Patents Examined by Kenneth Vaden
  • Patent number: 9808755
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for separating CO2 and sulfur-containing compounds from a synthesis gas obtained from gasification of a carbonaceous feedstock. The primary separating steps are performed using a sour pressure swing adsorption (SPSA) system, followed by an acid gas enrichment system and a sulfur removal unit. The SPSA system includes multiple pressure equalization steps and a rinse step using a rinse gas that is supplied from a source other than directly from one of the adsorber beds of the SPSA system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Shubhra Jyoti Bhadra, Andrew David Wright, Jeffrey Raymond Hufton, Jeffrey William Kloosterman, Fabrice Amy, Edward Landis Weist, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9789470
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for the production of a supported nickel catalyst, in which an aqueous mixture comprising an alkali metal salt plus other metal salts is sintered to form a support material. A supported nickel catalyst comprising potassium ?-alumina is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Haldor Topsoe A/S
    Inventors: Joachim Harteg Jacobsen, Charlotte Vinding Ovesen, Christian Daugaard
  • Patent number: 9731967
    Abstract: A system for producing hydrogen gas, heat and an oxide component using a water splitting process is disclosed. The system involves a dry first chamber containing a passivating-oxide preventing reagent that receives a solid material feedstock and dissolves the solid material feedstock in the passivating-oxide preventing reagent. The passivating-oxide preventing reagent becomes saturated with the solid material in the first chamber and is then transferred to a second chamber without contact with water. In the second chamber, the solid material saturated in the passivating-oxide preventing reagent reacts with the water so as to generate hydrogen gas, an oxide component and heat. Following the reaction, the solid material depleted passivating-oxide preventing reagent and water is recycled to be re-used in the water splitting process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Inventors: Jerry M Woodall, Thomas E. Rowley
  • Patent number: 9718684
    Abstract: A method for producing hydrogen gas, heat and an oxide component using a water splitting process is disclosed. The method involves providing a dry first chamber containing a passivating-oxide preventing reagent that receives a solid material feedstock and dissolves the solid material feedstock in the passivating-oxide preventing reagent. The passivating-oxide preventing reagent becomes saturated with the solid material in the first chamber and is then transferred to a second chamber without contact with water. In the second chamber, the solid material saturated in the passivating-oxide preventing reagent reacts with the water so as to generate hydrogen gas, an oxide component and heat. Following the reaction, the solid material depleted passivating-oxide preventing reagent and water is recycled to be re-used in the water splitting process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Inventors: Jerry M Woodall, Thomas E Rowley
  • Patent number: 9719003
    Abstract: Disclosed are a suspension fluid and a method for preparing the suspension fluid. Particularly, the suspension fluid is prepared by dispersing fumed silica particles in a solvent that includes one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol, and water. The phase-change suspension fluid obtained from the present invention is a shear thickening fluid that have a constant Newtonian behavior at a low rate of shear or a low frequency band, and further have a non-Newtonian behavior as a solid-like suspension at a high rate of shear or a high frequency band due to an increase in viscosity. In addition, the phase-change suspension fluid may reversibly change its phase with vibration of a vehicle, thereby providing advantages of both of the hydro bushes and the solid type bushes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Jong Min Park, Jae Sik Seo, Kyung Mo Yang, Dae Sung Chang, Hyoung Jin Choi
  • Patent number: 9701535
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process for the production of a syngas mixture by catalytic partial oxidation. The syngas mixture is suitable as an intermediate in the production of hydrogen. According to the invention, the syngas is cooled, prior to a water gas shift reaction, with liquid water. This has the advantage of avoiding the problem of metal dusting, and it presents a gas mixture comprising water vapor that is particularly suitable for a water gas shift reaction in the production of hydrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: STAMICARBON B.V.
    Inventors: Gaetano Iaquaniello, Barbara Cucchiella, Elena Antonetti
  • Patent number: 9682860
    Abstract: Provided are processes and systems for the reclamation of tritium from a tritiated byproduct material. A liquid organic tritium containing material is subjected to a series of reactions to isolate purified tritium gas that can be used in subsequent tritiation reactions. The processes involve in some aspects a semi-automated system that subjects a byproduct liquid organic tritium containing material to an oxidation to produce tritiated water, a chemical splitting of the tritiated water to form a tritiated gas that is substantially free of oxygen or other contaminants, and the isolation of purified tritium gas from hydrogen containing HT gas. The processes and systems provided substantially reduce both the cost to produce tritium source material for labeling of organic molecules and the amount of byproduct that requires disposal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: PerkinElmer Health Sciences, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Maroun, Steven T. Schaeffer, William D. MacIntosh, III, Anthony F. De Louise, III
  • Patent number: 9676623
    Abstract: This invention relates to a process and an apparatus for conducting simultaneous endothermic and exothermic reactions in a microchannel reactor. A start-up procedure for the microchannel reactor is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Velocys, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven T. Perry, Ravi Arora, Martyn Twigg, Bin Yang, Thomas Yuschak, Kai Tod Paul Jarosch, Eric Hans Drescher, Franck Letellier, Anders Gabrielsson
  • Patent number: 9669389
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine exhaust gas purifying catalyst carrier has a core body formed of a CeO2—ZrO2 solid solution or a CeO2—ZrO2—La2O2 solid solution, and CeO2 supported on the surface of the core body, wherein the core body has a CeO2 content of 5 to 35 mass % and an La2O2 content of 0 to 10 mass %, on the basis of the mass of the carrier, and the amount of CeO2 supported on the core body is 5 to 17 mass %, on the basis of the mass of the carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUI MINING & SMELTING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yunosuke Nakahara, Takashi Wakabayashi, Yasunori Imada, Ohki Houshito, Yuki Nagao, Takahiko Sakaue, Akihiro Nara, Shinji Aoki
  • Patent number: 9657243
    Abstract: A process for the gasification of wet biomass. The process comprises heating wet biomass at a pressure in the range of from 22.1 MPa to 35 MPa. The wet biomass is heated from a temperature of at most T1 to a temperature of at least T2 by heat exchange with a first heating fluid. The gasification product is further heated. The further heated gasification product is used as the first heating fluid, upon which the further heated gasification product is cooled down from a temperature of at least T3 to a temperature of at most T4. The temperatures T1, T2, T3 and T4 can be calculated by using certain mathematical formulae. Also claimed: a reaction apparatus for the gasification of wet biomass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: GENSOS HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: John Harinck, Klaas Gerrit Smit
  • Patent number: 9643843
    Abstract: A method for reforming hydrocarbon-containing feed gas into synthesis gas, involving processing of the feed gas by pre-reforming at least partially converting one or more higher hydrocarbons into methane, and heating the feed gas by exothermic catalytic partial oxidation of hydrocarbons before the introduction thereof into the main reforming zone, and, subsequent to the pre-reforming, reforming the pre-reformed product with the addition of a controlled quantity of an oxidizing agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: AIR LIQUIDE GLOBAL E&C SOLUTIONS GERMANY GMBH
    Inventors: Rainer Morgenroth, Andreas Bormann
  • Patent number: 9643159
    Abstract: Structures, catalysts, and reactors suitable for use for a variety of applications, including gas-to-liquid and coal-to-liquid processes and methods of forming the structures, catalysts, and reactors are disclosed. The catalyst material can be deposited onto an inner wall of a microtubular reactor and/or onto porous tungsten support structures using atomic layer deposition techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporate
    Inventors: Staci A. Van Norman, Victoria J. Aston, Alan W. Weimer
  • Patent number: 9637381
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a catalyst for steam pre-reforming of hydrocarbons, containing in its formulation nickel and rare earths supported on alumina or magnesium or calcium aluminates, so as to increase the resistance to coke deposition, and the process for preparing said catalyst. Additionally the present invention relates to a process for manufacturing hydrogen or syn gas through steam pre-reforming olefin-containing hydrocarbons in the presence of the catalyst obtained according to the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: PETROLEO BRASILEIRO S.A.—PETROBRAS
    Inventors: Roberto Carlos Pontes Bittencourt, Antonio Marcos Fonseca Bidart, Fabio Menezes Passarelli
  • Patent number: 9630839
    Abstract: A process for producing synthesis gas (syngas) comprising the endothermic reaction between CO2 and H2S, wherein the energetic supply is provided by the exothermic oxidation of a small portion of H2S to SO2 according to the following reaction scheme: R2: H2S+1.5O2?SO2+H2O said process being carried out according to the following overall theoretical reaction scheme R1, not taking into account the aforementioned exothermic reaction R2, R1: CO2+2H2S?CO+H2+S2+H2O wherein the amount of fed oxygen is comprised between 5% and 25% by volume over the total volume of fed reactants gaseous mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: POLITECNICO DI MILANO
    Inventors: Flavio Manenti, Sauro Pierucci, Lucio Molinari
  • Patent number: 9624103
    Abstract: A method and system for producing hydrogen gas, heat and an oxide component using water splitting process is disclosed. The system comprises a dry first chamber containing a passivating-oxide preventing agent that receives a solid material feedstock and dissolves the solid material feedstock in the passivating-oxide preventing agent. The passivating-oxide preventing agent becomes saturated with the solid material in the first chamber and is then transferred to a second chamber without contact with water. In the second chamber, the solid material saturated in the passivating-oxide preventing agent reacts with the water so as to generate hydrogen gas, an oxide component and heat. Following the reaction, the solid material depleted passivating-oxide preventing agent and water is recycled to be re-used in the water splitting process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Inventors: Jerry M Woodall, Thomas E Rowley
  • Patent number: 9595726
    Abstract: Fuel reforming processes and systems are disclosed. The fuel reforming process includes providing a fuel reformer, the fuel reformer comprising a reaction zone configured for exothermic partial oxidation to generate reformates and a heat exchanger extending from the reaction zone, the heat exchanger configured to expel the reformates through a reformate path and receive fuel-rich reactants through a fuel path, generating the reformates by the exothermic partial oxidation of the fuel-rich reactants within the reaction zone, heating the fuel-rich reactants in reaction zone with the heat exchanger by heat from the reformates in the reformate path. The process is energetically self-sustained and operates without a catalyst. The fuel reforming system includes the fuel reformer with a spiral heat exchanger and a component capable of operation with the reformates and incompatible with combustion products, such as a fuel cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Advanced Cooling Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Chien-Hua Chen, Howard Pearlman
  • Patent number: 9580312
    Abstract: The invention relates to a continuous method for producing acetylenes and syngas by partially oxidizing hydrocarbons with oxygen. A first feed stream (1) containing one or more hydrocarbons and a second feed stream (2) containing oxygen are —mixed in a ratio of the mass flows of the second feed stream (2) to the first feed stream (1) corresponding to an oxygen number of less than or equal to 0.31, said streams being heated separately from each other, —and fed to a combustion chamber (FR) via a burner block (BR), the partial oxidation of the hydrocarbons being carried out in said combustion chamber, —thereby obtaining a first cracked gas stream Ig. The invention is characterized in that —the first cracked gas stream Ig is precooled to a temperature ranging from 100 to 1000° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Maximilian Vicari, Christian Weichert, Dirk Grossschmidt, Michael Russ, Kai Rainer Ehrhardt, Horst Neuhauser, Michael L. Hayes
  • Patent number: 9579634
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for preparing a metal catalyst having improved yield of alcohols. The method for preparing a metal catalyst for the production of alcohol from synthesis gas includes forming a metal catalyst; and irradiating the metal catalyst with gamma rays. The metal catalyst has improved yield of alcohols by stabilizing the metal catalyst through gamma ray irradiation to inhibit generation of hydrocarbons in catalytic reaction with synthesis gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Korea Institute of Energy Research
    Inventors: Sun-Hwa Yeon, Dae-Hyun Shin, Nam-Sun Nho, Kyoung-Hee Shin, Chang-Soo Jin, Sung-Chan Nam, Je-Kyoung Woo, Kwang-Ho Kim
  • Patent number: 9567215
    Abstract: A method for producing hydrogen and/or other gases from steel plant wastes and waste heat is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of providing molten waste from steel plant like molten slag in a reactor. The molten slag is contacted with water and/or steam in the presence of a reducing agent to form a stream of hydrogen and/or other gases. The hydrogen and/or other gases can then be extracted from the stream of gases from the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Tata Steel Limited
    Inventors: Tridibesh Mukherjee, Debashish Bhattacharjee
  • Patent number: 9556391
    Abstract: A process of decomposing a biomass derivative to produce a gaseous product and then introducing the gaseous product into a steam reformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Phillips 66 Company
    Inventors: Uchenna Prince Paul, Joe D. Allison, Kristi A. Fjare, Roland Schmidt