Patents by Inventor Robert L. Irvine

Robert L. Irvine 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: 20020153309
    Abstract: A continuous adsorption facility is used to purify a liquid stream that contains impurities. A solid adsorbent is used having a special affinity for the impurities over the desired components in the liquid feed. An adsorber is constructed, employing gravity for the transfer of adsorbent between stages with a series of stages each having fluidized beds with limited bed expansion characteristics where the solid adsorbent countercurrent- contacts the upwardly flowing fresh feed introduced at the base. The adsorbent is regenerated with return of most of the desired components from the porous solids becoming part of the adsorber-treated product. Impurities are further removed during regeneration and disposed of separately. Using a novel regeneration arrangement, the reactivating gas may be reduced to below 5% of prior requirements. Capital investment and operating costs economically afford ultra-low sulfur clean gasoline meeting standards imposed by auto manufacturers worldwide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2002
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Inventor: Robert L. Irvine
  • Publication number: 20020043501
    Abstract: A continuous adsorption facility is used to purify a liquid stream that contains impurities. A solid adsorbent is used having a special affinity for the impurities over the desired components in the liquid feed. An adsorber is constructed, employing gravity for the transfer of adsorbent between stages with a series of stages each having fluidized beds with limited bed expansion characteristics where the solid adsorbent countercurrent-contacts the upwardly flowing fresh feed introduced at the base. The adsorbent is regenerated with return of most of the desired components from the porous solids becoming part of the adsorber-treated product. Impurities are further removed during regeneration and disposed of separately. Using a novel regeneration arrangement, the reactivating gas may be reduced to below 4% of prior requirements. Capital investment and operating costs economically afford ultra-low sulfur clean gasoline meeting standards imposed by auto manufacturers worldwide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2001
    Publication date: April 18, 2002
    Inventor: Robert L. Irvine
  • Patent number: 5730860
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for treating a liquid hydrocarbon stream useful as a precursor for transportation fuel and which contains an unacceptably high level of heteroatom compounds is provided for the removal of a significant portion of the heteroatom compounds from the hydrocarbon stream. The method and apparatus employ an adsorbent which is brought into countercurrent contact with a hydrocarbon stream in an adsorption zone to form a product hydrocarbon stream and a spent adsorbent stream. The adsorbent is recirculated to a desorption zone and is thereafter brought into cross-current contact with a reactivating medium, such as hydrocarbon gas, at elevated temperatures to form a reactivated adsorbent stream and a hydrogen/heteroatom stream. The regenerated adsorbent is recirculated back to the adsorption zone to form the adsorbent stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignee: The Pritchard Corporation
    Inventor: Robert L. Irvine
  • Patent number: 5342765
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of producing an extracellular product from an aerobic microorganism. The microorganism is grown in an aqueous medium on one side of an oxygen-permeable surface while the opposite side of the surface is contacted with oxygen. The extracellular product is then harvested from the aqueous medium. The method is particularly useful in producing lignin peroxidase from the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1994
    Assignee: Occidental Chemical Corporation
    Inventors: Robert L. Irvine, Rajagopalan Venkatadri
  • Patent number: 5268515
    Abstract: Propene is reacted with water in a multi-stage, fluidized bed catalytic reactor to produce an oxygenate motor fuel additive containing a major proportion of isopropanol, a minor proportion of diisopropyl ether, and some water. The molar ratio of water to propene introduced into each catalytic stage of the multi-stage reactor is maintained within a range of from about 2:1 to about 6:1. The temperature of the reactants in each of the catalytic stages is maintained within a range of from about 250.degree. F. to about 320.degree. F. and the pressure at a level of from about 1200 psia to about 3600 psia. The temperature in each catalytic stage increases from the initial catalytic stage to the final catalytic stage with the temperature increase being limited to a value within a range of from about 8.degree. F. to about 1.degree. F.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1993
    Assignee: The Pritchard Corporation
    Inventor: Robert L. Irvine
  • Patent number: 5191129
    Abstract: Propene is reacted with water in a multi-stage, fluidized bed catalytic reactor to produce an oxygenate motor fuel additive containing a major proportion of isopropanol (IPA), some diisopropyl ether (IPE) and some water. The molar ratio of water to propene introduced into each catalytic stage of the multi-stage reactor is maintained within a range of from about 2:1 to about 6:1. The temperature of the reactants in each of the catalytic stages is maintained within a range of from about 250.degree. F. to about 300.degree. F. and the pressure at a level of from about 1200 psia to about 3000 psia. The temperature in each catalytic stage increases from the initial catalytic stage to the final catalytic stage with the temperature increase being limited to a value within a range of from about 8.degree. F. to about 2.degree. F.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1993
    Assignee: The Pritchard Corporation
    Inventor: Robert L. Irvine
  • Patent number: 5126050
    Abstract: A periodic multistage process which minimizes fugitive pollutant emissions has been developed for the removal and destruction of volatile, semi-volatile, and non-volatile organic contaminants from either water, wastewater, or spent granular activated carbon. This invention relates to methods, materials, and systems for treating these contaminants by a process and devices which uniquely combine granular activated carbon adsorption and desorption with biological treatment. The process and devices extend existing treatment systems by: (1) providing biofilm growth in a Sequencing Batch Biofilm Reactor on gas permeable membrane which uses oxygen for the supply of the electron acceptor and other organics (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1992
    Assignee: SBR Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert L. Irvine, Lloyd H. Ketchum, Jr., Peter A. Wilderer, Carlo D. Montemagno
  • Patent number: 4511657
    Abstract: This invention relates to the treatment of obnoxious waste effluents, both industrial and municipal, such as chemical waste landfill leachates, chemical process wastewaters and other obnoxious waste effluents by the use of microbial cultures, especially adapted to biodegrade the obnoxious chemicals in the chemical wastes, such as activated sludge and inoculants for activated sludge, and the new inoculated activated sludges and their use in biological wastewater systems such as continuous and batch reactors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1985
    Assignee: Occidental Chemical Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph F. Colaruotolo, Robert L. Irvine, Lloyd H. Ketchum, Jr., Wei-chi Ying
  • Patent number: 4441988
    Abstract: A catalytic reformer process for the production of hydrogen and a product of enhanced aromatic content comprises the utilization of a plurality of reactor stages wherein the heat in the effluent from the terminal adiabatic stage of a conventional adiabatic reactor train is utilized in an ascending temperature pattern reactor, termed an alkylcyclohexane converter, by means of simultaneous heat exchange, to provide the endothermic heat of reaction required for the dehydrogenation to aromatics of the original alkylcyclohexanes in the feed. An ascending temperature pattern reactor, termed an alkylcyclopentane converter, may optionally be employed wherein heat supplied from stack gases generated by the conventional fired heaters in an adiabatic reactor train can, additionally, be employed to supply heat to such converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1981
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1984
    Inventor: Robert L. Irvine