesel fuel, while solving a critical problem with flaring or other wasted natural gas. For example, the roughly 120 billion cubic feet per year that was flared in North Dakota in 2014 could be converted into over 3 million tons of DME using the disclosed method.

Abstract: A mobile system and method that reform flare gas, methane, or natural gas, using air without steam, to directly produce methanol, a clean burning gasoline blend, component, and/or substitute are disclosed. The system first reforms the air-methane mixture at ambient atmospheric pressure, then compresses the resulting CO-hydrogen-nitrogen gas mixture to about 600 psi, and feeds it through a methanol reactor which reacts the gas mixture directly into methanol. The nitrogen is returned by the system back to the atmosphere. Methanol is a clean burning gasoline substitute, and can be used to displace significantly costlier and dirtier petroleum-based fuel, while solving a critical problem with flaring. For example, the over 120 billion cubic feet per year that was flared in North Dakota in 2014 could be converted into over 6 million tons of methanol.

Abstract: An intelligent controls system for a field-deployable system for producing dry natural gas (NG) and natural gas liquids (NGLs) from a raw gas stream is disclosed. The control system is used to ensure correct specifications of both dry NG (above a desired minimum methane number) and NGLs (below a desired maximum vapor pressure) from any supplied raw natural gas source by controlling three system parameters: inlet gas flow rate, system operating pressure, and separator-reboiler temperature set point. The input parameters include: heat content of the input gas stream, volume of the input gas stream, desired methane number of the NG, and desired vapor pressure of the NGLs. The controls system allows any piece of remote field equipment for performing complex chemical processing to be monitored, controlled, and operated remotely. A large array of distributed field equipment situated around the world can all be controlled primarily through a single interface provided in a central control center.

Abstract: A unique design for a mobile system that reforms flare gas or natural gas, using air without steam, to directly produce dimethyl ether (DME), a diesel substitute, is disclosed. The system first reforms the air-methane mixture at ambient atmospheric pressures, and then compresses the resulting CO-hydrogen-nitrogen gas mixture to up to 600 psi, and feeds it through a combined reactor which reacts the gas mixture directly into dimethyl ether. The nitrogen is returned by the system back to the atmosphere. DME is an excellent diesel fuel, and can be used to displace significantly costlier and dirtier petroleum-based diesel fuel, while solving a critical problem with flaring. For example, the over 120 billion cubic feet per year that is currently flared in North Dakota could be converted into over 3 million tons of DME.

Abstract: A mobile system and method that reform flare gas, methane, or natural gas, using air without steam, to directly produce methanol, a clean burning gasoline blend, component, and/or substitute are disclosed. The system first reforms the air-methane mixture at ambient atmospheric pressure, then compresses the resulting CO-hydrogen-nitrogen gas mixture to 600 psi, and feeds it through a methanol reactor which reacts the gas mixture directly into methanol. The nitrogen is returned by the system back to the atmosphere. Methanol is a clean burning gasoline substitute, and can be used to displace significantly costlier and dirtier petroleum-based fuel, while solving a critical problem with flaring. For example, the over 120 billion cubic feet per year that was flared in North Dakota in 2014 could be converted into over 6 million tons of methanol.

Abstract: The present invention is an in-situ apparatus for generating carbon dioxide gas at an oil site for use in enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The apparatus includes a steam generator adapted to boil and superheat water to generate a source of superheated steam, as well as a source of essentially pure oxygen. The apparatus also includes a steam reformer adapted to react a carbonaceous material with the superheated steam and the pure oxygen, in an absence of air, to generate a driver gas comprising primarily carbon dioxide gas and hydrogen gas. A separator is adapted to separate at least a portion of the carbon dioxide gas from the rest of the driver gas to generate a carbon dioxide-rich driver gas and a hydrogen-rich fuel gas. A compressor is used for compressing the carbon dioxide-rich driver gas for use in enhanced oil recovery, and the compressed carbon dioxide-rich driver gas, with substantially no oxygen, is injected to a predetermined depth in order to enhance oil recovery at the oil site.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for removing oil or natural gas from the ground may include, for example, reforming a fuel source by reaction with water to generate driver gas, and injecting the driver gas into the oil well. The reforming operation may include causing the combustion of a combustible material with ambient oxygen for the release of energy; and heating a reforming reaction fuel and water sources, with the energy released from the combustion of the combustible material, to a temperature above that required for the reforming reaction wherein the fuel and water sources are reformed into driver gas. In one example, the amount of the combustible material combusted is sufficient to result in the release of enough energy to heat an amount of the reforming reaction fuel and water sources to the temperature above that required for the reforming reaction to proceed. The driver gas may be used to help extract oil from the ground and especially oil from depleted oil wells.

Abstract: Methods to synthesize fuels and chemicals from natural gas liquids are described. Higher alcohols are synthesized starting from natural gas liquid compounds by converting an alkane from a NGL to an olefin, dimerizing said olefin, and, hydrating said olefin product to form a higher alcohol. Higher alcohols are synthesized starting from natural gas liquid compounds by converting an alkane from a NGL to an olefin, oxidizing the olefin to form a ketone or aldehyde and, hydrogenating the aldehyde or ketone product to form a higher alcohol. Thus, NGL component butane may be dehydrogenated to form butane, butylene is oxidized in the presence of a catalyst to form methylethyl ketone and methylethyl ketone hydrogenated to form butanol.

Abstract: This invention pertains to the thermal catalytic synthesis of aromatic compounds from ethane and ethylene. Such synthesis converts lower-value compounds that can only be stored as a gas or liquid under high pressure to a more-valuable liquid compound that can be stored at ambient pressure. The resulting aromatic product is useful as a chemical feedstock or as fuel.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a system for converting synthesis gas to liquid hydrocarbons with comparable energy content to gasoline within mixed catalyst bed single reactor or double reactor systems. Varying catalyst composition and temperature profiles allow for significant tailoring of reaction conditions to the specific feedstocks or the desired products.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a system for converting methanol or synthesis gas to liquid hydrocarbons with comparable energy content to gasoline within a mixed bed single reactor or double reactor systems. Varying catalyst composition and temperature profiles allow for significant tailoring of reaction conditions to the specific feedstocks or the desired products.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present application discloses methods to selectively synthesize higher alcohols and hydrocarbons useful as fuels and industrial chemicals from syngas and biomass. Ketene and ketonization chemistry along with hydrogenation reactions are used to synthesize fuels and chemicals. In another embodiment, ketene used to form fuels and chemicals may be manufactured from acetic acid which in turn can be synthesized from synthesis gas which is produced from coal, biomass, natural gas, etc.

Abstract: A system for recovering CO2 via liquefaction and purification from a vented CO2 gas stream comprising a compressor; a dehydrator; a scrubber; a refrigerator having one or more stages; and a separation subsystem adapted to ensure non-condensable gas content in the final product meets industry standards. The liquid CO2 product is of sufficient purity to be used in applications requiring beverage-grade CO2. The system can be utilized as a single-brewery installation to reduce venting from ethanol fermenters to an absolute minimum, produce a high purity liquid CO2 product for use in-process or external sales, and offset the purchasing of expensive, industrial CO2 of inferior purity.

Abstract: Novel methods for capturing carbon dioxide from internal combustion engines, gas turbines, and other combustion sources operating on a wide range of gaseous, liquid, or solid fuels are described. Capturing carbon dioxide from combustion exhaust on an absorbent and then regenerating the absorbent for recovery, storage, use, or sequestration of concentrated carbon dioxide are described herein.

Abstract: Methods to synthesize useful alcohol and aromatic hydrocarbon products from sorbitol derived from sugars are described. Sorbitol is dehydrated to form furans such as 2-acetylfuran which is hydrogenated to form hexanols, ethyl tetrahydrofuran, etc useful as fuels and chemicals for industry and commerce. Sorbitol may also be heated over a dehydrating catalyst to form aromatic hydrocarbons useful as fuels.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present application discloses methods to selectively synthesize higher alcohols and hydrocarbons useful as fuels and industrial chemicals from syngas and biomass. Ketene and ketonization chemistry along with hydrogenation reactions are used to synthesize fuels and chemicals. In another embodiment, ketene used to form fuels and chemicals may be manufactured from acetic acid which in turn can be synthesized from synthesis gas which is produced from coal, biomass, natural gas, etc.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present application discloses methods to selectively synthesize higher alcohols and hydrocarbons useful as fuels and industrial chemicals from syngas and biomass. Ketene and ketonization chemistry along with hydrogenation reactions are used to synthesize fuels and chemicals. In another embodiment, ketene used to form fuels and chemicals may be manufactured from acetic acid which in turn can be synthesized from synthesis gas which is produced from coal, biomass, natural gas, etc.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present application discloses methods to selectively synthesize higher alcohols and hydrocarbons useful as fuels and industrial chemicals from syngas and biomass. Ketene and ketonization chemistry along with hydrogenation reactions are used to synthesize fuels and chemicals. In another embodiment, ketene used to form fuels and chemicals may be manufactured from acetic acid which in turn can be synthesized from synthesis gas which is produced from coal, biomass, natural gas, etc.

Abstract: The present invention is a field-deployable system for separating methane and natural gas liquids (NGLs) from a raw gas stream comprising a compressor; a dehydrator; a refrigerator having one or more stages; and a separation subsystem adapted to separate the raw gas stream into three product streams including a methane stream that is at least 80% methane, an ethane-rich stream, and a NGLs stream having a vapor pressure of no more than 250 psia at 38° C. The methane stream is sufficiently lean to be useable in existing natural gas engines without modification. The NGLs stream has a sufficiently low vapor pressure to be transportable in standard propane containers. The ethane-rich stream may be utilized within the system itself to power its own operations. The system can be utilized to reduce flaring from liquids-rich gas production sites to an absolute minimum, produce natural gas liquids for transport, and provide dry methane gas suitable for use in portable field generators.