Patents by Inventor Joachim Voelkening

Joachim Voelkening 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: 8444849
    Abstract: This invention relates to devices and processes for removing asphaltenes and/or metals from crude oil to increase refinery processing of heavy materials. The desalters of this invention reduce and/or remove at least a portion of asphaltenes and/or metals form the crude oil. The separation occurs by mixing water with the crude oil to result in an aqueous phase having water and water soluble salts, an interface phase having asphaltenes and/or metals along with water, and a hydrocarbon phase haying desalted, deasphalted and/or reduced metal crude oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: BP Corporation North America Inc.
    Inventors: Sudhakar Chakka, Steve E. Orwig, Joachim Voelkening
  • Publication number: 20120181218
    Abstract: This invention relates to devices and processes for removing asphaltenes and/or metals from crude oil to increase refinery processing of heavy materials. The desalters of this invention reduce and/or remove at least a portion of asphaltenes and/or metals form the crude oil. The separation occurs by mixing water with the crude oil to result in an aqueous phase having water and water soluble salts, an interface phase having asphaltenes and/or metals along with water, and a hydrocarbon phase haying desalted, deasphalted and/or reduced metal crude oil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: BP Corporation North America Inc.
    Inventors: Sudhakar Chakka, Steve E. Orwig, Joachim Voelkening
  • Patent number: 8147678
    Abstract: This invention relates to devices and processes for removing asphaltenes and/or metals from crude oil to increase refinery processing of heavy materials. The desalters of this invention reduce and/or remove at least a portion of asphaltenes and/or metals form the crude oil. The separation occurs by mixing water with the crude oil to result in an aqueous phase having water and water soluble salts, an interface phase having asphaltenes and/or metals along with water, and a hydrocarbon phase having desalted, deasphalted and/or reduced metal crude oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: BP Corporation North America Inc.
    Inventors: Sudhakar Chakka, Steve E. Orwig, Joachim Voelkening
  • Publication number: 20100089797
    Abstract: This invention relates to devices and processes for removing asphaltenes and/or metals from crude oil to increase refinery processing of heavy materials. The desalters of this invention reduce and/or remove at least a portion of asphaltenes and/or metals form the crude oil. The separation occurs by mixing water with the crude oil to result in an aqueous phase having water and water soluble salts, an interface phase having asphaltenes and/or metals along with water, and a hydrocarbon phase having desalted, deasphalted and/or reduced metal crude oil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2008
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Inventors: Sudhakar Chakka, Steve E. Orwig, Joachim Voelkening
  • Publication number: 20080260584
    Abstract: The present invention provides a portable apparatus for analysis of a refinery feedstock or a product of a refinery process, said apparatus comprising: (a) a first analytical device for determination of the boiling point profile of a refinery feedstock or a product of a refinery process, and (b) at least two further analytical devices each of which contains or is associated with a database and an algorithm, at least one of said devices being adapted for determination of the density of the refinery feedstock or product of a refinery process, and at least one of said devices being adapted for determination of the total acid number of the refinery feedstock or product of a refinery process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Inventors: Nicholas John Gudde, Michael Hodges, Graham Butler, Joachim Voelkening
  • Publication number: 20080253426
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of assaying a crude oil, the method includes measuring at least two selected properties of the crude oil with one or more laboratory-independent devices using at least two different techniques wherein each technique is predictive of each respective property, transmitting the measured properties to a processor capable of reconstructing a determinative assay of the crude oil from the measured properties, and reconstructing a determinative assay of the crude oil from the measured properties. The disclosed method provides real-time information of a refinery feedstock such that, for example, a trader negotiating the sale of the product has accurate assay information on which to determine whether to sell or purchase the product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Inventors: Joachim Voelkening, Michael Graham Hodges