Patents by Inventor Lanny D. Schmidt

Lanny D. Schmidt 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: 6254807
    Abstract: A process for enhancing H2 or CO production in a partial oxidation reaction by feeding H2O or CO2 with the feed hydrocarbon and oxygen over a transition metal monolith catalyst such as unsupported Ni monolith or alternatively contacting the hydrocarbon/oxygen first with a noble metal then with a transition metal with the H2O or CO2 being added before or after the noble metal catalyst. The addition of H2O suppresses CO and enhances H2 production and the addition of CO2 suppresses H2 and enhances CO production. Little steam or CO2 reforming occurs with the addition of up to 32% H2O or CO2 respectively. Thus, the ratio of H2:CO which is about 2 in a conventional partial oxidation is manipulated by the addition of either water or CO2 to the partial oxidation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: Regents of the University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Lanny D. Schmidt, Paul M. Witt
  • Patent number: 6072097
    Abstract: A process for the production of a mono-olefin from a gaseous paraffinic hydrocarbon having at least two carbon atoms or mixtures thereof comprising reacting said hydrocarbons and molecular oxygen in the presence of a platinum catalyst. The catalyst consists essentially of platinum modified with Sn or Cu and supported on a ceramic monolith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: Regents of the University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Chikafumi Yokoyama, Sameer S. Bharadwaj, Lanny D. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 5993192
    Abstract: A high heat flux catalytic radiant burner of the present invention includes a housing with an inlet and an outlet end. A catalyst layer which has a coating disposed on a support is positioned between the two ends. The catalyst layer has a total specific surface area of 0.1 to 10 m.sup.2 /g. The support has a specific surface area of 1 m.sup.2 /g or less. The coating is a thin film of a nobel metal. A mixture of air and gas enters the housing though the inlet end and enters the catalyst layer where the gas is oxidized and releases heat such that the burner maintains operational firing rates of approximately 40 to 413 kBTU/hr ft.sup.2 and produces extremely low emissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: Regents of the University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Lanny D. Schmidt, Christian T. Goralski, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5905180
    Abstract: A process for the production of a mono-olefin from a gaseous paraffinic hydrocarbon having at least two carbon atoms or mixtures thereof comprising reacting said hydrocarbons and molecular oxygen in the presence of a platinum catalyst. The catalyst consists essentially of platinum modified with Sn or Cu and supported on a ceramic monolith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1999
    Assignee: Regents of the University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Chikafumi Yokoyama, Sameer S. Bharadwaj, Lanny D. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 5654491
    Abstract: A process for catalytic partial oxidation of a hydrocarbon is provided. The process includes: providing a feed gas mixture comprising an oxygen-containing gas and a hydrocarbon gas comprising one or more normal (C.sub.2 -C.sub.4)alkanes; providing a catalyst structure having a transparency of at least about 40%; and passing the feed gas mixture through the catalyst structure at a rate such that the superficial contact time of the feed gas mixture with the catalyst structure is no greater than about 1000 microseconds to produce an exit gas mixture comprising partial oxidation products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1997
    Assignee: Regents of the University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Duane A. Goetsch, Lanny D. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 5648582
    Abstract: A process for the catalytic partial oxidation of methane in gas phase at very short residence time (800,000 to 12,000,000 hr.sup.-1) by contacting a gas stream containing methane and oxygen with a metal supported catalyst, such as platinum deposited on a ceramic monolith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1997
    Assignee: Regents of the University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Lanny D. Schmidt, Daniel A. Hickman
  • Patent number: 5639929
    Abstract: A process for the oxidative dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons is disclosed in which C.sub.2 -C.sub.6 alkanes are contacted with an oxygen containing gas in a fluidized catalyst bed of platinum, rhodium, nickel or platinum-gold supported on .alpha.-alumina or zirconia. Ethane is dehydrogenated to ethylene and higher alkanes are dehydrogenated to ethylene, propylene and iso-butylene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1997
    Assignee: Regents of the University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Sameer S. Bharadwaj, Lanny D. Schmidt