Patents by Inventor Scott Lee Wellington
Scott Lee Wellington 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).
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Patent number: 9017434Abstract: This invention relates to a process and apparatus for the production of pure hydrogen by steam reforming. The process integrates the steam reforming and shift reaction to produce pure hydrogen with minimal production of CO and virtually no CO in the hydrogen stream, provides for CO2 capture for sequestration, employs a steam reforming membrane reactor, and is powered by heat from the convection section of a heater.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2011Date of Patent: April 28, 2015Assignee: Shell Oil CompanyInventors: Jingyu Cui, Mahendra Ladharam Joshi, Scott Lee Wellington
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Patent number: 9011674Abstract: A process is provided in which a first hydrocarbon-containing composition is provided where the first hydrocarbon-containing composition comprises hydrocarbons having a boiling range from 25° C. to 538° C. and from 0.1 wt. % to 5 wt. % sulfur, where at least 40 wt. % of the sulfur is contained in hydrocarbons having a boiling point of less than 343° C. where at least 40 wt. % of the sulfur contained in hydrocarbons having a boiling point less than 343° C. is contained in benzothiophenic compounds, and the first hydrocarbon-containing compound is hydrotreated to produce a second hydrocarbon-containing compound.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2011Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: Shell Oil CompanyInventors: Stanley Nemec Milam, Michael Anthony Reynolds, Scott Lee Wellington, Frederik Arnold Buhrman
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Patent number: 8858679Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and a system for separating hydrogen or helium from gas having a mixture of gaseous components. A compressible feed stream that contains at least one target compressible component and hydrogen or helium is mixed in a substantially co-current flow with an incompressible fluid stream comprising an incompressible fluid in which the target component(s) is/are capable of being preferentially absorbed. Rotational velocity is imparted to the mixed streams, separating an incompressible fluid in which at least a portion of the target component is absorbed from a compressible product stream containing the hydrogen or helium. The compressible feed stream may be provided at a stream velocity having a Mach number of at least 0.1.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2011Date of Patent: October 14, 2014Assignee: Shell Oil CompanyInventors: Frederik Arnold Buhrman, Jingyu Cui, Mahendra Ladharam Joshi, Stanley Nemec Milam, Scott Lee Wellington
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Patent number: 8858680Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and a system for separating oxygen from air. A compressible air stream that contains oxygen is mixed in a substantially co-current flow with an incompressible fluid stream comprising an incompressible fluid in which oxygen is capable of being preferentially absorbed. Rotational velocity is imparted to the mixed streams, separating an incompressible fluid in which at least a portion of the oxygen is absorbed from other compressible components of the air stream. The compressible air stream may be provided at a stream velocity having a Mach number of at least 0.1.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2011Date of Patent: October 14, 2014Assignee: Shell Oil CompanyInventors: Frederik Arnold Buhrman, Jingyu Cui, Mahendra Ladharam Joshi, Stanley Nemec Milam, Scott Lee Wellington
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Patent number: 8858784Abstract: A process for treating a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock is provided in which a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock comprising at least 20 wt. % of heavy hydrocarbons is mixed with hydrogen and a catalyst to produce a vapor comprising a first hydrocarbon-containing product. The vapor comprising the first hydrocarbon-containing product is separated from the mixture, and, apart from the mixture, the first hydrocarbon-containing product is contacted with hydrogen and a catalyst containing a Column 6 metal to produce a second hydrocarbon-containing product.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2011Date of Patent: October 14, 2014Assignee: Shell Oil CompanyInventors: Stanley Nemec Milam, Michael Anthony Reynolds, Scott Lee Wellington, Frederik Arnold Buhrman
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Patent number: 8840777Abstract: A process for treating a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock is provided in which a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock comprising at least 20 wt. % of heavy hydrocarbons is mixed with hydrogen and a non-acidic metal-containing catalyst at a temperature of 375° C. to 500° C. to produce a vapor comprising a first hydrocarbon-containing product. The vapor comprising the first hydrocarbon-containing product is separated from the mixture, and, apart from the mixture, the first hydrocarbon-containing product is contacted with hydrogen and a catalyst containing a Column 6 metal at a temperature of 260° C.-425° C. to produce a second hydrocarbon-containing product. The second hydrocarbon-containing product is separated into fractions, one of the fractions being a heavy hydrocarbon fraction comprised of hydrocarbons having a boiling point of at least 343° C. The heavy hydrocarbon fraction is then contacted with a fluidizable cracking catalyst at a temperature of at least 500° C.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2011Date of Patent: September 23, 2014Assignee: Shell Oil CompanyInventors: Stanley Nemec Milam, Michael Anthony Reynolds, Scott Lee Wellington, Easwar Santhosh Ranganathan, Win Sim Chan
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Patent number: 8834707Abstract: A process for treating a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock is provided in which a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock comprising at least 20 wt. % of heavy hydrocarbons is mixed with hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide and a metal-containing catalyst at a temperature of 375° C. to 500° C. and a pressure of from 6.9 MPa to 27.5 MPa to produce a vapor comprising a first hydrocarbon-containing product, where the hydrogen sulfide is mixed with the feedstock, metal-containing catalyst, and hydrogen at a mole ratio of hydrogen sulfide to hydrogen of at least 1:10. The vapor comprising the first hydrocarbon-containing product is separated from the mixture, and, apart from the mixture, the first hydrocarbon-containing product is contacted with hydrogen and a catalyst containing a Column 6 metal at a temperature of 260° C.-425° C. and a pressure of from 3.4 MPa to 27.5 MPa to produce a second hydrocarbon-containing product.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2011Date of Patent: September 16, 2014Assignee: Shell Oil CompanyInventors: Stanley Nemec Milam, Michael Anthony Reynolds, Scott Lee Wellington, Frederik Arnold Buhrman
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Patent number: 8834708Abstract: A process for treating a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock is provided in which a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock comprising at least 20 wt. % of heavy hydrocarbons is mixed with hydrogen and a metal-containing non-acidic catalyst at a temperature of 375° C. to 500° C. to produce a vapor comprising a first hydrocarbon-containing product. The vapor comprising the first hydrocarbon-containing product is separated from the mixture, and, apart from the mixture, the first hydrocarbon-containing product is contacted with hydrogen and a catalyst containing a Column 6 metal at a temperature of 260° C.-425° C. to produce a second hydrocarbon-containing product.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2011Date of Patent: September 16, 2014Assignee: Shell Oil CompanyInventors: Stanley Nemec Milam, Michael Anthony Reynolds, Scott Lee Wellington, Frederik Arnold Buhrman
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Publication number: 20140242482Abstract: Processes and systems for operating molten carbonate fuel cell systems are described herein. A process for operating a molten carbonate fuel cell system includes providing a hydrogen-containing stream comprising molecular hydrogen to an anode portion of a molten carbonate fuel cell; controlling a flow rate of the hydrogen-containing stream to the anode such that molecular hydrogen utilization in the anode is less than 50%; mixing anode exhaust comprising molecular hydrogen from the molten carbonate fuel cell with a hydrocarbon stream comprising hydrocarbons, contacting at least a portion of the mixture of anode exhaust and the hydrocarbon stream with a catalyst to produce a steam reforming feed; separating at least a portion of molecular hydrogen from the steam reforming feed; and providing at least a portion of the separated molecular hydrogen to the molten carbonate fuel cell anode.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 1, 2014Publication date: August 28, 2014Applicant: SHELL OIL COMPANYInventors: Jingyu CUI, Erik Edwin ENGWALL, John William JOHNSTON, Mahendra Ladharam JOSHI, Scott Lee WELLINGTON
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Patent number: 8795912Abstract: Processes and systems for operating molten carbonate fuel cell systems are described herein. A process for operating a molten carbonate fuel cell system includes providing a hydrogen-containing stream comprising molecular hydrogen to an anode portion of a molten carbonate fuel cell; controlling a flow rate of the hydrogen-containing stream to the anode such that molecular hydrogen utilization in the anode is less than 50%; mixing anode exhaust comprising molecular hydrogen from the molten carbonate fuel cell with a hydrocarbon stream comprising hydrocarbons, contacting at least a portion of the mixture of anode exhaust and the hydrocarbon stream with a catalyst to produce a steam reforming feed; separating at least a portion of molecular hydrogen from the steam reforming feed; and providing at least a portion of the separated molecular hydrogen to the molten carbonate fuel cell anode.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2011Date of Patent: August 5, 2014Assignee: Shell Oil CompanyInventors: Jingyu Cui, Erik Edwin Engwall, John William Johnston, Mahendra Ladharam Joshi, Scott Lee Wellington
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Patent number: 8789586Abstract: An oil shale formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a pyrolysis temperature. Heat input into the formation may be controlled to raise the temperature of portion at a selected rate during pyrolysis of hydrocarbons within the formation. A mixture of hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2013Date of Patent: July 29, 2014Assignee: Shell Oil CompanyInventors: Eric Pierre de Rouffignac, Ilya Emil Berchenko, Thomas David Fowler, Robert Charles Ryan, Gordon Thomas Shahin, Jr., George Leo Stegemeier, Harold J. Vinegar, Scott Lee Wellington, Etuan Zhang
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Publication number: 20140190691Abstract: An in situ process for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation is provided. A method for treating a tar sands formation includes providing heat from one or more heaters to a hydrocarbon containing layer in the formation such that at least some hydrocarbons in the layer are mobilized; and producing at least some of the hydrocarbons through one or more production wells located in the hydrocarbon containing layer. At least one of the production wells is located at a selected depth in the hydrocarbon containing layer so that hydrocarbons of a selected quality are produced from a part of the hydrocarbon containing layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 14, 2014Publication date: July 10, 2014Inventors: Harold J. Vinegar, Meliha Deniz Sumnu-Dindoruk, Scott Lee Wellington, Kevin Albert Maher, John Michael Karanikas, Eric Pierre de Rouffignac, Margaret Ann Messier, Bruce Edmunds Roberts, Steven Dexter Crane
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Patent number: 8764972Abstract: Contact of a crude feed with one or more catalysts produces a total product that includes a crude product. The crude product is a liquid mixture at 25° C. and 0.101 MPa. The one or more catalyst may include an uncalcined catalyst. One or more other properties of the crude product may be changed by at least 10% relative to the respective properties of the crude feed.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2009Date of Patent: July 1, 2014Assignee: Shell Oil CompanyInventors: Opinder Kishan Bhan, Scott Lee Wellington
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Patent number: 8734634Abstract: Methods for producing a crude product, methods for preparing a diluted hydrocarbon composition, crude products, diluents and uses of such crude products and diluents are described. The method includes contacting of a hydrocarbon feed with one or more catalysts, where at least one of the catalyst includes one or more metals from Column 6 of the Periodic Table and/or one or more compounds of one or more metals from Columns 6 of the Periodic Table. The method produces a crude product having a MCR content of at most 90% of MCR content of the hydrocarbon feed and having total content of UV aromatics in a VGO fraction of the crude product which is greater than or equal to the total UV aromatics content of the hydrocarbon feed VGO fraction of the hydrocarbon feed. The crude product may be separated into two or more portions, which portions may be useful as a diluent.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2009Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Shell Oil CompanyInventors: Opinder Kishan Bhan, Scott Lee Wellington
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Patent number: 8679319Abstract: A hydrocarbon composition is provided containing: at least 0.05 grams of hydrocarbons having boiling point in the range from an initial boiling point of the composition up to 204° C. (400° F.) per gram of the composition; at least 0.1 gram of hydrocarbons having a boiling point in the range from 204° C. up to 260° C. (500° F.) per gram of the composition; at least 0.25 gram of hydrocarbons having a boiling point in the range from 260° C. up to 343° C. per gram of the composition; at least 0.3 gram of hydrocarbons having a boiling point in the range from 343° C. to 538° C. per gram of the composition; and at most 0.03 gram of hydrocarbons having a boiling point of greater than 538° C. per gram of the composition; at least 0.0005 gram of sulfur per gram of the composition, wherein at least 40 wt. % of the sulfur is contained in hydrocarbon compounds having a carbon number of 17 or less as determined by GC-GC sulfur chemiluminescence, where at least 60 wt.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2011Date of Patent: March 25, 2014Assignee: Shell Oil CompanyInventors: Stanley Nemee Milam, Michael Anthony Reynolds, Scott Lee Wellington
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Patent number: 8664462Abstract: A method of processing feed streams high in hydrogen sulfide is provided. The method includes providing a feed gas stream that includes hydrocarbons and at least 5 vol % hydrogen sulfide. At least a portion of the feed gas stream is separated into a hydrogen sulfide stream and a hydrocarbon stream. The hydrocarbon gas stream is processed to produce natural gas. At least 34 mol. % of the hydrogen sulfide in the hydrogen sulfide stream is combusted with an oxidant to generate thermal power. Thermal power generated by the combustion is utilized in one or more of the steps of separating the feed gas stream into the hydrogen sulfide stream and the hydrocarbon gas stream, and processing the hydrocarbon gas stream to produce natural gas, compressed natural gas, or liquefied natural gas.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2012Date of Patent: March 4, 2014Assignee: Shell Oil CompanyInventors: Stanley Nemec Milam, Ann Marie Lauritzen, Michael Anthony Reynolds, Eswarachandra Kumar Paruchuri, Scott Lee Wellington
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Patent number: 8663369Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and a system for separating gas components of a combustion gas. A compressible feed stream derived from a combustion gas that contains at least one target compressible component and at least one non-target compressible component is mixed in a substantially co-current flow with an incompressible fluid stream comprising an incompressible fluid in which the target component(s) is/are capable of being preferentially absorbed. Rotational velocity is imparted to the mixed streams, separating an incompressible fluid in which at least a portion of the target component is absorbed from a compressible product stream containing the non-target compressible component(s). The compressible feed stream may be provided at a stream velocity having a Mach number of at least 0.1.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2011Date of Patent: March 4, 2014Assignee: Shell Oil CompanyInventors: Frederik Arnold Buhrman, Jingyu Cui, Mahendra Ladharam Joshi, Stanley Nemec Milam, Scott Lee Wellington
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Patent number: 8663453Abstract: A crude product composition is provided comprising hydrocarbons that have a boiling range distribution between about 30° C. and 538° C. (1,000° F.) at 0.101 MPa, the hydrocarbons comprising iso-paraffins and n-paraffins with a weight ratio of the iso-paraffins to n-paraffins of at most 1.4.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2011Date of Patent: March 4, 2014Assignee: Shell Oil CompanyInventors: Scott Lee Wellington, Stanley Nemec Milam
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Patent number: 8658116Abstract: A method of producing sulfur dioxide is provided. A feed gas stream comprising at least 5% by volume hydrogen sulfide is provided. The feed gas stream is separated into a hydrogen sulfide stream and a hydrocarbon gas stream. An oxidant stream is provided and is combusted with the hydrogen sulfide stream to produce thermal power and a combustion stream containing sulfur dioxide and steam. Sulfur dioxide is separated from the combustion stream.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2012Date of Patent: February 25, 2014Assignee: Shell Oil CompanyInventors: Stanley Nemec Milam, Ann Marie Lauritzen, Michael Anthony Reynolds, Eswarachandra Kumar Paruchuri, Scott Lee Wellington
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Publication number: 20140027119Abstract: An oil shale formation may be treated using an in situ thermal process. Heat may be applied to the formation to raise a temperature of a portion of the formation to a pyrolysis temperature. Heat input into the formation may be controlled to raise the temperature of portion at a selected rate during pyrolysis of hydrocarbons within the formation. A mixture of hydrocarbons, H2, and/or other formation fluids may be produced from the formation.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2013Publication date: January 30, 2014Inventors: Eric Pierre de Rouffignac, llya Emil Berchenko, Thomas David Fowler, Robert Charles Ryan, Gordon Thomas Shahin, JR., George Leo Stegemeier, Harold J. Vinegar, Scott Lee Wellington, Etuan Zhang