Patents by Inventor Kenneth Ebenes Vidalin
Kenneth Ebenes Vidalin 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).
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Patent number: 6781014Abstract: The retrofitting of an existing methanol or methanol/ammonia plant to make acetic acid is disclosed. The existing plant has a reformer (10) to which natural gas or another hydrocarbon and steam (water) are fed. Syngas is formed in the reformer (10). All or part of the syngas is process to separate out carbon dioxide (24), carbon monoxide (30) and hydrogen (32), and the separated carbon dioxide (24) is the existing to the existing methanol synthesis loop (12) for methanol synthesis, or back into the feed to the reformer (10) to enhance carbon monoxide formation in the syngas (18). Any remaining syngas (38) not fed to the carbon dioxide separator (22) can be converted to methanol in the existing methanol synthesis loop (12) along with carbon dioxide (24) from the separator (22) and/or imported carbon dioxide (25), and hydrogen (35) from the separator (28). The separated carbon monoxide (30) is then reacted with the methanol (36) to produce acetic acid (40) or an acetic acid precursor by a conventional process.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2002Date of Patent: August 24, 2004Assignee: Acetex (Cyprus) LimitedInventors: Kenneth Ebenes Vidalin, Daniel Marcel Thiebaut
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Patent number: 6599491Abstract: The converting of an existing methanol plant to make hydrogen and optionally methanol is disclosed. The converted plant utilizes the steam reformer (10) to which (a) a hydrocarbon, e.g., natural gas, or a lower alkanol, e.g., methanol, and (b) steam (water) are fed. Syngas is formed in the reformer (10). All or part of the syngas is processed in a CO converter (21) and/or a separation unit (22 & 28) to separate out carbon dioxide (24), carbon monoxide (30) and hydrogen (32). In the first mode, the CO converter (21) is isolated and the separated carbon dioxide (24) is fed either to the existing methanol synthesis loop (12) for methanol synthesis, or back into the feed to the reformer (10) to enhance carbon monoxide formation in the syngas (18). In the second mode, a lower alkanol is fed to the reformer (10), and the methanol synthesis loop (12) is shutdown and isolated from the rest of the plant.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2001Date of Patent: July 29, 2003Inventor: Kenneth Ebenes Vidalin
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Patent number: 6531630Abstract: The converting of an existing methanol plant to make acetic acid is disclosed. The converted plant utilizes the steam reformer (10) to which (a) a hydrocarbon ,e.g., natural gas, or a lower alkanol, e.g., methanol, and (b) steam (water) are fed. Syngas is formed in the reformer (10). All or part of the syngas is processed to separate out carbon dioxide (24), carbon monoxide (30) and hydrogen (32), and the separated carbon dioxide (24) is fed either to the existing methanol synthesis loop (12) for methanol synthesis, or back into the feed to the reformer (10) to enhance carbon monoxide formation in the syngas (18). When a lower alkanol is fed to the reformer (10), the methanol synthesis loop (12) is shutdown and isolated from the rest of the plant.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2000Date of Patent: March 11, 2003Inventor: Kenneth Ebenes Vidalin
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Publication number: 20020098132Abstract: The converting of an existing methanol plant to make hydrogen and optionally methanol is disclosed. The converted plant utilizes the steam reformer (10) to which (a) a hydrocarbon, e.g., natural gas, or a lower alkanol, e.g., methanol, and (b) steam (water) are fed. Syngas is formed in the reformer (10). All or part of the syngas is processed in a CO converter (21) and/or a separation unit (22 & 28) to separate out carbon dioxide (24), carbon monoxide (30) and hydrogen (32). In the first mode, the CO converter (21) is isolated and the separated carbon dioxide (24) is fed either to the existing methanol synthesis loop (12) for methanol synthesis, or back into the feed to the reformer (10) to enhance carbon monoxide formation in the syngas (18). In the second mode, a lower alkanol is fed to the reformer (10), and the methanol synthesis loop (12) is shutdown and isolated from the rest of the plant.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2001Publication date: July 25, 2002Inventor: Kenneth Ebenes Vidalin
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Publication number: 20020085963Abstract: The converting of an existing methanol plant to make acetic acid is disclosed. The converted plant utilizes the steam reformer (10) to which (a) a hydrocarbon ,e.g., natural gas, or a lower alkanol, e.g., methanol, and (b) steam (water) are fed. Syngas is formed in the reformer (10). All or part of the syngas is processed to separate out carbon dioxide (24), carbon monoxide (30) and hydrogen (32), and the separated carbon dioxide (24) is fed either to the existing methanol synthesis loop (12) for methanol synthesis, or back into the feed to the reformer (10) to enhance carbon monoxide formation in the syngas (18). When a lower alkanol is fed to the reformer (10), the methanol synthesis loop (12) is shutdown and isolated from the rest of the plant.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 29, 2000Publication date: July 4, 2002Inventor: Kenneth Ebenes Vidalin
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Patent number: 6353133Abstract: The retrofitting of an existing methanol or methanol/ammonia plant to make acetic acid is disclosed. The plant is retrofitted to feed carbon dioxide into a reformer to which natural gas and steam (water) are fed. Syngas is formed in the reformer wherein both the natural gas and the carbon dioxide are reformed to produce syngas with a large proportion of carbon monoxide relative to reforming without added carbon dioxide. The syngas is split into a first part and a second part. The first syngas part is converted to methanol in a conventional methanol synthesis loop that is operated at about half of the design capacity of the original plant. The second syngas part is processed to separate out carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, and the separated carbon dioxide is fed back into the feed to the reformer to enhance carbon monoxide formation. The separated carbon monoxide is then reacted with the methanol to produce acetic acid or an acetic acid precursor by a conventional process.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2001Date of Patent: March 5, 2002Assignee: Acetex (Cyprus) LimitedInventors: Daniel Marcel Thiebaut, Kenneth Ebenes Vidalin
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Patent number: 6274096Abstract: The retrofitting of an existing methanol or methanol/ammonia plant to make acetic acid is disclosed. The plant is retrofitted to feed carbon dioxide into a reformer to which natural gas and steam (water) are fed. Syngas is formed in the reformer wherein both the natural gas and the carbon dioxide are reformed to produce syngas with a large proportion of carbon monoxide relative to reforming without added carbon dioxide. The syngas is split into a first part and a second part. The first syngas part is converted to methanol in a conventional methanol synthesis loop that is operated at about half of the design capacity of the original plant. The second syngas part is processed to separate out carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, and the separated carbon dioxide is fed back into the feed to the reformer to enhance carbon monoxide formation. The separated carbon monoxide is then reacted with the methanol to produce acetic acid or an acetic acid precursor by a conventional process.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 1999Date of Patent: August 14, 2001Assignee: Acetex (Cyprus) LimitedInventors: Daniel Marcel Thiebaut, Kenneth Ebenes Vidalin
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Patent number: 6232352Abstract: The retrofitting of an existing methanol or methanol/ammonia plant to make acetic acid is disclosed. The existing plant has a reformer to which natural gas or another hydrocarbon and steam (water) are fed. Syngas is formed in the reformer. All or part of the syngas is processed to separate out carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen, and the separated carbon dioxide is fed either to the existing methanol synthesis loop for methanol synthesis, or back into the feed to the reformer to enhance carbon monoxide formation in the syngas. Any remaining syngas not fed to the carbon dioxide separator can be converted to methanol in the existing methanol synthesis loop along with carbon dioxide from the separator and/or imported carbon dioxide, and hydrogen from the separator. The separated carbon monoxide is then reacted with the methanol to produce acetic acid or an acetic acid precursor by a conventional process.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2000Date of Patent: May 15, 2001Assignee: Acetex limitedInventor: Kenneth Ebenes Vidalin