Patents by Inventor Robert S. Bridge

Robert S. Bridge 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: 11266820
    Abstract: A system includes a platform configured for insertion into a user's nostril and a catheter. The platform includes a board having first and second major surfaces and a support extending from the board. The support includes an aperture therethrough. The catheter includes an inflatable tube and a lumen having first and second ends, the first end connected to the tube and the second end connected to a pressurized fluid source for inflating the tube. The tube is configured for insertion through the aperture. A method includes inserting a platform into a user's nostril, inserting a catheter through an aperture of the platform, and inflating a tube of the catheter. Inflating the tube is accomplished by introducing a pressurized fluid through a lumen of the catheter, to thereby cause the tube to conform to a passage of the user's nasal or pharyngeal region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Inventor: Robert S. Bridge
  • Patent number: 9901723
    Abstract: A system includes a platform configured for insertion into a user's nostril and a catheter. The platform includes a board having first and second major surfaces and a support extending from the board. The support includes an aperture therethrough. The catheter includes an inflatable tube and a lumen having first and second ends, the first end connected to the tube and the second end connected to a pressurized fluid source for inflating the tube. The tube is configured for insertion through the aperture. A method includes inserting a platform into a user's nostril, inserting a catheter through an aperture of the platform, and inflating a tube of the catheter. Inflating the tube is accomplished by introducing a pressurized fluid through a lumen of the catheter, to thereby cause the tube to conform to a passage of the user's nasal or pharyngeal region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Inventor: Robert S. Bridge
  • Patent number: 9688591
    Abstract: Ethylene separation processes are described herein. The ethylene separation processes generally include introducing a feed stream including ethylene and butene into a de-ethenizer; and separating the ethylene from the butene via fractional distillation within the de-ethenizer to form an overhead stream including separated ethylene and a bottoms stream including separated butene, wherein the de-ethenizer operates at a pressure of less than 350 psig.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignees: Equistar Chemicals, LP, Lyondell Chemical Technology, L.P.
    Inventors: Gary A. Sawyer, Robert S. Bridges, Steven T. Coleman, Allen David Hood, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9464240
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include methods for producing aromatic products, the methods including separating a crude oil and condensate feed into at least a light naphtha stream, a heavy naphtha stream, and a bottoms stream, reforming at least a portion of the heavy naphtha stream to produce a reformate stream, feeding a cracker feed stream, comprising the light naphtha stream, the bottoms stream, and a reformate extraction raffinate, to an olefins cracker to produce cracker products comprising pyrolysis gasoline, and introducing an extractor feed stream comprising the pyrolysis gasoline and the reformate to an aromatic extraction unit to produce an aromatic product and the reformate extraction raffinate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignees: Lyondell Chemical Technology, L.P., Equistar Chemicals, LP
    Inventors: Robert S. Bridges, Steven T. Coleman
  • Publication number: 20160257894
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include methods for producing aromatic products, the methods including separating a crude oil and condensate feed into at least a light naphtha stream, a heavy naphtha stream, and a bottoms stream, reforming at least a portion of the heavy naphtha stream to produce a reformate stream, feeding a cracker feed stream, comprising the light naphtha stream, the bottoms stream, and a reformate extraction raffinate, to an olefins cracker to produce cracker products comprising pyrolysis gasoline, and introducing an extractor feed stream comprising the pyrolysis gasoline and the reformate to an aromatic extraction unit to produce an aromatic product and the reformate extraction raffinate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2016
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Applicants: Lyondell Chemical Technology, L.P., Equistar Chemicals, LP
    Inventors: Robert S. Bridges, Steven T. Coleman
  • Patent number: 9309168
    Abstract: Processes for forming propylene are described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignees: Equistar Chemicals, LP, Lyondell Chemical Technology, L.P.
    Inventors: Allen David Hood, Jr., Robert S. Bridges
  • Publication number: 20140221715
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include methods for method of producing aromatic products, the methods including separating a crude oil and condensate feed into at least a light naphtha stream, a heavy naphtha stream, and a bottoms stream, reforming at least a portion of the heavy naphtha stream to produce a reformate stream, feeding a cracker feed stream, comprising the light naphtha stream, the bottoms stream, and a reformate extraction raffinate, to an olefins cracker to produce cracker products comprising pyrolysis gasoline, and introducing an extractor feed stream comprising the pyrolysis gasoline and the reformate to an aromatic extraction unit to produce an aromatic product and the reformate extraction raffinate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Inventors: Robert S. Bridges, Steven T. Coleman
  • Publication number: 20140194659
    Abstract: Processes for forming propylene are described herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2013
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Inventors: Allen David Hood, JR., Robert S. Bridges
  • Publication number: 20140194664
    Abstract: Ethylene separation processes are described herein. The ethylene separation processes generally include introducing a feed stream including ethylene and butene into a de-ethenizer; and separating the ethylene from the butene via fractional distillation within the de-ethenizer to form an overhead stream including separated ethylene and a bottoms stream including separated butene, wherein the de-ethenizer operates at a pressure of less than 350 psig.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2013
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Inventors: Gary A. Sawyer, Robert S. Bridges, Steven T. Coleman, Allen David Hood, JR.
  • Patent number: 8721872
    Abstract: A method for thermally cracking an organic acid containing hydrocarbonaceous feed wherein the feed is first processed in a vaporization step, followed by thermal cracking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Equistar Chemicals, LP
    Inventors: Donald H. Powers, Robert S. Bridges, Kenneth M. Webber
  • Patent number: 8663456
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon feed is passed to a first zone of a vaporization unit to separate a first vapor stream and a first liquid stream. The first liquid stream is passed to a second zone of the vaporization unit and contacted intimately with a counter-current steam produce a second vapor stream and a second liquid stream. The first vapor stream and the second vapor stream are cracked in the radiant section of the steam cracker to produce a cracked effluent. The second liquid stream is thermally cracked in a coking drum to produce a coker effluent and coke. The coker effluent is separated into a coker gas and a coker liquid. The coker liquid is reacted with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst to produce a hydroprocessed product. The hydroprocessed product is separated into a gas product and a liquid product. The liquid product is fed to the vaporization unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Equistar Chemicals, LP
    Inventors: Robert S. Bridges, Sellamuthu G. Chellappan
  • Patent number: 8658022
    Abstract: A process for cracking a heavy hydrocarbon feed comprising a vaporization step, a hydroprocessing step, and a steam cracking step is disclosed. The heavy hydrocarbon feed is passed to a first zone of a vaporization unit to separate a first vapor stream and a first liquid stream. The first liquid stream is passed to a second zone of the vaporization unit and contacted intimately with a counter-current steam to produce a second vapor stream and a second liquid stream. The first vapor stream and the second vapor stream are cracked in the radiant section of the steam cracker to produce a cracked effluent. The second liquid stream is reacted with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst to produce a hydroprocessed product. A liquid hydroprocessed product is fed to the vaporization unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Equistar Chemicals, LP
    Inventors: Robert S. Bridges, Sellamuthu G. Chellappan
  • Patent number: 8658019
    Abstract: A process for cracking a heavy hydrocarbon feed comprising a vaporization step, a coking step, a hydroprocessing step, and a steam cracking step is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Equistar Chemicals, LP
    Inventors: Robert S. Bridges, Sellamuthu G. Chellappan
  • Publication number: 20130172647
    Abstract: Processes and systems for forming propylene are described herein. The processes generally include reacting a metathesis feed stream including at least 95 wt. % 2-butene with ethylene in the presence of a metathesis catalyst to form a metathesis product stream including propylene, and recovering propylene from the process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicants: Equistar Chemicals, LP, Lyondell Chemical Technology, L.P.
    Inventors: Steven T. Coleman, Gary A. Sawyer, Robert S. Bridges, Shaotian Wang, Lawrence M. Candela
  • Patent number: 8395005
    Abstract: A process for producing propylene and 1-butene is disclosed. The process comprises dimerizing ethylene in the presence of a dimerization catalyst to produce a dimerization mixture comprising 1-butene and 2-butenes. The dimerization mixture is distilled to produce a 1-butene stream containing 1-butene and ethylene, a 2-butenes stream, and a heavy stream. The 2-butenes stream is reacted with ethylene in the presence of a metathesis catalyst to produce a metathesis mixture comprising propylene, ethylene, and 2-butenes. Propylene is separated from the metathesis mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignees: Equistar Chemicals, LP, Lyondell Chemical Technology, L.P.
    Inventors: Steven T. Coleman, Gary A. Sawyer, Robert S. Bridges
  • Patent number: 8273936
    Abstract: A process for cracking a heavy hydrocarbon feed is disclosed. The heavy hydrocarbon feed is passed to a first zone of a vaporization unit to separate a first vapor stream and a first liquid stream. The first liquid stream is passed to a second zone of the vaporization unit and contacted intimately with a countercurrent steam to produce a second vapor stream and a second liquid stream. The second vapor stream is contacted with a wash liquid in a rectification section to form a rectified stream. The first vapor stream and the rectified stream are cracked in the radiant section of the steam cracker to produce a cracked effluent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Equistar Chemicals, LP
    Inventors: Robert S. Bridges, Steven T. Coleman
  • Publication number: 20120125812
    Abstract: A process for cracking a heavy hydrocarbon feed comprising a vaporization step, a hydroprocessing step, and a steam cracking step is disclosed. The heavy hydrocarbon feed is passed to a first zone of a vaporization unit to separate a first vapor stream and a first liquid stream. The first liquid stream is passed to a second zone of the vaporization unit and contacted intimately with a counter-current steam produce a second vapor stream and a second liquid stream. The first vapor stream and the second vapor stream are cracked in the radiant section of the steam cracker to produce a cracked effluent. The second liquid stream reacted with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst to produce a hydroprocessed product. A liquid hydroprocessed product is fed to the vaporization unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Inventors: Robert S. Bridges, Sellamuthu G. Chellappan
  • Publication number: 20120125811
    Abstract: A process for cracking a heavy hydrocarbon feed comprising a vaporization step, a coking step, a hydroprocessing step, and a steam cracking step is disclosed. The heavy hydrocarbon feed is passed to a first zone of a vaporization unit to separate a first vapor stream and a first liquid stream. The first liquid stream is passed to a second zone of the vaporization unit and contacted intimately with a counter-current steam produce a second vapor stream and a second liquid stream. The first vapor stream and the second vapor stream are cracked in the radiant section of the steam cracker to produce a cracked effluent. The second liquid stream is thermally cracked in a coking drum to produce a coker effluent and coke. The coker effluent is separated into a coker gas and a coker liquid. The coker liquid is reacted with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst to produce a hydroprocessed product. The hydroprocessed product is separated into a gas product and a liquid product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Inventors: Robert S. Bridges, Sellamuthu G. Chellappan
  • Publication number: 20120130139
    Abstract: A process for cracking a heavy hydrocarbon feed is disclosed. The heavy hydrocarbon feed is passed to a first zone of a vaporization unit to separate a first vapor stream and a first liquid stream. The first liquid stream is passed to a second zone of the vaporization unit and contacted intimately with a countercurrent steam to produce a second vapor stream and a second liquid stream. The second vapor stream is contacted with a wash liquid in a rectification section to form a rectified stream. The first vapor stream and the rectified stream are cracked in the radiant section of the steam cracker to produce a cracked effluent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Inventors: Robert S. Bridges, Steven T. Coleman
  • Publication number: 20120125813
    Abstract: A process for cracking a heavy hydrocarbon feed comprising a vaporization step, a coking step, a hydroprocessing step, and a steam cracking step is disclosed. The heavy hydrocarbon feed is passed to a first zone of a vaporization unit to separate a first vapor stream and a first liquid stream. The first liquid stream is passed to a second zone of the vaporization unit and contacted intimately with a counter-current steam produce a second vapor stream and a second liquid stream. The first vapor stream and the second vapor stream are cracked in the radiant section of the steam cracker to produce a cracked effluent. The second liquid stream is distilled in a fractionator to produce an overhead stream, a side draw, and a bottoms stream. The side draw is reacted with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst to produce a hydroprocessed product. The hydroprocessed product is separated into a gas product and a liquid product. The liquid product is fed to the vaporization unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Inventors: Robert S. Bridges, Sellamuthu G. Chellappan