Patents by Inventor Min-Hsiun Lee

Min-Hsiun Lee 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: 9272972
    Abstract: A system for removing salt from a rich mono ethylene glycol (MEG) stream being fed into a flash separator isolates the fluid residing in the brine column of the separator from the MEG and introduces a swirling motive fluid into the column. The swirling motive fluid comes into contact with salt components residing in the isolated fluid of the column to create a salt slurry. The salt slurry is then removed and sent to a brine generation vessel. Saturated brine from the vessel is transported back to the column to replace the motive fluid in the column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Cameron Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Min-Hsiun Lee, Gary W. Sams
  • Publication number: 20160039684
    Abstract: A vessel for treating an oil-in-water inlet stream houses an inlet flow distributor arranged to direct an inlet flow toward a perforated baffle of a coalescing section, the coalescing section housing a packing and being arranged upstream of a second baffle; a flotation section arranged to receive a flow exiting the coalescing section and being divided by one or more perforated baffles; and an outlet water collecting pipe arranged to receive a flow exiting the flotation section, the outlet water collecting pipe having one or more openings located along its length. The coalescing section may be divided into two sections, with one section preferably housing a different pre-selected sized packing than the other section. The flotation section may include one or more gas-inducing devices. A solid baffle may be arranged downstream of the second baffle and ahead of the flotation section to provide single or dual flow through that section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2014
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: Joseph Min-Hsiun Lee, Gary W. Sams, Z. Frank Zheng
  • Publication number: 20160023977
    Abstract: A system for, and method of, recovering salt from fluid stream in a recycle loop of a flash separator has a desanding hydrocyclone located in the hot recycle loop of the flash separator; a first solids fluidization device located at the bottom end of the flash separator's brine column; a second desanding hydrocyclone arranged to receive a salt slurry stream created by the first solids fluidization device; and an accumulator located downstream of the second desanding hydrocyclone and having a second solids fluidization device located at its bottom end. Each solids fluidization device causes a motive fluid to exit the device in a swirling motion to fluidize the salt components contained in the resident fluid. The overflow from the second desanding hydrocyclone is the motive fluid for the brine column and a produced water, condensate water, or seawater stream is the motive fluid for the accumulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventors: Joseph Min-Hsiun Lee, Gary W. Sams
  • Publication number: 20150361016
    Abstract: A system for removing salt from a rich mono ethylene glycol (MEG) stream being fed into a flash separator isolates the fluid residing in the brine column of the separator from the MEG and introduces a swirling motive fluid into the column. The swirling motive fluid comes into contact with salt components residing in the isolated fluid of the column to create a salt slurry. The salt slurry is then removed and sent to a brine generation vessel. Saturated brine from the vessel is transported back to the column to replace the motive fluid in the column.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Inventors: Joseph Min-Hsiun Lee, Gary W. Sams
  • Publication number: 20150299581
    Abstract: A system for desalting a crude oil stream includes an elongated, vertically oriented vessel that has an interior piping structure arranged concentric to the vessel. The piping structure, which may have more than one level, has a plurality of spray nozzles oriented at a downward angle for atomizing wash water into a downward flowing crude oil stream. The spray nozzles may be located on a same side or opposite sides of the piping structure. Where multiple levels are used, the number of spray nozzles on each level may be the same as or different than the number of spray nozzles on other levels. The pressure drop through each spray nozzle is preferably no greater than 300 psi and the nozzles preferably deliver a dilution water droplet preferably no larger than 300 microns in diameter. A mixing valve, static mixer, or both can be placed downstream of the vessel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicant: Cameron Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary W Sams, Joseph Min-Hsiun Lee
  • Patent number: 9150477
    Abstract: A system for, and method of, recovering salt from a rich mono ethylene glycol MEG stream includes a flash separator having a desanding hydrocyclone located in the hot MEG recycle loop of the flash separator; a first solids fluidization device located at the bottom end of the flash separator's brine column; a second desanding hydrocyclone arranged to receive a salt slurry stream created by the first solids fluidization device; and an accumulator located downstream of the second desanding hydrocyclone and having a second solids fluidization device located at its bottom end. Each solids fluidization device includes means for causing the motive fluid to exit the device in a swirling motion to fluidize the salt components contained in the resident fluid. The overflow from the second desanding hydrocyclone is the motive fluid for the brine column and a produced water, condensate water, or seawater stream is the motive fluid for the accumulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Cameron Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Min-Hsiun Lee, Gary W. Sams
  • Publication number: 20140251140
    Abstract: A system and process for an improvement to a gas-liquid cylindrical cyclone (“GLCC”) separator to reduce gas carry-under to the liquid outlet of the separator is described. The means for reducing gas carry-under is arranged within the interior space of the separator and below the inclined inlet of the separator to affect the tangential flow of the incoming liquid-and-gas mixture stream into the interior space. The reducing means may be a vortex locator, preferably in the form of a horizontal plate, arranged coaxial with the separator vessel and located at a vortex formation point within the interior space. The reducing means may also be a plurality of vertical baffles located at a lower end of the separator vessel and extending radially inward from the wall of the vessel. The reducing means may also be a combination of the horizontal plate and vertical baffles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: Cameron Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary W. Sams, Joseph Min-Hsiun Lee
  • Publication number: 20140209176
    Abstract: A system and method for improving oil-and-water separation in a blended fluid stream are presented. The system includes a pressure reduction device that causes cyclonic flow in the stream. The pressure reduction device may be a wafer-based hydrocyclone or a modified hydrocyclone having an underflow outlet but no overflow outlet. The system may also include a valve that is located upstream or downstream of the pressure reduction device. Both the valve and the pressure reduction device reduce the pressure of the fluid stream while reducing the shearing of oil and water droplets within the stream. As a result, the droplets are more likely to coalesce and less likely to form emulsions, thus improving oil-and-water separation in downstream treatment processes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Cameron International Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph Min-Hsiun Lee, Gary W. Sams
  • Patent number: 4954331
    Abstract: Sulfur species are removed from a Claus plant tailgas stream by contacting with ZnO producing ZnS. ZnS is regenerated to ZnO by contacting with dilute O.sub.2 under conditions for reducing the volume of regeneration recycle to the Claus plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 4, 1990
    Assignee: Amoco Corporation
    Inventors: Min-Hsiun Lee, Paul T. Pendergraft
  • Patent number: 4913637
    Abstract: Sulfur species are removed from a Claus plant tail gas stream by contacting with zinc oxide in the presence of sufficient reducing equivalents for conversion of sulfur compounds to hydrogen sulfide. In another aspect, sulfur compounds are converted to hydrogen sulfide prior to contacting with zinc oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1990
    Assignee: Amoco Corporation
    Inventor: Min-Hsiun Lee
  • Patent number: 4849202
    Abstract: Sulfur species are removed from a Claus plant tailgas stream by contacting with ZnO producing ZnS which is regenerated to ZnO by dilute O.sub.2. Following regeneration, freshly regenerated ZnO is purged with an effective reducing gas stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1989
    Assignee: Amoco Corporation
    Inventor: Min-Hsiun Lee
  • Patent number: 4797268
    Abstract: Regenerator effluent produced by regenerating ZnS to ZnO is provided with a stream containing H.sub.2 S from the feed to a Claus plant to a catalytic oxidation zone where O.sub.2 present is consumed. The effluent from the catalytic oxidation zone is provided to a Claus catalytic reaction zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1989
    Assignee: Amoco Corporation
    Inventors: John J. McGovern, Paul T. Pendergraft, Min-Hsiun Lee
  • Patent number: 4793976
    Abstract: Sulfur species are removed from a Claus plant tail gas stream by contacting with zinc oxide in the presence of sufficient reducing equivalents for conversion of sulfur compounds to hydrogen sulfide. In another aspect, sulfur compounds are converted to hydrogen sulfide prior to contacting with zinc oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1988
    Assignee: Amoco Corporation
    Inventor: Min-Hsiun Lee
  • Patent number: 4533529
    Abstract: Sulfur species are removed from a Claus plant tail gas stream by contacting with zinc oxide in the presence of sufficient reducing equivalents for conversion of sulfur compounds to hydrogen sulfide. In another aspect, sulfur compounds are converted to hydrogen sulfide prior to contacting with zinc oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1983
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1985
    Assignee: Standard Oil Company
    Inventor: Min-Hsiun Lee