Patents by Inventor Brian Knapper

Brian Knapper 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: 11098254
    Abstract: A method for processing bitumen froth comprised of bitumen, water and solids to produce a final diluted bitumen product having a reduced water content is provided whereby demulsifier is added to the bitumen froth after a first separation stage and prior to a second separation stage to produce the final diluted bitumen product having reduced water content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: SYNCRUDE CANADA LTD. IN TRUST FOR THE OWNERS OF THE SYNCRUDE PROJECT AS SUCH OWNERS EXIST NOW AND IN THE FUTURE
    Inventors: Brian Knapper, Gary Anthieren, Sujit Bhattacharya, Tam Tran
  • Publication number: 20210040394
    Abstract: A method for processing bitumen froth comprised of bitumen, water containing chlorides and solids is provided for producing a final diluted bitumen product having reduced chlorides. In particular, fine water droplets containing chlorides that are present in raw diluted bitumen are captured by washing the raw diluted bitumen with low salinity water to produce the final diluted bitumen product having reduced chlorides.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventors: BRIAN KNAPPER, DENA ROSSITER, SUJIT BHATTACHARYA
  • Publication number: 20210017453
    Abstract: A method for processing bitumen froth comprised of bitumen, water and solids to produce a final diluted bitumen product having a reduced water content is provided whereby demulsifier is added to the bitumen froth after a first separation stage and prior to a second separation stage to produce the final diluted bitumen product having reduced water content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: BRIAN KNAPPER, GARY ANTHIEREN, SUJIT BHATTACHARYA, TAM TRAN
  • Publication number: 20190161684
    Abstract: A process for converting a heavy hydrocarbonaceous feedstock to liquid products is provided comprising introducing the hydrocarbonaceous feedstock into a fluid coker comprised in part of a fluidized bed of heated coke particles, the fluidized bed having a high velocity core region of heated coke particles and a low velocity annular region of unreacted hydrocarbon and coke particles using a plurality of high thrust nozzles and reacting the hydrocarbonaceous feedstock with the heated coke particles in the fluid coker to produce the liquid products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: JENNIFER McMILLAN, CRAIG McKNIGHT, MICHAEL WORMSBECKER, JASON WIENS, BRIAN KNAPPER
  • Publication number: 20160312126
    Abstract: A fluid coking process is operated in a fluidized bed coking reactor in which a plurality of heavy oil inlet nozzles are arranged in a number of rings around the periphery of the dense bed reaction section at vertically spaced elevations. A heavy oil feed is injected with atomization steam through the nozzles into the fluidized. bed, operating at a lower steam-to-oil ratio for the upper ring or rings of nozzles than for the lower ring or rings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Inventors: Michael Wormsbecker, Jason S. Wiens, Jennifer McMillan, Craig A. McKnight, Brian A. Knapper
  • Publication number: 20150315477
    Abstract: A method of improving the quality of diluted bitumen product in a bitumen froth treatment process is provided comprising: adding a demulsifier to bitumen froth to produce a mixture of bitumen froth and demulsifier, wherein the demulsifier is added at a dosage sufficient to reduce bitumen water content in the diluted bitumen product; subjecting the mixture of bitumen froth and demulsifier to a mixing energy input of greater than about 100 J/kg; adding a hydrocarbon diluent to the mixed mixture of bitumen froth and demulsifier to produce a diluent diluted bitumen froth; and subjecting the diluent diluted bitumen froth to a separation process to produce the diluted bitumen product. In one embodiment, demulsifier is first added to naphtha to form a demulsifier-diluent mixture which is then added to bitumen froth to form a diluted bitumen froth prior to subjecting the diluted bitumen froth to a mixing energy input of greater than about 100 J/kg.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Applicant: SYNCRUDE CANADA LTD. in trust for the owners of the syncrude Project, as such owners exist now and
    Inventors: YIN MING SAMSON NG, BRIAN KNAPPER, SUJIT BHATTACHARYA, YONG GU
  • Patent number: 8999246
    Abstract: The liquid feed nozzle assemblies for a circulating fluid bed reactor comprise (i) a throttle body premixer to combine liquid feed with atomization steam upstream of a nozzle body to form a liquid feed/steam mixture comprising liquid feed droplets; (ii) a conduit connected to the venturi premixer and to a discharge nozzle body to convey a flow of the liquid/steam mixture created by the premixer to the nozzle body; (iii) a discharge nozzle connected to the flow conduit to shear the liquid feed/steam mixture to create liquid feed droplets of reduced size and (iv) a disperser at the outlet of the discharge nozzle to provide a spray jet of liquid feed having an increased surface area relative to a cylindrical jet. The nozzle assembles are particularly useful in fluid coking units using heavy oil feeds such a tar sands bitumen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Edward Chan, Brian Knapper, Eberhard Mueller, Jennifer McMillan, Jonathan Tyler, Darwin Edward Kiel, Rathna P. Davuluri
  • Publication number: 20150008161
    Abstract: A method for reducing rag layer volume in a stationary bitumen froth treatment process is provided, comprising subjecting dilfroth having a naphtha diluent to bitumen ratio of about 0.7 to gravity settling in a splitter vessel to produce an overflow stream of raw dilbit and an underflow stream of splitter tails; mixing the splitter tails with a naphtha diluent to give a mixture having a naphtha diluent to bitumen ratio of less than about 6:1 in a scrubber feed tank; and subjecting the mixture to gravity settling and agitation in a scrubber vessel to produce an overhead stream of scrubber hydrocarbons and an underflow stream of scrubber tails.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Applicant: SYNCRUDE CANADA LTD. in trust for the owners of the Syncrude Project
    Inventors: YIN MING SAMSON NG, BRIAN KNAPPER, GEORGE CYMERMAN, TAM TRAN, ALLAN YEUNG
  • Patent number: 8864983
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a process for cleaning bitumen froth by mixing a sufficient amount of naphtha with the bitumen froth to provide a naphtha-to-bitumen ratio within the range of about 4.0 (w/w) to about 10.0 (w/w) and separating substantially dry diluted bitumen from the water and solids. Also provided is a process for cleaning diluted bitumen by mixing a sufficient amount of naphtha with the diluted bitumen to provide a naphtha-to-bitumen ratio equal to or greater than about 1.8 (w/w) and separating marketable fungible raw bitumen from the water and solids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Syncrude Canada Ltd.
    Inventors: Yin Ming Samson Ng, Brian Knapper, Jim Kresta
  • Publication number: 20130240412
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a process for cleaning bitumen froth by mixing a sufficient amount of naphtha with the bitumen froth to provide a naphtha-to-bitumen ratio within the range of about 4.0 (w/w) to about 10.0 (w/w) and separating substantially dry diluted bitumen from the water and solids. Also provided is a process for cleaning diluted bitumen by mixing a sufficient amount of naphtha with the diluted bitumen to provide a naphtha-to-bitumen ratio equal to or greater than about 1.8 (w/w) and separating marketable fungible raw bitumen from the water and solids.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: SYNCRUDE CANADA LTD. in trust for the owners of the Syncrude Project
    Inventors: YIN MING SAMSON NG, BRIAN KNAPPER, JIM KRESTA
  • Publication number: 20120063961
    Abstract: The liquid feed nozzle assemblies for a circulating fluid bed reactor comprise (i) a throttle body premixer to combine liquid feed with atomization steam upstream of a nozzle body to form a liquid feed/steam mixture comprising liquid feed droplets; (ii) a conduit connected to the venturi premixer and to a discharge nozzle body to convey a flow of the liquid/steam mixture created by the premixer to the nozzle body; (iii) a discharge nozzle connected to the flow conduit to shear the liquid feed/steam mixture to create liquid feed droplets of reduced size and (iv) a disperser at the outlet of the discharge nozzle to provide a spray jet of liquid feed having an increased surface area relative to a cylindrical jet. The nozzle assembles are particularly useful in fluid coking units using heavy oil feeds such a tar sands bitumen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Edward CHAN, Brian KNAPPER, Eberhard MUELLER, Jennifer MCMILLAN, Jonathan TYLER, Darwin KIEL, Rathna P. DAVULURI
  • Patent number: 8066949
    Abstract: Fouling in the scrubber section of a fluid coker unit is reduced by providing perforated baffles to improve the uniformity of the gas flow profile in the scrubber by reducing the gas velocity of the cyclone outlet gases in the scrubber section of the unit. These baffles are located with the objective of reducing the rotational component of the gas flow in the scrubber created by the alignment of the gas outlets of the cyclones. The baffles are preferably located in the shed section of the scrubber and comprise upstanding perforated plates located at the periphery of the scrubber section to disrupt high velocity gas jets in the region of the interior wall of the scrubber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company
    Inventors: Craig A. McKnight, Larry P. Hackman, Brian A. Knapper, Daniel Bulbuc, George B. Jones, Jonathan Tyler, Darwin E. Kiel
  • Publication number: 20100078305
    Abstract: Fouling in the scrubber section of a fluid coker unit is reduced by providing baffles to improve the uniformity of the gas flow profile in the scrubber by reducing the gas velocity of the cyclone outlet gases in the scrubber section of the unit. These baffles are located with the objective of reducing the rotational component of the gas flow in the scrubber created by the alignment of the gas outlets of the cyclones. The baffles are preferably located in the shed section of the scrubber and comprise upstanding perforated plates located at the periphery of the scrubber section to disrupt high velocity gas jets in the region of the interior wall of the scrubber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: ExxonMobile Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Craig A. McKnight, Larry P. Hackman, Brian A. Knapper, Daniel Bulbuc, George B. Jones, Jonathan Tyler, Darwin Kiel
  • Patent number: 7025874
    Abstract: A bitumen/steam pre-mixer and atomizing nozzle combine to produce a jet of minute liquid droplets (bitumen) in carrier gas (steam). The jet is injected into a draft tube mixer positioned in a fluid bed of hot coke particles suspended in steam and contained within a fluid coking reactor. The movement of the jet through the draft tube passageway induces a stream of coke particles in steam to be drawn into the passageway, where the jet and stream mix vigorously and bitumen droplets have an enhanced probability of contacting coke particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignees: Ace oil Sands, L.P., Canadian Oil Sands Commerical Trust, Canadian Oil Sands Limited, ConocoPhillips Oilsands Partnership II, Imperial Oil Resources, Mocal Energy Limited, Murphy Oil Company Ltd.,, Nexen Inc.,, Petro-Canada Oil and Gas
    Inventors: Edward W. Chan, Steven McDougall, Brian Knapper
  • Publication number: 20040065590
    Abstract: A bitumen/steam pre-mixer and atomizing nozzle combine to produce a jet of minute liquid droplets (bitumen) in carrier gas (steam). The jet is injected into a draft tube mixer positioned in a fluid bed of hot coke particles suspended in steam and contained within a fluid coking reactor. The movement of the jet through the draft tube passageway induces a stream of coke particles in steam to be drawn into the passageway, where the jet and stream mix vigorously and bitumen droplets have an enhanced probability of contacting coke particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2002
    Publication date: April 8, 2004
    Inventors: Edward W. Chan, Steven McDougall, Brian Knapper