Patents by Inventor Edward L. Sughrue

Edward L. Sughrue 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: 9758739
    Abstract: Cellulose and hemicellulose from biomass can be broken down to C6 and C5 sugars and further converted to corresponding sugar alcohols. It is now found that a new catalyst, MoS2, is active for the hydrogenation of sugar alcohols to hydrocarbons. Combining the technologies listed above allows us to convert the cellulose/hemicellulose to liquid hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: PHILLIPS 66 COMPANY
    Inventors: Madhu Anand, Jianhua Yao, Edward L. Sughrue
  • Patent number: 9388351
    Abstract: Furfural is produced through hydrolysis of the hemi-cellulose in corn stover. Furfural may also be produced from other biomass. The direct conversion of furfural to mono-alcohols which can be blended with gasoline is an attractive chemical process for providing biomass into the liquid fuel supply. Examples of such alcohols include 1-butanol, 1-pentanol, 2-pentanol and tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol. Preferred alcohols include C-4 and C-5 mono-alcohols that have suitable blending properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: PHILLIPS 66 COMPANY
    Inventors: Yun Bao, Kristi A. Fjare, Edward L. Sughrue, TiePan Shi, Brian C. Dunn, Edgar Lotero
  • Patent number: 9371256
    Abstract: A heated petroleum-derived hydrocarbon is contacted with a triglyceride feed in a thermal cracking zone to decompose and remove impurities prior to hydrotreating the mixture to fuel range hydrocarbon. This process allows the use of a variety of low cost triglyceride feeds while reducing fouling of process equipment and catalyst. The process also reduces the use of chemicals required for conventional degumming of triglyceride feeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: PHILLIPS 66 COMPANY
    Inventors: Jianhua Yao, Edward L. Sughrue, II, Dhananjay B. Ghonasgi, Xiaochun Xu
  • Patent number: 9358520
    Abstract: A method of hydrotreating liquefied biomass feedstock with diesel feedstock to produce alkanes is demonstrated that prevents damage to the reactor catalyst, reduces coke production, and converts nearly all of the polyols to alkanes. In order to mitigate the potential coking issue and to moderate the temperature of the catalyst bed while maintaining high conversion for sugar alcohol to hydrocarbon via a hydrotreating process, a diesel feedstock is fed over the reactor catalyst with multiple injections of polyol feedstock along the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: PHILLIPS 66 COMPANY
    Inventors: Jianhua Yao, Edward L. Sughrue, II, Ronald E. Brown
  • Patent number: 9156755
    Abstract: The conversion of diols to mono-alcohols as fuel blendstocks. In one embodiment hydrotreating processes are described that selectively convert glycols to mono-alcohols that can be blended as biofuels. Both NiMo and CoMo catalysts are active for the reaction and reaction conditions can also impact the selectivity of mono-alcohols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: PHILLIPS 66 COMPANY
    Inventors: Jianhua Yao, Edward L Sughrue, II, TiePan Shi, Brian Dunn
  • Patent number: 9120986
    Abstract: Cellulose and hemicellulose from biomass can be broken down to C6 and C5 sugars and further converted to corresponding sugar alcohols. It is now found that a new catalyst, MoS2, is active for the hydrogenation of sugar alcohols to hydrocarbons. Combining the technologies listed above allows us to convert the cellulose/hemicellulose to liquid hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: PHILLIPS 66 COMPANY
    Inventors: Madhu Anand, Jianhua Yao, Edward L. Sughrue, II
  • Patent number: 8993818
    Abstract: Technologies to convert biomass to liquid hydrocarbon fuels are currently being developed to decrease our carbon footprint and increase use of renewable fuels. Since sugars/sugar derivatives from biomass have high oxygen content and low hydrogen content, coke becomes an issue during zeolite upgrading to liquid hydrocarbon fuels. A self-sustainable process was designed to reduce the coke by co-feeding sugars/sugar derivatives with the paraffin products from hydrogenation of sugars/sugar derivatives. Paraffins without complete conversion result in products with less aromatics and relatively low density compared with the products directly from zeolite upgrading. Thus, the process is more economically favorable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Phillips 66 Company
    Inventors: Yun Bao, Edward L. Sughrue, II, Jianhua Yao, TiePan Shi, Kristi A. Fjare, Lisa L. Myers
  • Patent number: 8961794
    Abstract: This invention relates to a process for production of transportation fuels from biomass. More particularly, this invention relates to a process for using solvent to remove metal impurities and high molecular weight components from biomass derived biocrude to prevent potential catalyst poisoning and catalyst bed plugging in biocrude-to-transportation fuel upgrading process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Phillips 66 Company
    Inventors: Kristi Fjare, Jianhua Yao, Edward L. Sughrue, Jaehoon Bae, TiePan Shi, Yun Bao, Edgar Lotero
  • Patent number: 8822745
    Abstract: Described is a method for converting biomass derived pyrolysis oil (bio-oil) into materials that will be more useful for transportation fuels including the following two steps: 1) solubilizing and extracting bio-oil oxygenates, and 2) zeolite catalyzed hydrogenation of the oxygenates into renewable fuel range materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Phillips 66 Company
    Inventors: Kristi A. Fjare, Tie-Pan Shi, Edward L. Sughrue, II, Jianhua Yao
  • Patent number: 8809604
    Abstract: A method of hydrotreating liquefied biomass feedstock with diesel feedstock to produce alkanes is demonstrated that prevents damage to the reactor catalyst, reduces coke production, and converts nearly all of the polyols to alkanes. In order to mitigate the potential coking issue and to moderate the temperature of the catalyst bed while maintaining high conversion for sugar alcohol to hydrocarbon via a hydrotreating process, a diesel feedstock is fed over the reactor catalyst with multiple injections of polyol feedstock along the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Phillips 66 Company
    Inventors: Jianhua Yao, Edward L. Sughrue, II, Ronald E. Brown
  • Patent number: 8809605
    Abstract: Technologies to convert biomass to liquid hydrocarbon fuels are currently being developed to decrease our carbon footprint and increase use of renewable fuels. Since sugars/sugar derivatives from biomass have high oxygen content and low hydrogen content, coke becomes an issue during zeolite upgrading to liquid hydrocarbon fuels. A process was designed to reduce the coke by co-feeding sugars/sugar derivatives with a saturated recycle stream containing hydrogenated products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Phillips 66 Company
    Inventors: Yun Bao, Edward L. Sughrue, II, Jianhua Yao, TiePan Shi, Kristi A. Fjare, Lisa L. Myers, Ronald E. Brown
  • Patent number: 8809607
    Abstract: A process for co-production of renewable diesel fuel range hydrocarbons and gasoline fuel range hydrocarbons from biomass-derived oils and fatty materials (e.g. triglycerides, diglycerides, monoglycerides, and free fatty acids) and biomass-derived polyol (e.g. sorbitol, xylitol, trehalose, sucrose, and sugar alcohol), respectively, in a same refinery hydrotreater with or without co-feeding of diesel fuel range hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Phillips 66 Company
    Inventors: Jianhua Yao, Edward L. Sughrue, II
  • Patent number: 8791312
    Abstract: A process for upgrading hydrocarbons comprising removal of C5 hydrocarbons from a feedstock, metathesizing said C5 hydrocarbons to C6+ and C4? hydrocarbons, and upgrading said C4? hydrocarbons is disclosed absent any dehydrogenation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Phillips 66 Company
    Inventors: Bruce B. Randolph, Bruce Welch, Roland Schmidt, Edward L. Sughrue, II
  • Patent number: 8766024
    Abstract: It has been discovered that the residence time of oils/fats in metal apparatus, particularly in the upstream of a hydrotreating unit, for example, a heat exchanger and/or a storage/feed tank, can impact significantly on corrosiveness of oils/fats in combination with and without conventional hydrocarbons. In addition, it is also found that the presence of hydrogen in the metal apparatus can also inhibit the corrosion rate of oils/fats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Phillips 66 Company
    Inventors: Jianhua Yao, Devadas Panjala, Edward L. Sughrue, II, Eric W. Vetters, Bruce Randolph
  • Patent number: 8729322
    Abstract: Conversion of renewable hydrocarbons to transportation fuels is required to reduce carbon emission, limit the use of fossil fuels, and develop renewable energy sources. Sorbitol, xylitol and trehelose are polyalcohols generated from the liquefaction of various sugars and carbohydrates in biomass from algae, corn, sugarcane, switchgrasses, and biological wastes. Mixtures of aqueous polyols and fuel feedstocks are catalyzed over metal catalysts to produce hexanes, pentanes, and lighter hydrocarbons. By managing the catalyst, reaction conditions and sulfur content, the octane value of the product fuel is dramatically increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Phillips 66 Company
    Inventors: Edward L. Sughrue, Jianhua Yao
  • Patent number: 8673805
    Abstract: Cellulose and hemicellulose from biomass can be broken down to C6 and C5 sugars and further converted to corresponding sugar alcohols. It is now found that a new catalyst, MoS2, is active for the hydrogenation of sugar alcohols to hydrocarbons. Combining the technologies listed above allows us to convert the cellulose/hemicellulose to liquid hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Phillips 66 Company
    Inventors: Madhu Anand, Jianhua Yao, Edward L. Sughrue, II
  • Patent number: 8658020
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for converting distillate to gasoline-range hydrocarbons using a two-stage catalyst system including a first catalyst containing a Group VIII metal and a zeolite, and a second catalyst containing a Group VIII metal, tin and an inorganic oxide support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Phillips 66 Company
    Inventors: Walter E. Alvarez, Edward L. Sughrue, II, Paul F. Meier, Tushar V. Choudhary
  • Patent number: 8552230
    Abstract: Materials and processes for the conversion of carbohydrates and polyols to gasoline boiling range hydrocarbons. Carbohydrates and polyols are reacted in the presence of modified zeolite catalysts to form a reaction product containing non-aromatic and aromatic gasoline boiling range hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Phillips 66 Company
    Inventors: Jianhua Yao, Edward L. Sughrue, II, Yun Bao, Kristi Fjare, TiePan Shi
  • Publication number: 20130219778
    Abstract: The conversion of diols to mono-alcohols as fuel blendstocks. In one embodiment hydrotreating processes are described that selectively convert glycols to mono-alcohols that can be blended as biofuels. Both NiMo and CoMo catalysts are active for the reaction and reaction conditions can also impact the selectivity of mono-alcohols.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: PHILLIPS 66 COMPANY
    Inventors: Jianhua Yao, Edward L. Sughrue, II, TiePan Shi, Brian Dunn
  • Publication number: 20130172650
    Abstract: Methods and systems relate to upgrading light olefins, such as ethylene, propylene and butylenes, diluted in a gas mixture, such as refinery fuel gas. The upgrading yields products in a gasoline, distillate, lube oil or wax range without requiring purification or compression of the gas mixture prior to feeding the gas mixture to a reactor. In operation, the mixture contacts a solid oligomerization catalyst, such as silica supported chromium, within the reactor. This contact occurs at a first temperature suitable to produce oligomers that are formed of the olefins and adsorb on the catalyst in liquid or solid phases. Next, heating the catalyst to a second temperature higher the first temperature desorbs the oligomers that are recovered and separated into the products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: PHILLIPS 66 COMPANY
    Inventors: Shetian Liu, Jianhua Yao, Xiaochun Xu, Patrick W. Blosser, Joe D. Allison, Edward L. Sughrue, II