Patents by Inventor Geoffrey William Fichtl

Geoffrey William Fichtl 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: 10577291
    Abstract: A method for producing jet-range hydrocarbons includes passing a stream comprising renewable C4 olefins to an oligomerization reactor containing a zeolite catalyst to produce an oligomerized effluent, separating the oligomerized effluent to produce a jet range hydrocarbon stream and a recycle stream comprising C8 olefins, and passing at least a portion of the recycle stream to the oligomerization reactor. A first at least about 10% of the jet-range hydrocarbon stream hydrocarbons boil between n-octane and n-undecane and wherein a second at least about 10% of the jet-range hydrocarbon stream hydrocarbons boil between n-dodecane and n-pentadecane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Stanley Joseph Frey, Geoffrey William Fichtl, Paul Barger, Scott M. Roney, Steven Lee Krupa, Christopher P. Nicholas
  • Patent number: 9862655
    Abstract: Methods and systems for producing jet-range hydrocarbons are disclosed herein. In an exemplary embodiment, a method for producing jet-range hydrocarbons includes the steps of combining a first stream including C4 olefinic hydrocarbons and a second stream including C5-C8 olefinic hydrocarbons to produce a third stream including C4-C8 hydrocarbons, oligomerizing the third stream including C4-C8 olefinic hydrocarbons to produce a fourth stream including C4-C20 olefinic hydrocarbons, and separating C5-C8 hydrocarbons from the fourth stream including C4-C20 olefinic hydrocarbons to produce the second stream including C5-C8 olefinic hydrocarbons and a fifth stream including C9-C20 olefinic hydrocarbons. The method further includes the step of hydrogenating the fifth stream including C9-C20 olefinic hydrocarbons to produce a sixth stream including C9-C20 paraffinic jet-range hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Geoffrey William Fichtl, James M. Anderson, Michael J. McCall
  • Patent number: 9567541
    Abstract: A jet-range hydrocarbon product includes a mixture of paraffins. The mixture exhibits a freeze point of less than or equal to about ?70° C., a 95% distillation point of greater than or equal to about 275° C., and a smooth boiling point curve that is characterized as having no intervals of the boiling point curve having a slope that is steeper than 4° C./mass % as defined by ASTM standard D2887 between mass recovered ranges of about 20% to about 80%. The steepness of the boiling point curve slope is calculated over any 10 mass % increments within the specified mass % ranges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Stanley Joseph Frey, Geoffrey William Fichtl, Paul Barger, Scott M. Roney, Christopher P. Nicholas
  • Publication number: 20160090333
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for producing jet-range hydrocarbons from biorenewable sources, such as oligomerizing C3-C8 biorenewable olefins, for example, derived from C3-C8 alkanol products of fermentation of biomass. Production of jet-range hydrocarbons is increased by employing an additional oligomerization zone for oligomerizing naphtha separated from the effluent of a primary oligomerization zone wherein the C3-C8 biorenewable olefins were first subjected to oligomerization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: Dana K. Sullivan, Charles P. Luebke, Christopher P. Nicholas, Geoffrey William Fichtl
  • Publication number: 20160068453
    Abstract: Methods are provided for producing normal paraffins. A method includes contacting a feedstock with a deoxygenation catalyst to produce a paraffin stream, where the feedstock includes a natural oil, and where the deoxygenation catalyst is sulfided. The reactions conditions are controlled when the feedstock contacts the deoxygenation catalyst to control a C11 to C12 normal paraffin ratio, by weight to within about 0.4 to about 1.7.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventors: Geoffrey William Fichtl, Daniel Ellig
  • Publication number: 20150376089
    Abstract: Methods and systems for producing jet-range hydrocarbons are disclosed herein. In an exemplary embodiment, a method for producing jet-range hydrocarbons includes the steps of combining a first stream including C4 olefinic hydrocarbons and a second stream including C5-C8 olefinic hydrocarbons to produce a third stream including C4-C8 hydrocarbons, oligomerizing the third stream including C4-C8 olefinic hydrocarbons to produce a fourth stream including C4-C20 olefinic hydrocarbons, and separating C5-C8 hydrocarbons from the fourth stream including C4-C20 olefinic hydrocarbons to produce the second stream including C5-C8 olefinic hydrocarbons and a fifth stream including C9-C20 olefinic hydrocarbons. The method further includes the step of hydrogenating the fifth stream including C9-C20 olefinic hydrocarbons to produce a sixth stream including C9-C20 paraffinic jet-range hydrocarbons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Inventors: Geoffrey William Fichtl, James M. Anderson, Michael J. McCall
  • Publication number: 20150376081
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for producing linear alkylbenzene products from renewable oils are provided. An exemplary method includes deoxygenating the renewable oil in a deoxygenation zone to form paraffins. The method fractionates the paraffins to form first and second fractions. The method processes the first fraction of paraffins in a reforming zone to form a reformate stream and recovers a first hydrogen stream from the reforming zone. The method includes forming a LAB stream in a LAB production zone from the second fraction of paraffins and a portion of the reformate stream. Further, the method includes recovering a second hydrogen stream in the LAB production zone and recycling the first hydrogen stream from the reforming zone and the second hydrogen stream from the LAB production zone, wherein substantially all hydrogen recovered from the reforming zone and the LAB production zone is recycled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Inventors: Debarshi Majumder, Geoffrey William Fichtl
  • Publication number: 20150094506
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for producing a fuel from a renewable feedstock. The method includes deoxygenating the renewable feedstock in a deoxygenation zone to produce hydrocarbons with normal paraffins. The hydrocarbons with normal paraffins are isomerized to produce hydrocarbons with branched paraffins. The hydrocarbons with branched paraffins are fractionated to produce a naphtha at a naphtha outlet, where the naphtha is further isomerized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Geoffrey William Fichtl, Jonathan Arana, Daniel L. Ellig
  • Publication number: 20150045599
    Abstract: A method for producing jet-range hydrocarbons includes passing a stream comprising renewable C4 olefins to an oligomerization reactor containing a zeolite catalyst to produce an oligomerized effluent, separating the oligomerized effluent to produce a jet range hydrocarbon stream and a recycle stream comprising C8 olefins, and passing at least a portion of the recycle stream to the oligomerization reactor. A first at least about 10% of the jet-range hydrocarbon stream hydrocarbons boil between n-octane and n-undecane and wherein a second at least about 10% of the jet-range hydrocarbon stream hydrocarbons boil between n-dodecane and n-pentadecane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Stanley Joseph Frey, Geoffrey William Fichtl, Paul Barger, Scott M. Roney, Steven Lee Krupa, Christopher P. Nicholas
  • Publication number: 20150045593
    Abstract: A jet-range hydrocarbon product includes a mixture of paraffins. The mixture exhibits a freeze point of less than or equal to about ?70° C., a 95% distillation point of greater than or equal to about 275° C., and a smooth boiling point curve that is characterized as having no intervals of the boiling point curve having a slope that is steeper than 4° C./mass % as defined by ASTM standard D2887 between mass recovered ranges of about 20% to about 80%. The steepness of the boiling point curve slope is calculated over any 10 mass % increments within the specified mass % ranges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Stanley Joseph Frey, Geoffrey William Fichtl, Paul Barger, Scott M. Roney, Christopher P. Nicholas
  • Patent number: 8916739
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for preparing normal paraffins and hydrocarbon product streams are provided herein. A method of preparing normal paraffins includes providing an unsaturated feed that includes an unsaturated compound that has at least one alkenyl group. The unsaturated feed is epoxidized to convert the at least one alkenyl group in the unsaturated compound to an epoxide functional group, thereby converting the unsaturated compound to an epoxide compound that has at least one epoxide functional group. The at least one epoxide functional group in the epoxide compound is converted to at least one secondary hydroxyl functional group, thereby converting the epoxide compound to a hydroxyl-functional compound that has at least one hydroxyl functional group. The hydroxyl-functional compound is deoxygenated to form normal paraffins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Geoffrey William Fichtl, Daniel Ellig, Stanley Joseph Frey, Michael J. McCall, Andrea G. Bozzano
  • Publication number: 20140296590
    Abstract: Embodiments of methods and apparatuses for processing a renewable feedstock are provided herein. In one example, a method comprises dividing a H2-rich make-up stream into a first H2-rich portion and a second H2-rich portion. The second H2-rich portion has a lower mass flow rate than the first H2-rich portion. The renewable feedstock is deoxygenated in the presence of the first H2-rich portion at hydroprocessing conditions effective to form a deoxygenating reaction zone effluent that contains normal paraffins. At least a portion of the deoxygenating reaction zone effluent is isomerized in the presence of the second H2-rich portion at isomerization conditions effective to form an isomerization reaction zone effluent that contains branched paraffin. The isomerization conditions include a first hydrogen partial pressure of about 4,140 kPa gauge or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Charles P. Luebke, Daniel Ellig, Geoffrey William Fichtl
  • Publication number: 20140163278
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for preparing normal paraffins and hydrocarbon product streams are provided herein. A method of preparing normal paraffins includes providing an unsaturated feed that includes an unsaturated compound that has at least one alkenyl group. The unsaturated feed is epoxidized to convert the at least one alkenyl group in the unsaturated compound to an epoxide functional group, thereby converting the unsaturated compound to an epoxide compound that has at least one epoxide functional group. The at least one epoxide functional group in the epoxide compound is converted to at least one secondary hydroxyl functional group, thereby converting the epoxide compound to a hydroxyl-functional compound that has at least one hydroxyl functional group. The hydroxyl-functional compound is deoxygenated to form normal paraffins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Geoffrey William Fichtl, Daniel Ellig, Stanley Joseph Frey, Michael J. McCall, Andrea G. Bozzano