Patents by Inventor H. Gary Winningham

H. Gary Winningham 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).

  • Process for producing a pressurized liquefied gas product by cooling and expansion of a gas stream in the supercritical state
    Patent number: 6751985
    Abstract: This invention is a method and apparatus for production of pressurized liquefied gas. First, a gas stream is cooled and expanded to liquefy the gas stream. The liquefied gas stream is then withdrawn as pressurized gas product and a portion is recycled through the heat exchanger to provide at least part of the cooling and is returned to the stream. Recycling the pressurized liquefied gas product helps keep the cooling and compression of the gas stream in the supercritcal region of the phase diagram. J-T valves in parallel with the expander permits running the system until the stream is in the supercritical region of its phase diagram and the hydraulic expander can operate. This process is suitable for natural gas streams containing methane to form a pressurized liquefied natural gas (PLNG) product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: E. Lawrence Kimble, Ronald R. Bowen, Moses Minta, H. Gary Winningham
  • Process for producing a pressurized liquefied gas product by cooling and expansion of a gas stream in the supercritical state
    Publication number: 20030177785
    Abstract: This invention is a method and apparatus for production of pressurized liquefied gas. First, a gas stream is cooled and expanded to liquefy the gas stream. The liquefied gas stream is then withdrawn as pressurized gas product and a portion is recycled through the heat exchanger to provide at least part of the cooling and is returned to the stream. Recycling the pressurized liquefied gas product helps keep the cooling and compression of the gas stream in the supercritcal region of the phase diagram. J-T valves in parallel with the expander permits running the system until the stream is in the supercritical region of its phase diagram and the hydraulic expander can operate. This process is suitable for natural gas streams containing methane to form a pressurized liquefied natural gas (PLNG) product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2003
    Publication date: September 25, 2003
    Inventors: E. Lawrence Kimble, Ronald R. Bowen, Moses Minta, H. Gary Winningham