Patents Assigned to UOP
  • Patent number: 9523050
    Abstract: Processes for co-processing renewable feedstock and petroleum distillate feed. The petroleum distillate feed is hydrotreated in a first reaction zone. The renewable feedstock is deoxygenated in a second reaction zone. The effluent stream from the two reaction zones are combined. A heavy portion of the combined effluent stream may be hydrocracked. Hydrogen sulfide may be removed from the effluent and used in the second reaction zone to maintain the catalyst during periods of non-processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Venkat Ram Naidu Pandranki, Krishnan Vaidyanathan
  • Patent number: 9522862
    Abstract: A simulated moving bed separator and methods for isolating a desired component are provided. A method includes removing an extract from an extract bed of the simulated moving bed separator, where the extract includes the desired component, and where the simulated moving bed separator includes a plurality of adsorbent beds circularly coupled together. The simulated moving bed separator also includes a distributor and a plurality of conduits fluidly coupling the distributor to the adsorbent beds. The adsorbent beds include the extract bed and a secondary flush bed downstream from the extract bed. A secondary flush conduit is flushed with a secondary flush fluid while removing extract from the extract bed, where the secondary flush conduit fluidly couples the secondary flush bed with the distributor. The flush fluid includes the extract.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: Robert Edward Sanders
  • Patent number: 9523047
    Abstract: Embodiments of apparatuses and methods for treating mercaptans are provided. In one example, an apparatus comprises a vessel capable of receiving a feed stream that comprises liquid hydrocarbons and the mercaptans. The vessel comprises an extraction section that is capable of extracting a portion of the mercaptans from the feed stream to form a mercaptan-reduced, liquid hydrocarbon-containing stream. A catalyst bed section is capable of contacting the mercaptan-reduced, liquid hydrocarbon-containing stream with a catalyst in the presence of oxygen (O2) and caustic at reaction conditions effective to oxidize a remaining portion of the mercaptans and form a sweetened liquid hydrocarbon-containing stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Andrew Tertel, Luigi Laricchia, Jasna Karagic
  • Patent number: 9522376
    Abstract: One exemplary embodiment may be a process for fluid catalytic cracking. The process can include providing a stream through a plurality of distributors to a riser terminating in a reaction vessel. Often, the plurality of distributors includes a first distributor set having at least two distributors positioned around a perimeter of the riser, a second distributor set having at least two distributors positioned around the perimeter of the riser, and a third distributor set having at least two distributors positioned around the perimeter of the riser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Raymond Peterman, Chad R. Huovie, Patrick D. Walker
  • Patent number: 9518239
    Abstract: A process for the removal of sulfur compounds from a feed stream. A first separation zone removes sulfur compounds and produces a partially cleaned stream. A first adsorption zone adsorbs the remaining organic sulfur compounds on a regenerable adsorbent a produces a treated gas stream. A portion of the treated gas stream may regenerate the adsorbent in the first adsorption zone by removing organic sulfur compounds. The organic sulfur compound rich stream can be passed to a non-regenerable adsorption zone. The non-regenerable adsorption zone will separate out the organic sulfur compounds and provide a re-treated gas stream which may be recycled to a portion of the process. The non-regenerable adsorption zone may include regenerable adsorbent, but the zone is not operated to regenerate the adsorbent while it is in the non-regenerable adsorption zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Shain-Jer Doong, Jayant Kumar Gorawara, Lubo Zhou
  • Patent number: 9518230
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for recovering hydroprocessing effluent from a hydroprocessing unit utilizing a hot stripper and a cold stripper. Only the hot hydroprocessing effluent is heated in a fired heater prior to product fractionation, resulting in substantial operating and capital savings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Richard K. Hoehn, David M. Bowman, Xin X. Zhu
  • Patent number: 9517933
    Abstract: One exemplary embodiment can be a process for catalytic reforming. The process can include catalytically reforming a hydrocarbon feed in a reaction zone, obtaining an effluent stream having hydrogen and hydrocarbons from the reaction zone, obtaining from at least a portion of the effluent stream a waste hydrocarbon stream from an adsorption zone, passing at least a portion of the waste hydrocarbon stream as a feed stream across a feed side of a membrane having the feed side and a permeate side, and being selective for hydrogen over one or more C1-C6 hydrocarbons, and withdrawing from the permeate side a permeate stream enriched in hydrogen compared with a residue stream withdrawn from the feed side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Eleftherios Adamopoulos, Wim Frans Elseviers, Bryan K. Glover
  • Patent number: 9517447
    Abstract: A process for the providing a regenerant gas stream for a regenerable adsorbent used to remove water and hydrogen sulfide from a reactor effluent in a catalytic dehydrogenation process is described. The reactor effluent is compressed in a compressor to provide a compressed effluent. The compressed effluent may be treated to remove chlorides, and then passed to a dryer zone having a regenerable adsorbent. A regenerant gas stream is used to desorb the water and hydrogen sulfide and the spent regenerant stream may be passed to a cleaning zone having a sorbent configured to remove hydrogen sulfide from the spent regenerant stream. The cleaned regenerant gas stream may be recycled to the dryer zone to desorb and/or regenerate the regenerable adsorbent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
  • Patent number: 9517431
    Abstract: A process for reducing the size of sulfur removal units is presented. The process includes passing a regeneration gas from a regenerated contaminant adsorption unit through a fixed bed adsorber. The fixed bed adsorber adsorbs sulfur compounds above an equilibrium condition and releases adsorbed sulfur compounds below the equilibrium condition. The peak levels of sulfur in the regeneration gas are reduced and the processing of the regeneration gas reduces the size of sulfur removal units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Shain-Jer Doong, Christopher B. McIlroy
  • Patent number: 9517982
    Abstract: Split-shell fractionation columns and associated processes for separating aromatic hydrocarbons are provided by using, a split-shell fractionation column includes a housing shell having a first height and a partition having a second height and disposed within the housing shell. The partition includes first and second vertically oriented baffles separated by a gap region, a seal plate connecting top ends of the baffles, a first input port formed to extend through the partition for the introduction of a gas into the gap region, and a first output port formed to extend outwardly from a bottom of the gap region and through the housing shell. The partition defines a first distillation zone and a second distillation zone within the housing shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Jason T. Corradi, David William Ablin
  • Patent number: 9518023
    Abstract: Lactamium based ionic liquids and methods of making them are described. The ionic liquids comprise at least one of: the reaction product of a lactam compound having a general formula wherein the ring has at least one C?C double bond, or and a Brønsted acid HX; or a Brønsted acid HX where X is a halide, and a metal halide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Erin M. Broderick, Alakananda Bhattacharyya, Alan B. Levy, Lihao Tang
  • Patent number: 9505683
    Abstract: A process for treatment of a natural gas stream, or other methane containing stream that passes through a guard bed for removal of mercury and hydrolysis of COS, followed by treatment with an absorbent unit containing an amine solvent for removal of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. The gas is then dried by a molecular sieve bed. The regeneration gas for the molecular sieve adsorbent bed is chilled to remove liquid hydrocarbons and sulfur compounds. The process is accomplished without the use of an absorbent unit to remove the sulfur compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
  • Patent number: 9480954
    Abstract: The present invention provides a high selectivity epoxysilicone-cross-linked polyimide membrane comprising a polyimide polymer with hydroxyl functional groups cross-linked with epoxy functional groups on epoxysilicone polymer. The present invention also provides a process for separating at least one gas from a mixture of gases using the high selectivity epoxysilicone-cross-linked polyimide membrane. The process comprises providing the high selectivity epoxysilicone-cross-linked polyimide membrane which is permeable to the at least one gas; contacting the mixture on one side of the membrane to cause the at least one gas to permeate the membrane; and removing from the opposite side of the membrane a permeate gas composition comprising a portion of the at least one gas which permeated the high selectivity epoxysilicone-cross-linked polyimide membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Chunqing Liu, Howie Q. Tran
  • Patent number: 9481844
    Abstract: A process and an apparatus for reducing the diolefin and oxygenate content of liquefied petroleum gas are disclosed. A first conduit is in fluid communication with a liquefied hydrocarbon source and a vessel. The vessel includes a solid adsorbent disposed on a support. The adsorbent is suitable for adsorbing diolefins and oxygenates. A second conduit is in fluid communication with the vessel for receiving the liquefied hydrocarbons of reduced diolefin and oxygenate content from the vessel. A steam inlet conduit is in fluid communication with a steam source and the vessel for treating the solid adsorbent containing adsorbed diolefins and oxygenates with steam to desorb the diolefins and oxygenates from the solid adsorbent. An amine absorber unit for reducing the hydrogen disulfide content of the liquefied hydrocarbon can be in fluid communication with the vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Edward F. Smith, Erick D. Gamas-Castellanos
  • Patent number: 9475997
    Abstract: Processes for removing sulfur and nitrogen contaminants from hydrocarbon streams are described. The processes include contacting the hydrocarbon stream comprising the contaminant with lean carbenium pseudo ionic liquid or a combination of carbenium pseudo ionic liquid and ionic liquid to produce a mixture comprising the hydrocarbon and rich carbenium pseudo ionic liquid or carbenium pseudo ionic liquid and ionic liquid comprising the contaminant. The mixture is separated to produce a hydrocarbon effluent and a rich carbenium pseudo ionic liquid or carbenium pseudo ionic liquid and ionic liquid effluent comprising the rich carbenium pseudo ionic liquid or carbenium pseudo ionic liquid and ionic liquid comprising the contaminant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Erin M. Broderick, Alakananda Bhattacharyya, Shurong Yang, Beckay J. Mezza
  • Patent number: 9476000
    Abstract: A process for hydrotreating full range naphtha is disclosed including the steps of passing a vapor stream composed of naphtha hydrocarbons to a first catalyst bed of a hydrotreating reactor, passing a liquid stream composed of naphtha hydrocarbons to a second catalyst bed of the hydrotreating reactor, and recovering a hydrotreated product stream from the hydrotreating reactor. The first and second catalyst beds are arranged in series within the hydrotreating reactor, and the second catalyst bed is downstream of the first catalyst bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Deepak Bisht, Soumendra Banerjee
  • Patent number: 9468897
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a process optimizing the yield of ethylene and propylene from a fluid catalytic cracking unit. The method combines a first catalytic reactor, a fractionation zone, a separation unit and a second catalytic reactor. The separation unit produces a first separate stream comprising C4 olefins and a second separate stream comprising C5 olefins. The separate streams may be combined and are passed to a second catalytic reactor for additional conversion to ethylene and propylene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Kirk Liu, Zhihao Fei, Charles P. Luebke
  • Patent number: 9469818
    Abstract: The invention relates to a hydrocarbon composition, which can be used as a fuel and/or fuel oil, containing a petroleum component (A) and a component of a biological origin (B), wherein the component of a biological origin is present in a quantity of up to 75% by volume with respect to the total composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignees: ENI S.p.A., UOP LLC
    Inventors: Franco Baldiraghi, Silvia Guanziroli, Giovanni Faraci, Luigina Maria Flora Sabatino, Terry Louise Marker, John Anthony Petri
  • Patent number: 9458068
    Abstract: One exemplary embodiment can be a process for removing one or more sulfur compounds from a first liquid. The process can include passing the first liquid through a first inlet and a second liquid through a second inlet of a vessel, passing the first and second liquids through the passageway for facilitating contacting of the first and second liquids to extract the one or more sulfur compounds from the first liquid to the second liquid, and passing the first liquid through the first outlet and the second liquid through the second outlet. Often, the vessel has a plurality of vortex contactors, and a first outlet and a second outlet. The plurality of vortex contactors can include a first vortex contactor, in turn having at least one wall forming a perimeter about an interior region and including a first side and a second side forming a passageway communicating the first liquid from an exterior to the interior region, and a frustum positioned proximate to the passageway and abutting the at least one wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignees: UOP LLC, BORESKOV INSTITUTE OF CATALYSIS
    Inventors: Andrey Kuzmin, Aziz Sattar, Lev Davydov, Jonathan Andrew Tertel
  • Patent number: 9457294
    Abstract: One exemplary embodiment can be an apparatus for contacting a first liquid and a second liquid. The apparatus can include a vessel. The vessel can include a wall and a funnical frustum. The wall may form a perimeter about an interior space and include a first side and a second side forming a passageway communicating at least one of the first and second liquids to the interior space. The funnical frustum may be positioned proximate to the passageway and abut the wall for facilitating contacting of the first and second liquids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignees: UOP LLC, BORESKOV INSTITUTE OF CATALYSIS
    Inventors: Andrey Kuzmin, Aziz Sattar, Lev Davydov