Patents by Inventor Barry B. Pruden

Barry B. Pruden has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6517706
    Abstract: A slurry feed of a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock and coke-inhibiting additive particles together with a hydrogen-containing gas, are fed upward through a confined hydrocracking zone in a vertical, elongated, cylindrical vessel with a generally dome-shaped bottom head. A mixed effluent is removed from the top containing hydrogen and vaporous hydrocarbons and liquid heavy hydrocarbons. The slurry feed mixture and a portion of the hydrogen-containing gas are fed into the hydrocracking zone through an injector at the bottom of the dome-shaped bottom head and the balance of the hydrogen-containing gas is fed into the hydrocracking zone through injection nozzles arranged within of the hydrocracking zone at a location above the slurry-feed injector. The combined slurry feed and hydrogen-containing gas are injected at a velocity whereby the additive particles are maintained in suspension throughout the vessel and coking reactions are prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: Petro-Canada
    Inventors: Barry B. Pruden, N. Kelly Benham
  • Patent number: 6004453
    Abstract: A process for hydrocracking a heavy hydrocarbon oil feedstock, a substantial portion of which boils above 524.degree. C. is described which includes the steps of: (a) passing a slurry feed of a mixture of heavy hydrocarbon oil feedstock and from about 0.01-4.0% by weight (based on fresh feedstock) of coke-inhibiting additive particles upwardly through a confined vertical hydrocracking zone, the hydrocracking zone being maintained at a temperature between about 350.degree. and 600.degree. C. a pressure of at least 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignee: Petro-Canada
    Inventors: N. Kelly Benham, Barry B. Pruden, Michel Roy
  • Patent number: 5972202
    Abstract: A process is described for controlling the size of additive or catalyst particles mixed with heavy hydrocarbon oil feedstock containing asphaltenes and metals and being subjected to hydrotreating. A slurry feed of a mixture of the heavy hydrocarbon oil feedstock and coke-inhibiting additive particles or catalyst particles is passed upwardly through a confined vertical hydrotreating zone in the presence of hydrogen gas, while removing from the top of the hydrotreating zone a mixed effluent containing a gaseous phase comprising hydrogen and vaporous hydrocarbon and a liquid phase comprising heavy hydrocarbon. The mixed effluent is passed through a separation vessel, while withdrawing from the top of the separator a gaseous stream comprising hydrogen and vaporous hydrocarbons and withdrawing from the bottom of the separator a liquid stream comprising heavy hydrocarbons and particles of coke-inhibiting additive or catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: Petro--Canada
    Inventors: N. Kelly Benham, Barry B. Pruden
  • Patent number: 5755955
    Abstract: A process for hydrocracking a heavy hydrocarbon oil feedstock, a substantial portion of which boils above 524.degree. C. is described which includes the steps of: (a) passing a slurry feed of a mixture of heavy hydrocarbon oil feedstock and from about 0.01-4.0% by weight (based on fresh feedstock) of coke-inhibiting additive particles upwardly through a confined vertical hydrocracking zone, the hydrocracking zone being maintained at a temperature between about 350.degree. and 600.degree. C. a pressure of at least 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Petro-Canada
    Inventors: N. Kelly Benham, Barry B. Pruden, Michel Roy
  • Patent number: 5374348
    Abstract: A heavy hydrocarbon oil, a substantial portion of which boils above 524.degree. C., is subjected to hydrocracking with a fractionated heavy oil recycle stream containing active additive particles. In the process, a slurry feed of (1) fresh heavy hydrocarbon oil feedstock and a heavy hydrocarbon recycle and (2) from about 0.01-4% by weight (based on fresh feedstock) of iron sulphate additive particles having sizes less than 45 .mu.m, is passed upwardly through a confined vertical hydrocracking zone. A mixed effluent is removed from the top of the hydrocracking zone, which is then passed through a hot separator vessel. From the bottom of the separator is withdrawn a liquid heavy hydrocarbon stream comprising heavy hydrocarbons and particles of the iron sulphate additive converted mainly to an iron sulphide phase. This separated liquid heavy hydrocarbon stream is fractionated to obtain a heavy oil which boils above 450.degree. C., containing the additive particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1994
    Assignee: Energy Mines & Resources - Canada
    Inventors: Paul L. Sears, Theo J. W. de Bruijn, William H. Dawson, Barry B. Pruden, Anil K. Jain
  • Patent number: 4999328
    Abstract: A process for the conversion of a heavy hydrocarbon oil in the presence of hydrogen and iron-petroleum coke catalyst is described in which the iron-petroleum coke catalyst is prepared by grinding petroleum coke particles and particles of an iron compound in oil to form an additive slurry or paste and mixing the petroleum coke-iron oil slurry or paste with the heavy hydrocarbon oil to form a feedstock to hydroconverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1991
    Assignee: Petro-Canada Inc.
    Inventors: Anil K. Jain, Barry B. Pruden
  • Patent number: 4969988
    Abstract: A process for the conversion of a heavy hydrocarbon oil in the presence of hydrogen and a catalyst or additive is described. It is shown that conversion can be increased by injecting an anti-foaming agent or a solution of anti-foaming agent in light oil into the reactor. Significantly better results are obtained when the anti-foam or the solution of anti-foam is injected directly into the top section of the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 13, 1990
    Assignee: Petro-Canada Inc.
    Inventors: Anil K. Jain, Barry B. Pruden, Dennis Lambiris, Serge Rivard, Dirkson D. S. Liu
  • Patent number: 4370221
    Abstract: An improved process is described for the hydrocracking of heavy hydrocarbon oil, such as oils extracted from tar sands. The charge oil in the presence of an excess of hydrogen is passed through a tubular hydrocracking zone, and the effluent emerging from the top of the zone is separated into a gaseous stream containing a wide boiling range material and a liquid stream containing heavy hydrocarbons. According to the novel feature, the hydrocracking process is carried out in the presence of a catalyst consisting of finely divided coal or other carbonaceous material carrying catalytically active metals from Group VIA and Group VIII of the Periodic Table of Elements, e.g. cobalt and molybdenum. The catalyst is slurried with the charge stock and has been found to greatly reduce coke precursors and thereby prevent the formation of carbonaceous deposits in the reaction zone while also being effective in reducing the sulfur concentration of the product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1981
    Date of Patent: January 25, 1983
    Assignee: Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources
    Inventors: David J. Patmore, Ramaswami Ranganathan, Chandra P. Khulbe, Barry B. Pruden
  • Patent number: 4299685
    Abstract: An improved process is described for the hydrocracking of heavy hydrocarbon oil, such as oils extracted from tar sands. The charge oil in the presence of an excess of hydrogen is passed through a tubular hydrocracking zone, and the effluent emerging from the top of the zone is separated into a gaseous stream containing a wide boiling range material and a liquid stream containing heavy hydrocarbons. According to the novel feature, the charge stock is in the form of a slurry of heavy hydrocarbon oil and finely divided fly ash or high ash coal fines. The presence of this ash in the charge stock serves to greatly reduce coke precursors and thereby prevent the formation of carbonaceous deposits in the reaction zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1980
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1981
    Inventors: Chandra P. Khulbe, Ramaswami Ranganathan, Barry B. Pruden
  • Patent number: 4252634
    Abstract: An improved process is described for the hydrocracking of heavy hydrocarbon oils, such as oils extracted from tar sands. The heavy hydrocarbon oil feedstock in the presence of an excess of hydrogen is passed through a confined hydrocracking zone under upflow liquid conditions, and the effluent emerging from the top of the hydrocracking zone is passed into a hot separator where it is separated into a gaseous stream containing hydrogen and vaporous hydrocarbons and a liquid stream containing heavy hydrocarbons. The hot separator is maintained near the temperature of the hydrocracking zone and the effluent from the hydrocracking zone enters the separator in a lower region below the liquid level in the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1981
    Assignee: Energy, Mines and Resources-Canada
    Inventors: Chandra P. Khulbe, Barry B. Pruden, Jean-Marie D. Denis
  • Patent number: 4234387
    Abstract: A process is described for producing metallurgical coke from poor coking coals in which there is combined with the poor coking coals a small amount of an additive consisting of a bitumen residue obtained from hydrocracking of bitumen from tar sands. The residue used is that from vacuum distillation of a heavy hydrocarbon bottoms material obtained from hydrocracking of the bitumen. A high boiling organic residue from vacuum distillation to an equivalent atmospheric boiling temperature of 524.degree. C. is preferred. The novel additive is superior in its ability to penetrate into cavities and provide excellent bonding of the components of the coal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 18, 1980
    Assignee: Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources
    Inventors: Biswa N. Nandi, Keith Belinko, Lynn A. Ciavaglia, Barry B. Pruden, Jean-Marie D. Denis
  • Patent number: 4214977
    Abstract: An improved process is described for the hydrocracking of heavy hydrocarbon oil, such as oils extracted from tar sands. The charge oil in the presence of an excess of hydrogen is passed through a tubular hydrocracking zone, and the effluent emerging from the top of the zone is separated into a gaseous stream containing a wide boiling range material and a liquid stream containing heavy hydrocarbons. According to the novel feature, the charge oil is in the form of a slurry together with an iron-coal catalyst. The presence of this catalyst in the charge oil serves to greatly reduce coke precursors, such as benzene and pentane insolubles, and thereby prevent the formation of carbonaceous deposits in the reaction zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1979
    Date of Patent: July 29, 1980
    Assignee: Energy Mines and Resources Canada
    Inventors: Ramaswami Ranganathan, Jean-Marie D. Denis, Barry B. Pruden