Patents by Inventor Bruce D. Alexander
Bruce D. Alexander 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).
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Publication number: 20110146144Abstract: A fuel composition comprising a combustible fuel, an effective friction reducing amount of at least one saturated C5 to C31 ?-glycerol ether, and a detergent package is disclosed, as well as a method of reducing the amount of friction in an internal combustion engine by adding the fuel composition to the engine.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 16, 2010Publication date: June 23, 2011Applicant: BP Corporation North America Inc.Inventor: Bruce D. Alexander
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Publication number: 20110146143Abstract: A fuel composition comprising a combustible fuel, an effective friction reducing amount of at least one C6 to C30 aliphatic amine, and a detergent package is disclosed, as well as a method of reducing the amount of friction in an internal combustion engine by adding the fuel composition to the engine.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 16, 2010Publication date: June 23, 2011Applicant: BP Corporation North America Inc.Inventor: Bruce D. Alexander
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Patent number: 7499968Abstract: A system and method for application resource utilization metering and cost allocation in a utility computing environment. In one embodiment, the system may include a computational resource, a plurality of applications configured to utilize the computational resource, a metering utility configured to measure utilization of the computational resource by a given one of the plurality of applications, and a cost model configured to allocate a first portion of a cost of the computational resource to the given application dependent upon the measured utilization of the computational resource by the given application.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2004Date of Patent: March 3, 2009Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.Inventors: Bruce D. Alexander, Jennie L. Simsick, Rachelle A. Dillon, Jeffrey W. Giedt, Margaret M. Mellott, Jacqueline E. Wiles, Tonya L. Olson
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Publication number: 20080039671Abstract: Processes for chemical conversion of volatile organic compounds to value added products using membrane reactors and recovery of one or more purified conversion product are described. Useful membranes are preselected to control the relative amount of noncondensable co-product in gaseous reactor effluent such that the energy required for the subsequent compression and partial condensation of the reactor effluent is reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2006Publication date: February 14, 2008Applicant: Innovene USAInventors: Michael J. Foral, Martin E. Carrera, Craig W. Colling, Brian C. Bahr, C. Francisco Lorenzano-Porras, Bruce D. Alexander
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Publication number: 20030105376Abstract: Processes using heterogeneous adsorbents are disclosed for purification of olefins to obtain feedstocks suitable for formation of olefin polymers using a metallocene catalyst system. An olefinic process stream, containing small amounts of acetylenic impurities, carbon oxides and/or other organic components which are, typically, impurities in cracked gas, passes through at least two zones containing heterogeneous adsorbents. Adsorption is carried out in an essentially dihydrogen-free atmosphere within the initial zone containing a bed of regenerated adsorbent which has retained a substantial amount of carbon monoxide, to effect selective adsorption of the contained acetylenic contaminants with the adsorbent.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2001Publication date: June 5, 2003Inventors: Michael J. Foral, Bruce D. Alexander, Larry C. Satek, Brian C. Bahr
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Patent number: 6555724Abstract: A catalyst and a process employing such catalyst for the dehydrogenation of paraffinic hydrocarbons are disclosed, wherein the catalyst comprises a platinum group metal component, a zinc component and a magnesium component on a support comprising ZSM or borosilicate.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 2001Date of Patent: April 29, 2003Assignee: BP Corporation North America Inc.Inventors: Bruce D. Alexander, George A. Huff, Jr.
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Publication number: 20020004624Abstract: A catalyst and a process employing such catalyst for the dehydrogenation of paraffinic hydrocarbons are disclosed, wherein the catalyst comprises a platinum group metal component, a zinc component and a magnesium component on a support comprising ZSM or borosilicate.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 16, 2001Publication date: January 10, 2002Inventors: Bruce D. Alexander, George A. Huff
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Patent number: 6197717Abstract: A process and catalyst are provided for dehydrogenating a hydrocarbon feedstock and producing an olefinic product. The process comprises contacting the feedstock at dehydrogenation conditions with a dehydrogenation catalyst comprising from about 0.01 weight percent to about 5.0 weight percent of a platinum group metal, from about 0.02 weight percent to about 10.0 weight percent of zinc, and a support component comprising borosilicate and an alkali metal.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2000Date of Patent: March 6, 2001Assignee: BP Amoco CorporationInventors: Bruce D. Alexander, George A. Huff, Jr., Mark P. Kaminsky
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Patent number: 6103103Abstract: A process and catalyst are provided for dehydrogenating a hydrocarbon feedstock and producing an olefinic product. The process comprises contacting the feedstock at dehydrogenation conditions with a dehydrogenation catalyst comprising from about 0.01 weight percent to about 5.0 weight percent of a platinum group metal, from about 0.02 weight percent to about 10.0 weight percent of zinc, and a support component comprising borosilicate and an alkali metal.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 1999Date of Patent: August 15, 2000Assignee: BP Amoco CorporationInventors: Bruce D. Alexander, George A. Huff, Jr., Mark P. Kaminsky
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Patent number: 6059962Abstract: A product of reduced sulfur content is produced in a multiple stage process from a feedstock which is comprised of a mixture of hydrocarbons and includes sulfur-containing aromatic compounds as unwanted impurities. The first stage involves: (1) subjecting the feedstock to alkylation conditions which are effective to convert a portion of the impurities to higher boiling sulfur-containing products, and (2) separating the resulting products by fractional distillation into a lower boiling fraction and a higher boiling fraction. The lower boiling fraction is comprised of hydrocarbons and is of reduced sulfur content relative to the feedstock. The higher boiling fraction is comprised of hydrocarbons and contains unconverted sulfur-containing aromatic impurities and also the higher boiling sulfur-containing products.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 1998Date of Patent: May 9, 2000Assignee: BP Amoco CorporationInventors: Bruce D. Alexander, George A. Huff, Vivek R. Pradhan, William J. Reagan, Roger H. Cayton
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Patent number: 6048451Abstract: A product of reduced sulfur content is produced from a feedstock which is comprised of a mixture of hydrocarbons and contains organic sulfur compounds as unwanted impurities. The process comprises converting at least a portion of the sulfur-containing impurities to sulfur-containing products of higher boiling point by treatment with an alkylating agent in the presence of an acid catalyst and removing at least a portion of these higher boiling products by fractional distillation. Suitable alkylating agents include alcohols and olefins. In a preferred embodiment, catalytic cracking products which contain aromatic sulfur compounds as impurities are used as a feedstock for the process.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 1997Date of Patent: April 11, 2000Assignee: BP Amoco CorporationInventors: George A. Huff, Jr., Bruce D. Alexander, Douglas N. Rundell, William J. Reagan, Ozie S. Owen, Jin S. Yoo
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Patent number: 6024865Abstract: A product of reduced sulfur content is produced from a feedstock which is comprised of a mixture of hydrocarbons and includes sulfur-containing aromatic compounds as unwanted impurities. The process involves separating the feedstock by fractional distillation into a lower boiling fraction which contains the more volatile sulfur-containing aromatic impurities and at least one higher boiling fraction which contains the less volatile sulfur-containing aromatic impurities. Each fraction is then separately subjected to reaction conditions which are effective to convert at least a portion of its content of sulfur-containing aromatic impurities to higher boiling sulfur-containing products by alkylation with an alkylating agent in the presence of an acidic catalyst. The higher boiling sulfur-containing products are removed by fractional distillation.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 1998Date of Patent: February 15, 2000Assignee: BP Amoco CorporationInventors: Bruce D. Alexander, George A. Huff, Vivek R. Pradhan, William J. Reagan, Roger H. Cayton
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Patent number: 5916129Abstract: Exhaust gas emissions from an internal combustion engine are controlled through the use of a heat exchanger, a sulfur oxide absorbent, and two catalytic converter zones. The exhaust gas is passed sequentially through: (1) a first catalytic converter zone, (2) the sulfur oxide absorbent, and (3) a second catalytic converter zone. The heat exchanger is used to transfer heat from the first catalytic converter zone to the second catalytic converter zone.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 1997Date of Patent: June 29, 1999Assignee: BP Amoco CorporationInventors: Frank S. Modica, Mark K. Barr, George A. Huff, Roger H. Cayton, Bruce D. Alexander, Richard A. Kretchmer
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Patent number: 5863419Abstract: A product of reduced sulfur content is produced from a feedstock which is comprised of a mixture of hydrocarbons and contains organic sulfur compounds as unwanted impurities. The process comprises converting at least a portion of the sulfur-containing impurities to sulfur-containing products of higher boiling point by treatment with an alkylating agent in the presence of an acid catalyst and removing at least a portion of these higher boiling products by fractional distillation. The process can be carried out in a distillation column reactor wherein the acid catalyzed reaction and fractional distillation are carried out simultaneously. Suitable alkylating agents include alcohols and olefins.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 1997Date of Patent: January 26, 1999Assignee: Amoco CorporationInventors: George A. Huff, Jr., Ozie S. Owen, Bruce D. Alexander, Douglas N. Rundell, William J. Reagan, Jin S. Yoo
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Patent number: 5687565Abstract: Exhaust gas emissions from an internal combustion engine are controlled through the use of a heat exchanger, a sulfur oxide absorbent, and a catalytic converter. The exhaust gas is contacted with the sulfur oxide absorbent before it is passed to the catalytic converter, and the heat exchanger is used to extract heat from the exhaust gas before the exhaust gas is contacted with the sulfur oxide absorbent. The heat extracted from the exhaust gas by the heat exchanger is then used to heat the catalytic converter. In a preferred embodiment, the exhaust gas is also contacted with a hydrocarbon adsorbent which: (1) adsorbs organic compounds, such as hydrocarbons, from the exhaust gas at the low temperatures which are typical of an engine cold-start, and (2) desorbs them at the higher temperatures which are reached after sustained engine operation.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 1995Date of Patent: November 18, 1997Assignee: Amoco CorporationInventors: Frank S. Modica, Mark K. Barr, George A. Huff, Roger H. Cayton, Bruce D. Alexander, Richard A. Kretchmer
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Patent number: 5489703Abstract: An extraction reaction process is provided for reacting feedstocks comprising alkylene carbonate and alkanol to form reaction products comprising alkyl carbonate. The process comprises reacting the feedstocks comprising alkylene carbonate and alkanol in a reaction zone at reaction conditions for producing the reaction products comprising alkyl carbonate. The feedstocks comprising alkylene carbonate and alkanol and the reaction products comprising alkyl carbonate are, substantially concurrently with the reacting step and within the reaction zone, contacted with a selective solvent selective for extracting alkyl carbonate from the reaction zone. The selective solvent comprises a distribution coefficient with respect to the alkyl carbonate that is substantially different than the distribution coefficient of the selective solvent with respect to the alkanol.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 1995Date of Patent: February 6, 1996Assignee: Amoco CorporationInventors: Michael A. Pacheco, Franklin D. Darrington, Joann C. Reier, Bruce D. Alexander
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Patent number: 5453558Abstract: A process and catalyst are provided for dehydrogenating a hydrocarbon feedstock and producing an olefinic product. The process comprises contacting the feedstock at dehydrogenation conditions with a dehydrogenation catalyst comprising from about 0.01 weight percent to about 5.0 weight percent of a platinum group metal, from about 0.02 weight percent to about 10.0 weight percent of zinc, and a support component comprising L zeolite and an alkali metal.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 1994Date of Patent: September 26, 1995Assignee: Amoco CorporationInventors: Bruce D. Alexander, George A. Huff, Jr.
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Patent number: 5221776Abstract: A process is provided for isomerizing an olefinic hydrocarbon feedstock and producing an olefinic isomerate product, wherein the feedstock comprises at least 10 weight percent of an olefinic hydrocarbon having 5 carbon atoms, comprising contacting the feedstock at isomerization conditions with an isomerization catalyst, the isomerization catalyst comprising from about 0.01 weight percent to about 50 weight percent borosilicate and from about 20 weight percent to about 99.99 weight percent of silica.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 1992Date of Patent: June 22, 1993Assignee: Amoco CorporationInventor: Bruce D. Alexander