Patents by Inventor Michael Y. Wen

Michael Y. Wen 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: 20120145604
    Abstract: Described is a process for extracting bitumen from oil sands. Water is mixed with oil sands to form a slurry. The slurry and a hydrocarbon solvent are passed through a hydrotransport pipeline to form an extracted slurry. Dilution water is added to the extracted slurry to form a diluted extracted slurry to reduce the viscosity of the slurry to assist in subsequent bitumen separation. A flocculant may be added to assist subsequent separation or to reduce dilution water requirements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Inventor: Michael Y. Wen
  • Patent number: 6852215
    Abstract: A method for upgrading a hydrocarbon in which an oxygen source and a hydrogen source are ignited and the resulting synthetic gas is used to initiate a predominantly gas phase heavy oil upgrade reaction. The upgrade reaction is quenched with an additional source of un-upgraded hydrocarbon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Michael Y. Wen, Eric D. Nelson
  • Publication number: 20040104147
    Abstract: A method and reactor for upgrading a hydrocarbon in which an oxygen source and a hydrocarbon source are ignited and the resulting synthetic gas is used to initiate a gas phase heavy oil upgrade reaction. The upgrade reaction is quenched quickly after initiation of the gas phase reaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2003
    Publication date: June 3, 2004
    Inventor: Michael Y. Wen
  • Publication number: 20030024854
    Abstract: A method for upgrading a hydrocarbon in which an oxygen source and a hydrogen source are ignited and the resulting synthetic gas is used to initiate a predominantly gas phase heavy oil upgrade reaction. The upgrade reaction is quenched with an additional source of un-upgraded hydrocarbon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2002
    Publication date: February 6, 2003
    Inventors: Michael Y. Wen, Eric D. Nelson
  • Patent number: 6153155
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for recovering the transition metal component of catalysts used in the hydroconversion of heavy hydrocarbonaceous materials. In accordance with the invention, a slurry of a transition metal catalyst and hydrocarbon is catalytically desulfurized resulting in a desulfurized product and a solid residue containing the transition metal. The transition metal may be recovered by coking the residue and then dividing the coker residue into two portions are combusted with the flue dust from the first combustion zone being conducted to the second combustion zone. The flue dust from the second combustion zone is treated with ammonia and ammonium carbonate in order to obtain ammonium molybdate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Michael Y. Wen, Georgui S. Golovin, Mikhail Ja. Shpirt, Leonid A. Zekel, Andrew Sullivan, Stephen Mark Davis
  • Patent number: 5573556
    Abstract: A process for the conversion of solid carbonaceous materials, such as coal, to liquid products using one or more polyoxoanions selected from those represented by:[(C.sub.n H.sub.2n+1).sub.4 N].sub.a M.sub.b O.sub.c H.sub.d, where n=1 to 8, a=2 to 6, b=2 to 12, c=7 and M is a metal selected from Groups VB and VIB of the Periodic Table of the Elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1996
    Assignee: Exxon Research And Engineering Company
    Inventor: Michael Y. Wen
  • Patent number: 5338441
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a catalytic process for converting a solid carbonaceous material, such as coal, to a liquid product in the presence of hydrogen. More particularly, this invention relates to a coal liquefaction process wherein a mixture of coal, bottoms, solvent and a sulfiding agent is subjected to liquefaction conditions in the presence of a catalyst precursor. This catalyst or catalyst precursor is comprised of a thermally decomposable compound of Groups IIB, IVB, VB, VIB, VIIB, and VIII of the Periodic Table of the Elements such as molybdenum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1994
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Steve C. LeViness, Steve J. Hsia, Michael Y. Wen, Stephen M. Davis, Claude C. Culross, Peter S. Maa