Patents by Inventor David A. Spicer

David A. Spicer 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).

  • Publication number: 20250035379
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods of constructing a furnace facility including determining transport parameters including vessel parameters. The method can include determining operating site parameters of an operating site and designing one or more modules based on the vessel and operating site parameters. The modules can be sized to provide length, width, height, weight of the modules within allowance of the vessel and operating site parameters. The modules can be constructed at a module fabrication site before transporting to the operating site via a vessel. One or more modules can have one or more furnace components, and/or one or more modules can have one or more furnace.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2023
    Publication date: January 30, 2025
    Inventors: Thomas T. Hirst, David Spicer, Tim W. Hopkins, Samuel L. Almeida, Mark A. Rooney
  • Publication number: 20250011659
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides processes and apparatuses for cracking a hydrocarbon-containing feed. The process includes introducing the hydrocarbon-containing feed to a desalter preheat train having an effluent interchanger. The process includes directing a portion of the hydrocarbon-containing feed from in the desalter preheat train to a feed inlet of a convection section of a steam cracking furnace. The process includes combusting fuel proximate to a plurality of burners that provide thermal energy to a radiant section and a convection section of the steam cracking furnace. The hydrocarbon-containing feed is in an operating mode in the convection section to obtain a heated feed mixture. The process includes separating a bottoms effluent from the heated feed mixture of the convection section in a separator. The process includes cooling the bottoms effluent in a heat exchanger using boiler feed water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2022
    Publication date: January 9, 2025
    Inventors: Mark A. Rooney, Richard Young, David Spicer, William A. Aslaner
  • Patent number: 12187967
    Abstract: Processes and systems for quenching an effluent. In certain embodiments, the process can include contacting a pyrolysis effluent and a first quench medium to produce a first quenched effluent. A bottoms stream that can include tar and an overhead stream that can include ethylene and propylene can be obtained from the first quenched effluent. The first quench medium can include a first portion of the bottoms stream that can include a first portion of the tar. In certain embodiments, the process can also include hydroprocessing a second portion of the bottoms stream that can include a second portion of the tar to produce a hydroprocessed product. A hydroprocessed bottoms stream can be obtained from the hydroprocessed product. In certain embodiments, the process can also include contacting at least a portion of the hydroprocessed bottoms stream and the first portion of the bottoms stream to produce the first quench medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Reyyan Koc-Karabocek, James R. Lattner, William A. Aslaner, David Spicer, Mark A. Rooney
  • Publication number: 20250002792
    Abstract: A steam cracking process is provided, including introducing a. first hydrocarbon-containing feed to a convection section of a steam cracking furnace. The convection section can include (i) a first arrangement having a first heat exchanger and a first economizer disposed downstream or upstream, of the first heat exchanger: (ii) a second arrangement having a. second heat exchanger in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger and. a second economizer in fluid communication with the first economizer, the second arrangement disposed downstream of the first arrangement such that each of the first and second economizer alternates with each of the first and second heat exchangers. The process can include (a) heating the first hydro-carbon-containing feed in the first heat exchanger at a hydrocarbon outlet temperature and (b) introducing water to the first economizer and removing the water from the convection section at an outlet temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2022
    Publication date: January 2, 2025
    Inventors: Mark A. Rooney, Jie Yang, Richard Young, David Spicer, William A. Aslaner
  • Publication number: 20240360053
    Abstract: A process for producing a C2-C4 olefin product from an ethane-containing hydrocarbon feed can be carried out using a steam cracker operated with an elevated coil-outlet pressure, thereby reducing the number of stages of compression required for recovering products from the steam cracker effluent. Coke can be effectively managed in the processes of this disclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2024
    Publication date: October 31, 2024
    Inventors: Selma S. Lawrence, Hassan Sharifi, Tania M. Almazan, Priya Rao, Mark A. Rooney, David Spicer, Stephen R. Phillips
  • Publication number: 20240344693
    Abstract: Disclosed is a staged-air burner device capable of high energy efficiency, high flame stability, combusting multiple readily switchable fuels ranging from pure hydrogen, to any hydrogen/methane mixture, to pure methane, and generating a low level of NOx. The burner device can include: a primary air chamber receiving a primary air and a flue gas; a burner tube capable of receiving a fuel jet and drawing in the air-flue gas mixture from the primary air chamber; a burner tip discharging the fuel-air-flue gas mixture formed in the burner tube to a first combustion zone and a second combustion zone via center orifices and side orifices on the burner tip, respectively; and a staged air chamber receiving staged air and discharging it via staged air ports into a third combustion zone. Combustion of the fuel occurs in at least one of the first, second, and third combustion zones.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2024
    Publication date: October 17, 2024
    Inventors: David Spicer, Melissa J. Bishop
  • Patent number: 12098337
    Abstract: Conduits for cooling a hydrocarbon stream and processes for using same. The conduit can include a first inner wall defining a first bore, a second inner wall defining a second bore, and an outer wall disposed about the first and second inner walls. The conduit can also include an annular support wall connected to an inner surface of the outer wall. An end of the second inner wall and an end of the annular support wall can define a perimeter opening that can be in fluid communication with the second bore. An annular flexible ring can be bonded to the annular support wall and can flexibly contact the first inner wall. A substantially annular cavity can be disposed between the second inner and the outer walls and in fluid communication with the perimeter opening. A quench fluid introduction port can be configured to introduce a quench fluid into the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: David Spicer, James C. Slonaker, Thomas T. Hirst
  • Patent number: 12097464
    Abstract: An exhaust steam stream having an absolute pressure from 200 kPa to 1,050 kPa and shaft power are produced from an extraction turbine and/or a back-pressure turbine. The exhaust steam stream can be supplied to an amine regenerator of an amine CO2 separation process. The shaft power can be utilized to drive equipment in a hydrocarbon processing plant such as an olefins production plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: David Spicer, James L. Kendall, Steven M. Slack
  • Publication number: 20240247194
    Abstract: Processes for removing deposits from a pump-around loop or simply loop. The process can include isolating a first and a second end of the loop in fluid communication with a vessel to provide an isolated section. The isolated section can include a first conduit disposed within a convection section of a steam cracking furnace or a heat exchanger that is external to the steam cracking furnace that can include char therein. The first end can be connected to an aqueous fluid/oxidant source. The second end can be connected to a second conduit disposed within the convection section. An aqueous fluid/oxidant mixture can be introduced into the first end that can be heated by flowing through the isolated section. The heated mixture can flow through the second conduit to produce a second heated mixture that can be introduced into a radiant section of the steam cracking furnace.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2024
    Publication date: July 25, 2024
    Inventors: Kara R. Radford, David Spicer, Saurabh S. Maduskar, Theodore W. Walker, Alison M. Miller, Steven M. Slack
  • Publication number: 20240247193
    Abstract: Processes and systems for hydrocarbon pyrolysis. In some embodiments, a hydrocarbon can be heated within a convection section of a steam cracking furnace and combined with an aqueous fluid to produce a heated mixture. A heavy feed that includes a plastic material can be introduced into a vessel and a portion of the plastic material can be cracked therein. Liquid and vapor effluents exiting the vessel can be obtained. At least a portion of the liquid effluent can be heated to produce a heated fluid stream that can be recycled to the vessel. The vapor effluent can be combined with the heated mixture to produce a combined mixture that can be heated within the convection section to produce a heated combined mixture. At least a portion of the heated combined mixture can be cracked within a radiant section of the steam cracking furnace to produce a steam cracker effluent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2024
    Publication date: July 25, 2024
    Inventors: Kara R. Radford, David Spicer, Saurabh S. Maduskar, Theodore W. Walker, Alison M. Miller, Steven M. Slack
  • Patent number: 12024685
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for performing ethane steam cracking at elevated coil inlet pressures and/or elevated coil outlet pressures in small diameter furnace coils. Instead of performing steam cracking of ethane at a coil outlet pressure of ˜22 psig or less (˜150 kPa-g or less), the steam cracking of ethane can be performed in small diameter furnace coils at a coil outlet pressure of 30 psig to 75 psig (˜200 kPa-g to ˜520 kPa-g), or 40 psig to 75 psig (˜270 kPa-g to ˜520 kPa-g). In order to achieve such higher coil outlet pressures, a correspondingly higher coil inlet pressure can also be used, such as a pressure of 45 psig (˜310 kPa-g) or more, or 50 psig (˜340 kPa-g) or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: George Stephens, David Spicer, Gregory E. Yeo, Stephen R. Phillips
  • Patent number: 12024684
    Abstract: Furnace systems and methods for steam cracking hydrocarbons to produce ethylene and other light olefins are provided herein. A furnace system for cracking hydrocarbons includes a radiant firebox containing a plurality of burners and an injection nozzle, a primary transfer line exchanger fluidly coupled to and downstream of the radiant firebox, and a flow restrictor fluidly coupled to and downstream of the primary transfer line exchanger. The furnace system also includes a decoke vessel containing an effluent inlet, a fluid outlet, and a coke outlet, where the effluent inlet is fluidly coupled to and downstream of the flow restrictor and the fluid outlet is fluidly coupled to and upstream of the injection nozzle of the radiant firebox, and a coke collection bin is coupled to the coke outlet of the decoke vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: William A. Aslaner, Thomas T. Hirst, David Spicer, George Stephens
  • Publication number: 20240166953
    Abstract: Processes and systems for steam cracking hydrocarbon feeds. The process can include introducing a first hydrocarbon feed into radiant coil(s) disposed within a first segment of a firebox to produce a first steam cracker effluent having a first coil outlet temperature. A second hydrocarbon feed can be introduced into radiant coil(s) disposed within a second segment of the firebox to produce a second steam cracker effluent having a second coil outlet temperature. The first and second segments can each include one or more burners providing heat thereto. The burner(s) in each segment can be operated at substantially the same firing rate such that an amount of heat produced by each burner can be substantially the same. A feed rate of the first hydrocarbon feed can be controlled based, at least in part, on a composition of the first hydrocarbon feed and the first coil outlet temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2022
    Publication date: May 23, 2024
    Inventors: Mark A. Rooney, David Spicer, Bryan D. McVicker
  • Publication number: 20240110110
    Abstract: Processes and systems for quenching an effluent. In certain embodiments, the process can include contacting a pyrolysis effluent and a first quench medium to produce a first quenched effluent. A bottoms stream that can include tar and an overhead stream that can include ethylene and propylene can be obtained from the first quenched effluent. The first quench medium can include a first portion of the bottoms stream that can include a first portion of the tar. In certain embodiments, the process can also include hydroprocessing a second portion of the bottoms stream that can include a second portion of the tar to produce a hydroprocessed product. A hydroprocessed bottoms stream can be obtained from the hydroprocessed product. In certain embodiments, the process can also include contacting at least a portion of the hydroprocessed bottoms stream and the first portion of the bottoms stream to produce the first quench medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: Reyyan Koc-Karabocek, James R. Lattner, William A. Aslaner, David Spicer, Mark A. Rooney
  • Publication number: 20240067884
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to processes, methods, systems, and apparatus for steam cracking hydrocarbon in a pyrolysis furnace having a convection zone and a radiant zone. The convection zone includes three heat exchangers in series with a serpentine arrangement. A fluid source is disposed each heat exchanger to provide steam into the heat exchangers. The present disclosure further relates to a process of adjusting the stream flow rate for each fluid source to control operating conditions such as flue gas temperature, stack temperatures, and temperatures of other components of the furnace.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Mark A. Rooney, David K. Marsh, Richard Young, David Spicer, William A. Aslaner, Jie Yang
  • Publication number: 20240059980
    Abstract: Processes and systems for pyrolysing a hydrocarbon. In some examples, the process can include mixing a cooled hydrocarbon effluent and a cooled de-coking effluent to produce a combined effluent. The combined effluent can be introduced into an inlet conduit of a separator under conditions that provide >80 wt. % of the plurality of coke particles with a Stokes number of >10. From a first exit conduit of the separator >55 wt. % of the plurality of coke particles in the combined effluent can be removed, and from a second exit conduit of the separator a coke-lean hydrocarbon effluent that includes <45 wt. % of the plurality of coke particles in the combined effluent can be removed. The first exit conduit and the second exit conduit can be coupled to the inlet conduit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2021
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventors: Thomas T. Hirst, George Stephens, David Spicer
  • Publication number: 20230094752
    Abstract: Conduits for cooling a hydrocarbon stream and processes for using same. The conduit can include a first inner wall defining a first bore, a second inner wall defining a second bore, and an outer wall disposed about the first and second inner walls. The conduit can also include an annular support wall connected to an inner surface of the outer wall. An end of the second inner wall and an end of the annular support wall can define a perimeter opening that can be in fluid communication with the second bore. An annular flexible ring can be bonded to the annular support wall and can flexibly contact the first inner wall. A substantially annular cavity can be disposed between the second inner and the outer walls and in fluid communication with the perimeter opening. A quench fluid introduction port can be configured to introduce a quench fluid into the cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: David Spicer, James C. Slonaker, Thomas T. Hirst
  • Publication number: 20230099742
    Abstract: An exhaust steam stream having an absolute pressure from 200 kPa to 1,050 kPa and shaft power are produced from an extraction turbine and/or a back-pressure turbine. The exhaust steam stream can be supplied to an amine regenerator of an amine CO2 separation process. The shaft power can be utilized to drive equipment in a hydrocarbon processing plant such as an olefins production plant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: David Spicer, James L. Kendall, Steven M. Slack
  • Patent number: 11512257
    Abstract: An H2-rich fuel gas production plant comprising a syngas production unit can be advantageously integrated with an olefins production plant comprising a steam cracker in at least one of the following: (i) fuel gas supply and consumption; (ii) feed supply and consumption; and (iii) steam supply and consumption, to achieve considerable savings in capital and operational costs, enhanced energy efficiency, and reduced CO2 emissions, compared to operating the plants separately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: David Spicer, Thomas T. Hirst, James L. Kendall, You Fang, Steven M. Slack
  • Patent number: 11498834
    Abstract: An H2-rich fuel gas stream can be advantageously produced by reforming a hydrocarbon/steam mixture in to produce a reformed stream, followed by cooling the reformed stream in a waste-heat recovery unit to produce a high-pressure steam stream, shifting the cooled reformed stream a first shifted stream, cooling the first shifted stream, shifting the cooled first shifted stream to produce a second shifted stream, cooling the second shifted stream, abating water from the cooled second shifted stream to obtain a crude gas mixture stream comprising H2 and CO2, and recovering a CO2 stream from the crude gas mixture stream. The H2-rich stream can be advantageously combusted to provide thermal energy needed for residential, office, and/or industrial applications including in the H2-rich fuel gas production process. The H2-rich fuel gas production process can be advantageously integrated with an olefins production plant comprising a steam cracker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: David Spicer, Thomas T. Hirst, James L. Kendall, You Fang