Patents by Inventor Robert J. Colby

Robert J. Colby 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: 20230137305
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a porous liquid or a porous liquid enzyme system that includes a high surface area solid and a liquid film substantially covering the high surface area solid. The porous liquid or porous liquid enzyme may be contacted with a fluid that is immiscible with the liquid film such that a liquid-fluid interface is formed. The liquid film may facilitate mass transfer of a substance or substrate across the liquid-fluid interface. The present disclosure also provides methods of performing liquid-based extractions and enzymatic reactions utilizing the porous liquid or porous liquid enzyme of the present disclosure. The present disclosure also provides methods for selecting the components of the porous liquid or a porous liquid enzyme system and methods of self-replenishing the used liquid coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2022
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Ning Ma, Mohsen S. Yeganeh, Robert J. Colby, Qiuzi Li, Matthew S. Ide
  • Patent number: 11590447
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a porous liquid or a porous liquid enzyme that includes a high surface area solid and a liquid film substantially covering the high surface area solid. The porous liquid or porous liquid enzyme may be contacted with a fluid that is immiscible with the liquid film such that a liquid-fluid interface is formed. The liquid film may facilitate mass transfer of a substance or substrate across the liquid-fluid interface. The present disclosure also provides methods of performing liquid-based extractions and enzymatic reactions utilizing the porous liquid or porous liquid enzyme of the present disclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Exxon Mobil Technology and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Mohsen S. Yeganeh, Pavel Kortunov, P. Scott Northrop, Xiaozhou Zhang, Giovanni Pilloni, Ning Ma, Robert J. Colby, Qiuzi Li, Zarath M. Summers, Matthew S. Ide
  • Publication number: 20220411687
    Abstract: A structure for use as a liquid impregnated surface (LIS) can include a surface configured to interact with a liquid to retain the liquid to the surface. The liquid can be a low viscosity hydrocarbon. In certain embodiments, the low viscosity hydrocarbon can be polyalphaolefin (PAO) or heptane, for example. Any other suitable low viscosity hydrocarbon is contemplated herein. In certain embodiments, the structure can further include the low viscosity hydrocarbon disposed on the surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Qiuzi Li, Robert J. Colby, Mohsen S. Yeganeh, Mark A. King
  • Publication number: 20220340798
    Abstract: A frozen material prevention system for preventing a freezable material in a fluid flow from freezing and accumulating frozen material in a flow path, including, a surface configured to interact with a freezable-material-miscible (FMM) liquid to retain the FMM liquid to the surface. The system can include the FMM liquid. The FMM liquid can be configured to absorb the freezable material to prevent freezing and accumulation of frozen material on the surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Inventors: Mohsen S. Yeganeh, Robert J. Colby, Mark A. KIng, Abhimanyu O. Patil, Satish Bodige
  • Patent number: 11215148
    Abstract: A power system comprises an engine configured to combust an air/fuel mixture and produce a flow of exhaust gas; an exhaust passageway fluidly connected to the engine to receive the flow of exhaust gas; an exhaust gas recirculation loop fluidly connecting the exhaust passageway to a fuel intake for the engine; a first conversion zone containing a fuel reforming catalyst located within the exhaust gas recirculation loop; and a second conversion zone located within the exhaust gas recirculation loop separate from and downstream of the first conversion zone stream, the second conversion zone containing a fuel cracking catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Shamel Merchant, Eugine Choi, Walter Weissman, Tilman W. Beutel, John F. Brody, Gerardo Majano, Karl G. Strohmaier, Brian Weiss, Robert J. Colby, Makoto Koike, Hiroshi Miyagawa, Seiji Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10717069
    Abstract: Zn-promoted and/or Ga-promoted cracking catalysts, such as cracking catalysts comprising an MSE framework zeolite or an MFI framework zeolite can provide unexpectedly superior conversion of branched paraffins when used as part of a catalyst during reforming of a hydrocarbon fuel stream. The conversion and reforming of the hydrocarbon fuel stream can occur, for example, in an internal combustion engine. The conversion and reforming can allow for formation of higher octane compounds from the branched paraffins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Brian M. Weiss, Gerardo J. Majano, Tilman W. Beutel, Karl G. Strohmaier, John F. Brody, Samia Ilias, Scott J. Weigel, Shamel Merchant, Eugine Choi, Robert J. Colby, Walter Weissman
  • Publication number: 20200147543
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a porous liquid or a porous liquid enzyme system that includes a high surface area solid and a liquid film substantially covering the high surface area solid. The porous liquid or porous liquid enzyme may be contacted with a fluid that is immiscible with the liquid film such that a liquid-fluid interface is formed. The liquid film may facilitate mass transfer of a substance or substrate across the liquid-fluid interface. The present disclosure also provides methods of performing liquid-based extractions and enzymatic reactions utilizing the porous liquid or porous liquid enzyme of the present disclosure. The present disclosure also provides methods for selecting the components of the porous liquid or a porous liquid enzyme system and methods of self-replenishing the used liquid coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Ning Ma, Mohsen S. Yeganeh, Robert J. Colby, Qiuzi Li, Matthew S. Ide
  • Publication number: 20200147545
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a porous liquid or a porous liquid enzyme that includes a high surface area solid and a liquid film substantially covering the high surface area solid. The porous liquid or porous liquid enzyme may be contacted with a fluid that is immiscible with the liquid film such that a liquid-fluid interface is formed. The liquid film may facilitate mass transfer of a substance or substrate across the liquid-fluid interface. The present disclosure also provides methods of performing liquid-based extractions and enzymatic reactions utilizing the porous liquid or porous liquid enzyme of the present disclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Mohsen S. Yeganeh, Pavel Kortunov, P. Scott Northrop, Xiaozhou Zhang, Giovanni Pilloni, Ning Ma, Robert J. Colby, Qiuzi Li, Zarath M. Summers, Matthew S. Ide
  • Publication number: 20200018268
    Abstract: A power system comprises an engine configured to combust an air/fuel mixture and produce a flow of exhaust gas; an exhaust passageway fluidly connected to the engine to receive the flow of exhaust gas; an exhaust gas recirculation loop fluidly connecting the exhaust passageway to a fuel intake for the engine; a first conversion zone containing a fuel reforming catalyst located within the exhaust gas recirculation loop; and a second conversion zone located within the exhaust gas recirculation loop separate from and downstream of the first conversion zone stream, the second conversion zone containing a fuel cracking catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Inventors: Shamel Merchant, Eugine Choi, Walter Weissman, Tilman W. Beutel, John F. Brody, Gerardo Majano, Karl G. Strohmaier, Brian Weiss, Robert J. Colby, Makoto Koike, Hiroshi Miyagawa, Seiji Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20180178248
    Abstract: Described herein are methods of manipulating/tailoring wettability of liquids on physically/chemically modified surfaces under multiphase conditions (i.e. >1 liquid contacting surface). In particular, methods of modifying or tuning the wettability of a surface in multiphase conditions could decelerate corrosion, modify drag in a pipe, and/or enable separation of a two-phase liquid system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Inventors: Srinivasan RAJAGOPALAN, Ning MA, Qiuzi LI, Robert J. COLBY, George E. JEZEK, Jonathan PITA
  • Publication number: 20180178249
    Abstract: Described herein is an integrated approach towards design of surfaces for stable wettability regimes with various liquids. The approach comprises a designing component used to calculate stable thermodynamic configurations associated with different wettability states, and an experimental component that allows for manufacturing of different surfaces with re-entrant texture features as calculated by the modeling approach.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Inventors: Ning MA, Qiuzi LI, Robert J. COLBY, Srinivasan RAJAGOPALAN
  • Publication number: 20180169623
    Abstract: Zn-promoted and/or Ga-promoted cracking catalysts, such as cracking catalysts comprising an MSE framework zeolite or an MFI framework zeolite can provide unexpectedly superior conversion of branched paraffins when used as part of a catalyst during reforming of a hydrocarbon fuel stream. The conversion and reforming of the hydrocarbon fuel stream can occur, for example, in an internal combustion engine. The conversion and reforming can allow for formation of higher octane compounds from the branched paraffins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Brian M. Weiss, Gerardo J. Majano, Tilman W. Beutel, Karl G. Strohmaier, John F. Brody, Samia Ilias, Scott J. Weigel, Shamel Merchant, Eugine Choi, Robert J. Colby, Walter Weissman