Patents by Inventor Curtis N. Eng

Curtis N. Eng 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: 8674155
    Abstract: Systems and methods for processing one or more hydrocarbons are provided. In one or more embodiments, the method can include thermally converting a hydrocarbon comprising methane to produce a first product comprising acetylene. The method can also include hydrogenating the first product to produce a second product comprising ethylene. The method can further include catalytically reacting the second product with one or more butene products to produce a third product comprising propylene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Kellogg Brown & Root, LLC
    Inventor: Curtis N. Eng
  • Publication number: 20120165584
    Abstract: Systems and methods for processing one or more hydrocarbons are provided. In one or more embodiments, the method can include thermally converting a hydrocarbon comprising methane to produce a first product comprising acetylene. The method can also include hydrogenating the first product to produce a second product comprising ethylene. The method can further include catalytically reacting the second product with one or more butene products to produce a third product comprising propylene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: Kellogg Brown & Root LLC
    Inventor: Curtis N. Eng
  • Patent number: 8080698
    Abstract: Systems and processes for producing one or more olefins are provided. A feed containing C4 compounds can be dehydrogenated to provide a first product containing butene. At least a portion of the first product can be bypassed around a methyl-tert-butyl-ether production unit and cracked in a first cracker to provide a second product containing propylene, ethylene, and butane. A light hydrocarbon containing gas oils, full range gas oils, resid or any combination thereof can be cracked in a second cracker to provide a cracked hydrocarbon containing propylene, ethylene, and butane. An alkane can be cracked in a third cracker to provide cracked alkanes containing propylene, ethylene, and butane. The second product, cracked hydrocarbons, and cracked alkanes can be combined and separated to provide a third product containing propylene and a first recycle containing butane. At least a portion of the first recycle can be recycled to the first product prior to cracking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Kellogg Brown & Root LLC
    Inventor: Curtis N. Eng
  • Patent number: 7820033
    Abstract: A process for increasing ethylene yield in a cracked hydrocarbon is provided. A hydrocarbon feed stream comprising at least 90% by weight of one or more C4-C10 hydrocarbons can be heated to provide an effluent stream comprising at least 10% by weight propylene. The effluent stream can be selectively separated to provide a first stream comprising heavy naphtha, light cycle oil, slurry oil, or any combination thereof and a second stream comprising one or more C4-C10 hydrocarbons. The second stream can be treated to remove oxygenates, acid gases, water, or any combination thereof to provide a third stream comprising the one or more C4-C10 hydrocarbons. The third stream can be selectively separated to provide a product stream comprising at least 30% by weight propylene. At least a portion of the product stream can be recycled to the hydrocarbon feed stream to increase ethylene yield in the effluent stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Kellogg Brown & Root LLC
    Inventors: Curtis N. Eng, Yonglin Yang
  • Publication number: 20090112038
    Abstract: Systems and processes for producing one or more olefins are provided. A feed containing butane can be dehydrogenated to provide a first product containing butene. A refinery hydrocarbon can be cracked in a first riser of a fluidized catalytic cracker to provide a first effluent comprising ethylene, propylene, or a combination thereof. The first product can bypass an etherification reactor for converting isobutylene to methyl tert-butyl ether, and can be cracked in a second riser of the fluidized catalytic cracker to provide a second effluent comprising propylene, ethylene, and butane. The first and second effluents can be combined to provide a second product comprising ethylene, propylene, or a combination thereof, wherein the conditions in the first and second riser are independently selected to favor production of ethylene, propylene, or any combination thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Inventor: Curtis N. Eng
  • Publication number: 20090112039
    Abstract: Systems and processes for producing one or more olefins are provided. A feed containing C4 compounds can be dehydrogenated to provide a first product containing butene. At least a portion of the first product can be bypassed around a methyl-tert-butyl-ether production unit and cracked in a first cracker to provide a second product containing propylene, ethylene, and butane. A light hydrocarbon containing gas oils, full range gas oils, resid or any combination thereof can be cracked in a second cracker to provide a cracked hydrocarbon containing propylene, ethylene, and butane. An alkane can be cracked in a third cracker to provide cracked alkanes containing propylene, ethylene, and butane. The second product, cracked hydrocarbons, and cracked alkanes can be combined and separated to provide a third product containing propylene and a first recycle containing butane. At least a portion of the first recycle can be recycled to the first product prior to cracking.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Inventor: Curtis N. Eng
  • Publication number: 20090112030
    Abstract: Systems and processes for producing one or more olefins are provided. In one or more embodiments, a C4 containing feed can be dehydrogenated to provide a first product containing butene. The first product can be bypassed around an etherification reactor for converting isobutylene to methyl tert-butyl ether. All or any portion of the first product can be cracked to provide a second product containing propylene, ethylene and butane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Inventor: Curtis N. Eng
  • Publication number: 20090112032
    Abstract: Systems and processes for producing one or more olefins are provided. A feed comprising butane can be dehydrogenated to provide a first product comprising butene. The first product can bypass an etherification reactor for converting isobutylene to methyl tert-butyl, and at least a portion of the first product can be cracked in a first cracking zone and fractionated to provide an olefinic mixture comprising propylene, ethylene, and butane. A refinery hydrocarbon comprising gas oil, full range gas oil, resid, or a combination thereof can be cracked in a second cracking zone and quenched to provide a quenched hydrocarbon. The olefinic mixture and the quenched hydrocarbon can be combined and selectively separated to provide a propylene product and a butane recycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Inventor: Curtis N. Eng
  • Publication number: 20090112031
    Abstract: Systems and processes for producing one or more olefins are provided. In one or more embodiments, a feed stream containing butane can be dehydrogenated to provide a first product containing butene. At least a portion of the first product can bypass an existing etherification reactor used for converting isobutylene to MTBE. At least a portion of the first product can be cracked using a catalytic cracker at conditions favoring the conversion of the first product to propylene to provide a second product containing propylene, ethylene, and butane. In one or more embodiments, a catalyst consisting of essentially a zeolite favoring the production of propylene can be used in the catalytic cracker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Inventor: Curtis N. Eng
  • Patent number: 7491315
    Abstract: A dual riser FCC process is disclosed wherein first and second hydrocarbon feeds (5, 6) are supplied to the respective first and second risers (2, 4) to make an effluent rich in ethylene, propylene and/or aromatics. Where the hydrocarbon feeds are different, the respective risers can have different conditions to favor conversion to ethylene and/or propylene. A minor amount of a coke precursor (80, 82) can be added to one or both of the hydrocarbon feeds (5, 6) to reduce or eliminate the amount of supplemental fuel needed to heat balance the system. The different feeds, including the coke precursor and any recycle streams (36, 44) can be segregated by type to improve olefin yields, including an embodiment where the paraffinic feeds are supplied to one riser and the olefinic feeds to the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Kellogg Brown & Root LLC
    Inventors: Curtis N. Eng, Rik B. Miller
  • Publication number: 20080264829
    Abstract: A process for increasing ethylene yield in a cracked hydrocarbon is provided. A hydrocarbon feed stream comprising at least 90% by weight of one or more C4-C10 hydrocarbons can be heated to provide an effluent stream comprising at least 10% by weight propylene. The effluent stream can be selectively separated to provide a first stream comprising heavy naphtha, light cycle oil, slurry oil, or any combination thereof and a second stream comprising one or more C4-C10 hydrocarbons. The second stream can be treated to remove oxygenates, acid gases, water, or any combination thereof to provide a third stream comprising the one or more C4-C10 hydrocarbons. The third stream can be selectively separated to provide a product stream comprising at least 30% by weight propylene. At least a portion of the product stream can be recycled to the hydrocarbon feed stream to increase ethylene yield in the effluent stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Inventors: Curtis N. Eng, Yonglin Yang
  • Publication number: 20080035527
    Abstract: A dual riser FCC process is disclosed wherein first and second hydrocarbon feeds (5, 6) are supplied to the respective first and second risers (2, 4) to make an effluent rich in ethylene, propylene and/or aromatics. Where the hydrocarbon feeds are different, the respective risers can have different conditions to favor conversion to ethylene and/or propylene. A minor amount of a coke precursor (80, 82) can be added to one or both of the hydrocarbon feeds (5, 6) to reduce or eliminate the amount of supplemental fuel needed to heat balance the system. The different feeds, including the coke precursor and any recycle streams (36, 44) can be segregated by type to improve olefin yields, including an embodiment where the paraffinic feeds are supplied to one riser and the olefinic feeds to the other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2006
    Publication date: February 14, 2008
    Inventors: Curtis N. Eng, Rik B. Miller