Patents by Inventor Jeffrey Scherffius

Jeffrey Scherffius 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: 9346007
    Abstract: Contemplated configurations and methods for flue gas treatment comprise a quench section and a scrubbing section that are configured and operated to avoid net condensation of water from the quenched flue gas in the scrubbing section. Consequently, the active agent in the scrubbing medium can be maintained at high concentration and will so allow continuous removal of SOX and NOX to very low concentrations. Moreover, as the scrubbing medium is not diluted by condensate, loss of active agent can be substantially reduced. Especially preferred systems will reduce SO2 concentrations in flue gas to less than 5 ppm, and more typically less than 3 ppm while substantially reducing water and reagent consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Satish Reddy, Jeffrey Scherffius, Valerie Francuz
  • Patent number: 9320985
    Abstract: Low-pressure steam for a steam consuming device, and particularly a steam reboiler, is generated at the steam consumption pressure to maximize the heat recovery from a utility fuel and/or waste heat source. Most preferably, steam is generated at the lowest possible pressure by fluidly coupling the steam generator to the steam consuming device (e.g., by integrating the condensate drum with the steam drum). Therefore, it should be appreciated that the steam generator pressure in such configurations and methods will ride on the reboiler pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Jeffrey Scherffius
  • Patent number: 9126841
    Abstract: A synthesis plant (309A) includes a compression device (360A) that increases a pressure differential between the bottom product pressure of a cryogenic separator (340A) and the delivery pressure of the bottom product to a downstream plant component. Such increased pressure differential is employed to increase cooling in the separator (340A) to thereby significantly reduce the volume of excess air. In most preferred aspects, at least part of the energy required for the compression device is provided by expansion (320A) of the separator feed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: FLUOR TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satish Reddy, Mukund Bhakta, Jeffrey Scherffius
  • Patent number: 8557024
    Abstract: An IGCC plant has a precombustion decarbonization unit in which acid gas is removed from a combustion gas before the combustion gas enters a combustion turbine. In one preferred configuration, a sulfur removal unit removes hydrogen sulfide from a feed gas before the desulfurized feed gas enters an autorefrigeration unit in which carbon dioxide is removed. In another preferred configuration, hydrogen sulfide is converted to carbonyl sulfide in a dryer, and the carbonyl sulfide is absorbed in the liquid carbon dioxide that is prepared from the feed gas using autorefrigeration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Satish Reddy, Sunil Vyas, Jeffrey Scherffius
  • Publication number: 20120204817
    Abstract: Low-pressure steam for a steam consuming device, and particularly a steam reboiler, is generated at the steam consumption pressure to maximize the heat recovery from a utility fuel and/or waste heat source. Most preferably, steam is generated at the lowest possible pressure by fluidly coupling the steam generator to the steam consuming device (e.g., by integrating the condensate drum with the steam drum). Therefore, it should be appreciated that the steam generator pressure in such configurations and methods will ride on the reboiler pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2009
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Inventor: Jeffrey Scherffius
  • Publication number: 20110271714
    Abstract: An IGCC plant has a precombustion decarbonization unit in which acid gas is removed from a combustion gas before the combustion gas enters a combustion turbine. In one preferred configuration, a sulfur removal unit removes hydrogen sulfide from a feed gas before the desulfurized feed gas enters an autorefrigeration unit in which carbon dioxide is removed. In another preferred configuration, hydrogen sulfide is converted to carbonyl sulfide in a dryer, and the carbonyl sulfide is absorbed in the liquid carbon dioxide that is prepared from the feed gas using autorefrigeration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicant: FLUOR TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satish Reddy, Sunil Vyas, Jeffrey Scherffius
  • Publication number: 20110127218
    Abstract: Steam for use as stripping medium in a regenerator is recovered from a portion of the regenerator bottom product using a pervaporation unit. In most preferred aspects, the portion is selected such as to maintain neutral water balance in the stripper for a desired regeneration level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2009
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Applicant: FLUOR TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satish Reddy, Jeffrey Scherffius
  • Publication number: 20090148371
    Abstract: Contemplated configurations and methods for flue gas treatment comprise a quench section and a scrubbing section that are configured and operated to avoid net condensation of water from the quenched flue gas in the scrubbing section. Consequently, the active agent in the scrubbing medium can be maintained at high concentration and will so allow continuous removal of SOX and NOX to very low concentrations. Moreover, as the scrubbing medium is not diluted by condensate, loss of active agent can be substantially reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicant: FLUOR TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satish Reddy, Jeffrey Scherffius, Valerie Francuz
  • Publication number: 20080170980
    Abstract: A synthesis plant (309A) includes a compression device (360A) that increases a pressure differential between the bottom product pressure of a cryogenic separator (340A) and the delivery pressure of the bottom product to a downstream plant component. Such increased pressure differential is employed to increase cooling in the separator (340A) to thereby significantly reduce the volume of excess air. In most preferred aspects, at least part of the energy required for the compression device is provided by expansion (320A) of the separator feed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2005
    Publication date: July 17, 2008
    Applicant: FLUOR TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satish Reddy, Mukund Bhakta, Jeffrey Scherffius
  • Patent number: 7377967
    Abstract: An acid gas removal plant includes an absorber that provides a rich solvent to two regenerators that independently generate a lean and a semi-lean solvent, wherein the semi-lean solvent is produced in one of the regenerators using heat and/or steam derived from the other regenerator. Further heat integration is particularly contemplated with power plants in which the power plant provides high-level heat to the acid gas removal plant and wherein the power plant receives low-level heat from the acid gas removal plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Inventors: Satish Reddy, Jeffrey Scherffius, John Gilmartin, Stefano Freguia
  • Publication number: 20060260189
    Abstract: An IGCC plant has a precombustion decarbonization unit in which acid gas is removed from a combustion gas before the combustion gas enters a combustion turbine. In one preferred configuration, a sulfur removal unit removes hydrogen sulfide from a feed gas before the desulfurized feed gas enters an autorefrigeration unit in which carbon dioxide is removed. In another preferred configuration, hydrogen sulfide is converted to carbonyl sulfide in a dryer, and the carbonyl sulfide is absorbed in the liquid carbon dioxide that is prepared from the feed gas using autorefrigeration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2004
    Publication date: November 23, 2006
    Applicant: FLUOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satish Reddy, Sunil Vyas, Jeffrey Scherffius
  • Publication number: 20060032377
    Abstract: An acid gas removal plant includes an absorber that provides a rich solvent to two regenerators that independently generate a lean and a semi-lean solvent, wherein the semi-lean solvent is produced in one of the regenerators using heat and/or steam derived from the other regenerator. Further heat integration is particularly contemplated with power plants in which the power plant provides high-level heat to the acid gas removal plant and wherein the power plant receives low-level heat from the acid gas removal plant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2003
    Publication date: February 16, 2006
    Inventors: Satish Reddy, Jeffrey Scherffius, John Gilmartin, Stefano Freguia
  • Patent number: 6800120
    Abstract: A recovery plant for recovery of a gaseous component from a process gas has an absorber employing a lean solvent and a semi-lean solvent that absorb the gaseous component from the process gas, thereby producing a rich solvent, a semi-rich solvent, and a lean process gas. A regenerator extracts the gaseous component from the rich solvent, thereby regenerating the lean solvent and the semi-lean solvent. A solvent flow control element combines at least part of the semi-rich solvent and the semi-lean solvent to form a mixed solvent, and a cooler cools the mixed solvent that is subsequently fed into the absorber. In a method of removing a gaseous component from a process gas, a stream of lean solvent and a stream of semi-lean solvent are provided. In another step, the stream of lean solvent and the stream of semi-lean solvent contact the process gas in an absorber to produce a stream of semi-rich solvent and rich solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: Fluor Corporation
    Inventors: Ray Won, Peter Condorelli, Jeffrey Scherffius, Carl L. Mariz
  • Patent number: 6645446
    Abstract: A recovery plant for recovery of a gaseous component, such as carbon dioxide, from a process gas, such as the exhaust from a combustion turbine, has an absorber (110) employing a lean solvent (126) in an upper section of the absorber and a semi-lean solvent (172) in a lower section of the absorber. A regenerator (120) extracts the gaseous component from the rich solvent (117) thereby producing a regenerated lean solvent (126) and a semi-lean solvent (127). A solvent flow control element (170) combines at least a part of the semi-rich solvent (118) from the upper section of the absorber with the semi-lean solvent (127) from the regenerator to form a mixed solvent (171), and a cooler (112) cools the mixed solvent that is subsequently fed into the lower section of the absorber (110). By cooling the mixed solvent prior to entry into the absorber, the thermal energy required to remove the carbon dioxide from the exhaust gas can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Floor Corporation
    Inventors: Ray Won, Peter Condorelli, Jeffrey Scherffius, Carl L. Mariz