Patents Examined by Randy Boyer
  • Patent number: 12006482
    Abstract: A system for upgrading heavy hydrocarbon feeds, such as crude oil, include a hydrotreating unit, a hydrotreated effluent separation system, a solvent-assisted adsorption system, and a hydrocracking unit. Processes for upgrading heavy hydrocarbon feeds include hydrotreating the hydrocarbon feed to produce a hydrotreated effluent that includes asphaltenes, separating the hydrotreated effluent into a lesser boiling hydrotreated effluent and a greater boiling hydrotreated effluent comprising the asphaltenes, combining the greater boiling hydrotreated effluent with a light paraffin solvent to produce a combined stream, adsorbing the asphaltenes from the combined stream to produce an adsorption effluent, and hydrocracking the lesser boiling hydrotreated effluent and at least a portion of the adsorption effluent to produce a hydrocracked effluent with hydrocarbons boiling less than 180° C. The systems and processes increase the hydrocarbon conversion and yield of hydrocarbons boiling less than 180° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Lianhui Ding, Sameer A. Al-Ghamdi, Faisal Alotaibi
  • Patent number: 12006473
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for processing and recovering bitumen (42) and aggregate (41) from asphalt (40), in which: a) the asphalt (40) is mechanically comminuted; b) the comminuted asphalt is introduced into an evacuated or evacuatable processing chamber (1); c) the processing chamber (1) is evacuated by adjusting the pressure in the processing chamber (1) to a pressure lower than ambient pressure, preferably 200 mbar or lower; d) the processing chamber (1) is then charged at least once with a liquid organic solvent; e) the liquid organic solvent is then extracted from the processing chamber (1); and then f1) the organic solvent is fed into the evacuated processing chamber (1) in the vapor phase at the reduced pressure, at a temperature at or above the flash point of the organic solvent; and/or f2) liquid organic solvent is fed into the treatment chamber (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: HEMO GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Hösel
  • Patent number: 12006480
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods for processing liquefied waste polymers (LWP) containing diolefins. The LWP feed is supplied to steam stripper A to provide a distillate containing diolefins and naphtha, and a distillate bottom. The distillate is subjected to hydrotreatment B to produce a diolefin depleted distillate which is separated by distillation C to give rise to one or more fractions comprising at least a naphtha fraction, an optional middle fraction and a bottom fraction. Hydroprocessing D of the naphtha fraction gives rise to hydrogenated naphtha which is suitable as a feed for a steam cracker E. Since the distillation bottom, bottom fraction and the middle distillate are predominantly free from diolefins, they can be mixed with crude oil and processed further in oil refinery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: NESTE OYJ
    Inventors: Pekka Aalto, Heikki Aaltonen, Antti Ojala, Andrea Pérez Nebreda, Emma Sairanen, Ville Paasikallio, Antti Kurkijärvi
  • Patent number: 11999909
    Abstract: A process for increasing the softening point of asphalt using an eductor, preheated asphalt is mixed with an input gas in the eductor to form a gas/asphalt mixture. The gas/asphalt mixture is conducted to a heated and pressurized oxidizer vessel via piping connected to the discharge connection of the eductor, where the piping enables a bubble flow pattern to develop therein to enable reaction of the oxygen with the asphalt. The oxygen entrained asphalt mixture is discharged from an exit port of the piping in the oxidizer vessel. The resulting oxidized asphalt product stream has a softening temperature greater than the preheated asphalt feed. The process minimizes the off-gas produced to reduce the carbon footprint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: EXXONMOBIL TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Keith K. Aldous, Sara K. Green, William R. Harrison, Vincent Kroll, Kevin Sutowski
  • Patent number: 11999913
    Abstract: A process for re-refining used lubricating oil (ULO), much of which is used motor oil (UMO) relies on more rapid heating, turbulent flows, higher peak temperatures, to achieve rapid thermal cracking, even including metal-bearing additives without catalysts, compared to conventional refining of crude oil and conventional recycling processing of UMO. By thermally cracking this way and scrubbing with recycled, processed liquids from the flow stream, a process readily removes metal-bearing hydrocarbons in typical lubricating oil additives. Those bonded metals consigned to heavy fraction “bottoms,” are commonly non-removable by other recycling schemes. Long chain polymers including paraffins are broken into lighter hydrocarbons with properties typical of fuels containing olefins, naphthenes, and the like. Data and analysis reveal low solids, effective metal removal, comparatively low viscosity and boiling points, and greatly reduced sulfur content in fuel and oil products resulting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: Arizona Fuel Operations I LLC
    Inventor: Paul S. Moote
  • Patent number: 11987768
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for refining crude tall oil, wherein the method comprises first evaporating tall oil material (10) in a first evaporator (100) whereafter the first fraction (11) is fed to a first distilling column (200) and the second fraction (12) is fed to further evaporation. The condensate(s) recovered from the further evaporation(s) is fed to a second distilling column (300). The present disclosure further concerns the use of different fractions obtained by the method for the production of biofuels or components thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: UPM-KYMMENE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jari Kotoneva, Timo Äijälä
  • Patent number: 11981874
    Abstract: A process for dewatering a thermochemical oil. The process comprises providing a thermochemical oil comprising water; adding a solvent selected from mesityl oxide, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran, dioxane and furfural to the thermochemical, oil, to form a mixture comprising the thermochemical oil and the solvent; heating the mixture to remove an azeotrope comprising water and the solvent from the mixture, thereby forming a dewatered thermochemical oil. A dewatered thermochemical oil. A fuel precursor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: PREEM AKTIEBOLAG
    Inventors: Anne-Charlotte Hällgren, Nils Anders Nilsson, Tomasz Janosik
  • Patent number: 11981869
    Abstract: A method is disclosed of purifying a recycled or renewable organic material, wherein the recycled or renewable organic material contains one or more impurities selected from a group consisting of silicon compounds, phosphorous, Cl and sterols. Exemplary embodiments include (a) providing the recycled or renewable organic material; (c) heat treating the recycled or renewable organic material at 100 to 450° C.; and (f) hydrotreating the heat treated recycled or renewable organic material in a presence of a hydrotreating catalyst; to obtain purified hydrotreated recycled or renewable organic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: NESTE OYJ
    Inventors: Blanka Toukoniitty, Ville Paasikallio, Jukka-Pekka Pasanen, Jouni Touronen, Meri Hovi, Antti Pasanen, Salla Likander, Sami Toppinen, Pekka Aalto, Kari Jansson, Marina Lindblad, Mats Käldström, Kaisa Lamminpää, Andrea Perez Nebreda
  • Patent number: 11981871
    Abstract: Green demulsifiers useful for demulsifying emulsions of water and crude oil are made by reacting together an alcohol, a multifunctional acid and/or anhydride, and a fatty acid, and optionally a polyol that is polyethylene glycol and/or polypropylene glycol. The green demulsifier has ester bonds between the reactant moieties. These ester bonds can hydrolyze which results in relatively high biodegradation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC
    Inventors: Kekeli A. Ekoue-Kovi, Wojciech Jakubowski, Kui Xu, Xiaofeng Wang, Onome Ugono
  • Patent number: 11970666
    Abstract: A process for preparing hydrocarbons from an oxygenated hydrocarbon feedstock, such as animal fat, having a high nitrogen impurity is described. Hydrotreatment of the oxygenated feedstock occurs in a first hydrotreating bed arranged downstream of a polishing bed. A gaseous phase is removed and the liquid hydrotreated phase is fed to the polishing bed arranged upstream of the first hydrotreating bed together with fresh hydrogen. The process effectively removes nitrogen impurities from the resultant hydrocarbon product causing an improved cloud point after isomerisation, and the arrangement makes efficient use of fresh hydrogen for polishing, providing a polished hydrocarbon product rich in dissolved hydrogen. Part of the product can be used as hydrocarbon diluent in the downstream hydrotreating bed, and/or withdrawn between the polishing and hydrotreating bed and isomerised in an isomerisation reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: NESTE OYJ
    Inventors: Ville Suntio, Olli Visuri, Petri Lindqvist
  • Patent number: 11962044
    Abstract: The present invention offers some general specifications for the design, assembly, and adaptation of a rotating cylinder electrochemical cell into an autoclave, of a high temperature and pressure system for corrosion studies that simulate operating conditions in pipelines, as well as the operation and safety of an autoclave to evaluate the electrochemical process of metal surfaces exposed to aggressive aqueous solutions. The electrochemical cell consists of an array of three electrodes that include a rotating cylinder electrode designed to operate hermetically, a reference electrode and an auxiliary electrode. The rotating cylinder electrode is considered to be the working electrode, where the oxidation and electrochemical reduction processes are studied. However, the use of the method described in this work can be extended to other testing environments and materials by taking into account the physical and chemical properties of the fluids and materials to be used in order to avoid any risk for the operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: INSTITUTO MEXICANO DEL PETROLEO
    Inventors: Eliceo Sosa Hernandez, Marco Antonio Dominguez Aguilar, Hongbo Liu, Jorge Luis Alamilla Lopez, Jorge Flores Castillo, Marco Antonio Hernandez Rojo, Ivan Velazquez Ovando, Cesar Mendez Romero, Luis Manuel Quej Ake
  • Patent number: 11958760
    Abstract: An atomizer for use in a water treatment system includes an influent inlet, to receive a flow of fluid containing contaminants a gas flow inlet, to receive a flow of gas to be mixed with the fluid in a mixing zone, an airflow controlling component, including an array of vanes disposed between the gas flow inlet and the mixing zone to impart a rotational component to a direction of flow of the gas. A channel receives the flow of fluid containing contaminants, and conducts the flow of fluid containing contaminants to the mixing zone, wherein radially outwardly flowing fluid containing contaminants is mixed with radially inwardly flowing gas to atomize the fluid containing contaminants, and an outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Inventor: Kelly Rock
  • Patent number: 11959030
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing olefins from a hydrocarbon feedstock 11 with a sulfur content of at least 0.1 weight %, an initial boiling point of at least 180° C. and a final boiling point of at least 600° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: IFP ENERGIES NOUVELLES
    Inventors: Wilfried Weiss, Isabelle Merdrignac
  • Patent number: 11952542
    Abstract: Integrated gas oil separation plant systems and methods, one system including a crude oil inlet feed stream; a low pressure production trap (LPPT); a low pressure degassing tank (LPDT); a first heat exchanger, where the first heat exchanger is fluidly disposed between the LPPT and LPDT, and is fluidly coupled to both the LPPT and LPDT, and where the first heat exchanger is operable to heat the LPDT inlet feed stream with compressed gas removed from the crude oil inlet feed stream; a first inline gas mixer preceding the LPPT to directly mix compressed gas from the LPDT into the LPPT inlet feed stream; and a LPDT recycle water stream, where the LPDT recycle water stream is operable to supply recycle water from the LPDT to the LPPT inlet feed stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventor: Mohamed Soliman
  • Patent number: 11952537
    Abstract: Aqueous treatment compositions for crude oil and/or petroleum distillates to remove sulfur compounds therefrom and treatment methods using such compositions are disclosed. The composition has less than 0.5% wt/wt di- or tri-benzohydroxy compound, a strong base, less than 1% wt/wt divalent metal gluconate, a balance of water, and a pH that is 9 or greater. The treatment method includes adding said treatment composition to crude oil or a petroleum distillate to form a mixture having 0.001% to 0.02% wt di- or tri-benzohydroxy compound/wt oil and 0.001% to 0.03% wt divalent metal gluconate/wt oil and mixing the same together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Ripcord Energy Solutions, LLC
    Inventors: Linda Esther Schweitzer, Bobby Burkes, Sr.
  • Patent number: 11953499
    Abstract: A quartz crystal microbalance coated with functionalized nanoparticles used to detect molecule-nanoparticle interactions to assist with characterization of difficult to predict molecule-nanoparticle interactions for novel ligand chemistries and, particularly, mixed ligand nanoparticles exhibiting different ligand morphologies, in order to quantify nanoparticle-molecule interactions independently from more complex solvation requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: University of South Carolina
    Inventors: Morgan Stefik, Zachary Marsh
  • Patent number: 11952540
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for hydrocracking mineralized refuse pyrolysis oil. The method may use the following steps: (a) crushing and pyrolyzing mineralized refuse to obtain arene and alkane precursor biomass oil; (b) hydrogenating the arene and alkane precursor biomass oil obtained in step (a), and separating the obtained hydrocrackate to obtain arene and alkane; and (c) purifying, recovering and optimizing the arene and alkane obtained in step (b), and performing deep processing to produce naphtha, jet fuel, light diesel oil, and heavy diesel oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: East China University of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Yulong Chang, Hualin Wang, Xia Jiang, Jianping Li, Jingyi Zhu, Pengbo Fu, Wei Yuan
  • Patent number: 11946004
    Abstract: An atmospheric-vacuum heat exchange system with a winding-tube heat exchanger, has a first and second heat exchanging group; a primary distillation tower (4) or flash tower; an atmospheric furnace (5); an atmospheric tower (6); a vacuum furnace (7) and a vacuum tower (8); each winding-tube heat exchanger has a shell-pass cylinder (370), a first and second shell-pass connecting tube (371,372), a first and second tube plate (330,340), a plurality of first and second tube box (310,320), a plurality of heat exchange tubes (360) spirally wounded with multiple spiral tube layers; the number of the first and second tube box (310, 320) are respectively N, and each spiral tube layer has N group(s) of the wounded heat exchange tubes (360), N is a natural number greater than or equal to 1. The loss of heat exchanger is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Zhenhai Petrochemical Jianan Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jianliang Wang, Xianan Zhang, Huili Ma, Xingmiao Hu, Hongliang Ren, Yu Wang, Jiang Tao, Jiaoyue Cui
  • Patent number: 11946694
    Abstract: A method of cleaning a condensate thermosyphon reboiler including modifying a flow rate of a hot oil stream introduced into the tube-side of a first condensate thermosyphon reboiler, modifying a flow rate of a condensate hydrocarbon stream introduced into the shell-side of the first condensate thermosyphon reboiler, and maintaining an operation of the condensate stabilizer system until the value of an overhead temperature of the first condensate thermosyphon reboiler is detected to have been modified from the first overhead temperature to a second overhead temperature. The method further includes modifying the flow rate of the condensate hydrocarbon stream from the second condensate flow rate to the first condensate flow rate, and modifying the flow rate of the hot oil stream from the second hot oil flow rate to the first hot oil flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventor: Mishar K. Paul
  • Patent number: 11939542
    Abstract: A system for processing plastic waste may include a feed line, a feed fractionator, a hydrotreater, a catalytic reforming unit, a heavy oil cracker, and a steam cracker. A pyrolyzed plastics feed is separated into light, medium, and heavy hydrocarbon streams. The hydrotreater removes sulfur, and the catalytic reforming unit produces a circular aromatic-rich stream. The heavy oil cracker generates cracked streams. The steam cracker produces a circular olefin stream from a cracked stream. A system for processing plastic waste may include the feed line, the feed fractionator, the hydrotreater, a medium hydrocarbon fractionator, the catalytic reforming unit, a full-range reforming unit, the heavy oil cracker, and the steam cracker. The medium hydrocarbon fractionator produces two hydrocarbon streams. The full-range naphtha reforming unit produces a second circular aromatic-rich stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP
    Inventors: Bruce D. Murray, Scott G. Morrison, Kenneth Fountain, Steven R. Horlacher, Vincent D. Mcgahee, Reza Khankal, David Dockter