Patents Assigned to UOP
  • Scale collection device for downflow reactors
    Patent number: 10576439
    Abstract: The invention involves a scale collection device that is located within downflow reactor head for removing solids from feed streams to increase reactor operating cycle time without impact on effective reactor space for catalyst loading. More particularly, a filtering zone is located in an upper portion of a reactor vessel above a rough liquid distribution tray and a distribution tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: Zhanping Xu
  • Process and apparatus for improved para-xylene yield in an aromatic complex
    Patent number: 10577293
    Abstract: Processes and apparatuses for producing para-xylenes are provided. The processes comprises providing a hydrocarbon stream comprising C7+ hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbon stream is separated to provide a C8 aromatics stream and an ortho-xylene rich stream. The C8 aromatics stream is passed to a para-xylene separation unit for separating para-xylene to provide a para-xylene stream and a raffinate stream. At least a portion of the raffinate stream is passed to a first isomerization unit to provide a first isomerization effluent, wherein the first isomerization effluent is produced in the presence of an ethylbenzene (EB) isomerization catalyst. At least a portion of the ortho-xylene rich stream is contacted with an isomerization catalyst in a second isomerization unit in liquid phase at isomerization conditions in substantial absence of hydrogen to produce a second isomerization effluent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Ashish Suresh Bambal, Anton N. Mlinar, James A. Johnson
  • Methods for producing jet-range hydrocarbons
    Patent number: 10577291
    Abstract: A method for producing jet-range hydrocarbons includes passing a stream comprising renewable C4 olefins to an oligomerization reactor containing a zeolite catalyst to produce an oligomerized effluent, separating the oligomerized effluent to produce a jet range hydrocarbon stream and a recycle stream comprising C8 olefins, and passing at least a portion of the recycle stream to the oligomerization reactor. A first at least about 10% of the jet-range hydrocarbon stream hydrocarbons boil between n-octane and n-undecane and wherein a second at least about 10% of the jet-range hydrocarbon stream hydrocarbons boil between n-dodecane and n-pentadecane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Stanley Joseph Frey, Geoffrey William Fichtl, Paul Barger, Scott M. Roney, Steven Lee Krupa, Christopher P. Nicholas
  • Process for using and composition of iron, molybdenum and particulate carbon catalyst for slurry hydrocracking
    Patent number: 10577545
    Abstract: A process and catalyst is disclosed for converting heavy hydrocarbon feed into lighter hydrocarbon products using multifunctional catalysts. Multifunctional catalysts enable use of less expensive metal by substituting expensive metals for less expensive metals with no loss or superior performance in slurry hydrocracking. Less available and expensive ISM can be replaced effectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Phuong T. M. Do, Alakananda Bhattacharyya, Beckay J. Mezza, Stephen C. Houdek
  • Sealing apparatus for a catalyst regenerator
    Patent number: 10576443
    Abstract: A regenerator for an FCC apparatus. The regenerator includes an internal riser inside of a outer shell. The internal riser includes a cone and a cone skirt. An annulus is formed between the internal riser and the outer shell. A sealing apparatus for keeping catalyst out of a portion of the annulus comprises a first sealing element and a second sealing element disposed above the first sealing element. An annular trough in the annulus below the primary seal is filled with material that has a heat transfer coefficient at least as high as air to allow heat to get to the inner surface of the outer shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Colmone, Michael S. Sandacz, Michael A. Stine, Richard A. Johnson, II, Nicholas Madonia, Minwoo Kim
  • Process for producing fuels from a blended biorenewable feed
    Patent number: 10577547
    Abstract: The invention provides processes for the production of hydrocarbons from a biorenewable feedstock blended with a mineral feedstock comprises hydrotreating to remove heteroatoms and saturate olefins. The carbon monoxide is not fed to the downstream hydroisomerization reactor but supplanted with a hydrogen gas with a low concentration of carbon monoxide so as not to poison the hydroisomerization catalyst to improve the cold flow properties for a diesel fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: James T. Wexler, Richard K. Hoehn, Joe Quock
  • Process for producing fuels from pyrolysis oil
    Patent number: 10577539
    Abstract: A process for deoxygenating a pyrolysis oil stream comprises purposely limiting complete deoxygenation of the pyrolysis oil stream having a high oxygenate concentration to provide a hydrotreated pyrolysis oil stream that is sufficiently reduced in oxygenate content to mix with oil. By not fully deoxygenating the pyrolysis oil stream, the deoxygenation reaction can be run with little risk of undesirable polymerization reactions plugging the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Brodeur-Campbell, Travis C. Bowen
  • Flexible hydroprocessing of slurry hydrocracking products
    Patent number: 10563139
    Abstract: Processes for hydrotreating an effluent from a slurry hydrocracking process are described. Different streams are formed from the SHC effluent, and different hydroprocessing conditions are applied to the streams, e.g., more severe conditions are applied to streams which need additional hydroprocessing, while less severe conditions are applied to streams which do not need as much hydroprocessing. Common equipment is shared between different hydroprocessing steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Ping Sun, Hans G. Lefebvre, Grant H. Yokomizo
  • Processes for removing nitriles from a feed to an oligomerization zone
    Patent number: 10563137
    Abstract: Processes for regenerating adsorbent in a nitrile removal zone. The regenerant comprises a stream of hot liquid that may comprise a portion of the oligomerized effluent or a portion of a hydrotreated effluent. A spent regenerant comprising the desorbed nitriles may be processed along with the oligomerized effluent with existing separation equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Charles P. Luebke, Zhihao Fei
  • Process and apparatus for cooling catalyst
    Patent number: 10563932
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for cooling catalyst in a catalyst cooler is disclosed. Nested tubes in the catalyst cooler have an undulating wall for improving heat transfer from the catalyst bed across the wall to the water inside the tubes. The outer tubes have an end wall at an inlet end opposed to an outlet end of a respective inner tube. The helical wall improves the efficiency of heat transfer to increase cooler duty for heavy feed stocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Juan C. Vargas, Dharmesh C. Panchal
  • Process for producing a diesel fuel by oligomerization
    Patent number: 10563135
    Abstract: Processes for oligomerizing olefins to produce diesel. The oligomerization zone temperature is controlled to counteract catalyst deactivation caused by coking, by contaminants such as cyclo C5 and/or cyclo C6 hydrocarbons, or both. The temperature is increased in increments to ensure that that the oligomerization zone is producing product at a target product yield with a target product quality, which may be measured by a product cetane number. The target product yield is at least 50 wt % and a target product cetane number may be at least 35.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Zhihao Fei, Steven L. Krupa, Hosoo Lim, Charles P. Luebke, Robert Mehlberg, Christopher P. Nicholas, Lisa M. Wolschlag
  • Scale collection device for downflow reactors
    Patent number: 10556212
    Abstract: The invention involves a scale collection device that is located within downflow reactor head for removing solids from feed streams to increase reactor operating cycle time without impact on effective reactor space for catalyst loading and reactor pressure drop. More particularly, a scale collection device is located in an upper portion of a reactor vessel above a rough liquid distribution tray and a vapor-liquid distribution tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Zhanping Xu, Pengfei Chen, Robert L. Bunting, Jr.
  • Apparatuses for mixing of staged methanol injection
    Patent number: 10556214
    Abstract: This present disclosure relates to apparatuses for methylation of aromatics in an aromatics complex for producing a xylene isomer product. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to apparatuses for producing para-xylene by the selective methylation of toluene and/or benzene in an aromatics complex using processed toluene instead of crude toluene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Richard A. Johnson, II, Joseph A. Montalbano, John J. Senetar
  • Process for increasing hydrocarbon yield from catalytic reformer
    Patent number: 10557091
    Abstract: A reforming reactor and process of using same in which residence time of feed within a chamber of a reactor is shortened. Feed is injected into the reactor into a non-reactive zone. The non-reactive zone has two portions, a first portion receiving the feed, and a second portion receiving a purge gas. The purge gas will flow from the second portion to the first portion to prevent flow of the feed from the first portion to the second portion. The combined gas may be passed to a reaction zone for catalytic reforming. The first portion and the second portion may be separated by a baffle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Ka L. Lok, Bryan K. Glover, Alexander V. Sabitov, Jeffrey R. Grott
  • Processes and apparatuses for methylation of aromatics in an aromatics complex
    Patent number: 10556847
    Abstract: This present disclosure relates to processes and apparatuses for methylation of aromatics in an aromatics complex for producing a xylene isomer product. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to processes and apparatuses for producing para-xylene by the selective methylation of toluene and/or benzene in an aromatics complex using processed toluene instead of crude toluene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Naiyl A. Rashid, Gregory B. Kuzmanich
  • Diesel and cycle oil upgrading process
    Patent number: 10550339
    Abstract: A process is for hydrocracking a dealkylated aromatic stream in the presence of a hydrogen stream and a hydrocracking catalyst to provide a hydrocracked stream and hydrotreating a diesel stream and the hydrocracked stream together over a hydrotreating catalyst to provide a hydrotreated diesel stream. The two streams are processed together without cracking the valuable diesel boiling hydrocarbons to below the diesel range and also upgrading the cetane value of the dealkylated aromatic stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: Scott M. Roney
  • Film temperature optimizer for fired process heaters
    Patent number: 10551053
    Abstract: A fired heater with a film temperature optimizer is presented. The fired heater is for heating a process fluid in process coils within the fired heater. The process coils experience high temperatures at the outlets. The film temperature optimizer includes baffles or means for changing the flow of the fired heating gas around the process coils near the coil outlets. The baffles are positioned near the process coil outlets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Quan Yuan, Rajeswar Gattupalli, Matthew Martin, Michael J. Vetter
  • Scale collection device for downflow reactors
    Patent number: 10549249
    Abstract: The invention involves a scale collection device that is located within downflow reactor head for removing solids from feed streams to increase reactor operating cycle time without impact on effective reactor space for catalyst loading. More particularly, a filtering zone is located in an upper portion of a reactor vessel above a rough liquid distribution tray and a distribution tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Zhanping Xu, Steven J. Lesniak, Robert L. Bunting, Jr.
  • Process for recovering hydrocracked effluent
    Patent number: 10550338
    Abstract: We have discovered a process for hydrocracking a distillate stream and separating it into several product cuts including LPG, light naphtha, heavy naphtha and distillate without a stripper column. Additionally, no more than two heaters relying on external utilities are required for reboiling fractionator bottoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Donald A. Eizenga, Massimo Sangalli, Richard K. Hoehn, Saadet Ulas Acikgoz, Trung Pham
  • Hydrocarbon conversion processes using non-cyclic amide and thioamide based ionic liquids
    Patent number: 10550049
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon conversion process is described. The process involves contacting a hydrocarbon feed with a non-cyclic amide or thioamide based ionic liquid catalyst in a reaction zone under reaction conditions to form a mixture comprising reaction products, and the non-cyclic amide or thioamide based ionic liquid catalyst. Typical hydrocarbon conversion processes include alkylation, oligomerization, isomerization, disproportionation, and reverse disproportionation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Erin M. Broderick, Avram M. Buchbinder, Alakananda Bhattacharyya