Patents by Inventor Paul Higginbotham

Paul Higginbotham 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: 20250026636
    Abstract: An apparatus and process for steam reforming can be configured to produce at least one product with reduced carbon dioxide and/or nitrogen oxide emissions. Some embodiments can be better adapted for retrofitting a pre-existing steam reforming process while other embodiments can be better adapted for use in a newly constructed facility. Embodiments can be configured to utilize a synthetic air oxidant to provide combustion that results in formation of a flue gas having relatively high carbon dioxide concentrations that may also have low nitrogen and low nitrogen oxide concentrations. A control system can be configured for utilization in such embodiments to control the steam reforming process and/or oxidant formation process as well. Some embodiments can also be configured to provide carbon dioxide recovery that can permit recovery of a second product stream comprised of carbon dioxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2023
    Publication date: January 23, 2025
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Jay A. Thakkar, Alan D. Berger, Eugene S. Genkin, David Ross Graham, Paul Higginbotham
  • Publication number: 20250026638
    Abstract: An apparatus and process for steam reforming can be configured to produce at least one product with reduced carbon dioxide and/or nitrogen oxide emissions. Some embodiments can be better adapted for retrofitting a pre-existing steam reforming process while other embodiments can be better adapted for use in a newly constructed facility. Embodiments can be configured to utilize a synthetic air oxidant to provide combustion that results in formation of a flue gas having relatively high carbon dioxide concentrations that may also have low nitrogen and low nitrogen oxide concentrations. A control system can be configured for utilization in such embodiments to control the steam reforming process and/or oxidant formation process as well. Some embodiments can also be configured to provide carbon dioxide recovery that can permit recovery of a second product stream comprised of carbon dioxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2023
    Publication date: January 23, 2025
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Jay A. Thakkar, Alan D. Berger, Eugene S. Genkin, David Ross Graham, Paul Higginbotham
  • Patent number: 12181215
    Abstract: Hydrogen is liquefied through a process utilizing refrigeration from hydrogen at one, two, or three different pressures as well as a nitrogen refrigeration cycle. One or more stages of catalyst are used to convert ortho-hydrogen to para-hydrogen as the hydrogen is cooled and liquefied. Subcooled liquid hydrogen feeds the final stage of ortho-hydrogen to para-hydrogen conversion to reduce or eliminate vaporization of the hydrogen during the exothermic ortho-hydrogen to para-hydrogen conversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Higginbotham, John H. Petrik, Christopher F. Harris
  • Patent number: 12077434
    Abstract: A hydrogen feed stream comprising one or more impurities selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, argon, methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and water, is contacted with liquid hydrogen in a cryogenic wash column (CWC) process that produces pure hydrogen with high overall recovery. The waste liquid stream leaving the CWC may be used to improve the performance of upstream hydrogen processing steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Kamlesh Ghodasara, Maulik R. Shelat, Paul Higginbotham, Shubhra Jyoti Bhadra, Timothy C. Golden
  • Patent number: 11926906
    Abstract: A process for producing compressed hydrogen gas, said process comprising electrolysing water to produce hydrogen gas and compressing said hydrogen gas in a multistage compression system to produce compressed hydrogen gas. The multistage compression system comprises at least one centrifugal compression stage, and the hydrogen gas is fed to the centrifugal compression stage at a pre-determined feed temperature and pressure and having a pre-determined relative humidity. The process further comprises adding water and heat to the hydrogen gas upstream of the centrifugal compression stage, as required, to humidify the hydrogen gas to the pre-determined relative humidity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: AIR PRODUCTS AND CHEMICALS, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph Gerard Wehrman, Paul Higginbotham, Vincent White
  • Publication number: 20240001282
    Abstract: A method and system for purifying a carbon dioxide feed stream in which the carbon dioxide feed stream is cooled and partially condensed to remove water upstream of an adsorber to produce a dry carbon dioxide stream. The dry carbon dioxide stream is further cooled and partially condensed in a carbon dioxide purification unit to form a carbon dioxide product stream. Excess refrigeration duty from the carbon dioxide purification unit is used to cool the carbon dioxide feed stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2022
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Higginbotham, Dingjun Wu, Gowri Krishnamurthy, Todd M. Moyle, Michelle Roaf, Mozhgan Alimohammadi Zanjani
  • Publication number: 20240001283
    Abstract: A method for capturing carbon dioxide from a carbon dioxide feed stream in which the carbon dioxide feed stream is dehydrated, cooled, and partially condensed. The partially condensed carbon dioxide stream is separated to form the carbon dioxide product stream. The carbon dioxide feed stream is produced by combusting a fuel stream with an oxygen-enriched gas stream with less than 92% purity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2022
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd M. Moyle, Paul Higginbotham, Dingjun Wu, Gowri Krishnamurthy, Michelle Roaf, Christer Haugland
  • Publication number: 20240001288
    Abstract: Sulfur-containing compounds are removed from crude CO2 by conversion to elemental sulfur in a Claus process and subsequently by hydrogenation of the Claus tail gas to convert residual sulfur-containing compounds into H2S which, after cooling to knock out water and then compressing, is removed, together with any other sulfur-containing impurities, either by physical separation or by chemical reaction with a solid metal oxide to form solid metal sulfide with subsequent oxidative regeneration to produce purified CO2 and a recycle gas comprising at least one sulfur-containing compound which is recycled to the Claus process. Some H2S in the Claus tail gas may be removed initially by selective and/or non-selective amine absorption(s) in a tail gas treatment unit prior to removal of residual H2S and any other residual sulfur-containing impurities by the physical separation or the chemical reaction steps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2022
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Kamlesh Ghodasara, Paul Higginbotham, Jeffrey R. Hufton, Shubhra Jyoti Bhadra, Maulik R. Shelat
  • Patent number: 11773873
    Abstract: A process for producing compressed hydrogen gas including: electrolysing water to produce hydrogen gas, and compressing the hydrogen gas in a multistage compression system including: a centrifugal compression stage and a recycle system for recycling a portion of the hydrogen gas from a product end to a feed end of the centrifugal compression stage; wherein hydrogen gas feed is fed to the feed end at a pre-determined feed temperature and pressure and mole fraction of water; wherein a portion of the hydrogen gas is removed from the product end, reduced in pressure in the recycle system to the pre-determined feed pressure and is then recycled to form at least part of the hydrogen gas feed to the centrifugal compression stage; and further including cooling hydrogen gas comprising the reduced pressure hydrogen gas such that the water mole fraction in the hydrogen gas feed is at the pre-determined water mole fraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: AIR PRODUCTS AND CHEMICALS, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph Gerard Wehrman, Paul Higginbotham, Vincent White
  • Publication number: 20230249970
    Abstract: A hydrogen feed stream comprising one or more impurities selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, argon, methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and water, is contacted with liquid hydrogen in a cryogenic wash column (CWC) process that produces pure hydrogen with high overall recovery. The waste liquid stream leaving the CWC may be used to improve the performance of upstream hydrogen processing steps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Kamlesh Ghodasara, Maulik R. Shelat, Paul Higginbotham, Shubhra Jyoti Bhadra, Timothy C. Golden
  • Publication number: 20230242395
    Abstract: Recovery of hydrogen from an ammonia cracking process in which the cracked gas is purified in a PSA device is improved by using a membrane separator on the PSA tail gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2021
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Shaw, Vincent White, Edward Landis Weist, Jr., Paul Higginbotham, Donald E Henry
  • Publication number: 20230175773
    Abstract: Hydrogen is liquefied through a process utilizing refrigeration from hydrogen at one, two, or three different pressures as well as a nitrogen refrigeration cycle. One or more stages of catalyst are used to convert ortho-hydrogen to para-hydrogen as the hydrogen is cooled and liquefied. Subcooled liquid hydrogen feeds the final stage of ortho-hydrogen to para-hydrogen conversion to reduce or eliminate vaporization of the hydrogen during the exothermic ortho-hydrogen to para-hydrogen conversion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Higginbotham, John H. Petrik, Christopher F. Harris
  • Patent number: 11453950
    Abstract: A method for supplying hydrogen gas for consumption in at least one downstream process, the method comprising: electrolysing water to provide hydrogen gas; compressing the hydrogen gas in a multistage compression system to provide compressed hydrogen gas; and feeding at least a portion of the compressed hydrogen gas to the downstream process(es); wherein the multistage compression system comprises at least one centrifugal compression stage; wherein the hydrogen gas is dosed with nitrogen gas upstream of the centrifugal compression stage(s); and wherein the nitrogen gas is present in the compressed hydrogen gas when fed to the downstream process(es).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Gerard Wehrman, Paul Higginbotham, Vincent White
  • Publication number: 20220290310
    Abstract: A method for supplying hydrogen gas for consumption in at least one downstream process, the method comprising: electrolysing water to provide hydrogen gas; compressing the hydrogen gas in a multistage compression system to provide compressed hydrogen gas; and feeding at least a portion of the compressed hydrogen gas to the downstream process(es); wherein the multistage compression system comprises at least one centrifugal compression stage; wherein the hydrogen gas is dosed with nitrogen gas upstream of the centrifugal compression stage(s); and wherein the nitrogen gas is present in the compressed hydrogen gas when fed to the downstream process(es).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Gerard Wehrman, Paul Higginbotham, Vincent White
  • Publication number: 20220290309
    Abstract: A process for producing compressed hydrogen gas, said process comprising electrolysing water to produce hydrogen gas and compressing said hydrogen gas in a multistage compression system to produce compressed hydrogen gas. The multistage compression system comprises at least one centrifugal compression stage, and the hydrogen gas is fed to the centrifugal compression stage at a pre-determined feed temperature and pressure and having a pre-determined relative humidity. The process further comprises adding water and heat to the hydrogen gas upstream of the centrifugal compression stage, as required, to humidify the hydrogen gas to the pre-determined relative humidity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Gerard Wehrman, Paul Higginbotham, Vincent White
  • Publication number: 20220290691
    Abstract: A process for producing compressed hydrogen gas including: electrolysing water to produce hydrogen gas, and compressing the hydrogen gas in a multistage compression system including: a centrifugal compression stage and a recycle system for recycling a portion of the hydrogen gas from a product end to a feed end of the centrifugal compression stage; wherein hydrogen gas feed is fed to the feed end at a pre-determined feed temperature and pressure and mole fraction of water; wherein a portion of the hydrogen gas is removed from the product end, reduced in pressure in the recycle system to the pre-determined feed pressure and is then recycled to form at least part of the hydrogen gas feed to the centrifugal compression stage; and further including cooling hydrogen gas comprising the reduced pressure hydrogen gas such that the water mole fraction in the hydrogen gas feed is at the pre-determined water mole fraction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Gerard Wehrman, Paul Higginbotham, Vincent White
  • Patent number: 11353261
    Abstract: Light gases such as helium are extracted from a carbon dioxide-containing feed stream by distillation. Costly dehydration steps are avoided by pumping the liquid bottoms stream leaving the distillation column without vaporization so as to ensure that any water present in the feed remains in solution with the bulk stream leaving the process. This prevents any liquid phase water causing corrosion or solid ice or hydrates forming to plug the flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Higginbotham, John Eugene Palamara, Cory E. Sanderson, John H. Petrik
  • Publication number: 20220033983
    Abstract: Hydrogen is produced by electrolysis of water using electricity generated from a renewable energy source such as wind and/or solar radiation, compressed in a multistage compression system and consumed in at least one downstream process. Supply of hydrogen to the downstream process(es) fluctuates with demand and/or the availability of the renewable energy source. In order to accommodate such fluctuations, excess hydrogen is stored during periods when production of hydrogen exceeds that required by the downstream process(es) so that, during periods when demand exceeds production, hydrogen is removed from storage and, after suitable pressure reduction, fed to the downstream process(es) via a stage of the multistage compression system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Higginbotham, Vince White
  • Publication number: 20210131727
    Abstract: Light gases such as helium are extacted from a carbon dioxide-containing feed stream by distillation. Costly dehydration steps are avoided by pumping the liquid bottoms stream leaving the distillation column without vaporization so as to ensure that any water present in the feed remains in solution with the bulk stream leaving the process. This prevents any liquid phase water causing corrosion or solid ice or hydrates forming to plug the flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Higginbotham, John Eugene Palamara, Cory E. Sanderson, John H. Petrik
  • Patent number: 10962283
    Abstract: A helium-containing stream is recovered from a natural gas feed using a membrane followed by multiple distillation steps. Refrigeration is provided by expanding a bottoms liquid with a higher nitrogen content than the feed, achieving a lower temperature in the process. The helium-enriched vapor is then purified and the helium-containing waste stream is recycled to maximize recovery and reduce the number of compressors needed. The helium-depleted natural gas stream can be returned at pressure for utilization or transportation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Vincent White, Paul Higginbotham, Jason Michael Ploeger