Patents by Inventor Christopher Sharp

Christopher Sharp 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: 6822005
    Abstract: A process for the conversion of synthesis gas to hydrocarbons by contacting the synthesis gas at an elevated temperature and pressure with a suspension comprising a solid particulate catalyst suspended in a liquid medium, which contacting takes place in a system comprising at least one high shear mixing zone and a reactor vessel wherein the volume of suspension present in the high shear mixing zone(s) is substantially less than the volume of suspension present in the reactor vessel, suspension is mixed with synthesis gas in the high shear mixing zone(s), the resulting mixture of suspension and synthesis gas is discharged from the high shear mixing zone(s) into the reactor vessel and wherein kinetic energy is dissipated to the suspension present in the high shear mixing zone(s) at a rate of at least 0.5 kW/m3 relative to the total volume of suspension present in the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignees: BP Exploration Operating Company Limited, Davy Process Technology Limited
    Inventors: Josephus Johannes Helena Maria Font Freide, John Richard Hensman, David Newton, Christopher Sharp, Geoffrey Benedict Smith
  • Publication number: 20040171703
    Abstract: A process for the conversion of synthesis gas to hydrocarbons, at least a portion of which are liquid at ambient temperature and pressure, by contacting the synthesis gas at an elevated temperature and pressure with a suspension comprising a solid particulate Fischer-Tropsch catalyst suspended in a liquid medium, which contacting takes place in a reactor system comprising at least one high shear mixing zone and a reactor vessel wherein the volume of suspension present in the high shear mixing zone(s) is substantially less than the volume of suspension present in the reactor vessel, which process comprises: mixing the suspension with synthesis gas in the high shear mixing zone(s) and dissipating kinetic energy to the suspension present in the high shear mixing zone(s) at a rate of at least 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2003
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Inventors: Barry Nay, Christopher Sharp
  • Publication number: 20040147621
    Abstract: A process for the conversion of synthesis gas to higher hydrocarbons by contacting a gaseous stream comprising synthesis gas, at an elevated temperature and pressure, with a suspension comprising a particulate Fischer-Tropsch catalyst suspended in a liquid medium, in a reactor system comprising at least one high shear mixing zone and a tubular loop reactor wherein the process comprises: a) passing the suspension and the gaseous stream through the high shear mixing zone(s) wherein the gaseous stream is broken down into gas bubbles and/or irregularly shaped gas voids; b) discharging suspension having gas bubbles and/or irregularly shaped gas voids dispersed therein from the high shear mixing zone(s) into the tubular loop reactor; c) circulating the discharged suspension around the tubular loop reactor; and d) withdrawing a product suspension stream comprising at least a portion of the circulating suspension from the tubular loop reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2003
    Publication date: July 29, 2004
    Inventors: Josephus Johannes Helena Maria Font- Freide, David Newton, Christopher Sharp
  • Publication number: 20040147622
    Abstract: A process which comprises contacting a gaseous reactant stream comprising synthesis gas at elevated temperature and pressure with a suspension of a particulate Fischer-Tropsch catalyst comprising cobalt in a liquid medium in a reactor system comprising at least one high shear mixing zone and a reactor vessel wherein the process comprises the steps of: a) contacting the particulate Fischer-Tropsch catalyst with a reducing gas at elevated temperature and pressure outside of the high shear mixing zone(s) and the reactor vessel and subsequently suspending the particulate Fischer-Tropsch catalyst in the liquid medium; b) passing the suspension from step a) through the high shear mixing zone(s) where the gaseous reactant stream comprising synthesis gas is mixed with the suspension; c) discharging a mixture comprising the synthesis gas and the suspension from the high shear mixing zone(s) into the reactor vessel; and d) converting the synthesis gas to liquid hydrocarbons in the reactor vessel to form a product suspe
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2003
    Publication date: July 29, 2004
    Inventors: Josephus Johannes Helena Maria Font Freide, Barry Nay, Christopher Sharp
  • Publication number: 20040132836
    Abstract: A process for the conversion of synthesis gas to hydrocarbons by contacting the synthesis gas at an elevated temperature and pressure with a suspension comprising a solid particulate catalyst suspended in a liquid medium, which contacting takes place in a system comprising at least one high shear mixing zone and a reactor vessel wherein the volume of suspension present in the high shear mixing zone(s) is substantially less than the volume of suspension present in the reactor vessel, suspension is mixed with synthesis gas in the high shear mixing zone(s), the resulting mixture of suspension and synthesis gas is discharged from the high shear mixing zone(s) into the reactor vessel and wherein kinetic energy is dissipated to the suspension present in the high shear mixing zone(s) at a rate of at least 0.5 kW/m3 relative to the total volume of suspension present in the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Inventors: Josephus Johannes Helena Maria Font Freide, John Richard Hensman, David Newton, Christopher Sharp, Geoffrey Benedict Smith
  • Publication number: 20040132837
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the conversion of synthesis gas to hydrocarbons comprising the steps of: a) contacting synthesis gas at an elevated temperature and pressure with a particulate Fischer-Tropsch catalyst in a Fischer-Tropsch reactor system to generate hydrocarbons comprising gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons; b) in a gas separation zone, separating a gaseous phase comprising saturated gaseous hydrocarbons from a liquid phase comprising liquid hydrocarbons and from the particulate Fischer-Tropsch catalyst; c) passing at least a portion of the separated gaseous phase to a dehydrogenation reactor where at least a portion of the saturated gaseous hydrocarbons are converted to unsaturated hydrocarbons; and d) recycling at least a portion of said unsaturated hydrocarbons back to the Fischer-Tropsch reactor system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Inventors: Josephus Johannes Helena Maria Font Freide, Stephen Anthony Leng, Christopher Sharp
  • Patent number: 6718757
    Abstract: A method for controlling diesel engine emissions is disclosed. The diesel engine's exhaust system has a NOx oxidation catalyst, a diesel particulate filter (DPF), and a lean NOx trap (LNT). The DPF is monitored to determine the need for regeneration. The LNT is monitored to determine the need for regeneration or desulfurization. A fuel injector is used to inject fuel upstream of the LNT under certain conditions, and a bypass may be used to bypass exhaust around the oxidation catalyst to provide richer or hotter exhaust to the LNT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventors: Magdi K. Khair, Cynthia C. Webb, Gordon J. Bartley, Christopher A. Sharp
  • Patent number: 6615580
    Abstract: A method for controlling diesel engine emissions is disclosed. The diesel engine's exhaust system has a diesel particulate filter (DPF) and a lean NOx trap (LNT). The DPF is a filter and is monitored to determine the need for regeneration. The LNT is monitored to determine the need for regeneration or desulfurization. A fuel injector is used to inject fuel upstream of the LNT under certain conditions, and a bypass may be used to bypass exhaust around the DPF to provide richer or hotter exhaust to the LNT. The sensor outputs and controls for providing the appropriate heat or fuel mix for regeneration and desulfurization may be controlled with enhancements to existing engine control circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventors: Magdi K. Khair, Cynthia C. Webb, Gordon J. Bartley, Christopher A. Sharp
  • Publication number: 20030140621
    Abstract: A method for controlling diesel engine emissions is disclosed. The diesel engine's exhaust system has a NOx oxidation catalyst, a diesel particulate filter (DPF), and a lean NOx trap (LNT). The DPF is monitored to determine the need for regeneration. The LNT is monitored to determine the need for regeneration or desulfurization. A fuel injector is used to inject fuel upstream of the LNT under certain conditions, and a bypass may be used to bypass exhaust around the oxidation catalyst to provide richer or hotter exhaust to the LNT.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2003
    Publication date: July 31, 2003
    Applicant: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventors: Magdi K. Khair, Cynthia C. Webb, Gordon J. Bartley, Christopher A. Sharp
  • Patent number: 6509288
    Abstract: Catalyst system suitable for preparing substantially terminally unsaturated atactic polymers or copolymers of &agr;-olefins having a molecular weight (Mn) in the range 200-500,000. The catalyst system includes a metallocene of the formula: [RmCpH(5-m)][RnCpH(5-n)]M(Z)Y wherein CpH is a cyclopentadienyl ligand, each R represents an alkyl or an aryl substituent on the CpH ligand or two R's may be joined together to form a ring, or the Rs in each CpH group when taken together represents an Si or C bridging group linking two CpH groups wherein the Si or C group may itself be substituted by hydrogen atoms or C1-C3 alkyl groups, M is a metal selected from hafnium, zirconium and titanium, Z is selected from a hydrogen atom, a trifluoromethane sulphonate, an alkyl and an aryl group, Y is selected from a, 1,3-diketonate and a &bgr;-ketoester arion, and each of m and n is same or different and has a value from 0 to 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: BP Chemicals Limited
    Inventors: Birgit Angelika Dorer, Christopher Sharp, Richard Henry Weatherhead
  • Patent number: 6455457
    Abstract: A supported catalyst system suitable for the polymerization of olefins prepared by a specific preparative route comprising optionally pretreating a support followed by addition of a neutral metal complex/activator solution. The metal complex may be a metallocene in particular a complex with trifluoromethanesulfonate ligands and the activator is a Lewis acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: BP Chemicals Limited
    Inventor: Christopher Sharp
  • Patent number: 6399532
    Abstract: Catalyst composition for use in the polymerization of olefins comprise neutral metal complexes together with activators comprising non-aromatic boron compounds. Suitable activators are triisobutylboron together with trialkylaluminium compounds. Preferred complexes are metallocenes. The use of such activating systems obviates the need for expensive aluminoxanes or aromatic fluorine containing compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: BP Chemicals Limited
    Inventors: Birgit Angelika Dorer, David Pratt, Christopher Sharp
  • Patent number: 6138649
    Abstract: A system is provided for rapidly changing the flow of recirculated exhaust gas to each cylinder of an internal combustion engine operating on diesel fuel or other fuels. The system preferably includes an exhaust gas recirculation line having an exhaust gas recirculation pump along with a reservoir and cooler for storing a desired volume of recirculated exhaust gas. Recirculated exhaust gas is preferably supplied from the reservoir to each cylinder of the associated engine through respective recirculated exhaust gas conduits. A metering valve is preferably disposed within each recirculated exhaust gas conduit immediately adjacent to each cylinder. The metering valves provide uniform distribution of recirculated exhaust gas to the respective cylinders and allow the system to rapidly change the flow of recirculated exhaust gas to each cylinder. The system provides recirculated exhaust gas at a point close to the combustion chamber where it is needed for effective reduction of undesirable NO.sub.x emissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventors: Magdi K. Khair, Christopher A. Sharp