Patents by Inventor James F. McGehee

James F. McGehee 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: 20120230893
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for converting heavy hydrocarbon feed into lighter hydrocarbon products. The heavy hydrocarbon feed is slurried with a particulate solid material to form a heavy hydrocarbon slurry and hydrocracked in a slurry hydrocracking unit to produce vacuum gas oil (VGO) and pitch. A first vacuum column separates VGO from pitch, and a second vacuum column further separates VGO from pitch. As much as 15 wt-% of VGO can be recovered by the second vacuum column and recycled to the slurry hydrocracking unit. A pitch composition is obtained which can be made into particles and transported without stickin together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: UOP LLC
    Inventors: James F. McGehee, David N. Myers, Mark Van Wees, Paul R. Zimmerman, Ruth Buskus Kleinworth
  • Patent number: 8231775
    Abstract: A process and apparatus is disclosed for converting heavy hydrocarbon feed into lighter hydrocarbon products. The heavy hydrocarbon feed is slurried with a particulate solid material to form a heavy hydrocarbon slurry and hydrocracked in a slurry hydrocracking unit to produce vacuum gas oil (VGO) and pitch. A first vacuum column separates VGO from pitch, and a second vacuum column further separates VGO from pitch. As much as 15 wt-% of VGO can be recovered by the second vacuum column and recycled to the slurry hydrocracking unit. A pitch composition is obtained which can be made into particles and transported without sticking together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: James F. McGehee, Ronald S. Smyczynski
  • Patent number: 8202480
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for converting heavy hydrocarbon feed into lighter hydrocarbon products. The heavy hydrocarbon feed is slurried with a particulate solid material to form a heavy hydrocarbon slurry and hydrocracked in a slurry hydrocracking unit to produce vacuum gas oil (VGO) and pitch. A first vacuum column separates VGO from pitch, and a second vacuum column further separates VGO from pitch. As much as 15 wt-% of VGO can be recovered by the second vacuum column and recycled to the slurry hydrocracking unit. A pitch composition is obtained which can be made into particles and transported without sticking together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: James F. McGehee, David N. Myers, Mark Van Wees, Paul R. Zimmerman, Ruth Buskus Kleinworth
  • Patent number: 8193401
    Abstract: Slurry hydrocracking a heavy hydrocarbon feed produces a HVGO stream and a pitch stream. At least a portion of the pitch stream is subjected to SDA to prepare a DAO stream low in metals. The DAO is blended with at least a portion of the HVGO stream to provide turbine or marine fuel with acceptable properties for combustion in gas turbines or for marine fuel grades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: James F. McGehee, Lorenz J. Bauer
  • Patent number: 8133446
    Abstract: Slurry hydrocracking a heavy hydrocarbon feed produces a HVGO stream and a pitch stream. At least a portion of the pitch stream is subjected to SDA to prepare a DAO stream low in metals. The DAO is blended with at least a portion of the HVGO stream to provide turbine or marine fuel with acceptable properties for combustion in gas turbines or for marine fuel grades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: James F. McGehee, Lorenz J. Bauer
  • Publication number: 20110139676
    Abstract: Slurry hydrocracking a heavy hydrocarbon feed produces a HVGO stream and a pitch stream. At least a portion of the pitch stream is subjected to SDA to prepare a DAO stream low in metals. The DAO is blended with at least a portion of the HVGO stream to provide turbine or marine fuel with acceptable properties for combustion in gas turbines or for marine fuel grades.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: UOP LLC
    Inventors: James F. McGehee, Lorenz J. Bauer
  • Publication number: 20110142729
    Abstract: Slurry hydrocracking a heavy hydrocarbon feed produces a HVGO stream and a pitch stream. At least a portion of the pitch stream is subjected to SDA to prepare a DAO stream low in metals. The DAO is blended with at least a portion of the HVGO stream to provide turbine or marine fuel with acceptable properties for combustion in gas turbines or for marine fuel grades.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: UOP LLC
    Inventors: James F. McGehee, Lorenz J. Bauer
  • Publication number: 20110139681
    Abstract: Slurry hydrocracking a heavy hydrocarbon feed produces a HVGO stream and a pitch stream. At least a portion of the pitch stream is subjected to SDA to prepare a DAO stream low in metals. The DAO is blended with at least a portion of the HVGO stream to provide turbine or marine fuel with acceptable properties for combustion in gas turbines or for marine fuel grades.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: UOP LLC
    Inventors: James F. McGehee, Lorenz J. Bauer
  • Publication number: 20100326887
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for converting heavy hydrocarbon feed into lighter hydrocarbon products. The heavy hydrocarbon feed is slurried with a particulate solid material to form a heavy hydrocarbon slurry and hydrocracked in a slurry hydrocracking unit to produce vacuum gas oil (VGO) and pitch. A first vacuum column separates VGO from pitch, and a second vacuum column further separates VGO from pitch. As much as 15 wt-% of VGO can be recovered by the second vacuum column and recycled to the slurry hydrocracking unit. A pitch composition is obtained which can be made into particles and transported without sticking together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Inventors: James F McGehee, David N. Myers, Mark Van Wees, Paul R. Zimmerman, Ruth Buskus Kleinworth
  • Publication number: 20100326882
    Abstract: A process and apparatus is disclosed for converting heavy hydrocarbon feed into lighter hydrocarbon products. The heavy hydrocarbon feed is slurried with a particulate solid material to form a heavy hydrocarbon slurry and hydrocracked in a slurry hydrocracking unit to produce vacuum gas oil (VGO) and pitch. A first vacuum column separates VGO from pitch, and a second vacuum column further separates VGO from pitch. As much as 15 wt-% of VGO can be recovered by the second vacuum column and recycled to the slurry hydrocracking unit. A pitch composition is obtained which can be made into particles and transported without sticking together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: UOP LLC
    Inventors: James F. McGehee, Ronald S. Smyczynski
  • Publication number: 20100329935
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for converting heavy hydrocarbon feed into lighter hydrocarbon products. The heavy hydrocarbon feed is slurried with a particulate solid material to form a heavy hydrocarbon slurry and hydrocracked in a slurry hydrocracking unit to produce vacuum gas oil (VGO) and pitch. A first vacuum column separates VGO from pitch, and a second vacuum column further separates VGO from pitch. As much as 15 wt-% of VGO can be recovered by the second vacuum column and recycled to the slurry hydrocracking unit. A pitch composition is obtained which can be made into particles and transported without sticking together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Inventors: James F. McGehee, David N. Myers, Mark Van Wees, Paul R. Zimmerman, Ruth Buskus Kleinworth
  • Publication number: 20100248946
    Abstract: One exemplary embodiment can be a process for making a catalyst including an effective amount of iron for catalyzing one or more reactions in a hydrocarbon conversion system. The process can include grinding and coating the particles. The ground particles can have an effective amount of iron, and substantially all the particles may have a maximum dimension no larger than about 130 microns. The coating can have an effective amount of one or more hydrocarbons to provide the catalyst with improved flowability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Inventors: Lorenz J. Bauer, James F. McGehee
  • Patent number: 7802435
    Abstract: A cogeneration process is provided for a regenerator in a fluidized catalytic cracking system having a reactor and a regenerator. The process includes introducing flue gas from the regenerator into a heating unit to produce heated flue gas at a temperature of at least about 900° C. The heated flue gas is introduced into an expander. Steam is heated with the heated flue gas to produce heated steam. The heated steam is introduced into a turbine to extract energy from the steam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignees: UOP LLC, BP Corporation North America Inc.
    Inventor: James F. McGehee
  • Publication number: 20100122939
    Abstract: The recovery of solids, and particularly solid particulates used as catalysts in slurry hydroprocessing, from asphaltene containing hydrocarbons is improved by controlling asphaltene precipitation. The formation of agglomerates of the solid particulates, having an increased diameter, results in the presence of precipitated asphaltenes, possibly due to flocculation. Asphaltene precipitation is controlled by varying process parameters or introducing additional diluent or flush streams that change the polarity of an asphaltene containing liquid product recovered from an effluent of a slurry hydroprocessing reaction zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2008
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Inventors: Lorenz J. Bauer, Tom N. Kalnes, James F. McGehee
  • Publication number: 20100122934
    Abstract: Integrated slurry hydrocracking (SHC) and coking methods for making slurry hydrocracking (SHC) distillates are disclosed. Representative methods involve passing a slurry comprising a deasphalted oil (DAO) produced in a solvent deasphalting (SDA) process, optionally with recycled SHC gas oil and recycled SHC pitch, and a solid particulate through an SHC reaction zone in the presence of hydrogen to obtain the SHC distillate. Recovery and recycle of SHC gas oil and pitch from the SHC effluent improves the overall conversion to naphtha and distillate products and decreases catalyst requirements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2008
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Inventors: Robert S. HAIZMANN, Lorenz J. BAUER, Manuela SERBAN, James F. McGEHEE
  • Publication number: 20100034710
    Abstract: A coking process and apparatus may include cracking a hydrocarbon feed stream with a catalyst, generating a hot flue gas from regenerating said catalyst, directing the hot flue gas into a spray contactor, spraying a heavy residual oil into the spray contactor, and coking the heavy residual oil utilizing the hot flue gas as a heat source. The hydrocarbon feed stream and the heavy residual oil may each or both be generated by a solvent deasphalter. The coking process produces a solid coke product and volatile hydrocarbons which leave with the hot gas and may be burned in an oxidizer to generate steam with the pressure energy recovered by a turbo-expander.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Applicant: UOP LLC
    Inventor: James F. McGehee
  • Patent number: 7622033
    Abstract: A coking process and apparatus may include cracking a hydrocarbon feed stream with a catalyst, generating a hot flue gas from regenerating said catalyst, directing the hot flue gas into a spray contactor, spraying a heavy residual oil into the spray contactor, and coking the heavy residual oil utilizing the hot flue gas as a heat source. The hydrocarbon feed stream and the heavy residual oil may each or both be generated by a solvent deasphalter. The coking process produces a solid coke product and volatile hydrocarbons which leave with the hot gas and may be burned in an oxidizer to generate steam with the pressure energy recovered by a turbo-expander.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: James F. McGehee
  • Patent number: 7622061
    Abstract: The present invention is a process and apparatus for conserving loss of heat while forming and crystallizing polymer particles in a liquid. The cooling liquid quenches the polymer during particle molding to facilitate shaping. The cooling liquid cools the polymer particles not below a temperature that allows adequate crystallization to occur. Cooling liquid is quickly switched with a warming liquid, so the temperature of the polymer is in the crystallization range and the heat of crystallization self-heats the polymer to a higher temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: James F. McGehee
  • Patent number: 7585104
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for increasing the intrinsic viscosity of a polymer. The apparatus includes a rotary kiln with internal walls for delaying progress of the polymer to the exit of the kiln to be subject to sufficient processing to obtain desirable intrinsic viscosity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: James F. McGehee
  • Publication number: 20090155139
    Abstract: The present invention is a process and apparatus for conserving loss of heat while forming and crystallizing polymer particles in a liquid. The cooling liquid quenches the polymer during particle molding to facilitate shaping. The cooling liquid cools the polymer particles not below a temperature that allows adequate crystallization to occur. Cooling liquid is quickly switched with a warming liquid, so the temperature of the polymer is in the crystallization range and the heat of crystallization self-heats the polymer to a higher temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2009
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Inventor: James F. McGehee