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: 20090129998
    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 to produce vacuum gas oil (VGO). A light portion of the VGO may be hydrotreated and subjected to fluid catalytic cracking to produce fuels such as gasoline. A heavy portion of the VGO may be recycled to the slurry hydrocracking reactor. FCC slurry oil may be recycled to the slurry for hydrocracking.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Inventors: Robert S Haizmann, James F. McGehee
  • Publication number: 20090127161
    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 to produce vacuum gas oil (VGO). A light portion of the VGO may be hydrotreated and subjected to fluid catalytic cracking to produce fuels such as gasoline. A heavy portion of the VGO may be recycled to the slurry hydrocracking reactor. FCC slurry oil may be recycled to the slurry for hydrocracking.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Inventors: Robert S. Haizmann, James F. McGehee
  • Patent number: 7514527
    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: May 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: James F. McGehee
  • Publication number: 20080148735
    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: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Inventor: James F. McGehee
  • Patent number: 7250486
    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: December 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: James F. McGehee
  • Patent number: 6872864
    Abstract: A process for the alkylation of aromatics with olefins using a solid catalyst is disclosed, wherein the olefin ratio and/or the maximum olefin concentration in the alkylation catalyst bed is maintained less than an upper limit. Such operation can decrease the catalyst deactivation rate and the formation of diphenylalkanes. This invention is applicable to processes for the production of a wide variety of commercially important alkylated aromatics, including ethylbenzene and cumene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Gregory J. Gajda, James F. McGehee
  • Patent number: 6835862
    Abstract: A process for the alkylation of aromatics with olefins using a solid catalyst is disclosed, wherein the effluent recycle ratio to the alkylation catalyst bed is maintained more than a lower limit. Such operation can decrease the catalyst deactivation rate and the formation of diphenylalkanes. This invention is applicable to processes for the production of a wide variety of commercially important alkylated aromatics, including ethylbenzene and cumene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Gregory J. Gajda, James F. McGehee
  • Patent number: 6749821
    Abstract: A process for the purification of an inert gas recycled from a polymerization reactor is disclosed, comprising the steps of mixing the gas with oxygen or gas containing oxygen in stoichiometric quantity or in such an excess that the gas at the outlet of the catalyst bed contains no more than 250 ppm of oxygen, circulating the gas through a catalyst bed comprising platinum, which has been subjected to a reducing environment, at temperatures of no more than 300° C. (572° F.) and preferably no more than 250° C. (482° F.) and recycling the gas to the polymerization reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: James F. McGehee, John R. Richmond, Kaoru Tegawa, Yoshiki Nakano
  • Patent number: 6703479
    Abstract: A process and apparatus is disclosed for heating or cooling polymer solids in a dispensing section of a solid-state polycondensation reactor. Gas is delivered to the dispensing section of the reactor in which it cools polymer solids in the dispensing section by direct heat exchange. Part of the gas is withdrawn at a point proximate to the dispensing section of the reactor and is cooled. The rest of the gas ascends through a reactive section of the reactor and purges polymer solids of impurities. The gas withdrawn from the reactive section of the reactor is oxidized of impurities and dried and then combined with the gas withdrawn proximate to the dispensing section of the reactor. To achieve uniform heating or cooling of the polymer solids in the dispensing section, a preferred ratio of mass flow rate of gas to the mass flow rate of solids is recommended.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: James F. McGehee, Giuseppina R. Boveri, Paul A. Sechrist
  • Publication number: 20030149320
    Abstract: A process for the alkylation of aromatics with olefins using a solid catalyst is disclosed, wherein the olefin ratio and/or the maximum olefin concentration in the alkylation catalyst bed is maintained less than an upper limit. Such operation can decrease the catalyst deactivation rate and the formation of diphenylalkanes. This invention is applicable to processes for the production of a wide variety of commercially important alkylated aromatics, including ethylbenzene and cumene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2002
    Publication date: August 7, 2003
    Inventors: Gregory J. Gajda, James F. McGehee
  • Patent number: 6479721
    Abstract: A process for the alkylation of aromatics with olefins using a solid catalyst is disclosed, wherein the olefin ratio and/or the maximum olefin concentration in the alkylation catalyst, bed is maintained less than an upper limit. Such operation can decrease the catalyst deactivation rate and the formation of diphenylalkanes. This invention is applicable to processes for the production of a wide variety of commercially important alkylated aromatics, including ethylbenzene and cumene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Gregory J. Gajda, James F. McGehee
  • Publication number: 20020049132
    Abstract: A layered catalyst composition is disclosed where the composition is prepared by bonding an outer layer comprising a bound zeolite (e.g. zeolite beta) to an inner core material (e.g. cordierite). The use of an organic bonding agent in the catalyst preparation procedure provides a composition that is sufficiently resistant to mechanical attrition to be used commercially in aromatic alkylation processes (e.g. benzene alkylation to ethylbenzene). Advantages associated with the use of layered compositions include a significant reduction in the amount of zeolite used for a given reactor loading and improved selectivity to desired alkylated aromatic products. Further benefits are realized when the layered composition is formed into shapes having a sufficiently high void volume to reduce pressure drop across the alkylation catalyst bed. This is especially relevant for operation involving high recycle rates and consequently low alkylating agent concentrations in the reaction zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2001
    Publication date: April 25, 2002
    Inventors: Deng-Yang Jan, James F. McGehee, Guy B. Woodle, Masao Takayama, Raelynn M. Miller
  • Patent number: 5510521
    Abstract: Disclosed is an improved process for the continuous production of aromatic carboxylic acids by the liquid-phase oxidation of an alkyl aromatic compound with an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of oxidation catalyst which effectively utilizes the heat of reaction in the process of removing excess water generated from the reaction and minimizes the loss of solvent used as the carrier for the reaction catalyst. Operation of the process is improved by removing reactor off-gas directly into a water removal column for distillation. A portion of distillate condensed from the overhead aqueous vapors of the water removal column is refluxed to the fractionating zone of the water removal column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 23, 1996
    Assignee: Eastman Chemical Company
    Inventors: James F. McGehee, Sunday O. Ogundiran, Robert Lin