Patents by Inventor J. Mark Houdek

J. Mark Houdek 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).

  • MEMBRANE PROCESS FOR OLEFIN SEPARATION
    Publication number: 20200001242
    Abstract: A process is provided to separate a hydrocarbon stream comprising a mixture of light olefins and light paraffins, the process comprising sending the hydrocarbon stream through a pretreatment unit to remove impurities selected from the group consisting of sulfur compounds, arsine, phosphine, methyl acetylene, propadiene, and acetylene to produce a treated hydrocarbon stream; vaporizing the treated hydrocarbon stream to produce a gaseous treated hydrocarbon stream; adding liquid or vapor water to the gaseous treated hydrocarbon stream; then contacting the gaseous treated hydrocarbon stream to a membrane in a membrane system comprising one or more membrane units to produce a permeate stream comprising about 96 to 99.9 wt % light olefins and a retentate stream comprising light paraffins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Stanley J. Frey, J. Mark Houdek, Chunqing Liu, Trung Pham
  • Membrane process for olefin separation
    Patent number: 10507435
    Abstract: A process is provided to separate a hydrocarbon stream comprising a mixture of light olefins and light paraffins, the process comprising sending the hydrocarbon stream through a pretreatment unit to remove impurities selected from the group consisting of sulfur compounds, arsine, phosphine, methyl acetylene, propadiene, and acetylene to produce a treated hydrocarbon stream; vaporizing the treated hydrocarbon stream to produce a gaseous treated hydrocarbon stream; adding liquid or vapor water to the gaseous treated hydrocarbon stream; then contacting the gaseous treated hydrocarbon stream to a membrane in a membrane system comprising one or more membrane units to produce a permeate stream comprising about 96 to 99.9 wt % light olefins and a retentate stream comprising light paraffins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Inventors: Stanley J. Frey, J. Mark Houdek, Chunqing Liu, Trung Pham
  • Stripping apparatus and process
    Patent number: 7332132
    Abstract: An apparatus and process for stripping gases from solids comprises a structured packing in a stripping section of a vessel. The structured packing comprises a plurality of corrugated ribbons with each corrugated ribbon having at least two faces angular to each other. The ribbons at least partially obstruct passage of the solid particles. Edges of adjacent ribbons defining openings for the passage of contacted particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Brian W. Hedrick, Zhanping Xu, Paolo Palmas, Mitchell J. Kowalczyk, Matthew J. Westby, Weikai Gu, J. Mark Houdek, Daniel R. Monkelbaan