Patents by Inventor Ravi Ravikumar

Ravi Ravikumar 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: 20160024401
    Abstract: A crude oil processing plant that comprises a Fischer-Tropsch reactor is disclosed. The crude oil processing plant comprises a crude oil processing section and a hydrogen production section. The hydrogen production section is coupled to a hydrocracker in the crude oil processing section to deliver a high purity hydrogen stream. The Fischer-Tropsch reactor receives a syngas stream from the hydrogen production section and produces a hydrocarbon stream. When light crude oil is processed, the hydrocracker typically has excess capacities to upgrade the hydrocarbon stream from the Fischer-Tropsch reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventors: Ravi Ravikumar, Paul E. Koppel, Sanjiv Dabee, Johnathon Zychowicz
  • Publication number: 20150361015
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating higher alcohols from synthesis gas produced from carbonaceous materials are described, which can include a reactor configured to produce an alcohol stream and CO2 from a syngas feed. The alcohol stream can be separated in one or more downstream separators to produce a net reactor product and a methanol stream that can recycled into the reactor. The net reactor product preferably comprises higher-order alcohols such as ethanol, propanol, and butanol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Inventors: Ravi Ravikumar, Denny Li
  • Patent number: 9181095
    Abstract: Systems and methods for pre-treatment of acid gas are presented in which ammonium is removed from the acid gas in an absorber that is operated at significantly elevated temperature using dilute phosphoric acid. While seemingly incompatible, absorbing ammonia at high heat in the absorber will allow for production of a diammonium phosphate product that is ultra-low in residual sulfurous compounds and prevent crystallization of phosphate salts due to the increased solubility of the salts in the hot diluted solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Ravi Ravikumar, Paul M. Mathias, Paul E. Koppel, Sanjiv Dabee
  • Patent number: 9149739
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating higher alcohols from synthesis gas produced from carbonaceous materials are described, which can include a reactor configured to produce an alcohol stream and CO2 from a syngas feed. The alcohol stream can be separated in one or more downstream separators to produce a net reactor product and a methanol stream that can recycled into the reactor. The net reactor product preferably comprises higher-order alcohols such as ethanol, propanol, and butanol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Fluor Technologies Coporation
    Inventors: Ravi Ravikumar, Denny Li
  • Publication number: 20150014590
    Abstract: Systems and methods for pre-treatment of acid gas are presented in which ammonium is removed from the acid gas in an absorber that is operated at significantly elevated temperature using dilute phosphoric acid. While seemingly incompatible, absorbing ammonia at high heat in the absorber will allow for production of a diammonium phosphate product that is ultra-low in residual sulfurous compounds and prevent crystallization of phosphate salts due to the increased solubility of the salts in the hot diluted solvent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Ravi Ravikumar, Paul M. Mathias, Paul E. Koppel, Sanjiv Dabee
  • Patent number: 8629188
    Abstract: Configurations, systems, and methods for a gas-to-liquids plant are presented in which the energy demand for natural gas reformation is provided at least in part by biomass gasification to reduce or eliminate net carbon emissions. Preferred plants, systems, and methods may recycle various process streams to further reduce water demand, improve the hydrogen/carbon ratio of a feed stream to a Fischer-Tropsch process, and recover and/or recycle carbon dioxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Ravi Ravikumar, Brian DeSousa
  • Publication number: 20130319225
    Abstract: A sulfuric acid production plant has a discontinuously operating back-up absorber to allow for sulfur emission control in situations where part of or even the entire sulfuric acid production plant is shut down, inoperable, or otherwise compromised. The back-up absorber receives lean solvent from a storage tank that is configured such that continuous operation of the back-up absorber is possible for several hours.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Inventors: Ravi Ravikumar, Bazata Richard
  • Publication number: 20130310469
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating higher alcohols from synthesis gas produced from carbonaceous materials are described, which can include a reactor configured to produce an alcohol stream and CO2 from a syngas feed. The alcohol stream can be separated in one or more downstream separators to produce a net reactor product and a methanol stream that can recycled into the reactor. The net reactor product preferably comprises higher-order alcohols such as ethanol, propanol, and butanol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: FLUOR TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ravi Ravikumar, Denny Li
  • Patent number: 7879135
    Abstract: Contemplated plants include an acid gas enrichment unit in which acid gas unsuitable for feeding into a Claus plant from an upstream acid gas removal unit is separated into a concentrated hydrogen sulfide stream that is fed to the Claus plant and a carbon dioxide stream that is compressed in a compressor before sequestration, further purification, and/or recycling to a gasification unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Ravi Ravikumar, Gordon Sims, Harold Sandler
  • Publication number: 20090304574
    Abstract: Configurations and methods are contemplated in which an automobile filing station receives liquid ammonia and in which hydrogen is produced by catalytic cracking. The so produced hydrogen is then compressed and fed to a filling dock. Preferably, contemplated stations will include a polishing unit in which undissociated ammonia is removed and fed back to the ammonia storage tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: FLUOR TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ravi Ravikumar
  • Patent number: 7597743
    Abstract: A plant includes an adsorber in which a metal is plated onto a non-metallic sacrificial materials from a metal carbonyl at a predetermined temperature. Particularly preferred adsorbers include two sections, wherein a first metal (e.g., nickel) is plated onto graphite in the first section, and wherein a second metal (e.g., iron) is plated onto graphite in the second section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Ravi Ravikumar
  • Publication number: 20090247653
    Abstract: SNG plants according to the inventive subject matter include one or more methanation reactors that produce a primary methanation product that is cooled to a temperature sufficient to condense water, which is removed in a separator. So produced dried methanation product is then split to provide a reflux stream to the methanation reactors and a feed stream to an adiabatic trim reactor. Most preferably, the plant comprises at least two methanation reactors that are operated in series, wherein the first reactor receives the recycle stream and wherein the second reactor receives a portion of the first methanation reactor effluent and a portion of the first methanation reactor feed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2007
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: FLUOR TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ravi Ravikumar, Giorgio Sabbadini
  • Patent number: 7569096
    Abstract: A plant (100) includes a gas turbine (110) that receives a feed gas (130), wherein a metal plates from a metal carbonyl contained in the feed gas onto a sacrificial metal (152A) in an adsorber (150A), and wherein the feed gas in the adsorber has a temperature sufficient for plating the metal onto the sacrificial metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Ravi Ravikumar
  • Publication number: 20090092524
    Abstract: Contemplated plants include an acid gas enrichment unit in which acid gas unsuitable for feeding into a Claus plant from an upstream acid gas removal unit is separated into a concentrated hydrogen sulfide stream that is fed to the Claus plant and a carbon dioxide stream that is compressed in a compressor before sequestration, further purification, and/or recycling to a gasification unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2006
    Publication date: April 9, 2009
    Applicant: FLUOR TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ravi Ravikumar, Gordon Sims, Harold Sandler
  • Publication number: 20080102009
    Abstract: A plant includes an adsorber in which a metal is plated onto a non-metallic sacrificial materials from a metal carbonyl at a predetermined temperature. Particularly preferred adsorbers include two sections, wherein a first metal (e.g., nickel) is plated onto graphite in the first section, and wherein a second metal (e.g., iron) is plated onto graphite in the second section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2004
    Publication date: May 1, 2008
    Inventor: Ravi Ravikumar
  • Publication number: 20070036703
    Abstract: A plant (100) includes a gas turbine (110) that receives a feed gas (130), wherein a metal plates from a metal carbonyl contained in the feed gas onto a sacrificial metal (152A) in an adsorber (150A), and wherein the feed gas in the adsorber has a temperature sufficient for plating the metal onto the sacrificial metal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2003
    Publication date: February 15, 2007
    Inventor: Ravi Ravikumar
  • Patent number: 6551380
    Abstract: A gas separation apparatus and process has a first pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit (110) receiving feed gas (112), which comprises a first and a second component. First PSA unit (110) produces first product gas (114) pre-dominantly containing the first component, and first off gas (116) containing at least some of the first component and second component. Compressor (120) is coupled to first PSA unit (110) to compress first off gas (116) to form compressed off gas (126), which is passed downstream to absorber unit (130), which employs a solvent to remove at least part of the second component from compressed off gas (126), forming an enriched compressed off gas (136B). Second PSA unit (140) receives enriched compressed off gas (136B) and produces second product gas (142) which predominantly contains the first component and a second off gas that is sent to waste or reformer burner (150).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Fluor Corporation
    Inventors: Satish Reddy, Ravi Ravikumar