Patents by Inventor Pål Søraker

Pål Søraker 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: 10590348
    Abstract: The disclosure deals with a slurry bubble column reactor for converting a gas mixture comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen into liquid hydrocarbons. The slurry bubble column reactor features a slurry bed of catalyst particles, an inlet conduit for feeding the gas mixture into the slurry bed, a filtration zone for separating the liquid hydrocarbons from the catalyst particles and a liquid outlet conduit for withdrawing the separated hydrocarbons from the filtration zone. The filtration zone is situated in the slurry bubble column reactor such that the slurry bed is found in a first and a second heat exchange zone with the filtration zone arranged between the first and the second heat exchange zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignees: L'AIR LIQUIDE Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude, The Petroleum Oil and Gas Corporation of South Africa (SOC) Ltd
    Inventors: Marc Brueschke, Patrick Otto Taylor, Pål Søraker
  • Publication number: 20190112532
    Abstract: The disclosure deals with a slurry bubble column reactor for converting a gas mixture comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen into liquid hydrocarbons. The slurry bubble column reactor features a slurry bed of catalyst particles, an inlet conduit for feeding the gas mixture into the slurry bed, a filtration zone for separating the liquid hydrocarbons from the catalyst particles and a liquid outlet conduit for withdrawing the separated hydrocarbons from the filtration zone. The filtration zone is situated in the slurry bubble column reactor such that the slurry bed is found in a first and a second heat exchange zone with the filtration zone arranged between the first and the second heat exchange zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Inventors: Marc Brueschke, Patrick Otto Taylor, Pål Søraker
  • Patent number: 8980201
    Abstract: A system and process for removing catalyst fines from a gas stream overhead the slurry in a Fischer-Tropsch slurry bubble column reactor. The gas phase at the top of the slurry bubble column reactor containing small amounts of entrained liquid and catalyst particles. The unreacted gases are passed through a demister, which removes larger droplets and catalyst particles. Smaller droplets and catalyst fines are conveyed to a secondary gas cleaner, such as a cyclone, whereby substantially all remaining particles are removed from the gas phase. A particle-containing liquid produced in the secondary gas cleaner can be further subjected to a filtrate cleaning unit to filter out fine catalyst particles and produce a substantially particle-free liquid product stream and a slurry stream of liquid product containing catalyst particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: GTL.FI AG
    Inventors: Trond Myrstad, Dag Schanke, Pål Søraker, Matthias Wagner, Manfred Ruppel
  • Patent number: 8863572
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for the protection of internal filters of a LTFT slurry bubble reactor. The method includes the step of activating an emergency back-flush procedure during low slurry level conditions and/or during increasing temperature of an internal filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignees: The Pretroleum Oil and Gas Corporation of South Africa (Pty) Ltd., StatoilHydro ASA
    Inventors: Pål Søraker, Marcus Fathi, Alton Christo Liedeman, Jan Jacobus Van Aswegan, Rodney Bruce Buchan
  • Patent number: 8778193
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for the separation of liquid from a three phase slurry bubble column. The method includes the step of charging the inside of a hollow filter element with a rinsing fluid to clean the inside of the filter for catalyst fines followed by a backflushing step. The invention also provides an installation for the separation of liquid from a three phase slurry bubble column. The installation includes at feast one hollow and enclosed filter element and one or more conduits in fluid communication with the internal volume of the filter, with at least one conduit being configured or connected for inflow of rinsing fluid and at least one conduit being configured or connection for outflow of rinsing fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignees: Petroleum Oil and Gas Corporation of South Africa, Ltd., Statoil Hydro ASA
    Inventors: Ockert Rudolph Minnie, Patrick Otto Taylor, Pål Søraker, Marcus Fathi
  • Publication number: 20120157555
    Abstract: A system and process for removing catalyst fines from a gas stream overhead the slurry in a Fischer-Tropsch slurry bubble column reactor. The gas phase at the top of the slurry bubble column reactor containing small amounts of entrained liquid and catalyst particles. The unreacted gases are passed through a demister, which removes larger droplets and catalyst particles. Smaller droplets and catalyst fines are conveyed to a secondary gas cleaner, such as a cyclone, whereby substantially all remaining particles are removed from the gas phase. A particle-containing liquid produced in the secondary gas cleaner can be further subjected to a filtrate cleaning unit to filter out fine catalyst particles and produce a substantially particle-free liquid product stream and a slurry stream of liquid product containing catalyst particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: GTL.F1 AG
    Inventors: Trond Myrstad, Dag Schanke, Pål Søraker, Matthias Wagner, Manfred Ruppel
  • Publication number: 20100089148
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for the protection of internal filters of a LTFT slurry bubble reactor. The method includes the step of activating an emergency back-flush procedure during low slurry level conditions and/or during increasing temperature of an internal filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2008
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Applicant: StatoilHydro ASA
    Inventors: Pål Søraker, Marcus Fathi, Alton Christo Liedeman, Jan Jacobus Van Aswegan, Rodney Bruce Buchan