Patents by Inventor Ian G. Horn

Ian G. Horn 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: 20170349508
    Abstract: Processes and apparatuses for producing a C8 aromatic isomer product are provided. The process comprises introducing a reformate stream comprising aromatic hydrocarbons to a reformate splitter column to provide a plurality of streams. One or more streams comprising at least one stream from the plurality of streams is passed to a reformate upgrading unit to obtain an upgraded reformate stream. The upgraded reformate stream is passed to an aromatics stripper column to provide an aromatics stripper sidedraw stream comprising C8 aromatic hydrocarbons. The aromatics stripper sidedraw stream is passed to a xylene separation unit to provide the C8 aromatic isomer product and a raffinate product stream. At least a portion of the raffinate product stream is processed in a liquid phase isomerization unit to obtain an isomerized stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Inventors: Joseph A. Montalbano, Patrick C. Whitchurch, Gregory R. Werba, Ian G. Horn
  • Publication number: 20170323038
    Abstract: A cleansing system for improving operation of a petrochemical plant or refinery. The petrochemical plant or refinery may include a fractionation column, a condenser, and a pump. Equipment, such as condensers, receivers, reboilers, feed exchangerss, and pumps may be divided into subsections. Temperatures, pressures, flows, and other plant operations may be used for optimizing plant performance. A cleansing unit performs an enhanced cleansing process, which may allow early detection and diagnosis of the plant operating conditions based on one or more environmental factors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2017
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Inventors: Ian G. Horn, Christophe Romatier, Paul Kowalczyk, Zak Alzein
  • Publication number: 20170315543
    Abstract: A chemical plant or refinery may include process equipment, such as, for example, pumps, compressors, heat exchangers, fired heaters, control valves, fractionation columns, and reactors. Performance monitoring equipment may monitor the process equipment for one or more factors, such as temperature, pressure, feed flow, product flow, density, and specific composition. Monitoring to detect and diagnose operational errors or inefficiencies may allow for optimizing product output from a refinery or petrochemical facility.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventors: Ian G. Horn, Christophe Romatier, Paul Kowalczyk, Zak Alzein
  • Publication number: 20160292188
    Abstract: A cleansing system for improving operation of a plant. A server is coupled to the cleansing system via a network. A computer system has a web-based platform for receiving and sending plant data related to the plant operation over the network. A display device interactively displays the plant data. A data cleansing unit performs an enhanced data cleansing process for allowing an early detection and diagnosis of the plant operation based on at least one environmental factor, and calculates and evaluates an offset amount representing a difference between feed and product information for detecting an error of equipment during the plant operation based on the plant data. A feed estimation unit estimates a feed composition associated with the equipment based on the calculated offset amount, and evaluates the calculated offset amount based on the at least one environmental factor for detecting the error.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventors: Ian G. Horn, Christophe Romatier, Paul Kowalczyk, Zak Alzein
  • Publication number: 20160291584
    Abstract: A tuning system for improving operation of a plant. A server is coupled to the tuning system for communicating with the plant via a communication network. A computer system has a web-based platform for receiving and sending plant data related to the operation of the plant over the network. A display device interactively displays the plant data. A reconciliation unit is configured for reconciling actual measured data from the plant in comparison with a performance process model result from a simulation engine based on a set of predetermined reference or set points. The reconciliation unit performs a heuristic analysis against the actual measured data and the performance process model result using a set of predetermined threshold values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventors: Ian G. Horn, Christophe Romatier, Paul Kowalczyk, Zak Alzein
  • Publication number: 20160292325
    Abstract: A cleansing system for improving operation of a plant. A server is coupled to the cleansing system for communicating with the plant via a communication network. A computer system has a web-based platform for receiving and sending plant data related to the operation of the plant over the network. A display device interactively displays the plant data. A data cleansing unit is configured for performing an enhanced data cleansing process for allowing an early detection and diagnosis of the operation of the plant based on at least one environmental factor. The data cleansing unit calculates and evaluates an offset amount representing a difference between a measurement and a simulation for detecting an error of measurement during the operation of the plant based on the plant data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventors: Ian G. Horn, Christophe Romatier, Paul Kowalczyk, Zak Alzein
  • Publication number: 20160260041
    Abstract: A management system for improving operation of a plant. A server is coupled to the management system for communicating with the plant via a communication network. A computer system has a web-based platform for receiving and sending plant data related to the operation of the plant over the network. A display device interactively displays the plant data. An optimization unit is configured for optimizing at least a portion of a refining or petrochemical process of the plant by acquiring the plant data from the plant on a recurring basis, analyzing the plant data for completeness, correcting the plant data for an error. The optimization unit corrects the plant data for a measurement issue and an overall mass balance closure, and generates a set of reconciled plant data based on the corrected plant data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Inventors: Ian G. Horn, Christophe Romatier, Paul Kowalczyk, Zak Alzein
  • Publication number: 20160168056
    Abstract: Processes for the recovery of aromatic hydrocarbons from one or more vent gas streams associated with an aromatic complex. The vapor streams are passed to an absorption zone in which an aromatic-selective solvent absorbs the aromatics. The aromatic-selective solvent can be processed along with other solvent extraction streams within the aromatic complex. The absorption zone may be a portion of an existing vessel or column, such as an extractive distillation column or a stabilizer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventors: Ian G. Horn, Jason T. Corradi, Lawrence E. Sullivan
  • Patent number: 9328040
    Abstract: A process for separating xylene from a feedstock in which the feedstock is separated into a xylene stream, a benzene rich stream and a light ends stream. Two separation zones may be utilized in which liquid from both is sent to a stabilization zone and the vapor from the stabilization zone is combined with a stream prior to the stream entering the second separation zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Jason T. Corradi, Ian G. Horn, Gregory R. Werba
  • Publication number: 20150246858
    Abstract: A process for separating xylene from a feedstock in which the feedstock is separated into a xylene stream, a benzene rich stream and a light ends stream. Two separation zones may be utilized in which liquid from both is sent to a stabilization zone and the vapor from the stabilization zone is combined with a stream prior to the stream entering the second separation zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2014
    Publication date: September 3, 2015
    Applicant: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Jason T. Corradi, Ian G. Horn, Gregory R. Werba
  • Patent number: 9090523
    Abstract: A process for flushing the rounded top head and rounded bottom head of a vessel used in an adsorption process in which the rounded top head and the rounded bottom head of the vessel are flushed with a flush fluid. The extract stream from the adsorption process is split into a desorbent rich stream and desorbent lean steam. The flushing fluid is a fraction separated from a desorbent lean split of the extract stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Ian G. Horn, Jason T. Corradi, Gregory R. Werba, Partick Whitchurch