Patents by Inventor John R. Messinger

John R. Messinger 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: 8524070
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for treating the effluent from a hydrocarbon pyrolysis unit employing a small primary fractionator, i.e., a rectifier. The method comprises cooling the gaseous effluent, e.g., by direct quench and/or at least one primary heat exchanger, and then cooling the gaseous effluent to a temperature at which tar, formed by reactions among constituents of the effluent, condenses, e.g., in a secondary exchanger. The resulting mixed gaseous and liquid effluent is passed through a rectifier, to cleanly separate quench oil from the gaseous effluent comprising a pyrolysis gasoline fraction, whose boiling point can be lowered as a result of the rectifier treatment. The effluent is then cooled to condense a liquid effluent comprising pyrolysis gasoline and water condensed from steam, which fractions are separated in a distillate drum. The cooled gaseous effluent is directed to a recovery train to recover light olefins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Robert David Strack, John R. Messinger
  • Patent number: 8092671
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for treating gaseous effluent from a hydrocarbon pyrolysis unit to provide steam cracked tar of reduced asphaltene and toluene insolubles content. The method is suitable for preparing reduced viscosity tar useful as a fuel blending stock, or feedstock for producing carbon black, while reducing or eliminating the need for externally sourced lighter aromatics additives to meet viscosity specifications. The method comprises drawing steam cracked tar from a separation vessel, e.g., a primary fractionator or tar knock-out drum, cooling the tar, and returning it to the separation vessel to effect lower overall tar temperatures within the separation vessel, in order to reduce viscosity increasing condensation reactions. An apparatus for carrying out the method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert David Strack, Richard C. Stell, John R. Messinger, Dane C. Grenoble, John E. Asplin
  • Patent number: 8025774
    Abstract: In a system for thermal cracking gaseous feedstocks, the system including a gas cracker for producing an effluent comprising olefins, at least one transfer line exchanger for the recovery of process energy from the effluent and a water quench tower system, a process for extending the range of system feedstocks to include liquid feedstocks that yield tar is provided. The process includes the steps of injecting a first quench fluid downstream of a primary transfer line exchanger to quench the process effluent comprising olefins, separating in a first separation vessel a cracked product and a first byproduct stream comprising tar from the quenched effluent, directing the separated cracked product to a water quench tower system and quenching the separated cracked product with a second quench fluid to produce a cracked gas effluent for recovery and a second byproduct stream comprising tar. An apparatus for carrying out such process is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: James N. McCoy, Barrington M. Hammond, David J. Duhon, Mark A. Rooney, Robert D. Strack, John R. Messinger
  • Patent number: 8025773
    Abstract: In a system for thermal cracking gaseous feedstocks, the system including a gas cracker for producing an effluent comprising olefins, at least one transfer line exchanger for the recovery of process energy from the effluent and a water quench tower system, a process for extending the range of system feedstocks to include liquid feedstocks that yield tar is provided. The process includes the steps of injecting a first quench fluid downstream of the at least one transfer line exchanger to quench the process effluent comprising olefins, separating in a separation vessel a cracked product and a first byproduct stream comprising tar from the quenched effluent, directing the separated cracked product to the water quench tower system and quenching the separated cracked product with a second quench fluid to produce a cracked gas effluent for recovery and a second byproduct stream comprising tar. An apparatus for cracking a liquid hydrocarbon feedstock that yield tar is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: James N. McCoy, Walter F. Filupeit, Barrington M. Hammond, David J. Duhon, Mark A. Rooney, Robert A. D. Strack, John R. Messinger
  • Patent number: 7981374
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for treating the effluent from a hydrocarbon pyrolysis process unit to recover heat and remove tar therefrom. The method comprises passing the gaseous effluent to at least one primary heat exchanger, thereby cooling the gaseous effluent and generating high pressure steam. Thereafter, the gaseous effluent is passed through at least one secondary heat exchanger having a heat exchange surface maintained at a temperature such that part of the gaseous effluent condenses to form in situ a liquid coating on said surface, thereby further cooling the remainder of the gaseous effluent to a temperature at which tar, formed by the pyrolysis process, condenses. The condensed tar is then removed from the gaseous effluent in at least one knock-out drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Robert David Strack, John R. Messinger
  • Patent number: 7972482
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for treating the effluent from a hydrocarbon pyrolysis unit without employing a primary fractionator. The method comprises passing the gaseous effluent to at least one primary heat exchanger, thereby cooling the gaseous effluent and generating high pressure steam, and then cooling the gaseous effluent to a temperature at which tar, formed by reactions among constituents of the effluent, condenses. The gaseous effluent and the condensed tar are fed to at least one knock-out drum, whereby the tar is separated from the gaseous effluent. The gaseous effluent is then further cooled to condense a pyrolysis gasoline fraction from the effluent and to reduce the temperature of the effluent to a point at which it can be compressed efficiently. The condensed pyrolysis gasoline fraction is separated from the effluent and then distilled so as to reduce its final boiling point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: ExxonMobile Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Robert David Strack, John R. Messinger
  • Publication number: 20100230235
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for treating the effluent from a hydrocarbon pyrolysis unit without employing a primary fractionator. The method comprises passing the gaseous effluent to at least one primary heat exchanger, thereby cooling the gaseous effluent and generating high pressure steam, and then cooling the gaseous effluent to a temperature at which tar, formed by reactions among constituents of the effluent, condenses. The gaseous effluent and the condensed tar are fed to at least one knock-out drum, whereby the tar is separated from the gaseous effluent. The gaseous effluent is then further cooled to condense a pyrolysis gasoline fraction from the effluent and to reduce the temperature of the effluent to a point at which it can be compressed efficiently. The condensed pyrolysis gasoline fraction is separated from the effluent and then distilled so as to reduce its final boiling point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Inventors: Robert David Strack, John R. Messinger
  • Patent number: 7767170
    Abstract: A process is provided for cracking hydrocarbon feedstock containing resid comprising: heating the feedstock, mixing the heated feedstock with a fluid and/or a primary dilution steam stream to form a mixture, optionally further heating the mixture, flashing the mixture within a flash/separation vessel to form a vapor phase and a liquid phase, partially condensing the vapor phase by contacting with a condenser within the vessel, to condense at least some coke precursors within the vapor while providing condensates which add to the liquid phase, removing the vapor phase of reduced coke precursors content as overhead and the liquid phase as bottoms, heating the vapor phase, cracking the vapor phase in a radiant section of a pyrolysis furnace to produce an effluent comprising olefins, and quenching the effluent and recovering cracked product therefrom. An apparatus for carrying out the process is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Richard C. Stell, George Stephens, Jennifer L. Bancroft, John R. Messinger
  • Patent number: 7749372
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for treating the effluent from a hydrocarbon pyrolysis unit without employing a primary fractionator. The method comprises passing the gaseous effluent to at least one primary heat exchanger, thereby cooling the gaseous effluent and generating high pressure steam, and then cooling the gaseous effluent to a temperature at which tar, formed by reactions among constituents of the effluent, condenses. The gaseous effluent and the condensed tar are fed to at least one knock-out drum, whereby the tar is separated from the gaseous effluent. The gaseous effluent is then further cooled to condense a pyrolysis gasoline fraction from the effluent and to reduce the temperature of the effluent to a point at which it can be compressed efficiently. The condensed pyrolysis gasoline fraction is separated from the effluent and then distilled so as to reduce its final boiling point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Robert David Strack, John R. Messinger
  • Patent number: 7718049
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for treating gaseous effluent from a hydrocarbon pyrolysis unit to provide steam cracked tar of reduced asphaltene and toluene insolubles content. The method is suitable for preparing reduced viscosity tar useful as a fuel blending stock, or feedstock for producing carbon black, while reducing or eliminating the need for externally sourced lighter aromatics additives to meet viscosity specifications. The method comprises drawing steam cracked tar from a separation vessel, e.g., a primary fractionator or tar knock-out drum, cooling the tar, and returning it to the separation vessel to effect lower overall tar temperatures within the separation vessel, in order to reduce viscosity increasing condensation reactions. An apparatus for carrying out the method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Exxonmobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Robert David Strack, Richard C. Stell, John R. Messinger, Dane C. Grenoble, John E. Asplin
  • Publication number: 20100096296
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for treating gaseous effluent from a hydrocarbon pyrolysis unit to provide steam cracked tar of reduced asphaltene and toluene insolubles content. The method is suitable for preparing reduced viscosity tar useful as a fuel blending stock, or feedstock for producing carbon black, while reducing or eliminating the need for externally sourced lighter aromatics additives to meet viscosity specifications. The method comprises drawing steam cracked tar from a separation vessel, e.g., a primary fractionator or tar knock-out drum, cooling the tar, and returning it to the separation vessel to effect lower overall tar temperatures within the separation vessel, in order to reduce viscosity increasing condensation reactions. An apparatus for carrying out the method is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Inventors: Robert David Strack, Richard C. Stell, John R. Messinger, Dane C. Grenoble, John E. Asplin
  • Patent number: 7674366
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for treating the effluent from a hydrocarbon pyrolysis unit without employing a primary fractionator. The method comprises cooling the gaseous effluent, e.g., by direct quench and/or at least one primary heat exchanger, thereby generating high pressure steam, and then cooling the gaseous effluent to a temperature at which tar, formed by reactions among constituents of the effluent, condenses. The resulting mixed gaseous and liquid effluent is passed through a quench oil knock-out drum, to separate quench oil from the gaseous effluent which is then cooled to condense a liquid effluent comprising pyrolysis gasoline and water condensed from steam, which fractions are separated in a distillate drum. The cooled gaseous effluent is directed to a recovery train, to recover light olefins. The pyrolysis gasoline-containing fraction passes to a tailing tower which provides an overhead stream rich in pyrolysis gasoline and a bottoms stream rich in gas oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Robert David Strack, John R. Messinger
  • Publication number: 20090280042
    Abstract: In a system for thermal cracking gaseous feedstocks, the system including a gas cracker for producing an effluent comprising olefins, at least one transfer line exchanger for the recovery of process energy from the effluent and a water quench tower system, a process for extending the range of system feedstocks to include liquid feedstocks that yield tar is provided. The process includes the steps of injecting a first quench fluid downstream of a primary transfer line exchanger to quench the process effluent comprising olefins, separating in a first separation vessel a cracked product and a first byproduct stream comprising tar from the quenched effluent, directing the separated cracked product to a water quench tower system and quenching the separated cracked product with a second quench fluid to produce a cracked gas effluent for recovery and a second byproduct stream comprising tar. An apparatus for carrying out such process is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2009
    Publication date: November 12, 2009
    Inventors: James N. McCoy, Barrington M. Hammond, David J. Duhon, Mark A. Rooney, Robert D. Strack, John R. Messinger
  • Publication number: 20090238735
    Abstract: In a system for thermal cracking gaseous feedstocks, the system including a gas cracker for producing an effluent comprising olefins, at least one transfer line exchanger for the recovery of process energy from the effluent and a water quench tower system, a process for extending the range of system feedstocks to include liquid feedstocks that yield tar is provided. The process includes the steps of injecting a first quench fluid downstream of the at least one transfer line exchanger to quench the process effluent comprising olefins, separating in a separation vessel a cracked product and a first byproduct stream comprising tar from the quenched effluent, directing the separated cracked product to the water quench tower system and quenching the separated cracked product with a second quench fluid to produce a cracked gas effluent for recovery and a second byproduct stream comprising tar. An apparatus for cracking a liquid hydrocarbon feedstock that yield tar is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Inventors: James N. McCoy, Walter F. Filupeit, Barrington M. Hammond, David J. Duhon, Mark A. Rooney, Robert D. Strack, John R. Messinger
  • Patent number: 7582201
    Abstract: In a system for thermal cracking gaseous feedstocks, the system including a gas cracker for producing an effluent comprising olefins, at least one transfer line exchanger for the recovery of process energy from the effluent and a water quench tower system, a process for extending the range of system feedstocks to include liquid feedstocks that yield tar is provided. The process includes the steps of injecting a first quench fluid downstream of a primary transfer line exchanger to quench the process effluent comprising olefins, separating in a first separation vessel a cracked product and a first byproduct stream comprising tar from the quenched effluent, directing the separated cracked product to a water quench tower system and quenching the separated cracked product with a second quench fluid to produce a cracked gas effluent for recovery and a second byproduct stream comprising tar. An apparatus for carrying out such process is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: James N. McCoy, Barrington M. Hammond, David J. Duhon, Mark A. Rooney, Robert D. Strack, John R. Messinger
  • Patent number: 7560019
    Abstract: In a system for thermal cracking gaseous feedstocks, the system including a gas cracker for producing an effluent comprising olefins, at least one transfer line exchanger for the recovery of process energy from the effluent and a water quench tower system, a process for extending the range of system feedstocks to include liquid feedstocks that yield tar is provided. The process includes the steps of injecting a first quench fluid downstream of the at least one transfer line exchanger to quench the process effluent comprising olefins, separating in a separation vessel a cracked product and a first byproduct stream comprising tar from the quenched effluent, directing the separated cracked product to the water quench tower system and quenching the separated cracked product with a second quench fluid to produce a cracked gas effluent for recovery and a second byproduct stream comprising tar. An apparatus for cracking a liquid hydrocarbon feedstock that yield tar is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: James N. McCoy, Walter F. Filupeit, Barrington M. Hammond, David J. Duhon, Mark A. Rooney, Robert A. Strack, John R. Messinger
  • Patent number: 7553460
    Abstract: A process for cracking hydrocarbon feedstock containing resid comprising: heating the feedstock, mixing the heated feedstock with a fluid and/or a primary dilution steam stream to form a mixture, flashing the mixture to form a vapor phase and a liquid phase which collect as bottoms and removing the liquid phase, separating and cracking the vapor phase, and cooling the product effluent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Exxonmobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Richard C. Stell, Jennifer L. Bancroft, Arthur R. Dinicolantonio, Subramanian Annamalai, James N. McCoy, Paul F. Keusenkothen, George Stephens, John R. Messinger, James Mitchell Frye, Nick G. Vidonic, George J. Balinsky
  • Publication number: 20090074636
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for treating the effluent from a hydrocarbon pyrolysis process unit to recover heat and remove tar therefrom. The method comprises passing the gaseous effluent to at least one primary heat exchanger, thereby cooling the gaseous effluent and generating high pressure steam. Thereafter, the gaseous effluent is passed through at least one secondary heat exchanger having a heat exchange surface maintained at a temperature such that part of the gaseous effluent condenses to form in situ a liquid coating on said surface, thereby further cooling the remainder of the gaseous effluent to a temperature at which tar, formed by the pyrolysis process, condenses. The condensed tar is then removed from the gaseous effluent in at least one knock-out drum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Publication date: March 19, 2009
    Inventors: Robert David Strack, John R. Messinger
  • Patent number: 7465388
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for treating the effluent from a hydrocarbon pyrolysis process unit to recover heat and remove tar therefrom. The method comprises passing the gaseous effluent to at least one primary heat exchanger, thereby cooling the gaseous effluent and generating high pressure steam. Thereafter, the gaseous effluent is passed through at least one secondary heat exchanger having a heat exchange surface maintained at a temperature such that part of the gaseous effluent condenses to form in situ a liquid coating on said surface, thereby further cooling the remainder of the gaseous effluent to a temperature at which tar, formed by the pyrolysis process, condenses. The condensed tar is then removed from the gaseous effluent in at least one knock-out drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Robert David Strack, John R. Messinger
  • Patent number: 7419584
    Abstract: A process is provided for cracking hydrocarbon feedstock containing resid comprising: heating the feedstock, mixing the heated feedstock with a fluid and/or a primary dilution steam stream to form a mixture, optionally further heating the mixture, flashing the mixture within a flash/separation vessel to form a vapor phase and a liquid phase, partially condensing the vapor phase by contacting with a condenser within the vessel, to condense at least some coke precursors within the vapor while providing condensates which add to the liquid phase, removing the vapor phase of reduced coke precursors content as overhead and the liquid phase as bottoms, heating the vapor phase, cracking the vapor phase in a radiant section of a pyrolysis furnace to produce an effluent comprising olefins, and quenching the effluent and recovering cracked product therefrom. An apparatus for carrying out the process is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Richard C. Stell, George Stephens, Jennifer L. Bancroft, John R. Messinger