Patents by Inventor Dierk Müller

Dierk Müller 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: 11560306
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing ammonia (1), wherein a carbon-containing energy carrier flow (2) and an oxygen flow (3) from an oxygen-producing assembly (4) are fed to a synthesis gas reactor assembly (5) for obtaining a synthesis gas flow (6) with hydrogen and carbon oxides, wherein the synthesis gas flow (6) is fed to an adsorption device (7) for separating the synthesis gas flow (6) into a hydrogen flow (8), which comprises hydrogen, and a purge flow (9), and wherein the hydrogen flow (8) and a nitrogen flow (10) are fed to an ammonia reactor assembly (11) and converted into ammonia (1) there. The method is characterized in that the purge flow (9) is fed to a recovery device (12), which obtains a hydrogen-containing recovery flow (13) from the purge flow (9) and discharges a waste gas flow (14) therefrom, and that the hydrogen of the recovery flow (13) is at least partly fed to the ammonia reactor assembly (11) for conversion into ammonia (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: GASONTEC GMBH
    Inventors: Peter Ulrich Koss, Dierk Müller, Ulrich Wagner
  • Patent number: 11420867
    Abstract: A process for the combined production of methanol and ammonia, wherein a reactant stream includes carbon monoxide is supplied to a recovery assembly to obtain first and second hydrogen-containing streams, each having an increased molar proportion of hydrogen compared to the reactant stream. The recovery assembly includes a shift conversion in which the carbon monoxide of at least one carbon monoxide-containing stream is at least partially converted into hydrogen and carbon dioxide by reaction with steam to obtain a converted stream having hydrogen and carbon dioxide at least partially recycled to a hydrogen recovery from which the first and second hydrogen-containing streams are obtained. A nitrogen stream and, at least partially, the first hydrogen-containing stream are supplied to an ammonia reactor assembly for at least partial conversion into ammonia and, at least partially, the second hydrogen-containing stream is supplied to a methanol reactor assembly for at least partial conversion into the methanol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignees: GASCONTEC AG, THYSSENKRUPP INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS AG
    Inventors: Alexander Schulz, Johannes Völkl, Sina Kunz, Dierk Müller, Ulrich Koss
  • Publication number: 20210198105
    Abstract: A process for the combined production of methanol and ammonia, wherein a reactant stream includes carbon monoxide is supplied to a recovery assembly to obtain first and second hydrogen-containing streams, each having an increased molar proportion of hydrogen compared to the reactant stream. The recovery assembly includes a shift conversion in which the carbon monoxide of at least one carbon monoxide-containing stream is at least partially converted into hydrogen and carbon dioxide by reaction with steam to obtain a converted stream having hydrogen and carbon dioxide at least partially recycled to a hydrogen recovery from which the first and second hydrogen-containing streams are obtained. A nitrogen stream and, at least partially, the first hydrogen-containing stream are supplied to an ammonia reactor assembly for at least partial conversion into ammonia and, at least partially, the second hydrogen-containing stream is supplied to a methanol reactor assembly for at least partial conversion into the methanol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2018
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventors: Alexander SCHULZ, Johannes VÖLKL, Sina KUNZ, Dierk MÜLLER, Ulrich KOSS
  • Patent number: 10843989
    Abstract: Method and system for the combined production of methanol and of ammonia, and method for producing a fuel using methanol, wherein a carbon-containing energy carrier flow and an oxygen flow from an oxygen-producing assembly are fed to a synthesis gas reactor assembly for obtaining a synthesis gas flow with hydrogen and carbon oxides, wherein the synthesis gas flow is fed to a methanol reactor assembly for the partial conversion into methanol, and wherein, from the methanol reactor assembly, a residual gas flow is obtained from which a hydrogen-containing flow is obtained, which is at least partially fed to an ammonia reactor assembly and at least partially converted into ammonia there. In an enrichment step, the molar fraction of hydrogen in the synthesis gas flow obtained from the synthesis gas reactor assembly is increased relative to the molar fraction of carbon oxides prior to the feeding to the methanol reactor assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Inventors: Ulrich Koss, Dierk Mueller, Ulrich Wagner
  • Publication number: 20200216312
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing ammonia (1), wherein a carbon-containing energy carrier flow (2) and an oxygen flow (3) from an oxygen-producing assembly (4) are fed to a synthesis gas reactor assembly (5) for obtaining a synthesis gas flow (6) with hydrogen and carbon oxides, wherein the synthesis gas flow (6) is fed to an adsorption device (7) for separating the synthesis gas flow (6) into a hydrogen flow (8), which comprises hydrogen, and a purge flow (9), and wherein the hydrogen flow (8) and a nitrogen flow (10) are fed to an ammonia reactor assembly (11) and converted into ammonia (1) there. The method is characterized in that the purge flow (9) is fed to a recovery device (12), which obtains a hydrogen-containing recovery flow (13) from the purge flow (9) and discharges a waste gas flow (14) therefrom, and that the hydrogen of the recovery flow (13) is at least partly fed to the ammonia reactor assembly (11) for conversion into ammonia (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Inventors: Peter Ulrich Koss, Dierk Müller, Ulrich Wagner
  • Patent number: 10669220
    Abstract: A method for the synthesis of methanol includes the steps of feeding a hydrogen-containing stream from a hydrogen recovery stage into a synthesis gas stream containing hydrogen and carbon oxides, and feeding the synthesis gas stream to a primary reactor stage for the catalytic and partial conversion of the synthesis gas stream into a gas mixture containing water, methanol, and residual gas, and further including the step of feeding a first portion of the residual gas to the hydrogen recovery stage for separation into the hydrogen-containing stream and a waste gas stream. The method is characterized in that a second portion of the residual gas is fed to a secondary reactor stage for further catalytic and at least partial conversion into a methanol-containing product stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: GASCONTEC GMBH
    Inventors: Wolff Balthasar, Dierk Müller, Ulrich Wagner
  • Publication number: 20190308919
    Abstract: Method and system for the combined production of methanol and of ammonia, and method for producing a fuel using methanol, wherein a carbon-containing energy carrier flow and an oxygen flow from an oxygen-producing assembly are fed to a synthesis gas reactor assembly for obtaining a synthesis gas flow with hydrogen and carbon oxides, wherein the synthesis gas flow is fed to a methanol reactor assembly for the partial conversion into methanol, and wherein, from the methanol reactor assembly, a residual gas flow is obtained from which a hydrogen-containing flow is obtained, which is at least partially fed to an ammonia reactor assembly and at least partially converted into ammonia there. In an enrichment step, the molar fraction of hydrogen in the synthesis gas flow obtained from the synthesis gas reactor assembly is increased relative to the molar fraction of carbon oxides prior to the feeding to the methanol reactor assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Inventors: Ulrich Koss, Dierk Mueller, Ulrich Wagner
  • Publication number: 20190047931
    Abstract: A method for the synthesis of methanol includes the steps of feeding a hydrogen-containing stream from a hydrogen recovery stage into a synthesis gas stream containing hydrogen and carbon oxides, and feeding the synthesis gas stream to a primary reactor stage for the catalytic and partial conversion of the synthesis gas stream into a gas mixture containing water, methanol, and residual gas, and further including the step of feeding a first portion of the residual gas to the hydrogen recovery stage for separation into the hydrogen-containing stream and a waste gas stream. The method is characterized in that a second portion of the residual gas is fed to a secondary reactor stage for further catalytic and at least partial conversion into a methanol-containing product stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: Wolff BALTHASAR, Dierk MÜLLER, Ulrich WAGNER
  • Patent number: 9657240
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for improving the transportability of heavy crude oil. Proceeding from the disadvantages of the known prior art a method is to be provided, in which an additive can be used which is producible from a byproduct arising during mineral oil production. The method is to be performable with low expenditure and without any special safety precautions. Further the additive shall lead to an increased yield of conventional petroleum during subsequent refining. According to the invention, an aqueous hydrocarbon mixture having a chain length of predominantly C4 to C12 which does not contain any oxygen-containing hydrocarbon compounds is utilized. This is produced in the area of a mineral oil field from natural gas arising as by-product and/or mineral oil-associated gas. Thereby from the heavy crude oil a crude oil which is light in quality and transportable is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Inventors: Ulrich Wagner, Wolff Balthasar, Dierk Müller
  • Publication number: 20150232767
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for improving the transportability of heavy crude oil. Proceeding from the disadvantages of the known prior art a method is to be provided, in which an additive can be used which is producible from a byproduct arising during mineral oil production. The method is to be performable with low expenditure and without any special safety precautions. Further the additive shall lead to an increased yield of conventional petroleum during subsequent refining. According to the invention, an aqueous hydrocarbon mixture having a chain length of predominantly C4 to C12 which does not contain any oxygen-containing hydrocarbon compounds is utilized. This is produced in the area of a mineral oil field from natural gas arising as by-product and/or mineral oil-associated gas. Thereby from the heavy crude oil a crude oil which is light in quality and transportable is obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Inventors: Ulrich WAGNER, Wolff BALTHASAR, Dierk MÜLLER
  • Patent number: 8471076
    Abstract: In the production of methanol from a synthesis gas containing hydrogen and carbon oxides, the synthesis gas is passed through a first, preferably water-cooled reactor, in which a part of the carbon oxides is catalytically converted to methanol. The obtained mixture containing synthesis gas and methanol vapor is supplied to a second, preferably gas-cooled reactor, in which a further part of the carbon oxides is converted to methanol. Subsequently, methanol is separated from the synthesis gas, and the synthesis gas is recirculated to the first reactor. To achieve a maximum methanol yield even with an aged catalyst, a partial stream of the synthesis gas is guided past the first reactor and introduced directly into the second reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Lurgi GmbH
    Inventors: Dierk Müller, Andreas Bormann
  • Patent number: 8388864
    Abstract: When producing synthesis gas from a starting material containing hydrocarbons, in particular natural gas, a feed stream of the starting material is divided into a first partial stream and a second partial stream. The first partial stream is supplied to a steam reformer (4), in which together with steam it is catalytically converted to a gas stream containing carbon oxides. Then, the first partial stream is again combined with the second partial stream and the combined gas stream is supplied to an autothermal reformer (7), in which together with gas rich in oxygen it is autothermally reformed to a synthesis gas in the presence of a cracking catalyst. Processing a starting material with a high content of higher hydrocarbons is made possible in that before the steam reformer (4) and before the autothermal reformer (7) the entire starting material is supplied to a pre-reformer (2) in which the starting material largely is liberated from higher hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Lurgi GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Bormann, Dierk Müller
  • Publication number: 20110065966
    Abstract: In the production of methanol from a synthesis gas containing hydrogen and carbon oxides, the synthesis gas is passed through a first, preferably water-cooled reactor, in which a part of the carbon oxides is catalytically converted to methanol. The obtained mixture containing synthesis gas and methanol vapor is supplied to a second, preferably gas-cooled reactor, in which a further part of the carbon oxides is converted to methanol. Subsequently, methanol is separated from the synthesis gas, and the synthesis gas is recirculated to the first reactor. To achieve a maximum methanol yield even with an aged catalyst, a partial stream of the synthesis gas is guided past the first reactor and introduced directly into the second reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2008
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: LURGI GMBH
    Inventors: Dierk Müeller, Andreas Bormann