Patents by Inventor Kai Rainer Ehrhardt

Kai Rainer Ehrhardt 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: 20240075423
    Abstract: The present invention relates a process for separating H2, preferably both H2 and CH4, from a gas mixture comprising H2 and CH4 by means of a series of selective membrane units that avoids compressors and vacuums as well as an apparatus for carrying out said separation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2021
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Paul-Vinzent STROBEL, Emiel Jan KAPPERT, Kai Rainer EHRHARDT, Juergen Jose VARGAS SCHMITZ, Martin GALL
  • Patent number: 9580312
    Abstract: The invention relates to a continuous method for producing acetylenes and syngas by partially oxidizing hydrocarbons with oxygen. A first feed stream (1) containing one or more hydrocarbons and a second feed stream (2) containing oxygen are —mixed in a ratio of the mass flows of the second feed stream (2) to the first feed stream (1) corresponding to an oxygen number of less than or equal to 0.31, said streams being heated separately from each other, —and fed to a combustion chamber (FR) via a burner block (BR), the partial oxidation of the hydrocarbons being carried out in said combustion chamber, —thereby obtaining a first cracked gas stream Ig. The invention is characterized in that —the first cracked gas stream Ig is precooled to a temperature ranging from 100 to 1000° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Maximilian Vicari, Christian Weichert, Dirk Grossschmidt, Michael Russ, Kai Rainer Ehrhardt, Horst Neuhauser, Michael L. Hayes
  • Publication number: 20150336858
    Abstract: The invention relates to a continuous method for producing acetylenes and syngas by partially oxidizing hydrocarbons with oxygen. A first feed stream (1) containing one or more hydrocarbons and a second feed stream (2) containing oxygen are mixed in a ratio of the mass flows of the second feed stream (2) to the first feed stream (1) corresponding to an oxygen number of less than or equal to 0.31, said streams being heated separately from each other, and fed to a combustion chamber (FR) via a burner block (BR), the partial oxidation of the hydrocarbons being carried out in said combustion chamber, thereby obtaining a first cracked gas stream Ig. The invention is characterized in that the first cracked gas stream Ig is precooled to a temperature ranging from 100 to 1000° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Maximilian VICARI, Christian WEICHERT, Dirk GROSSSCHMIDT, Michael RUSS, Kai Rainer EHRHARDT, Horst NEUHAUSER, Michael L. HAYES
  • Patent number: 8597546
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing acetylene and synthesis gas by partial oxidation of hydrocarbons with oxygen, by first separately preheating the starting gases comprising a hydrocarbon-containing stream and an oxygen-containing stream and then mixing them in a mixing zone and, after they have flowed through the burner block, reacting them in the firing space and then cooling the products rapidly, wherein the surface on the firing space side of the burner block is covered with a purge gas stream and this purge gas stream is introduced through the burner block by means of several bores, where the averaged ratio of effective surface area of the burner block to number of these bores in the burner block for the purge gas stream is within a range from 5 to 100 cm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Michael Russ, Dirk Grossschmidt, Peter Renze, Maximilian Vicari, Horst Neuhauser, Kai Rainer Ehrhardt, Christian Weichert
  • Patent number: 8506924
    Abstract: A process for preparing acetylene and synthesis gas by partial oxidation of hydrocarbons with oxygen, by first separately preheating the hydrocarbon gas and oxygen gas, and then reacting the gases and cooling the products rapidly. The reactor wall is blanketed with a purge gas stream, introduced through a plurality of feed lines. These feed lines deliver purge gas in a vector direction within a 10° angle of the main flow direction of the reactive gas stream. The purge gas is delivered at multiple stages relative to the main flow direction of the reactive gas stream, and the free cross section of the firing space available to the reactive gas stream, at the height of the feed lines of the purge gas stream, is approximately constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Dirk Grossschmidt, Michael Russ, Peter Renze, Maximilian Vicari, Christian Weichert, Kai Rainer Ehrhardt, Horst Neuhauser, Hans Zapf, Michael L. Hayes
  • Patent number: 8487150
    Abstract: In the process for hydrogenating butadiyne over a catalyst which comprises at least one platinum group metal on an inorganic metal oxide as a support, the hydrogenation is performed at a pressure in the range from 1 to 40 bar and a temperature in the range from 0 to 100° C., and from 0.05 to 5% by weight, based on the overall catalyst, of platinum group metal is present on the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Lucia Koenigsmann, Ekkehard Schwab, Piotr Makarczyk, Kai Rainer Ehrhardt, Maximilian Vicari, Thomas Heidemann, Dirk Grossschmidt, Gerrit Waters
  • Publication number: 20120119150
    Abstract: A process for preparing acetylene and synthesis gas by partial oxidation of hydrocarbons with oxygen, by first separately preheating the hydrocarbon gas and oxygen gas, and then reacting the gases and cooling the products rapidly. The reactor wall is blanketed with a purge gas stream, introduced through a plurality of feed lines. These feed lines deliver purge gas in a vector direction within a 10° angle of the main flow direction of the reactive gas stream. The purge gas is delivered at multiple stages relative to the main flow direction of the reactive gas stream, and the free cross section of the firing space available to the reactive gas stream, at the height of the feed lines of the purge gas stream, is approximately constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Dirk GROßSCHMIDT, Michael Russ, Peter Renze, Maximilian Vicari, Christian Weichert, Kai Rainer Ehrhardt, Horst Neuhauser, Hans Zapf, Michael L. Hayes
  • Publication number: 20120119149
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing acetylene and synthesis gas by partial oxidation of hydrocarbons with oxygen, by first separately preheating the starting gases comprising a hydrocarbon-containing stream and an oxygen-containing stream and then mixing them in a mixing zone and, after they have flowed through the burner block, reacting them in the firing space and then cooling the products rapidly, wherein the surface on the firing space side of the burner block is covered with a purge gas stream and this purge gas stream is introduced through the burner block by means of several bores, where the averaged ratio of effective surface area of the burner block to number of these bores in the burner block for the purge gas stream is within a range from 5 to 100 cm2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Michael RUSS, Dirk Grossschmidt, Peter Renze, Maximilian Vicari, Horst Neuhauser, Kai Rainer Ehrhardt, Christian Weichert
  • Patent number: 8173853
    Abstract: A process is proposed for continuously operating a plant for preparing acetylene from hydrocarbons by partial oxidation, cleavage in an arc or pyrolysis of hydrocarbons to obtain a reaction gas mixture which is conducted through one or more compressors, the pressure of the reaction gas mixture on the suction side of the compressor being controlled within a predefined range by means of a conventional controller, which comprises additionally using a higher-level model-supported predictive controller which reacts to abrupt changes in the mass flow rate of the reaction gas mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Kai Rainer Ehrhardt, Raymond Poche, William R. Scullin, Michael L. Hayes
  • Patent number: 8017823
    Abstract: A process is proposed for continuously operating a plant for preparing acetylene from hydrocarbons by partial oxidation, cleavage in an arc or pyrolysis of hydrocarbons to obtain a reaction gas mixture which is conducted through one or more compressors, the pressure of the reaction gas mixture on the suction side of the compressor being controlled within a predefined range by means of a conventional controller, which comprises additionally using a high-level model-supported predictive controller which reacts to abrupt changes in the mass flow rate of the reaction gas mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: BASF, SE
    Inventors: Kai Rainer Ehrhardt, Raymond Poche, William R. Scullin, Michael L. Hayes
  • Patent number: 7956228
    Abstract: A process for the preparation of acetylene and synthesis gas by partial thermal oxidation in a reactor which has a burner having passages, wherein the starting materials to be reacted are rapidly and completely mixed only immediately before the flame reaction zone in the passages of the burner, a mean flow rate which exceeds the flame propagation velocities under the given reaction conditions being established in the mixing zone within the passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: BASF Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Bernd Bartenbach, Kai Rainer Ehrhardt, Arne Hoffmann, Frank Kleine Jaeger
  • Patent number: 7928275
    Abstract: Process for the preparation of acetylene from hydrocarbons by partial oxidation, arc cleavage or pyrolysis, the material stream comprising the acetylene and soot obtained being fed to a compressor, wherein a liquid which takes up the major part of the soot present in the material stream is sprayed into the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Michael Bachtler, Kai Rainer Ehrhardt, Christopher P Witte, Michael L. Hayes
  • Patent number: 7794513
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the scale-up of a reactor (1) having a supply of a reaction mixture via channels (2) of a burner block (3) to a reaction chamber (4), a high temperature reaction having a short residence time taking place in the reaction chamber (4) and the reaction mixture subsequently being rapidly cooled in a quench area (5). For a throughput enlargement the internal diameter of the reactor (1) is enlarged, the transition of the reaction chamber (4) to the quench area (5) being designed in the form of a gap, which is restricted to a width in the range from 2 to 200 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Bernd Bartenbach, Kai Rainer Ehrhardt
  • Publication number: 20100016646
    Abstract: In the process for hydrogenating butadiyne over a catalyst which comprises at least one platinum group metal on an inorganic metal oxide as a support, the hydrogenation is performed at a pressure in the range from 1 to 40 bar and a temperature in the range from 0 to 100° C., and from 0.05 to 5% by weight, based on the overall catalyst, of platinum group metal is present on the support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2009
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Lucia KOENIGSMANN, Ekkehard Schwab, Piotr Makarczyk, Kai Rainer Ehrhardt, Maximilian Vicari, Thomas Heidemann, Dirk Grossschmidt, Gerrit Waters
  • Publication number: 20090306447
    Abstract: A process is proposed for continuously operating a plant for preparing acetylene from hydrocarbons by partial oxidation, cleavage in an arc or pyrolysis of hydrocarbons to obtain a reaction gas mixture which is conducted through one or more compressors, the pressure of the reaction gas mixture on the suction side of the compressor being controlled within a predefined range by means of a conventional controller, which comprises additionally using a higher-level model-supported predictive controller which reacts to abrupt changes in the mass flow rate of the reaction gas mixture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2007
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Kai Rainer Ehrhardt, Raymond Poche, William R. Scullin, Michael L. Hayes
  • Publication number: 20090152499
    Abstract: Methods comprising: (a) providing a starting mixture comprising at least one hydrocarbon and at least one oxygen source, wherein the starting mixture has a fuel number of at least 4; (b) heating the starting mixture to a temperature of not more than 1400° C. and subjecting it to a single-stage, autothermal, uncatalyzed reaction to form a reaction gas; and (c) subjecting the reaction gas to rapid cooling to form at least one olefin and synthesis gas are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2005
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Applicant: BASF Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Bernd Bartenbach, Julian Prölß, Petra Schmitz-Bäder, Christian Weichert, Kai Rainer Ehrhardt
  • Publication number: 20090023970
    Abstract: Process for the preparation of acetylene from hydrocarbons by partial oxidation, arc cleavage or pyrolysis, the material stream comprising the acetylene and soot obtained being fed to a compressor, wherein a liquid which takes up the major part of the soot present in the material stream is sprayed into the compressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2007
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Michael Bachtles, Kai Rainer Ehrhardt, Christopher P. Witte, Michael L. Hayes
  • Publication number: 20080188698
    Abstract: A process for the preparation of acetylene and synthesis gas by partial thermal oxidation in a reactor which has a burner having passages, wherein the starting materials to be reacted are rapidly and completely mixed only immediately before the flame reaction zone in the passages of the burner, a mean flow rate which exceeds the flame propagation velocities under the given reaction conditions being established in the mixing zone within the passages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2006
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Applicant: BASF Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Bernd Bartenbach, Kai Rainer Ehrhardt, Arne Hoffmann, Frank Kleine Jager
  • Patent number: 7294325
    Abstract: A process is described for preparing hydrogen cyanide by autothermal noncatalytic oxidation of one or more nitrogenous hydrocarbons or a nitrogenous hydrocarbon mixture in which the nitrogenous hydrocarbons, an oxygen-containing gas, with or without ammonia, with or without water, with or without a gas containing nitrogen oxides and with or without other essentially inert feed gas constituents are introduced into a flame reaction zone, react in the flame reaction zone and a post-reaction zone at a temperature of from 1000 to 1800° C. for a reaction time of 0.03 to 0.3 s to form a cleavage gas which comprises at least the constituents hydrogen cyanide, carbon oxides, hydrogen, water, ammonia, nitrogen, light hydrocarbons with or without other cleavage gas constituents, the atomic C/N ratio in the reaction zones being from 1 to 7 and the atomic air ratio ?ato being <0.6, the cleavage gas being cooled and separated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: BASF Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Kai Rainer Ehrhardt, Mayke Mueller-Eversbusch, Dieter Stapf
  • Publication number: 20040205996
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the scale-up of a reactor (1) having a supply of a reaction mixture via channels (2) of a burner block (3) to a reaction chamber (4), a high temperature reaction having a short residence time taking place in the reaction chamber (4) and the reaction mixture subsequently being rapidly cooled in a quench area (5). For a throughput enlargement the internal diameter of the reactor (1) is enlarged, the transition of the reaction chamber (4) to the quench area (5) being designed in the form of a gap, which is restricted to a width in the range from 2 to 200 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2004
    Publication date: October 21, 2004
    Inventors: Bernd Bartenbach, Kai Rainer Ehrhardt