Patents by Inventor Bipin V. Vora

Bipin V. Vora 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: 7408092
    Abstract: The average propylene cycle selectivity of an oxygenate to propylene (OTP) process using a dual-function oxygenate conversion catalyst is substantially enhanced by the use of a combination of: 1) moving bed reactor technology in the hydrocarbon synthesis portion of the OTP flow scheme in lieu of the fixed bed technology of the prior art; 2) a hydrothermally stabilized and dual-functional catalyst system comprising a molecular sieve having dual-function capability dispersed in a phosphorus-modified alumina matrix containing labile phosphorus and/or aluminum anions; and 3) a catalyst on-stream cycle time of 400 hours or less. These provisions stabilize the catalyst against hydrothermal deactivation and hold the build-up of coke deposits on the catalyst to a level which does not substantially degrade dual-function catalyst activity, oxygenate conversion and propylene selectivity, thereby enabling maintenance of average propylene cycle yield near or at essentially start-of-cycle levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Bryan K. Glover, John Q. Chen, Peter R. Pujado, Bipin V. Vora
  • Patent number: 7368618
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a process for removal of oxygenates from a paraffin-rich or olefin-rich paraffin stream which comprises passing a feed stream, comprising one or more C10 to C15 feed paraffins or C10 to C15 olefin-rich paraffin stream and one or more oxygenates through an adsorbent bed comprising one or more adsorbents selected from silica gel, activated alumina and sodium x zeolites to remove essentially all of said oxygenates; and recovering said paraffins. A second adsorbent bed may be employed to more thoroughly remove these oxygenates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Santi Kulprathipanja, James W. Priegnitz, Stephen W. Sohn, Bryan K. Glover, Bipin V. Vora
  • Publication number: 20080081936
    Abstract: Processing schemes and arrangements for the production of olefins and, more particularly, for the production of light olefins from a methanol feedstock are provided. Such processing schemes and arrangements integrate oxygenate conversion at higher pressures and with subsequent heavy olefins conversion processing to produce additional light olefin products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Publication date: April 3, 2008
    Inventors: Andrea G. Bozzano, Bipin V. Vora
  • Patent number: 7339088
    Abstract: Improved processes and apparatus use a finishing column with a mid-cut that provides alkylbenzene products of high purity containing less than about 1 ppmw benzene and less than about 50 ppmw heavies while accommodating enhancements in the efficiencies and the capacities of the distillation train to recover alkylbenzene from alkylation reaction product and while enabling the use of catalytic treatments to reduce olefinic-component content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Dennis E. O'Brien, Douglas G. Stewart, Bipin V. Vora
  • Patent number: 7317133
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the production of light weight olefins comprising olefins having from 2 to 3 carbon atoms per molecule from an oxygenate feedstock. The process comprises passing the oxygenate feedstock to an oxygenate conversion zone containing a metal alumino phosphate catalyst to produce a light weight olefin stream. A propylene stream and/or mixed butylene is fractionated from said light weight olefin stream and a medium weight C4 to C7 stream is cracked in a separate olefin cracking reactor to enhance the yield of ethylene and propylene products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Bipin V. Vora, Peter R. Pujado
  • Patent number: 7314963
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a process for producing propylene comprising the steps of contacting an olefin feed containing between about 40 and about 80 wt-% olefins and between about 20 and about 60 wt-% olefins and aromatics with a spherical catalyst to form a cracked product, the catalyst comprising about 30 to about 80 wt-% of a crystalline zeolite, the reaction conditions including a temperature from about 500° to 650° C., a hydrocarbon partial pressure of 70 to 280 kPa (10 to 40 psia), a liquid hourly space velocity in the range of 5 to 40 hr?1 and wherein propylene comprises at least 90 mol-% of the total C3 products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Timur V. Voskoboynikov, Michael H. Quick, Peter R. Pujado, Bipin V. Vora
  • Patent number: 7268265
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for the production of light olefins comprising olefins having from 2 to 3 carbon atoms per molecule from a feedstock containing heavier olefins. An intermediate cut from a fractionation column is used as olefinic feed to an olefin cracking process preferably after undergoing selective hydrogenation of diolefins. In one embodiment, a liquid side draw from a fractionation column is selectively hydrogenated and then returned to the fractionation column from which a vapor side draw containing olefins is cracked in the olefin cracking reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Douglas G. Stewart, Joseph E. Zimmermann, Angelo P. Furfaro, Bipin V. Vora
  • Patent number: 7189885
    Abstract: The process disclosed herein is a process for producing phenyl-alkanes by alkylation of an aryl compound with an olefinic compound and which uses a mordenite catalyst and a silica-alumina catalyst. The selectivity of the process to 2-phenyl-alkanes can be varied over a wide range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Andrea G. Bozzano, R. Joe Lawson, Paul T. Barger, Bipin V. Vora, Kurt A. Detrick
  • Patent number: 7102044
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a process for removal of oxygenates from a paraffin-rich or olefin-rich paraffin stream which comprises passing a feed stream, comprising one or more C10 to C15 feed paraffins or C10 to C15 olefin-rich paraffin stream and one or more oxygenates through an adsorbent bed comprising one or more adsorbents selected from silica gel, activated alumina and sodium x zeolites to remove essentially all of said oxygenates; and recovering said paraffins. A second adsorbent bed may be employed to more thoroughly remove these oxygenates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Santi Kulprathipanja, James W. Priegnitz, Stephen W. Sohn, Bryan K. Glover, Bipin V. Vora
  • Patent number: 6869578
    Abstract: A process and apparatus cools a heat exchange type reaction zone by passing the incoming reactants through heat exchange channels in heat exchange relationship with the reaction zone. The invention simplifies the operation and construction of the heat exchanging type reaction zone by directly communicating reaction channels that contain the reaction with the heating channels that heat reactant across an open manifold located at the end of the channels. Additional reactants, cooling fluids, or other diluents may enter the process directly through the manifold space to permit further temperature control of the reaction zone. The invention promotes better heat transfer efficiency than tube and shell heat transfer arrangements that have been used for similar purposes. The narrow channels are preferably defined by corrugated plates. The reaction channels will contain a catalyst for the promotion of the primary reaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Philippe Hebert, Jacques J. L. Romatier, Peter R. Pujado, Bipin V. Vora
  • Patent number: 6756340
    Abstract: A novel catalyst composite is disclosed. Also disclosed is a use for the novel composite. The catalyst composite comprises a Group VIII noble metal component, a Group IA or IIA metal component, and a component selected from the group consisting of tin, germanium, lead, indium, gallium, thallium, or mixtures thereof, all on an alumina support comprising essentially theta-alumina, having a surface area from about 50 to about 120 m2/g, an apparent bulk density of at 0.5 g/cm3 and a mole ratio of the Group VIII noble metal component to the component selected from the group consisting of tin, germanium, lead, indium, gallium, thallium or mixtures thereof in the range from about 1.5 to about 1.7.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Timur V. Voskoboynikov, Daniel H. Wei, J. W. Adriaan Sachtler, Bipin V. Vora
  • Publication number: 20040102667
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the production of light weight olefins comprising olefins having from 2 to 3 carbon atoms per molecule from an oxygenate feedstock. The process comprises passing the oxygenate feedstock to an oxygenate conversion zone containing a metal aluminophosphate catalyst to produce a light weight olefin stream. A propylene stream and/or mixed butylene is fractionated from said light weight olefin stream and a medium weight C4 to C7 stream is cracked in a separate olefin cracking reactor to enhance the yield of ethylene and propylene products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2002
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Inventors: Bipin V. Vora, Peter R. Pujado
  • Patent number: 6685892
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for contacting reactants with a particulate catalyst while indirectly contacting the reactants with a heat exchange medium performs heat exchange in a first reaction zone and moves catalyst, at least intermittently, through the second reaction zone while the process is operating. The first reaction zone is preferably a fixed bed reaction zone. The use of first reaction zone as a fixed bed reaction zone simplifies the process arrangement by not requiring means for catalyst movement in a reaction zone that performs simultaneous heat exchange. Long periods of operation are possible since the first reaction zone will typically experience a slow rate of catalyst deactivation and need infrequent regeneration. The first reaction zone may also be designed for catalyst movement, but independently controlled from the first reaction zone to facilitate the movement of catalyst therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Bipin V. Vora, Raymond A. Pogliano
  • Patent number: 6649130
    Abstract: A hybrid reactor arrangement provides a reactive design that achieves higher acrylonitrile yield and lower catalyst circulating rate. The hybrid reactor design first passes a mixture of reactants and catalyst through a circulating bubbling bed reaction section. Heat exchange coils or other cooling medium in the bubbling bed reactor section maintain temperature in a range that will maximize the selectivity of reactants to the acrylonitrile product. The bubbling bed reactor section provides the initial conversion of the reactant. A circulating fluidized bed reaction zone finishes the conversion of reactants to a high yield under conditions that reduce the occurrence of secondary reactions that could otherwise produce unwanted by-products. The circulating fluidized bed reactor section maintains nearly plug flow conditions that allow continued conversion of unreacted feed components through primary reactions while limiting the time for secondary reactions to continue and diminish the final yield of products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Robert L. Zhou, W. Patrick Dennler, Anil R. Oroskar, Bipin V. Vora, Hayim Abrevaya, Laurence O. Stine
  • Publication number: 20030202934
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon dehydrogenation process utilizing a novel catalyst composite. The catalyst composite comprises a Group VIII noble metal component, a Group IA or IIA metal component, and a component selected from the group consisting of tin, germanium, lead, indium, gallium, thallium, or mixtures thereof, all on an alumina support comprising essentially theta-alumina, having a surface area from about 50 to about 120 m2/g, an apparent bulk density of at 0.5 g/cm3 and a mole ratio of the Group VIII noble metal component to the component selected from the group consisting of tin, germanium, lead, indium, gallium, thallium or mixtures thereof in the range from about 1.5 to about 1.7.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2003
    Publication date: October 30, 2003
    Inventors: Timur V. Voskoboynikov, Daniel H. Wei, J. W. Adriaan Sachtler, Bipin V. Vora
  • Publication number: 20030191351
    Abstract: A novel catalyst composite is disclosed. Also disclosed is a use for the novel composite. The catalyst composite comprises a Group VIII noble metal component, a Group IA or IIA metal component, and a component selected from the group consisting of tin, germanium, lead, indium, gallium, thallium, or mixtures thereof, all on an alumina support comprising essentially theta-alumina, having a surface area from about 50 to about 120 m2/g, an apparent bulk density of at 0.5 g/cm3 and a mole ratio of the Group VIII noble metal component to the component selected from the group consisting of tin, germanium, lead, indium, gallium, thallium or mixtures thereof in the range from about 1.5 to about 1.7.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2002
    Publication date: October 9, 2003
    Inventors: Timur V. Voskoboynikov, Daniel H. Wei, J. W. Adriaan Sachtler, Bipin V. Vora
  • Publication number: 20030187315
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a process for producing propylene comprising the steps of contacting an olefin feed containing between about 40 and about 80 wt- % olefins and between about 20 and about 60 wt- % olefins and aromatics with a spherical catalyst to form a cracked product, the catalyst comprising about 30 to about 80 wt- % of a crystalline zeolite, the reaction conditions including a temperature from about 500° to 650 ° C., a hydrocarbon partial pressure of 70 to 280 kPa (10 to 40 psia), a liquid hourly space velocity in the range of 5 to 40 hr−1 and wherein propylene comprises at least 90 mol- % of the total C3 products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2002
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Inventors: Timur V. Voskoboynikov, Michael H. Quick, Peter R. Pujado, Bipin V. Vora
  • Patent number: 6590132
    Abstract: The process disclosed separates light olefins from heavy oligomers in a distillation column with an intermediary having a boiling point between the light olefin and the heavy oligomer in the column feed. The invention contemplates separating C4 hydrocarbons from C8 hydrocarbons in an effluent from an oligomerization reactor. The effluent includes or is supplemented with an intermediary that can include C5 hydrocarbon, C6 hydrocarbon or mixtures of both. Consequently, the bottoms reboiler temperature can be lower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: Bipin V. Vora
  • Patent number: 6534692
    Abstract: A process for converting methanol to light olefins is disclosed and claimed. The catalyst is a metalloaluminophosphate molecular sieve having the empirical formula (ExAlyPz)O2 where EL is a metal such as silicon or magnesium and “x”, “y” and “z” are the mole fractions of EL, Al and P respectively and specifically where “x” has a value of about 0.02 to about 0.08. A preferred molecular sieve is one which has predominantly a plate crystal morphology in which the average smallest crystal dimension is at least 0.1 microns and has an aspect ratio of no greater than 5. The process provides greater selectivity to ethylene and propylene versus C4+ byproducts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Paul T. Barger, Bipin V. Vora
  • Patent number: 6506935
    Abstract: For the removal of trace quantities of iodine-containing contaminants from corrosive liquid feed streams (e.g. commercial acetic acid), an adsorbent with distinct advantages over prior-art materials is provided. The overall treatment method involves the use of a suitable zeolite having a silica to alumina molar ratio from about 5 to less than 15 that has been cation-exchanged with an iodine-reactive metal. This inorganic adsorbent may be used in unbound form, or it can be bound with a substantially insoluble porous inorganic refractory metal oxide binder. Reactivation and regeneration techniques, which are generally incompatible with prior-art adsorbent materials, are also disclosed. In general, it is advantageous to pretreat the feed streams to remove the most easily separable contaminants (e.g. iodine, hydrogen iodide, and metal cations) and thereby reduce the iodine compound loading and detrimental effects of metals on the adsorbent. Thus, the expensive iodine reactive metal (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Santi Kulprathipanja, Bipin V. Vora, William A. Leet