Patents by Inventor Craig McKnight

Craig McKnight 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: 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
  • Patent number: 7947168
    Abstract: A method for recovering NH3 present in a sour water stream containing odiferous compounds such as pyridines, indoles, ketones and mercaptans produced during an upgrading process for upgrading bitumen from oil sands into synthetic crude comprising treating the sour water stream in a sour water treatment unit to produce a NH3-rich stream and a H2S-rich stream; and hydrotreating the NH3-rich stream in a hydrotreater in the presence of hydrogen to remove the odiferous compounds such as pyridines, indoles, ketones and mercaptans and produce a treated NH3-rich stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Syncrude Canada Ltd.
    Inventors: John Machin, Daniel Rusnell, Paul Won, Monica Morphy, Xin Alex Wu, Brenda Crickmore, Craig McKnight
  • Publication number: 20110072235
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a system and method for supporting high-throughput virtual to physical address translation using compressed TLB cache lines with variable address range coverage. The amount of memory covered by a TLB cache line depends on the page size and page table entry (PTE) compression level. When a TLB miss occurs, a cache line is allocated with an assumed address range that may be larger or smaller than the address range of the PTE data actually returned. Subsequent requests that hit a cache line with a fill pending are queued until the fill completes. When the fill completes, the cache line's address range is set to the address range of the PTE data returned. Queued requests are replayed and any that fall outside the actual address range are reissued, potentially generating additional misses and fills.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2010
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Inventors: James Leroy Deming, Mark Allen Mosley, William Craig McKnight, Emmett M. Kilgrariff, Steven E. Molnar, Colyn Scott Case
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20090223869
    Abstract: A method for recovering NH3 present in a sour water stream containing odiferous compounds such as pyridines, indoles, ketones and mercaptans produced during an upgrading process for upgrading bitumen from oil sands into synthetic crude comprising treating the sour water stream in a sour water treatment unit to produce a NH3-rich stream and a H2S-rich stream; and hydrotreating the NH3-rich stream in a hydrotreater in the presence of hydrogen to remove the odiferous compounds such as pyridines, indoles, ketones and mercaptans and produce a treated NH3-rich stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2008
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Applicant: SYNCRUDE CANADA LTD. in trust for the owners of the Syncrude Project
    Inventors: JOHN MACHIN, DANIEL RUSNELL, PAUL WON, MONICA MORPHY, XIN ALEX WU, BRENDA CRICKMORE, CRAIG McKNIGHT
  • Patent number: 7297252
    Abstract: An improved catalyst activation process for olefinic naphtha hydrodesulfurization. This process maintains the sulfur removal activity of the catalyst while reducing the olefin saturation activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Craig A. McKnight, Gregory J. Troxclair
  • Patent number: 7244352
    Abstract: A process for producing a naphtha having a decreased amount of sulfur by selective hydroprocessing a petroleum feedstream comprising cracked naphtha to reduce its sulfur content with minimum loss of octane. The reduced sulfur naphtha stream contains mercaptan sulfur reversion products that are removed preferably by use of an aqueous base solution containing a catalytically effective amount of a phase transfer catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Thomas R. Halbert, Craig A. McKnight, John P. Greeley, Bruce R. Cook, Garland B. Brignac, Mark A. Greaney, Robert C. Welch
  • Publication number: 20040154960
    Abstract: An improved catalyst activation process for olefinic naphtha hydrodesulfurization. This process maintains the sulfur removal activity of the catalyst while reducing the olefin saturation activity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2003
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Inventors: Craig A. McKnight, Gregory J. Troxclair
  • Publication number: 20030188992
    Abstract: A process for decreasing the amount of sulfur in a petroleum stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2003
    Publication date: October 9, 2003
    Inventors: Thomas R. Halbert, Craig A. McKnight, John P. Greeley, Bruce R. Cook, Garland B. Brignac, Mark A. Greaney, Robert C. Welch
  • Patent number: 6589418
    Abstract: An improved catalyst activation process for olefinic naphtha hydrodesulfurization. This process maintains the sulfur removal activity of the catalyst while reducing the olefin saturation activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Garland B. Brignac, Joseph J. Kociscin, Craig A. McKnight
  • Publication number: 20020139716
    Abstract: An improved catalyst activation process for olefinic naphtha hydrodesulfurization. This process maintains the sulfur removal activity of the catalyst while reducing the olefin saturation activity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2002
    Publication date: October 3, 2002
    Inventors: Garland B. Brignac, Joseph J. Kociscin, Craig A. McKnight
  • Patent number: 6231753
    Abstract: Selective and deep desulfurization of a high sulfur content mogas naphtha, with reduced product mercaptans and olefin loss, is achieved by a two stage, vapor phase hydrodesulfurization process with interstage separation of at least 80 vol. % of the H2S formed in the first stage from the first stage, partially desulfurized naphtha vapor effluent fed into the second stage. At least 70 wt. % of the sulfur is removed in the first stage and at least 80 wt. % of the remaining sulfur is removed in the second stage, to achieve a total at least 95 wt. % feed desulfurization, with no more than a 60 vol. % feed olefin loss. The second stage temperature and space velocity are preferably greater than in the first. The hydrodesulfurization catalyst preferably contains a low metal loading of Co and Mo metal catalytic components on an alumina support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Craig A. McKnight, Thomas R. Halbert, John P. Greeley, Garland B. Brignac, Richard A. Demmin, William E. Winter, Jr., Bruce R. Cook
  • Patent number: 6231754
    Abstract: A high temperature naphtha desulfurization process with reduced olefin saturation employs a partially spent and low metals content hydrodesulfurization catalyst having from 2-40% the activity of a new catalyst. The catalytic metals preferably include Co and Mo in an atomic ratio of from 0.1 to 1. The catalyst is preferably at least partially regenerable, has less than 500 wppm of a total of one or more of nickel, iron and vanadium and preferably has no more than 12 wt. % catalytic metal calculated as the oxide. This permits selective deep desulfurization, with reduced olefin saturation, low product mercaptan levels and little or need for downstream mercaptan removal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Garland B. Brignac, John P. Greeley, Thomas R. Halbert, Craig A. McKnight, Richard A. Demmin, Janet R. Clark
  • Publication number: 20010000081
    Abstract: An improved catalyst activation process for olefinic naphtha hydrodesulfurization. This process maintains the sulfur removal activity of the catalyst while reducing the olefin saturation activity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Publication date: March 29, 2001
    Inventors: Garland B. Brignac, Joseph J. Kociscin, Craig A. McKnight
  • Patent number: 6197718
    Abstract: An improved catalyst activation process for olefinic naphtha hydrodesulfurization. This process maintains the sulfur removal activity of the catalyst while reducing the olefin saturation activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Garland B. Brignac, Joseph J. Kociscin, Craig A. McKnight
  • Patent number: 5624642
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods useful for degassing a reaction mixture in a petrochemical processing reactor are disclosed. The methods and apparatus employ a novel liquid-gas separator that includes non-linear risers and that discharges the mixture into a vapor space in a manner intended to maximize degassing of the mixture. Resid hydrotreating processes employing these methods also are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1997
    Assignee: Amoco Corporation
    Inventors: Narasimhan Devanathan, Craig A. McKnight, William B. VanderHeyden, Larry P. Hackman, Peter J. Klomans, Robert W. Skwarok