Patents by Inventor Dieter Littmann

Dieter Littmann 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: 20230014128
    Abstract: A process for preparing ethylene polymers including the step of polymerizing ethylene or copolymerizing ethylene and one or more comonomers at a temperature from 100° C. to 350° C. and a pressure of from 110 MPa to 350 MPa in a continuously operated tubular polymerization reactor, thereby yielding a reaction mixture, wherein the tubular polymerization reactor has a reactor cooling jacket for removing the heat of the reaction and a pressure control valve, the reaction mixture leaves the reactor through the pressure control valve, the reaction mixture then passes a post-reactor cooler equipped with a post-reactor cooling jacket, the reactor cooling jacket is provided with a reactor coolant having an inlet temperature and the post-reactor cooling jacket is provided with a post-reactor coolant having an inlet temperature, and the inlet temperature of the post-reactor coolant is independently controlled from the inlet temperature of the reactant coolant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Applicant: Basell Polyolefine GmbH
    Inventors: Andre-Armand Finette, Juergen Mohrbutter, Christoph Wolf, Michael Deuerling, Danir Khayrullin, Dieter Littmann
  • Patent number: 11549749
    Abstract: Method for the preparation of dried polymer pellets in a facility having a dryer with a first chamber and a mechanical agitator, and the facility further having a degassing silo with a second chamber, the method includes the steps of guiding a drying gas flow made from or containing a first gas mixture for drying wet polymer pellets into the first chamber, transferring the dried polymer pellets into the second chamber, guiding a second gas mixture for degassing the dried polymer pellets into the second chamber thereby transforming the second gas mixture into a third gas mixture and guiding a portion of the third gas mixture into the first chamber; and process for manufacturing LDPE pellets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Basell Polyolefine GmbH
    Inventors: Giulia Mei, Juergen Mohrbutter, Dieter Littmann, Christoph Wolf, Andre-Armand Finette, Michael Deuerling, Giuseppe Penzo
  • Publication number: 20220410102
    Abstract: A high-pressure polymerization system having a) a polymerization reactor and b) a reactor blow down system having b1) a reactor blow down vessel, having a circular design over a major portion P having a L/D-ratio in the range from 1.75 to 10.0 and containing an aqueous quenching medium, b2) a release line connecting the polymerization reactor with the reactor blow down vessel and having an outlet located above a maximum level for the aqueous quenching medium, b3) a first emergency valve in the release line to open and close fluid communication between the polymerization reactor and the reactor blow down system, and wherein the release line outlet has a joining piece having an angle (a) between the central axis and a tangent at the reactor blow down vessel in the range from 5° to 70° and the reactor blow down vessel has a vent stack containing a constricted section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: Basell Polyolefine GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Wolf, Juergen Mohrbutter, Andre-Armand Finette, Michael Deuerling, Danir Khayrullin, Dieter Littmann
  • Publication number: 20220106418
    Abstract: A process for polymerizing ethylene in a high-pressure polymerization system having a continuously operated polymerization reactor and a reactor blow down system having an emergency valve, a reactor blow down vessel containing an aqueous medium and a reactor blow down dump vessel, wherein the process includes the steps of monitoring the polymerization system for a disturbance, opening the emergency valve when a disturbance occurs to allow the content of the polymerization system to expand into the reactor blow down vessel, contacting the content of the polymerization system in the reactor blow down vessel with the aqueous medium to obtain an aqueous polymer slurry, separating the polymer slurry and gaseous components, and transferring the polymer slurry to the reactor blow down dump vessel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Publication date: April 7, 2022
    Applicant: Basell Polyolefine GmbH
    Inventors: Dieter Littmann, Andre-Armand Finette, Christoph Wolf, Michael Deuerling, Juergen Mohrbutter, Danir Khayrullin, Giulia Mei, Erich Neumann
  • Patent number: 11155649
    Abstract: A process for the preparation of ethylene homopolymers or copolymers in a facility having a high-pressure tubular reactor and a preheater, wherein a reaction fluid introduced into the reactor at a reactor inlet is heated in the preheater and the average velocity of the reaction fluid in the preheater is lower than the average velocity of the reaction fluid in the tubular reactor and the ratio of the average velocity in the tubular reactor to the average velocity of the reaction fluid in the preheater is in the range from 1.5 to 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Basell Polyolefine GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Wolf, Dieter Littmann, Michael Deuerling, Andre-Armand Finette, Danir Khayrullin, Juergen Mohrbutter
  • Publication number: 20210148633
    Abstract: Method for the preparation of dried polymer pellets in a facility having a dryer with a first chamber and a mechanical agitator, and the facility further having a degassing silo with a second chamber, the method includes the steps of guiding a drying gas flow made from or containing a first gas mixture for drying wet polymer pellets into the first chamber, transferring the dried polymer pellets into the second chamber, guiding a second gas mixture for degassing the dried polymer pellets into the second chamber thereby transforming the second gas mixture into a third gas mixture and guiding a portion of the third gas mixture into the first chamber; and process for manufacturing LDPE pellets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Applicant: Basell Polyolefine GmbH
    Inventors: Giulia Mei, Juergen Mohrbutter, Dieter Littmann, Christoph Wolf, Andre-Armand Finette, Michael Deuerling, Giuseppe Penzo
  • Publication number: 20200369792
    Abstract: A process for the preparation of ethylene homopolymers or copolymers in a facility having a high-pressure tubular reactor and a preheater, wherein a reaction fluid introduced into the reactor at a reactor inlet is heated in the preheater and the average velocity of the reaction fluid in the preheater is lower than the average velocity of the reaction fluid in the tubular reactor and the ratio of the average velocity in the tubular reactor to the average velocity of the reaction fluid in the preheater is in the range from 1.5 to 5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2018
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Applicant: Basell Polyolefine GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Wolf, Dieter Littmann, Michael Deuerling, Andre-Armand Finette, Danir Khayrullin, Juergen Mohrbutter
  • Patent number: 10626195
    Abstract: A process for polymerizing ethylene to obtain an ethylene-based polymer in a plant, wherein the plant includes a reactor in fluid communication with a recycle connection, wherein the process includes a polymerization phase, a partial shutdown phase, and the steps of reducing the pressure in the reactor for entering into the partial shutdown phase from the polymerization phase; and increasing the pressure in the reactor for exiting from the partial shutdown phase and re-entering the polymerization phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Basell Polyolefine GmbH
    Inventors: Erich Neumann, Sven Wolfram, Christoph Wolf, Juergen Mohrbutter, Dieter Littmann
  • Patent number: 10562986
    Abstract: A process for polymerizing or copolymerizing ethylenically unsaturated monomers at pressures in the range of from 110 MPa to 500 MPa in a production line comprising a continuously operated polymerization reactor, wherein the process comprises monitoring the surrounding of the production line with respect to an occurrence of a leakage of monomers or of reaction mixture by an IR point detector arrangement of at least three groups of IR point detectors which are capable of detecting hydrocarbons and the groups of IR point detectors are operating according to a voting logic and starting automatically an emergency pressure release program when a group of IR point detectors of the IR point detector arrangement detects the presence of hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Basell Polyolefine GmbH
    Inventors: Andrei Gonioukh, Thomas Herrmann, Dieter Littmann, Andre-Armand Finette, Sven Wolfram
  • Patent number: 10472428
    Abstract: A process for polymerizing or copolymerizing ethylenically unsaturated monomers at pressures in the range of from 110 MPa to 500 MPa in a production line comprising a continuously operated polymerization reactor which is installed within a protective enclosure, wherein the production line is monitored with respect to an occurrence of a leakage of monomers or of reaction mixture and a water based deluge system, which provides droplets of a diameter in a range from 25 ?m to 20 mm to the enclosed area, is automatically started with a minimum flow rate of 10 L/min per m2 of enclosed area when a leakage of monomers or of reaction mixture is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Basell Polyolefine GmbH
    Inventors: Andrei Gonioukh, Thomas Herrmann, Dieter Littmann, Andre-Armand Finette, Siegfried Mischok
  • Publication number: 20190338053
    Abstract: A process for polymerizing ethylene to obtain an ethylene-based polymer in a plant, wherein the plant includes a reactor in fluid communication with a recycle connection, wherein the process includes a polymerization phase, a partial shutdown phase, and the steps of reducing the pressure in the reactor for entering into the partial shutdown phase from the polymerization phase; and increasing the pressure in the reactor for exiting from the partial shutdown phase and re-entering the polymerization phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Applicant: Basell Polyolefine GmbH
    Inventors: Erich NEUMANN, Sven WOLFRAM, Christoph WOLF, Juergen MOHRBUTTER, Dieter LITTMANN
  • Patent number: 10358510
    Abstract: A process for polymerizing or copolymerizing ethylenically unsaturated monomers at pressures in the range of from 110 MPa to 500 MPa in a production line comprising a continuously operated polymerization reactor, wherein at least one of a pre-heater or pre-cooler, a polymerization reactor or a post reactor cooler is composed of tubes of a length from 5 m to 25 m which are flanged together, either directly or via bends, and the flanges are covered by a chimney construction, and wherein air is conveyed through the chimney construction and the air exiting the chimney construction is monitored with respect to the hydrocarbons concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: Basell Polyolefine GmbH
    Inventors: Andrei Gonioukh, Thomas Herrmann, Dieter Littmann, Andre-Armand Finette, Sven Wolfram
  • Patent number: 10343135
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a manufacturing plant for high-pressure polymerization having a layered tubular reactor and a method for an emergency shutdown in said manufacturing plant. The present disclosure also relates to a process for manufacturing LDPE using said layered tubular reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Basell Polyolefine GmbH
    Inventors: Dieter Littmann, Andre-Armand Finette, Christoph Wolf, Michael Deuerling, Juergen Peter Mohrbutter, Danir Khayrullin
  • Publication number: 20190201865
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a manufacturing plant for high-pressure polymerization having a layered tubular reactor and a method for an emergency shutdown in said manufacturing plant. The present disclosure also relates to a process for manufacturing LDPE using said layered tubular reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Applicant: Basell Polyolefine GmbH
    Inventors: Dieter Littmann, Andre-Armand Finette, Christoph Wolf, Michael Deuerling, Juergen Peter Mohrbutter, Danir Khayrullin
  • Publication number: 20190177447
    Abstract: A process for polymerizing or copolymerizing ethylenically unsaturated monomers at pressures in the range of from 110 MPa to 500 MPa in a production line comprising a continuously operated polymerization reactor, wherein at least one of a pre-heater or pre-cooler, a polymerization reactor or a post reactor cooler is composed of tubes of a length from 5 m to 25 m which are flanged together, either directly or via bends, and the flanges are covered by a chimney construction, and wherein air is conveyed through the chimney construction and the air exiting the chimney construction is monitored with respect to the hydrocarbons concentration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Applicant: Basell Polyolefine GmbH
    Inventors: Andrei Gonioukh, Thomas Herrmann, Dieter Littmann, Andre-Armand Finette, Sven Wolfram
  • Publication number: 20190169318
    Abstract: A process for polymerizing or copolymerizing ethylenically unsaturated monomers at pressures in the range of from 110 MPa to 500 MPa in a production line comprising a continuously operated polymerization reactor which is installed within a protective enclosure, wherein the production line is monitored with respect to an occurrence of a leakage of monomers or of reaction mixture and a water based deluge system, which provides droplets of a diameter in a range from 25 ?m to 20 mm to the enclosed area, is automatically started with a minimum flow rate of 10 L/min per m2 of enclosed area when a leakage of monomers or of reaction mixture is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Applicant: Basell Polyolefine GmbH
    Inventors: Andrei Gonioukh, Thomas Herrmann, Dieter Littmann, Andre-Armand Finette, Siegfried Mischok
  • Patent number: 10308738
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a plant for performing polymerization, such as the polymerization of ethylene, having a recycle connection with two or more cooling channels arranged in parallel, a process for polymerization and downstream processes, and a plant for polymerization, comprising the following plant components in fluid communication: a) A reactor with an inlet side and an outlet side; b) A recycle connection positioned in fluid communication between the outlet side of the reactor and the inlet side of the reactor; wherein the recycle connection comprises two or more cooling channels arranged in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Basell Polyolefine GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Wolf, Andre-Armand Finette, Andrei Gonioukh, Dieter Littmann, Thomas Herrmann, Georg Groos
  • Publication number: 20190135950
    Abstract: A process for polymerizing or copolymerizing ethylenically unsaturated monomers at pressures in the range of from 110 MPa to 500 MPa in a production line comprising a continuously operated polymerization reactor, wherein the process comprises monitoring the surrounding of the production line with respect to an occurrence of a leakage of monomers or of reaction mixture by an IR point detector arrangement of at least three groups of IR point detectors which are capable of detecting hydrocarbons and the groups of IR point detectors are operating according to a voting logic and starting automatically an emergency pressure release program when a group of IR point detectors of the IR point detector arrangement detects the presence of hydrocarbons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Applicant: Basell Polyolefine GmbH
    Inventors: Andrei Gonioukh, Thomas Herrmann, Dieter Littmann, Andre-Armand Finette, Sven Wolfram
  • Patent number: 10005862
    Abstract: Process for copolymerizing ethylene and esters of vinyl alcohol in the presence of free-radical polymerization initiators at pressures in the range of from 110 MPa to 500 MPa and temperatures in the range of from 100° C. to 350° C. in a continuously operated polymerization apparatus comprising a polymerization reactor and one or more compressors, which compress the monomer mixture fed to the polymerization reactor to the polymerization pressure, wherein the monomer mixture is compressed by a sequence of compression stages in which the compressed gas mixture is cooled after each compression stage and the fraction of the monomer mixture, which is liquid after this cooling, is separated off and returned to the polymerization apparatus in liquid form, and wherein at least a part of the liquid fractions obtained after compressing the monomer mixture in the respective compression stage to a pressure of from 0.2 MPa to 10 MPa is purified before being returned to the polymerization process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Basell Polyolefine GmbH
    Inventors: Andre-Armand Finette, Christoph Wolf, Danir Khayrullin, Giulia Mei, Juergen Mohrbutter, Dieter Littmann
  • Publication number: 20180171044
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a plant for performing polymerization, such as the polymerization of ethylene, having a recycle connection with two or more cooling channels arranged in parallel, a process for polymerization and downstream processes, and a plant for polymerization, comprising the following plant components in fluid communication: a) A reactor with an inlet side and an outlet side; b) A recycle connection positioned in fluid communication between the outlet side of the reactor and the inlet side of the reactor; wherein the recycle connection comprises two or more cooling channels arranged in parallel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Applicant: Basell Polyolefine GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Wolf, Andre-Armand Finette, Andrei Gonioukh, Dieter Littmann, Thomas Herrmann, Georg Groos