Patents Examined by Nina Bhat
  • Patent number: 11015128
    Abstract: A process of removing at least one metal contaminant, such as copper, from a fluid hydrocarbon, for example, crude oil or a liquid hydrocarbon fuel, such as an aviation fuel. The process involves contacting the metal-contaminated fluid hydrocarbon with a sorbent selected from graphene oxide or a functionalized graphene oxide. The process removes greater than 99 percent of the metal contaminant without reducing concentrations of advantageous additives, such as, antioxidants, icing inhibitors and corrosion inhibitors. Also disclosed are a purified fluid hydrocarbon composition and a metal contaminant filter system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: PRECISION COMBUSTION, INC.
    Inventors: Codruta Maria Zoican-Loebick, Benjamin Baird, Jeffrey Weissman
  • Patent number: 11015129
    Abstract: A naphtha hydrotreating process containing a first step in the presence of the first catalyst containing a support; a second step in the presence of the second catalyst containing a support and an active phase, which active phase contains a Group 9 or 10 metal and a Group 6 metal; a third step in the presence of the third catalyst containing a support and an active phase, which active phase contains a Group 6 metal; wherein the content of Group 6 metal of the third catalyst is less than the content of Group 6 metal of the second catalyst; the ratio of the loaded specific surface area of the first catalyst to that of the second catalyst is greater than or equal to 1.20; the ratio of the loaded specific surface area of the third catalyst to that of the second catalyst is greater than 1.07.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: AXENS
    Inventors: Geoffrey Dubin, Annick Pucci, Boris Hesse
  • Patent number: 11008518
    Abstract: A coke plant includes multiple coke ovens where each coke oven is adapted to produce exhaust gases, a common tunnel fluidly connected to the plurality of coke ovens and configured to receive the exhaust gases from each of the coke ovens, multiple standard heat recovery steam generators fluidly connected to the common tunnel where the ratio of coke ovens to standard heat recovery steam generators is at least 20:1, and a redundant heat recovery steam generator fluidly connected to the common tunnel where any one of the plurality of standard heat recovery steam generators and the redundant heat recovery steam generator is adapted to receive the exhaust gases from the plurality of ovens and extract heat from the exhaust gases and where the standard heat recovery steam generators and the redundant heat recovery steam generator are all connected in parallel with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: SUNCOKE TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT LLC
    Inventors: John Francis Quanci, Gary Dean West, Daniel C. Charles, Ryan L. Yates, Andrew Michael Butor
  • Patent number: 11001771
    Abstract: A process for upgrading light cycle oil (LCO) to a high octane gasoline and a high aromatic feedstock for aromatic complex, by utilizing fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) is disclosed. FCC cracks unconverted diesel range stream from a hydrocracker to a high octane gasoline. This process further improves the quality (e.g., research octane number (RON), and Sulfur) of gasoline by utilizing FCC and hydrocracking process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: INDIAN OIL CORPORATION LIMITED
    Inventors: Mainak Sarkar, Nayan Das, Ganesh Vitthalrao Butley, Sandeep Kumar, Ram Mohan Thakur, Ramesh Karumanchi, Sarvesh Kumar, Madhusudan Sau, Sanjiv Kumar Mazumdar, Sankara Sri Venkata Ramakumar
  • Patent number: 11001767
    Abstract: Methods and systems for the conversion of hydrocarbon feedstocks, in particular, naphtha feedstocks, into a hydrocarbon product stream containing a high yield of high-octane gasoline and chemicals products. In particular, the conversion takes place over a series of functionally distinctive catalyst beds, at least one of which includes a modified zeolitic catalyst comprising a zeolite, a transition metal, and optionally a binder. Systems provided include a hydrocarbon feed stream, which may be full-range naphtha, a hydrocarbon product stream, and a plurality of functionally distinctive catalyst beds arranged in series, wherein at least one of the catalyst beds comprises a modified zeolitic catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: William R. Gunther, Brandon J. O'Neill
  • Patent number: 10995027
    Abstract: Providing new distilling and/or de-scaling methods and systems herein is a matter of allowing for thermal balance without the need to fill a hot wet emulsion separation system with more steam and heat rejection devices to waste steam. A solutions set begins with efficiently utilizing three types of waste: (1) de-oiled and/or cooled down produced water; (2) blowdown steam from drum-type boilers (DBs); and (3) return condensate of dry steam from the DBs. It ends with: (1) removing calcium hardness, magnesium hardness and silica, thereby recovering them as useful minerals; and (2) producing distillate for viscous oil recovery by steam injection and de-scaled hot brine for improved oil recovery by hot water flooding and/or other related methods. The vehicle to attain this solutions' set is a multi-effect distillation train comprises a backward feed section along with two flashing stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Inventor: Mansour S. Bader
  • Patent number: 10988696
    Abstract: Systems operable to produce liquid transportation fuels by converting a hydrocarbon feed stream comprising both isopentane and n-pentane. The system comprises a first separator operable to separate a hydrocarbon feed stream into a first fraction that predominantly comprises isopentane and a second fraction that predominantly comprises n-pentane and some C6 paraffins. An isomerization reactor isomerizes the second fraction to convert at least a portion of the n-pentane to isopentane. The resulting isomerization effluent is combined with the hydrocarbon feed stream, allowing the isopentane produced in the isomerization reactor to be separated into the first fraction in the first separator. An activation reactor catalytically activates the first fraction to produce an activation effluent comprising olefins and aromatics. Certain embodiments additionally comprise either an oligomerization reactor or and alkylation reactor operable to further upgrade the activation effluent, thereby enhancing yields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Phillips 66 Company
    Inventors: Anthony O. Baldridge, Neal D. McDaniel, James A. Suttil, Jianhua Yao, Edward C. Weintrob, Matthew J. Wulfers, Bruce B. Randolph, Maziar Sardashti
  • Patent number: 10986952
    Abstract: A hand operated fruit squeezer includes a first squeezer member having a hand grip portion, a pivot portion, and a substantially rounded receptacle portion having a bottom with apertures; a second squeezer member having a hand grip portion, a pivot portion, and a substantially rounded head portion with a pair of presses that fittingly correspond downward into the receptacle portion of the first squeezer member; and a blade assembly pivotally arranged between the first squeezer member and the second squeezer member to hold a fruit in a position suitable for cutting, and squeezing. The first squeezer member, the second squeezer member, and the blade assembly are pivotally coupled using a pivot means that engages into the pivot portions of the first squeezer member, the second squeezer member, and the blade assembly to make the hand operated fruit squeezer operational.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Inventor: Gerardo Obregon Salorio
  • Patent number: 10981818
    Abstract: The technology relates to an apparatus, methods and applications to grow microorganisms on-site to treat contaminated environments. The apparatus is designed to function under a wide range of environmental conditions including extreme cold, extreme heat and direct exposure to sunlight. Such environments normally reduce the shelf-life of the organisms in the storage chamber that feeds the fermenter where they are being grown. These environments can also lower the growth rate of the organisms in the fermenter causing diminished cell output. Quite often the optimum point of application for the organisms is outdoor and too far from structures with appropriate protection from ultraviolet radiation from the sun or from excessive cold or hot weather. The technology in the application addresses these issues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Inventors: Nicolas Canello, Nidia Yamileth Lopez-Canello
  • Patent number: 10975314
    Abstract: Processes for producing liquid transportation fuels by converting a hydrocarbon feed stream comprising both isopentane and n-pentane. The hydrocarbon feed stream is separated into a first fraction that predominantly comprises isopentane and a second fraction that predominantly comprises n-pentane and some C6 paraffins. The first fraction is catalytically activated to an activation effluent comprising olefins and aromatics, while the second fraction is isomerized to convert at least a portion of the n-pentane to isopentane, then combined with the hydrocarbon feed stream to allow the newly-produced isopentane to be separated into the first fraction. At least a portion of the activation effluent is alkylated to enhanced yields of products that are suitable for use as a blend component of liquid transportation fuels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Phillips 66 Company
    Inventors: Anthony O. Baldridge, Neal D. McDaniel, James A. Suttil, Jianhua Yao, Edward C. Weintrob, Matthew J. Wulfers, Bruce B. Randolph, Maziar Sardashti
  • Patent number: 10968365
    Abstract: Safety of products should be the most important aspect in any product available to the consumer. The following product of making an Easter Egg Paste to be placed on an eggshell to eliminate dye intrusion has been improved by reducing the need for edible salts in the formulation, and eliminating the need for emulsifiers such as soy lecithin and replacing them with more edible safe ingredients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Inventor: Kevin James Milcheck
  • Patent number: 10968129
    Abstract: Providing new distilling and/or de-scaling methods and systems herein is a matter of allowing for thermal balance without the need to fill a hot wet emulsion separation system with more steam and heat rejection devices to waste steam. One embodiment begins with efficiently utilizing three types of waste: (1) hot produced water along with its inherited thermal energy; (2) blowdown steam from drum-type boilers (DBs); and (3) return condensate of dry steam from the DBs. It ends with: (1) removing calcium hardness, magnesium hardness and silica, thereby recovering them as useful minerals; and (2) producing distillate for viscous oil recovery by steam injection and de-scaled hot brine for improved oil recovery by hot water flooding and/or other related methods. The vehicle to attain this set of solutions is a recycle brine multi-effect distillation (RB-ME) train comprises a forward feed section and a backward feed section along with two flashing stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Inventor: Mansour S. Bader
  • Patent number: 10961463
    Abstract: A method of hydroprocessing is performed wherein non-petroleum feedstocks, such as those containing from about 10% or more olefinic compounds or heteroatom contaminants by weight, are treated in a first reaction zone to provide reaction products. The process involves introducing the feedstock along with diluents or a recycle and hydrogen in a first reaction zone and allowing the feed and hydrogen to react in a liquid phase within the first reaction zone to produce reaction products. The reaction products are cooled and/or water is removed from the reaction products. At least a portion of the cooled and/or separated reaction product are introduced as a feed along with hydrogen into a second reaction zone containing a hydroprocessing catalyst. The feed and hydrogen are allowed to react in a liquid phase within the second reaction zone to produce a second-reaction-zone reaction product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Duke Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael D. Ackerson, Michael Steven Byars
  • Patent number: 10961130
    Abstract: A system includes at least one reusable nutrient cartridge including an outer housing having an inlet and an outlet, and nutrient-adsorbing material contained within the housing, the material being configured to adsorb nutrients, wherein the cartridge is configured to be charged with nutrients by flowing a nutrient stream through the inlet, through the nutrient-adsorbing material, and through the outlet to enable the nutrient-adsorbing material to adsorb the nutrients, wherein the cartridge is also configured to be later discharged of the nutrients by flowing water through the inlet, through the nutrient-adsorbing material, and through the outlet so as to transfer the nutrients to the water to generate a dilute nutrient solution suitable for use as a fertilizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
    Inventors: Daniel H. Yeh, Jorge Luis Calabria, Onur Y. Ozcan, Robert A. Bair
  • Patent number: 10961470
    Abstract: A system for upgrading a hydrocarbon feed includes a thermal hydrodealkylation unit and a hydrocracking unit. A method for reducing formation of heavy polynuclear aromatic compounds during hydrocracking includes contacting a hydrocarbon feed comprising polynuclear aromatic compounds with hydrogen at reaction conditions sufficient to hydrodealkylate at least a portion of the polynuclear aromatic compounds in the hydrocarbon feed to produce a hydrodealkylated effluent. The method can also include contacting at least a portion of the hydrodealkylated effluent with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrocracking catalyst, where the contacting causes at least a portion of hydrocarbons in the hydrodealkylated effluent to undergo hydrocracking to produce a hydrocracked effluent. The systems and methods may reduce or prevent formation of heavy polynuclear aromatic compounds in the hydrocracking unit by hydrodealkylating heavy polynuclear aromatic precursors in the hydrocarbon feed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventor: Omer Refa Koseoglu
  • Patent number: 10954449
    Abstract: The present invention includes a method for converting renewable energy source electricity and a hydrocarbon feedstock into a liquid fuel by providing a source of renewable electrical energy in communication with a synthesis gas generation unit and an air separation unit. Oxygen from the air separation unit and a hydrocarbon feedstock is provided to the synthesis gas generation unit, thereby causing partial oxidation reactions in the synthesis gas generation unit in a process that converts the hydrocarbon feedstock into synthesis gas. The synthesis gas is then converted into a liquid fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: INENTEC, INC.
    Inventors: Daniel R. Cohn, Jeffrey E. Surma, Leslie Bromberg
  • Patent number: 10957905
    Abstract: A silicon based material in the form of sheet-like silicon porous particles in an electrically conductive material matrix wherein said silicon particles contain nano-sized pores, and a method of producing thereof, are disclosed. The material and the method allow obtaining Li ion batteries with high electric charge capacity and improved cycling performance of the battery anode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Inventors: Yunjun Li, Igor Pavlovsky, Mohshi Yang
  • Patent number: 10947646
    Abstract: An elastic band contains: multiple warps, multiple latex yarns, and plural latex threads which are interweaved so as to produce the elastic band. The multiple warps include a plurality of cloth layers formed on side surfaces and bottoms of the multiple warps respectively, and the multiple warps include multiple elastic layers arranged among the plurality of cloth layers individually. The multiple elastic layers are interweaved by the multiple warps, the multiple latex yarns, and plural latex threads. A sewing machine includes multiple frames and multiple steel buckles so that the multiple warps are inserted through multiple frames repeatedly, and the multiple warps, the multiple latex yarns and the plural latex threads are inserted through the multiple steel buckles repeatedly so as to produce the elastic band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Inventor: Mi Shen Chiang
  • Patent number: 10947435
    Abstract: A liquid concentrator system includes a concentrator section having a gas inlet, a gas outlet, and a mixing corridor disposed between the gas inlet and the gas outlet. A liquid inlet is disposed in the mixing corridor between the gas inlet and a narrowed portion. A demister is disposed downstream of the concentrator section. The demister includes a liquid collector to remove liquid from gas flowing through the demister, and a reservoir that collects the removed liquid. A re-circulating circuit is disposed between reservoir and the mixing corridor to transport liquid within the reservoir to the mixing corridor, and a secondary re-circulating circuit includes a settling tank to separate saturated liquid and suspended solids. A custom brine mixing device is operatively coupled to the settling tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: HEARTLAND TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS LLC
    Inventors: Bernard F. Duesel, Jr., Michael J. Rutsch, Craig Clerkin
  • Patent number: 10946301
    Abstract: A compact and portable liquid concentrator includes a gas inlet, a gas exit and a flow corridor connecting the gas inlet and the gas exit, wherein the flow corridor includes a narrowed portion that accelerates the gas through the flow corridor. A liquid inlet injects liquid into the gas stream at a point prior to the narrowed portion so that the gas-liquid mixture is thoroughly mixed within the flow corridor, causing a portion of the liquid to be evaporated. A demister or fluid scrubber downstream of the narrowed portion removes entrained liquid droplets from the gas stream and re-circulates the removed liquid to the liquid inlet through a re-circulating circuit. Fresh liquid to be concentrated is also introduced into the re-circulating circuit at a rate sufficient to offset the amount of liquid evaporated in the flow corridor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: HEARTLAND TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS LLC
    Inventors: Bernard F. Duesel, Jr., Michael J. Rutsch, Craig Clerkin