Patents by Inventor Derek William Hodges

Derek William Hodges 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: 10060674
    Abstract: A process is described herein for the production of a selected quantity of ethane as a component of a production inventory of mixed refrigerant for an LNG production plant prior to start-up of the LNG production plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: WOODSIDE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES PTY LTD.
    Inventor: Derek William Hodges
  • Patent number: 9982951
    Abstract: A process for cooling a tube side stream in a main heat exchanger is described. The process comprises: a) supplying a first mass flow of a tube side stream to a first zone of individual tubes in the tube bundle; b) supplying a second mass flow of the tube side stream to a second zone of individual tubes in the tube bundle, the second zone being offset from the first zone; c) supplying a refrigerant stream on the shell side for cooling the first and second mass flows; d) removing the evaporated refrigerant stream from the warm end of the main heat exchanger; and, e) adjusting the first mass flow of the tube side stream relative to the second mass flow of the tube side stream to maximise the temperature of the removed evaporated refrigerant stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: LINDE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Siew-Mung Patricia Ho, Derek William Hodges, Christiane Kerber, Manfred Steinbauer, Markus Hammerdinger
  • Publication number: 20180058776
    Abstract: A process for cooling a tube side stream in a main heat exchanger is described. The process comprises: a) supplying a first mass flow of a tube side stream to a first zone of individual tubes in the tube bundle; b) supplying a second mass flow of the tube side stream to a second zone of individual tubes in the tube bundle, the second zone being offset from the first zone; c) supplying a refrigerant stream on the shell side for cooling the first and second mass flows; d) removing the evaporated refrigerant stream from the warm end of the main heat exchanger; and, e) adjusting the first mass flow of the tube side stream relative to the second mass flow of the tube side stream to maximise the temperature of the removed evaporated refrigerant stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Applicant: LINDE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Siew-Mung Patricia HO, Derek William HODGES, Christiane KERBER, Manfred STEINBAUER, Markus HAMMERDINGER
  • Patent number: 9562718
    Abstract: A process for liquefying a tube side stream in a main heat exchanger is described. The process comprises the steps of: a) providing a first mass flow to the warm end of a first subset of individual tubes, b) providing a second mass flow to the warm end of a second subset of individual tubes, c) evaporating a refrigerant stream on the shell side; d) measuring an exit temperature of the first mass flow; e) measuring an exit temperature of the second mass flow; and, f) comparing the exit temperature of the first mass flow measured in step d) to the exit temperature of the second mass flow measured in step e), the process characterized in that at least one of the first and second mass flows is adjusted to equalize the exit temperature of the first mass flow with the exit temperature of the second mass flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: LINDE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Derek William Hodges, Christiane Kerber, Manfred Steinbauer, Markus Hammerdinger
  • Publication number: 20140075986
    Abstract: A process is described herein for the production of a selected quantity of ethane as a component of a production inventory of mixed refrigerant for an LNG production plant prior to start-up of the LNG production plant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: Woodside Energy Technologies Pty Ltd.
    Inventor: Derek William Hodges
  • Publication number: 20130111947
    Abstract: A process for liquefying a tube side stream in a main heat exchanger is described. The process comprises the steps of: a) providing a first mass flow to the warm end of a first subset of individual tubes, b) providing a second mass flow to the warm end of a second subset of individual tubes, c) evaporating a refrigerant stream on the shell side; d) measuring an exit temperature of the first mass flow; e) measuring an exit temperature of the second mass flow; and, f) comparing the exit temperature of the first mass flow measured in step d) to the exit temperature of the second mass flow measured in step e), the process characterized in that at least one of the first and second mass flows is adjusted to equalise the exit temperature of the first mass flow with the exit temperature of the second mass flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicant: LINDE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Derek William Hodges, Christiane Kerber, Manfred Steinbauer, Markus Hammerdinger
  • Publication number: 20130068431
    Abstract: A process for cooling a tube side stream in a main heat exchanger is described. The process comprises: a) supplying a first mass flow of a tube side stream to a first zone of individual tubes in the tube bundle; b) supplying a second mass flow of the tube side stream to a second zone of individual tubes in the tube bundle, the second zone being offset from the first zone; c) supplying a refrigerant stream on the shell side for cooling the first and second mass flows; d) removing the evaporated refrigerant stream from the warm end of the main heat exchanger; and, e) adjusting the first mass flow of the tube side stream relative to the second mass flow of the tube side stream to maximise the temperature of the removed evaporated refrigerant stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: LINDE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Siew-Mung Patricia Ho, Derek William Hodges, Christiane Kerber, Manfred Steinbauer, Markus Hammerdinger
  • Patent number: 6272882
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process of liquefying a gaseous, methane-rich feed to obtain a liquefied product by supplying the gaseous, methane-rich feed at elevated pressure to a first tube side of a main heat exchanger at its warm end, cooling, liquefying and sub-cooling the gaseous, methane-rich feed against evaporating refrigerant to get a liquefied stream, removing the liquefied stream from the main heat exchanger at its cold end and passing the liquefied stream to storage as liquefied product, removing evaporated refrigerant from the shell side of the main heat exchanger at its warm end, compressing in at least one refrigerant compressor the evaporated refrigerant to get high-pressure refrigerant, partly condensing the high-pressure refrigerant and separating the partly-condensed refrigerant into a liquid heavy refrigerant fraction and a gaseous light refrigerant fraction, sub-cooling the heavy refrigerant fraction in a second tube side of the main heat exchanger to get a sub-cooled heavy refriger
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Shell Research Limited
    Inventors: Derek William Hodges, Hendrik Frans Grootjans, Jonathan Reynolds Dolby