Patents by Inventor Hyouk Choi

Hyouk Choi 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: 11345861
    Abstract: A process for producing olefins comprising the steps of separating the liquid oil in the fractionator to produce a light oil product; separating the light oil product in the extractor to produce a paraffin fraction stream; increasing a pressure of the paraffin fraction stream in a paraffin pump to produce a pressurized paraffin stream; mixing the pressurized paraffin stream with a pressurized water feed in the water mixer to produce a paraffin-containing water stream; heating the paraffin-containing water stream in the water heater to produce a hot paraffin-water stream, wherein a temperature of the hot paraffin-water stream is greater than 450 deg C., wherein the short chain paraffins are operable to crack at the temperature of the hot paraffin-water stream; mixing the hot paraffin-water stream and the hot feedstock in the feed mixer to produce a mixed feed stream; and introducing the mixed feed stream to the supercritical unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Ki-Hyouk Choi, Abdullah Alabdulhadi, Joo-Hyeong Lee, Ali Alsomali
  • Patent number: 11319496
    Abstract: A process for blending a hydrocarbon-based composition that includes combining a first heated water stream with a first hydrocarbon-based composition comprising asphaltene to create a first combined feed stream and allowing the first heated water stream and the first hydrocarbon-based composition to interact such that the second combined feed stream comprises micelles and reverse micelles, thereby preventing asphaltene aggregation. The process further includes similarly combining a second heated water stream with a second hydrocarbon-based composition to form a second combined feed stream. The process further includes introducing the first combined feed stream and the second combined stream into a supercritical blending vessel operating at a temperature greater than a critical temperature of water and a pressure greater than a critical pressure of water, and blending the first combined feed stream and the second combined stream to form a blended hydrocarbon-based composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Mazin M. Fathi, Ki-Hyouk Choi
  • Patent number: 11306263
    Abstract: A process for upgrading a heavy oil includes passing heavy oil and disulfide oil to a thermal cracking system that includes a thermal cracking unit and a cracker effluent separation system downstream of the thermal cracking unit and thermally cracking at least a portion of the heavy oil in the presence of the disulfide oil in the thermal cracking unit to produce solid coke and a cracking effluent comprising reaction products. The reaction products include one or more liquid reaction products, one or more gaseous reaction products, or both. The presence of the disulfide oil in the thermal cracking unit promotes conversion of hydrocarbons from the heavy oil to the liquid reaction products, the gaseous reaction products, or both relative to the production of the solid coke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Ki-Hyouk Choi, Mazin M. Fathi, Maddala Venkata Bhanumurthy, Abdullah M. Salma, Faisal M. Almulla, Ali M. Alsomali, Young-Kyoung Ahn
  • Patent number: 11286434
    Abstract: A process for upgrading a heavy oil, the process comprising the steps of introducing a heavy oil feed to a partial oxidation unit; introducing a water feed to a partial oxidation unit; introducing an oxidant feed to a partial oxidation unit, where the oxidant feed comprises an oxidant; processing the heavy oil feed, the water feed, and the oxidant feed in the partial oxidation unit to produce a liquid oxidation product, where the liquid oxidation product comprises oxygenates; introducing the liquid oxidation product to a supercritical water unit; introducing a water stream to the supercritical water unit; and processing the liquid oxidation product and the water stream in the supercritical water unit to produce an upgraded product stream, the upgraded product stream comprising upgraded hydrocarbons relative to the heavy oil feed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventor: Ki-Hyouk Choi
  • Patent number: 11261098
    Abstract: Methods and systems for production of consistently-sized BEA zeolite nano-crystals incorporating at least one metal oxide, the method including removing an organic template from a BEA zeolite comprising an organic template via calcination; desilicating the BEA zeolite following the step of removing the organic template; incorporating at least one metal oxide into the structure of the BEA zeolite after the step of desilicating; protonating the BEA zeolite after the step of incorporating the at least one metal oxide; and calcining the BEA zeolite after the step of protonating to form a modified BEA zeolite product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignees: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS
    Inventors: Emad Naji Al-Shafei, Oki Muraza, Mohamed Ahmed, Ki-Hyouk Choi, Ali Al-Nasir, Zain Hassan Yamani
  • Patent number: 11248174
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure produce a method and system for deasphalting a hydrocarbon feed. The hydrocarbon feed and a first solvent is combined using a Taylor-Couette mixer to form a mixed stream. The mixed stream and a second solvent are introduced to an extractor to produce a first deasphalted oil stream and a pitch stream. The first deasphalted oil stream is introduced to a solvent recovery unit to recover the first solvent and the second solvent via a recovered solvent stream and to produce a second deasphalted oil stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Mohammad F. Aljishi, Ki-Hyouk Choi
  • Patent number: 11248180
    Abstract: An integrated upgrading process for upgrading a heavy oil, the process comprising the steps of introducing a heavy oil to a visbreaker unit; processing the heavy oil in the visbreaker unit to produce a visbreaker product stream; feeding the visbreaker product stream to a fractionator; separating the visbreaker product stream in the fractionator to produce a bottoms stream, a gas oil stream, a naphtha stream, and a gas product stream; feeding the bottoms stream to a supercritical water unit; and processing the bottoms stream in the supercritical water unit to produce an upgraded bottoms stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Ki-Hyouk Choi, Mazin M. Fathi, Mohnnad H. Alabsi, Vinod Ramaseshan
  • Patent number: 11230675
    Abstract: A method for producing alkene gases from a cracked product effluent, the method comprising the steps of introducing the cracked product effluent to a fractionator unit, separating the cracked product effluent in the fractionator to produce a cracked light stream and a cracked residue stream, wherein the cracked light stream comprises the alkene gases selected from the group consisting of ethylene, propylene, butylene, and combinations of the same, mixing the cracked residue stream and the heavy feed in the heavy mixer to produce a combined supercritical process feed, and upgrading the combined supercritical process feed in the supercritical water process to produce a supercritical water process (SWP)-treated light product and a SWP-treated heavy product, wherein the SWP-treated heavy product comprises reduced amounts of olefins and asphaltenes relative to the cracked residue stream such that the SWP-treated heavy product exhibits increased stability relative to the cracked residue stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Ki-Hyouk Choi, Mazin M. Fathi, Muneef F. Alqarzouh, Bandar K. Alotaibi
  • Publication number: 20220017829
    Abstract: A process for converting a hydrocarbon feed to olefins includes passing the hydrocarbon feed to a distillation system to separate the hydrocarbon feed to produce a light gas stream, a plurality of distillate fractions, and a residue. The process further includes passing at least one of the distillate fractions to a steam catalytic cracking system that includes at least one steam catalytic cracking reactor that is a fixed bed reactor containing a nano-zeolite cracking catalyst. The steam catalytic cracking system contacts the one or more of the plurality of distillate fractions with steam in the presence of the nano-zeolite cracking catalyst, which causes steam catalytic cracking of at least a portion of hydrocarbons in the at least one distillate fraction to produce a steam catalytic cracking effluent comprising the olefins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Applicant: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Emad Naji Al-Shafei, Mohammed Z. Al-Bahar, Ali Nader Al-Jishi, Ki-Hyouk Choi, Mohammad F. Al-Jishi, Ali S. Al-Nasir
  • Patent number: 11225612
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide a method for producing light olefins from a hydrocarbon feed. The hydrocarbon feed and a water feed are introduced to a reactor to produce an effluent stream. The reactor is operated at a temperature and pressure such that cracking reactions occur in the reactor. The reactor includes a catalyst bed including a nanoscale zeolite catalyst having a crystal size ranging between 10 nm and 300 nm. The effluent stream includes the light olefins. The effluent stream is introduced to a first separator to produce a gas phase fraction and a liquid phase fraction. The gas phase fraction includes the light olefins. The liquid phase fraction is introduced to a second separator to produce a liquid hydrocarbon stream and a spent water stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Emad Naji Al-Shafei, Mohammed Z. Al-Bahar, Ali Nader Al-Jishi, Ki-Hyouk Choi, Mohammad F. Al-Jishi, Ali S. Al-Nasir
  • Publication number: 20220002624
    Abstract: A process for blending a hydrocarbon-based composition that includes combining a first heated water stream with a first hydrocarbon-based composition comprising asphaltene to create a first combined feed stream and allowing the first heated water stream and the first hydrocarbon-based composition to interact such that the second combined feed stream comprises micelles and reverse micelles, thereby preventing asphaltene aggregation. The process further includes similarly combining a second heated water stream with a second hydrocarbon-based composition to form a second combined feed stream. The process further includes introducing the first combined feed stream and the second combined stream into a supercritical blending vessel operating at a temperature greater than a critical temperature of water and a pressure greater than a critical pressure of water, and blending the first combined feed stream and the second combined stream to form a blended hydrocarbon-based composition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Applicant: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Mazin M. Fathi, Ki-Hyouk Choi
  • Publication number: 20210395614
    Abstract: A process for producing olefins comprising the steps of separating the liquid oil in the fractionator to produce a light oil product; separating the light oil product in the extractor to produce a paraffin fraction stream; increasing a pressure of the paraffin fraction stream in a paraffin pump to produce a pressurized paraffin stream; mixing the pressurized paraffin stream with a pressurized water feed in the water mixer to produce a paraffin-containing water stream; heating the paraffin-containing water stream in the water heater to produce a hot paraffin-water stream, wherein a temperature of the hot paraffin-water stream is greater than 450 deg C, wherein the short chain paraffins are operable to crack at the temperature of the hot paraffin-water stream; mixing the hot paraffin-water stream and the hot feedstock in the feed mixer to produce a mixed feed stream; and introducing the mixed feed stream to the supercritical unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Applicant: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Ki-Hyouk Choi, Abdullah Alabdulhadi, Joo-Hyeong Lee, Ali Alsomali
  • Publication number: 20210395164
    Abstract: A process to produce aromatic compounds in a heavy oil product stream comprising the steps of separating the depressurized effluent to produce a vapor product stream and a liquid product stream, reducing a temperature of the vapor product stream to produce a cooled vapor product, separating the cooled vapor product to produce a light oil stream, wherein the light oil stream comprises olefins, separating the light oil stream to produce a light oil slip stream and a light stream, mixing the light stream with a water feed stream to produce an olefin-containing water stream, increasing a pressure of the olefin-containing water stream to produce a pressurized water feed, increasing a temperature of the pressurized water feed to produce a hot water feed, wherein a temperature of the hot water feed is greater than 450° C., converting olefins to aromatic compounds in the hot water feed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Applicant: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Ki-Hyouk Choi, Ali Al-Nasir, Emad Shafei
  • Publication number: 20210388274
    Abstract: A process for forming a petroleum product includes introducing a feed stream of a petroleum feedstock to a supercritical water reactor. The feed stream is reacted with supercritical water in the supercritical water reactor, thereby forming a supercritical water reactor effluent. The supercritical water reactor effluent is introduced to a separator to separate the supercritical water reactor effluent into a light stream and a heavy stream. At least a portion of the light stream is introduced to a reformer to concentrate aromatics in the at least a portion of the light stream, thereby forming a reformer effluent. The reformer effluent is mixed with the heavy stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Applicant: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Ki-Hyouk Choi, Mazin M. Fathi
  • Publication number: 20210363438
    Abstract: An integrated process for conversion of a hydrocarbon stream comprising light naphtha to enhanced value products. The process includes passing the hydrocarbon stream through a first reactor, the first reactor being a catalytic bed reactor with a dual-function catalyst to simultaneously reform light naphtha to BTEX and crack light naphtha to ethane, propane, and butanes. Further, the process includes passing an effluent of the first reactor to a gas-liquid separating unit to generate a liquid stream and a gas stream, and passing the gas stream to a gas separator unit to remove hydrogen gas and methane and generate an enhanced gas stream. The process further includes passing the enhanced gas stream through a second reactor, the second reactor being a pyrolysis unit operated at steam cracking conditions to convert ethane, propane, and butanes in the enhanced gas stream to light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Applicant: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Emad Naji Al-Shafei, Mohammed Z. Al-Bahar, Manal Al-Eid, Lianhui Ding, Ali Nader Al-Jishi, Ki-Hyouk Choi
  • Publication number: 20210363428
    Abstract: A process to produce pitch, the process comprising the steps of introducing a depressurized effluent to a flash column; separating the depressurized effluent in the flash column to produce a liquid product; introducing the liquid product to a dweller; operating the dweller at a temperature between 350° C. and 500° C., a pressure between 0.1 psig and 10 psig, and a residence time between 30 minutes and 4 hours to produce a pitch stream and a reaction gas stream, wherein the dweller is a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR), wherein dehydrogenative polymerization reactions occur in the dweller to produce pitch, wherein the inert gas stream is operable to remove volatile components from the liquid product; removing a pitch stream from the dweller, wherein the pitch stream comprises the pitch; and removing a reaction gas stream, wherein the reaction gas stream comprises the volatile components and nitrogen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Applicant: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Ki-Hyouk Choi, Ali Alnasir
  • Publication number: 20210363433
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide an aqueous reforming system and a method for upgrading heavy hydrocarbons. A hydrocarbon feed and a surfactant stream are combined to produce a first precursor stream. The first precursor stream and an alkali feed are combined to produce a second precursor stream. The second precursor stream and a transition metal feed are combined to produce a catalytic emulsion stream. The catalytic emulsion stream is heated to produce a catalytic suspension and a decomposition gas, where the decomposition gas is separated by a first separator. The catalytic suspension is combined with a preheated water stream to produce an aqueous reformer feed. The aqueous reformer feed is introduced to an aqueous reformer such that the heavy hydrocarbons undergo conversion reactions to produce an effluent stream. The effluent stream is introduced to a second separator to produce a heavy stream and a light stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2021
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Applicant: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Mazin M. FATHI, Ki-Hyouk CHOI, Mohammed R. ALDOSSARY
  • Patent number: 11162035
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide a method and system for upgrading heavy hydrocarbons. A heavy hydrocarbon feed and a non-saline water feed are introduced to a first stage reactor. The first stage reactor is operated under supercritical water conditions to produce an effluent stream. The effluent stream and a saline water feed are combined to produce a mixed stream, where the saline water feed includes an alkali or alkaline earth metal compound. The mixed stream is introduced to a second stage reactor. The second stage reactor is operated under supercritical water conditions to produce a product stream including upgrading hydrocarbons. The second stage reactor is operated at a temperature less than that of the first stage reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Ki-Hyouk Choi, Faisal M. Almulla
  • Patent number: 11149219
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide a visbreaking system and method for upgrading heavy hydrocarbons. A heavy hydrocarbon feed is introduced to a furnace to produce a soaker feed stream. The soaker feed stream is introduced to a soaker to produce a soaker effluent stream. The soaker effluent stream is introduced to a fractionator to produce a visbreaker distillate stream and a visbreaker residue stream. The visbreaker residue stream and a water feed are introduced to a supercritical water reactor operated at supercritical conditions of water to produce an effluent stream. The effluent stream is introduced to a flash column to produce a gas phase stream including water and a liquid phase stream including water. A portion of the liquid phase stream and the heavy hydrocarbon feed is combined. Optionally, a portion of the gas phase stream and the heavy hydrocarbon feed is combined. Optionally, a portion of the gas phase stream is introduced to the fractionator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Ki-Hyouk Choi, Mohnnad H. Alabsi, Muneef F. Alqarzouh, Rakan S. Mubayedh, Sung Ho Choi
  • Patent number: 11149215
    Abstract: A process to produce a light hydrocarbon fraction from a heavy residue feed, the process comprising the steps of operating the first supercritical reactor such that the heavy residue feed and the supercritical water stream undergo conversion reactions to produce a reactor effluent, introducing the reactor effluent to a top inlet in a top portion of a second supercritical reactor, introducing a supercritical water stream to a bottom inlet in a bottom portion of the second supercritical reactor, operating the second supercritical reactor such that the bottom of the barrel fraction is configured to settle in the bottom portion of the second supercritical reactor, withdrawing an upgraded product stream from a top outlet in the top portion of the second supercritical reactor, and withdrawing a heavy product stream from a bottom outlet in the bottom portion of the second supercritical reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Ki-Hyouk Choi, Bader Alotaibi, Mohammad Garhoush