Patents by Inventor Josef Kunkel

Josef Kunkel 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: 20230279300
    Abstract: A process for producing hydrocarbons includes providing a component mixture containing hydrocarbons and a feed mixture containing hydrocarbons having two or more carbon atoms and lower boiling compounds using a portion of the component mixture, and forming a heavy fraction and a light fraction using the feed mixture. The heavy fraction contains a portion of the hydrocarbons from the feed mixture and is at least poor in the lower boiling components. The light fraction contains a portion of the lower boiling components from the feed mixture and is at least poor in the hydrocarbons from the feed mixture. The heavy fraction and a first intermediate fraction are formed using some of the feed mixture in low-temperature separation. Some of the first intermediate fraction is subjected to non-cryogenic separation while obtaining the light fraction and a second intermediate fraction. A portion of the second intermediate fraction is recycled to the process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Inventors: Torben Hofel, Josef Kunkel
  • Patent number: 10457617
    Abstract: A method for obtaining an ethylene product in a supercritical state is proposed, in which method a gas mixture containing predominantly or exclusively ethylene and ethane is separated in a distillation column (1), which is operated at a distillation pressure level of from 5 to 15 bar, into an overhead product containing predominantly or exclusively ethylene and a bottom product containing predominantly or exclusively ethane, the overhead product being withdrawn in the gaseous state from the head of the distillation column (1) and a first portion thereof being liquefied and returned as reflux to the distillation column (1) and a second portion thereof being converted into a supercritical state and being used as the ethylene product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: LINDE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Torben Hofel, Martin Kamann, Michael Scholch, Sean McCracken, Josef Kunkel, Gunther Kracker-Semler
  • Publication number: 20190144363
    Abstract: A method for obtaining an ethylene product in a supercritical state is proposed, in which method a gas mixture containing predominantly or exclusively ethylene and ethane is separated in a distillation column (1), which is operated at a distillation pressure level of from 5 to 15 bar, into an overhead product containing predominantly or exclusively ethylene and a bottom product containing predominantly or exclusively ethane, the overhead product being withdrawn in the gaseous state from the head of the distillation column (1) and a first portion thereof being liquefied and returned as reflux to the distillation column (1) and a second portion thereof being converted into a supercritical state and being used as the ethylene product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2017
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventors: Torben Hofel, Martin Kamann, Michael Scholch, Sean McCracken, Josef Kunkel, Gunther Kracker-Semler
  • Patent number: 7855312
    Abstract: A method is described for processing an olefin-containing product stream (1) that contains, besides ethylene and propylene, longer-chain olefins and compounds of hydrocarbons with oxygen (oxygenates). Such a product stream (I) can occur in particular in olefin synthesis from methanol. The product stream is dewatered in successive process steps, optionally compressed in several steps and dried. Then it is subjected to fractionation. For removal of the undesired oxygenates it is proposed that the oxygenates be washed out of the gaseous product stream after the compression steps and before the drying step in a column (12) with methanol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Wilfried Borgmann, Josef Kunkel, Helmut Fritz, Gerhard Lauermann, Roland Walzl, Klaus Muller
  • Patent number: 7678958
    Abstract: This invention is directed to a method of removing dimethyl ether from an olefin stream. The method includes distilling the olefin stream so that the dimethyl ether is separated out of the olefin stream with propane. The olefin stream can then be further distilled to provide a polymer grade ethylene stream and a polymer grade propylene stream, with each stream containing not greater than about 10 wppm dimethyl ether.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc
    Inventors: Minquan Cheng, Jeffrey J. Phillips, Michael Peter Nicoletti, David Ritchie Lumgair, Jr., John Richard Shutt, Jeffrey Alan Kabin, Wilfried Borgmann, Josef Kunkel, Helmut Fritz, Roland Walzi, Gerhard Lauermann, Klaus Muller
  • Patent number: 7238848
    Abstract: A method for processing an olefin-containing product stream that contains dimethyl ether as a by-product is described. Such a product stream arises, for example, in the synthesis of olefin from methanol. For separation of the dimethyl ether from the product stream, it is proposed that at least a partial stream chiefly containing C3 hydrocarbons is separated from the product stream by fractionation, and is sent to a rectification column (C3 splitter) (16) for separation of propylene and propane. The dimethyl ether goes together with the propane into the bottom of the rectification column in the rectification process and can be withdrawn (42). A substantially pure propylene product (41), which contains at most only traces of dimethyl ether, can be removed from the top of the rectification column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Wilfried Borgmann, Josef Kunkel, Helmut Fritz, Gerhard Lauermann, Roland Walzl, Klaus Muller
  • Publication number: 20060111601
    Abstract: This invention is directed to a method of removing dimethyl ether from an olefin stream. The method includes distilling the olefin stream so that the dimethyl ether is separated out of the olefin stream with propane. The olefin stream can then be further distilled to provide a polymer grade ethylene stream and a polymer grade propylene stream, with each stream containing not greater than about 10 wppm dimethyl ether.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Publication date: May 25, 2006
    Inventors: Minquan Cheng, Jeffrey Phillips, Michael Nicoletti, David Lumgard Jr., John Shutt, Jeffrey Kabin, Wilfried Borgmann, Josef Kunkel, Helmut Fritz, Roland Walzi, Gerhard Lauermann, Klaus Muller
  • Publication number: 20050222478
    Abstract: A method is described for processing an olefin-containing product stream (1) that contains, besides ethylene and propylene, longer-chain olefins and compounds of hydrocarbons with oxygen (oxygenates). Such a product stream (I) can occur in particular in olefin synthesis from methanol. The product stream is dewatered in successive process steps, optionally compressed in several steps and dried. Then it is subjected to fractionation. For removal of the undesired oxygenates it is proposed that the oxygenates be washed out of the gaseous product stream after the compression steps and before the drying step in a column (12) with methanol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2002
    Publication date: October 6, 2005
    Inventors: Wilfried Borgmann, Josef Kunkel, Helmut Fritz, Gerhard Lauermann, Roland Walzl, Klaus Muller
  • Publication number: 20040064009
    Abstract: A method for processing an olefin-containing product stream that contains dimethyl ether as a by-product is described. Such a product stream arises, for example, in the synthesis of olefin from methanol. For separation of the dimethyl ether from the product stream, it is proposed that at least a partial stream chiefly containing C3 hydrocarbons is separated from the product stream by fractionation, and is sent to a rectification column (C3 splitter) (16) for separation of propylene and propane. The dimethyl ether goes together with the propane into the bottom of the rectification column in the rectification process and can be withdrawn (42). A substantially pure propylene product (41), which contains at most only traces of dimethyl ether, can be removed from the top of the rectification column.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2002
    Publication date: April 1, 2004
    Inventors: Wilfried Borgmann, Josef Kunkel, Helmut Fritz, Gerhard Lauermann, Roland Walzl, Klaus Muller