Patents by Inventor Fabrice Lecomte

Fabrice Lecomte 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: 20050229784
    Abstract: The raw natural gas is deacidized and dehydrated in units DA and DH. The treated gas is then purified by adsorption of the mercaptans in first enclosure A1. Part of the purified gas is heated in E1, then fed into second enclosure A2 so as to discharge the water adsorbed by the adsorbent material contained in this second enclosure. A water-laden purge gas is fed into third enclosure A3 containing a mercaptan-laden adsorbent material. In A3, the mercaptans are desorbed and replaced by the water. The gas from the third enclosure is washed in unit L, then recycled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Publication date: October 20, 2005
    Inventors: Michel Thomas, Eszter Toth, Fabrice Lecomte, Geraldine Laborie, Chantal Rigaill
  • Publication number: 20050205468
    Abstract: The natural gas arriving through pipe 1 is deacidified by being brought into contact with a solvent in column C2. The solvent charged with acid compounds is regenerated in zone R. The purified gas evacuated by pipe 9 includes some of the solvent. The method enables the solvent contained in the purified gas to be extracted. In zone ZA, the purified gas is brought into contact with a non-aqueous ionic liquid whose general formula is Q+ A?, where Q+ designates an ammonium, phosphonium, and/or sulfonium cation, and A? designates an anion able to form a liquid salt. The solvent-impoverished purified gas is evacuated through pipe 17. The ionic liquid charged with solvent is regenerated by heating in an evaporator DE. The solvents separated from the ionic liquid in evaporator DE are recycled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2005
    Publication date: September 22, 2005
    Inventors: Renaud Cadours, Fabrice Lecomte, Lionel Magna, Cecile Barrere-Tricca
  • Publication number: 20050187421
    Abstract: The method enables the antihydrate compounds contained in a condensed-hydrocarbon liquid feedstock arriving through pipe 1 to be extracted. The liquid feedstock is brought into contact, in zone ZA, with a non-aqueous ionic liquid having the general formula Q+ A31 , where Q+ designates an ammonium, phosphonium, and/or sulfonium cation, and A31 designates an anion able to form a liquid salt. The antihydrate compounds in the liquid hydrocarbon feedstock evacuated through pipe 2 are eliminated. The ionic liquid charged with antihydrate compounds is evacuated through pipe 3, then introduced into evaporator DE to be heated in order to evaporate the antihydrate compounds. The regenerated ionic liquid is recycled through pipes 8 and 9 to zone ZA. The antihydrates are evacuated through pipe 7a.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2005
    Publication date: August 25, 2005
    Inventors: Renaud Cadours, Fabrice Lecomte, Lionel Magna, Cecile Barrere-Tricca
  • Publication number: 20050183337
    Abstract: The natural gas arriving through pipe 1 is deacidified by being brought into contact with a solvent in zone C. The solvent charged with acid compounds is regenerated in zone R. The acid gases, released into pipe 5 upon regeneration, include a quantity of solvent. The method enables the solvent contained in the acid gases to be extracted. In zone ZA, the acid gases are brought into contact with a non-aqueous ionic liquid whose general formula is Q+ A?, where Q+ designates an ammonium, phosphonium, and/or sulfonium cation, and A? designates an anion able to form a liquid salt. The solvent is removed from the acid gases evacuated through pipe 6. The ionic liquid charged with solvent is regenerated by heating in an evaporator DE. The ionic liquid regenerated is recycled through pipes 8 and 9 to zone ZA. The solvent is evacuated through pipe 13.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2005
    Publication date: August 25, 2005
    Inventors: Renaud Cadours, Fabrice Lecomte, Lionel Magna, Cecile Barrere-Tricca
  • Publication number: 20050109206
    Abstract: The raw natural gas is pretreated in treating unit 30. The treated gas is then purified by adsorption of the mercaptans in first enclosure 31. The various cuts that make up the purified gas are separated in fractionating unit 34. Part of the methane making up the purified gas is saturated with a C5+ hydrocarbon in contactor 33, then it is fed into second enclosure 32 so as to regenerate the adsorbent material contained in this second enclosure. The gas from the second enclosure is washed in unit 35, then recycled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2004
    Publication date: May 26, 2005
    Inventors: Michel Thomas, Eszter Toth, Fabrice Lecomte, Geraldine Laborie, Chantal Rigaill
  • Publication number: 20050098036
    Abstract: The gas to be processed, flowing in through line 10, contains impurities. This gas is contacted in column C1 with a solvent flowing in through line 18. The scrubbed gas is discharged through line 19. The impurity-laden solvent recovered through line 12 is regenerated by expansion, then by distillation in column C2. The invention proposes carrying out expansion by means of two-phase turbines T1 and T2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2004
    Publication date: May 12, 2005
    Inventors: Renaud Cadours, Yves Charron, Fabrice Lecomte
  • Publication number: 20050072663
    Abstract: Method of regenerating a glycol solution containing water, hydrocarbons and salts. The glycol solution is expanded in drum (2), then distilled in column (7). The concentrated glycol collected at the level of reboiler (8) is placed under vacuum to vaporize the water and to precipitate the salts. The salts are separated from the glycol in separation device (13). The concentrated glycol freed of the salts is stored in capacity (16).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2003
    Publication date: April 7, 2005
    Inventors: Geraldine Laborie, Fabrice Lecomte, Chantal Rigaill, Lionel Waintraub
  • Patent number: 6872368
    Abstract: A method for processing a gas containing at least hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and at least sulfur dioxide (SO2), includes the steps of contacting the gas with a liquid solvent containing at least one catalyst in a contacting stage, recovering gaseous effluent substantially containing no hydrogen sulfide and no sulfur dioxide from the contacting stage, and separating liquid sulfur from liquid solvent in a decantation zone downstream of the contacting stage. In order to remove by-products resulting from degradation of the catalyst, a liquid fraction F containing at least solvent, catalyst, sulfur and the solid by-products resulting from degradation of the catalyst is extracted from after the contacting stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Fabrice Lecomte, Christian Streicher, Cécile Barrere-Tricca
  • Patent number: 6872367
    Abstract: A method for processing a gas containing at least hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and at least sulfur dioxide (SO2), includes the following stages: contacting the gas with a liquid solvent containing at least one catalyst in a contacting stage, recovering a gaseous effluent substantially containing no hydrogen sulfide and no sulfur dioxide, and a mixture containing liquid sulfur, liquid solvent and solid by-products resulting from the degradation of the catalyst, separating the liquid sulfur from the liquid solvent in a decantation zone, extracting a liquid fraction F containing at least the solid by-products from a layer between the liquid solvent and the liquid sulfur in the decantation zone, sending the liquid fraction F to a processing stage distinct from the contacting stage, and recovering at least a stream F1 comprising most of the solid by-products and a stream F2 mostly comprising solvent nearly free of the solid by-products from the processing stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Fabrice Lecomte, Christian Streicher, Daniel Benayoun, Cécile Barrere-Tricca
  • Patent number: 6793714
    Abstract: In a process for dehydration/fractionation of a wet natural gas containing heavy constituents and light constituents, In the presence of methanol, aqueous liquid phases are combined and the resultant combined aqueous liquid phase contacted with the first part of the gas to be scrubbed, which carries along the major part of the methanol, which allows to collect practically pure water. Before this step, all or part of one or both of the aqueous liquid phases and/or all or part of the aqueous liquid phase from a washing zone is sent to a distillation stage where practically pure methanol is collected at the top and a methanol-depleted aqueous liquid phase is collected at the bottom prior to being sent back to the first stage or used for the washing stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Fabrice Lecomte, Béatrice Fischer, Jean-Charles Viltard
  • Patent number: 6767388
    Abstract: Process for dehydrating/fractionating a low-pressure wet natural gas containing “heavy” constituents and “light” constituents includes a stage a) in which at least a fraction of the wet gas at temperature T0 is contacted with an aqueous liquid phase L'1 containing methanol, the gas carrying along substantially all of the methanol contained in phase L'1. In a stage b), the gas from stage (a) is cooled to a temperature T1 lower than temperature T0, producing a gas phase G1 at equilibrium with a hydrocarbon-containing liquid phase L1 containing C3+ and an aqueous liquid phase L'1 containing methanol. In stage c), phase L'1 is sent to stage (a), and in stage d), said phase G1 is fractionated by distillation carried out by continuous thermal exchange with a cooling fluid, so as to extract the “light” constituents (gas phase G2) and the “heavy” constituents (condensed phase L2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Fabrice Lecomte, Béatrice Fischer, Jean-Charles Viltard
  • Publication number: 20040115109
    Abstract: The natural gas is deacidized by contacting in zone 3 with a solvent containing amine in aqueous solution. The gas is then dehydrated by contacting in zone 4 with a solvent very rich in amine. After the contacting operations, the solvent containing H2S. and water is expanded in drum 9, then regenerated in column 11. Part of the regenerated solvent is sent to zone 3. Another part of the regenerated solvent is vacuum distilled in column 18 so as to produce an amine-rich solvent that is sent to zone 4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2003
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Inventors: Ari Minkkinen, Alexandre Rojey, Fabrice Lecomte
  • Publication number: 20040107728
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for treating a natural gas, saturated or not with water, containing essentially hydrocarbons, a substantial amount of hydrogen sulfide and possibly carbon dioxide. The method of the invention comprises a condensation stage intended to condense a major part of the water, a distillation stage wherein a gaseous effluent depleted in hydrogen sulfide and substantially free of water is recovered, and a contacting stage wherein the gaseous effluent from the previous stage is contacted with a solvent so as to obtain a treated gas substantially free of hydrogen sulfide and possibly of carbon dioxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2003
    Publication date: June 10, 2004
    Inventors: Eric Lemaire, Fabrice Lecomte
  • Patent number: 6735979
    Abstract: A process for pretreating a very acid natural gas containing a substantial amount of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), possibly combined with carbon dioxide (CO2), includes at least a stage wherein the initial natural gas is contacted in a distillation column with a liquid condensate itself resulting from cooling of the gaseous fraction obtained during the contacting stage. This solution allows to eventually recover at a lower cost a gas enriched in methane, depleted in hydrogen sulfide and freed from substantially all of the water it contains, and a liquid phase containing most of the hydrogen sulfide, substantially all of the water and depleted in hydrocarbon. Control of the thermodynamic conditions during the stages that characterize the process, according to the water content of the gas during treatment, allows progressive exhaustion of the water contained in the gas while preventing hydrates formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Fabrice Lecomte, Eric Lemaire, Jean-Charles Viltard
  • Publication number: 20040065199
    Abstract: The natural gas is successively contacted in column CA with a relatively methanol-rich solvent flowing in through line 4, then with a relatively poor solvent flowing in through line 9. The acid gas-containing solvent recovered through line 3 at the bottom of column CA is expanded through valves V1 and V2 to release acid gases through line 6. A fraction of the expanded solvent is distilled in column CR. The regenerated solvent obtained at the bottom of column CR is sent to the top of column CA through line 9. A second fraction of the expanded solvent is mixed with a solvent drawn off from column CR at an intermediate point between the bottom and the top of this column. This mixture of solvents is sent through line 4 into column CA.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2003
    Publication date: April 8, 2004
    Inventors: Alexandre Rojey, Fabrice Lecomte, Eric Lemaire
  • Patent number: 6711914
    Abstract: Process for pretreating a natural gas under pressure containing hydrocarbons, acid compounds such as hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide, and water. The natural gas is cooled to condense part of the water. The partially dehydrated natural gas is then contacted with a liquid stream consisting of a majority of hydrogen in two successive contact zones so as to obtain a natural gas containing substantially no water any more. Finally, this dehydrated natural gas is cooled to condense and separate the acid compounds, this cooling stage being carried out by means of a heat exchanger, an expander or a venturi neck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventor: Fabrice Lecomte
  • Patent number: 6705766
    Abstract: An optical connector comprising a housing and a channel in this housing to receive an optical cable therein is preferably mounted in an optical contact having several parts, including a front part constituted by a connection ferrule and a sleeve used to prevent the rotation of the optical fiber inside the channel. The retention of the optical contact inside the channel is provided by a catch which has, for example, a bayonet mounted around the optical fiber that co-operates with a recess of an inner wall of the channel. A spring is positioned around the optical fiber to hold the bayonet in a return of the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: FCI
    Inventors: Fabrice Lecomte, Jean-Max Badeau, Patrick Pignot
  • Patent number: 6679975
    Abstract: The present invention aims to isolate the azeotropes formed in a distillation column (B1) by methanol, propane and butane. The azeotropes are then liquefied in heat exchanger (E2) and mixed in contactor (M1) with water in order to dissolve the methanol in water. The mixture is then fed into a decantation tank (D2) to separate the aqueous phase from the liquid hydrocarbon phase. Finally, an aqueous phase containing methanol is discharged and the methanol-depleted hydrocarbon phase is recycled to distillation column (B1) as reflux.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Géraldine Laborie, Fabrice Lecomte, Annick Pucci
  • Patent number: 6666908
    Abstract: Within the scope of a process using two absorption sections for treating a natural gas containing CO2 and/or H2S, as well as mercaptans, COS and/or CS2, the present invention aims to wash the gaseous hydrocarbons desorbed upon expansion of the solvent from the first absorption section with the solvent from the second absorption section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Renaud Cadours, Fabrice Lecomte, Pascal Mougin
  • Patent number: 6627108
    Abstract: A desulphurizing composition for the treatment of CLAUS plant tail gases, comprises: an organic solvent A with a boiling point of more than 200° C. at atmospheric pressure; a catalyst composition B of at least one alkali- or alkaline-earth salt (S) of an organic monoacid or an organic polyacid which has at least one dissociation constant value (pK) in the range 2.2 to 8 such as formic acid, acetic acid, ascorbic acid, fumaric acid, maleic acid, malonic acid, oxalic acid, tartaric acid, benzoic acid, salicyclic acid, and sulphosalicyclic acid; at least one complexing agent (C) such as an alkali or alkaline-earth salt or a ferrous or ferric salt of a mono- or poly-aminocarboxylic acid, citric acid, a sulphocyanide ion, a ferrocyanide ion, a ferricyanide ion, a phosphate ion, a pyrophosphate ion, a fluoride ion and/or a thiosulphate ion; and water (W), in the following proportions by weight: S=0.1% to 30%; C=0.001% to 30%; W=balance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Claude Dezael, Fabrice Lecomte