Patents by Inventor Robert Klein Nagelvoort

Robert Klein Nagelvoort 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: 7947121
    Abstract: A method for receiving fluid from a natural gas pipeline, the fluid comprising gaseous hydrocarbons, liquid hydrocarbons, water and optionally solids, the method comprising: (a) in a slug catcher (10), receiving the fluid comprising gaseous hydrocarbons, liquid hydrocarbons, water and optionally solids from at least one pipeline (20a, 20b, 20c) (b) in the slug catcher (10), separating at least a portion of the gaseous hydrocarbons from the rest of the fluid to leave a liquid mixture or a liquid/solid mixture; (c) directing at least a portion of the liquid mixture or liquid/solid mixture to a separation vessel (14), preferably a three-phase separation vessel; and (d) in the event of a surge of liquids and optionally solids to the slug catcher (10), directing at least a portion of the liquid mixture or the liquid/solid mixture from the slug catcher (10) to a surge vessel (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Eduard Coenraad Bras, Cornelis Buijs, Jill Hui Chiun Chieng, Robert Klein Nagelvoort
  • Publication number: 20100011808
    Abstract: Method of liquefying a hydrocarbon stream such as natural gas from a feed stream (10), the method at least comprising the steps of: (a) circulating a first refrigerant stream (70) in a first refrigerant circuit (110); (b) cooling the first refrigerant stream (70) in one or more heat exchangers (14) of a first cooling stage (100) to provide a cooled first refrigerant stream (20); (c) passing at least part of the cooled first refrigerant stream (20) through one or more expanders to provide one or more expanded cooled first refrigerant streams (30); (d) passing the or at least one of the expanded cooled first refrigerant streams (30) and the feed stream (10) through the first one or more heat exchangers (14) to provide a cooled hydrocarbon stream (40); (e) passing the cooled hydrocarbon stream (40) through a second cooling stage (200) against a second refrigerant stream (50) to provide a liquefied hydrocarbon stream (60); wherein at least one expander is an expansion turbine (12) whose work energy created in ste
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2007
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Inventors: Marco Dick Jager, Robert Klein Nagelvoort
  • Publication number: 20090282862
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for cooling two or more liquefied hydrocarbon streams. First (30) and second (30a) liquefied hydrocarbon streams are provided and combined thereby providing a combined liquefied hydrocarbon stream (40). The combined liquefied hydrocarbon stream (40) is further cooled against a refrigerant thereby providing a further cooled liquefied hydrocarbon stream (50) such as liquefied natural gas (LNG).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Inventors: Francois Chantant, Jolinde Machteld Van De Graaf, Marco Dick Jager, Sander Kaart, Robert Klein Nagelvoort
  • Publication number: 20090133578
    Abstract: A method for receiving fluid from a natural gas pipeline, the fluid comprising gaseous hydrocarbons, liquid hydrocarbons, water and optionally solids, the method comprising: (a) in a slug catcher (10), receiving the fluid comprising gaseous hydrocarbons, liquid hydrocarbons, water and optionally solids from at least one pipeline (20a, 20b, 20c) (b) in the slug catcher (10), separating at least a portion of the gaseous hydrocarbons from the rest of the fluid to leave a liquid mixture or a liquid/solid mixture; (c) directing at least a portion of the liquid mixture or liquid/solid mixture to a separation vessel (14), preferably a three-phase separation vessel; and (d) in the event of a surge of liquids and optionally solids to the slug catcher (10), directing at least a portion of the liquid mixture or the liquid/solid mixture from the slug catcher (10) to a surge vessel (12).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2006
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Inventors: Eduard Coenraad Bras, Cornelis Buijs, Jill Hui Chiun Chieng, Robert Klein Nagelvoort
  • Publication number: 20080289360
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a refrigerant circuit (1), in particular for use in a liquefaction plant, the refrigerant circuit (1) at least comprising: —a refrigerator (2) having an inlet (21) for refrigerant (10) at a refrigeration pressure, and at least five outlets (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, . . . ) for evaporated refrigerant (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, . . . ) evaporated at different pressure levels, the at least five outlets (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, . . . ) being preferably intended for refrigerants evaporated at increasing pressures from the first outlet (22) to the fifth (26) and optional higher outlets; —a first compressor (3) having one or more inlets for receiving evaporated refrigerant from the refrigerator and an outlet (34) that can be connected to the inlet (21) of the refrigerator (2); and—a second compressor (4) having one or more inlets for receiving evaporated refrigerant from the refrigerator and an outlet (44) that can be connected to the inlet (21) of the refrigerator (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Inventors: Sander Kaart, Robert Klein Nagelvoort
  • Patent number: 7451618
    Abstract: A process for the preparation of liquid hydrocarbons from a light hydrocarbonaceous feedstock in combination with a process for liquefying natural gas, which liquefaction process involves the steps of (a) passing the natural gas at liquefaction pressure through the product side of a main heat exchanger; (b) introducing cooled liquefied refrigerant at refrigerant pressure in the cold side of the main heat exchanger, allowing the cooled refrigerant to evaporate at the refrigerant pressure in the cold side of the main heat exchanger to obtain vaporous refrigerant at refrigerant pressure, and removing vaporous refrigerant from the cold side of the main heat exchanger; (c) removing the liquefied gas at liquefaction pressure from the product side of the main heat exchanger; (d) allowing the cooled liquefied gas to expand to a lower pressure to obtain expanded fluid; (e) supplying the expanded fluid to a separator vessel; (f) withdrawing from the bottom of the separator vessel a liquid product stream; (g) withdrawi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Joachim Ansorge, Robert Klein Nagelvoort, Adrianus Reinier Punt, Roy Widjaja
  • Publication number: 20080156036
    Abstract: Plant and method for liquefying natural gas. The plant comprises a common pre-cooling heat exchanger train (1), two natural gas liquids extraction units (100, 100?) and two main heat exchangers (200, 200?) to cool the overhead light fraction from its corresponding natural gas liquids extraction unit to liquefaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2006
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventors: Cornelis Buijs, Robert Klein Nagelvoort
  • Publication number: 20080066492
    Abstract: Method of treating liquefied natural gas (1) to obtain a liquid stream (21) having a reduced content of components having low boiling points comprising expanding (3) the liquefied gas to expand to obtain expanded two-phase fluid; introducing the two-phase fluid into a column (10) below a gas-liquid contacting section (14); withdrawing from the bottom (16) a liquid-stream (17) having a reduced content of components having low boiling points; withdrawing from the top (23) of the column (10) a gaseous stream (25) enriched in components having low boiling points; heating the gaseous stream in a heat exchanger (27); compressing (30) the stream to fuel gas pressure to obtain fuel gas (33); separating a recycle stream (34a) from the fuel gas; at least partly condensing (27) the recycle stream to obtain a reflux stream (34b); and introducing the reflux stream (34b) into the column (10) above the contacting section (14).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2005
    Publication date: March 20, 2008
    Inventors: Cornelis Buijs, Robert Klein Nagelvoort, Johan Pek
  • Publication number: 20050020434
    Abstract: A process for the preparation of liquid hydrocarbons from a light hydrocarbonaceous feedstock in combination with a process for liquefying natural gas, which liquefaction process involves the steps of (a) passing the natural gas at liquefaction pressure through the product side of a main heat exchanger; (b) introducing cooled liquefied refrigerant at refrigerant pressure in the cold side of the main heat exchanger, allowing the cooled refrigerant to evaporate at the refrigerant pressure in the cold side of the main heat exchanger to obtain vaporous refrigerant at refrigerant pressure, and removing vaporous refrigerant from the cold side of the main heat exchanger; (c) removing the liquefied gas at liquefaction pressure from the product side of the main heat exchanger; (d) allowing the cooled liquefied gas to expand to a lower pressure to obtain expanded fluid; (e) supplying the expanded fluid to a separator vessel; (f) withdrawing from the bottom of the separator vessel a liquid product stream; (g) withdrawin
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2002
    Publication date: January 27, 2005
    Inventors: Joachi Ansorge, Robert Klein Nagelvoort, Adrianus Punt, Roy Widjaja
  • Patent number: 6370910
    Abstract: Liquefying a stream enriched in methane comprising a) supplying a natural gas stream to scrub column, removing in the scrub column heavier hydrocarbons from the natural gas stream to obtain a gaseous overhead stream withdrawn from the top of the scrub column, partly condensing the gaseous overhead stream and removing from it a condensate stream, which is returned to the upper part of the scrub column as reflux; b) liquefying the stream enriched in methane in a tube arranged in a main heat exchanger by indirect heat exchange with a multicomponent refrigerant evaporating at low refrigerant withdrawn from the shell side of the main heat exchanger and partly condensing it at an elevated refrigerant pressure, and c) compressing the multicomponent refrigerant pressure in a tube arranged in an auxiliary heat exchanger by indirect heat exchange with an auxiliary multicomponent refrigerant evaporating at low auxiliary refrigerant pressure to obtain multicomponent refrigerant for use in step b), wherein partly condensi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Hendrik Frans Grootjans, Robert Klein Nagelvoort, Kornelis Jan Vink
  • Patent number: 6014869
    Abstract: Method of reducing the amount of components having low boiling points in liquefied natural gas comprising passing the liquefied natural gas at liquefaction pressure through the hot side of an external heat exchanger to obtain cooled liquefied natural gas, allowing the cooled liquefied natural gas to expand dynamically to an intermediate pressure and statically to a low pressure to obtain expanded fluid, and introducing expanded fluid into the upper part of a fractionation column provided with a contacting section arranged between the upper part and the lower part of the fractionation column; passing a direct side stream at low pressure through the cold side of the external heat exchanger to obtain heated two-phase fluid; introducing the heated two-phase fluid into the lower part of the fractionation column and allowing the vapor to flow upwards through the contacting section; allowing the liquid of the expanded fluid to flow downwards through the contacting section; and withdrawing from the lower part of the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2000
    Assignee: Shell Research Limited
    Inventors: Wiveka Jacoba Elion, Robert Klein Nagelvoort, Jan Kornelis Vink
  • Patent number: 5960644
    Abstract: A method is provided for removing carbon dioxide, ethane and heavier components from high pressure natural gas (10) comprises: partly condensing and expanding the high pressure natural gas (10) to obtain a gaseous stream (30) enriched in methane and carbon dioxide and two liquid streams (37 and 40) enriched in ethane and heavier components which are introduced into fractionation column (35); removing from fractionation column (35) fluid stream (45), heating (46) the fluid stream to obtain a reboiling stream (47) which is introduced into the fractionation column (35); removing from fractionation column (35) liquid stream (50) enriched in carbon dioxide, ethane and heavier components; removing from the top of fractionation column (35) a gaseous overhead stream (55) enriched in methane; cooling (56) the gaseous overhead stream (55) to obtain a two-phase fluid, separating (58) the two-phase fluid into cooled gaseous overhead stream (60) and first reflux stream (62) which is introduced into the fractionation colum
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Robert Klein Nagelvoort, Gary Alan Robertson
  • Patent number: 5893274
    Abstract: A method is provided to liquefy and treat natural gas containing components having low boiling points, the method includes: liquefying natural gas in a main heat exchanger; cooling the liquefied gas in an external heat exchanger; allowing the cooled liquefied gas to expand dynamically; introducing the expanded fluid in the upper part of a fractionation column; allowing the liquid of the expanded fluid to flow downwards thorough contacting section; withdrawing a liquid recycle stream which is passed through the heat exchanger to obtain a heated two-phase fluid; introducing the two-phase fluid in fractionation column, and allowing the vapour to flow through the contacting section; collecting the liquid of the two-phase fluid in the lower part of the fractionation column; and withdrawing therefrom a liquid product stream having a reduced content of components having low boiling points; and withdrawing from the fractionation column a gaseous stream which is enriched in components having low boiling points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1999
    Assignee: Shell Research Limited
    Inventors: Robert Klein Nagelvoort, Kornelis Jan Vink
  • Patent number: 5832745
    Abstract: Method of cooling a fluid stream which passes through a hot side (Id, Ib, Ic) of a main heat exchanger (I) comprising removing refrigerant from the main heat exchanger (I); compressing refrigerant in a two-stage compressor unit (7) to obtain refrigerant at high pressure; partly condensing (12) the refrigerant to obtain a first two-phase fluid, and separating (13) the first two-phase fluid into a first condensed fraction (15) and a first gaseous fraction (16); cooling the first condensed fraction (15) in an auxiliary heat exchanger (2) to obtain a cooled first condensed fraction (18), cooling the first gaseous fraction (16) in the auxiliary heat exchanger (2) to obtain a second two-phase fluid (26), wherein cooling is provided by liquid evaporating at intermediate pressure in the cold side (2a); separating (28) the second two-phase fluid into a second condensed fraction (33) and a second gaseous fraction (32); allowing part of the second condensed fraction (49) to evaporate in the cold side (2a) of the auxilia
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Robert Klein Nagelvoort, Kornelis Jan Vink, Hilary Ann Mercer