Patents by Inventor Sergio Panza

Sergio Panza 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: 9422212
    Abstract: A process for producing methanol, where a hydrocarbon feedstock (1) is reformed and a make-up syngas is reacted in a synthesis loop, obtaining crude methanol which is further treated to obtain high-grade methanol, and where the carbon dioxide dissolved in the crude methanol is recycled to the reforming section in order to adjust the stoichiometric number of the make-up syngas. In a preferred embodiment, a flash gas (9) separated from the crude methanol (8) and light ends (10) coming from distillation are recycled to a compressor (106) and fed to a primary reformer (100); further carbon dioxide can be recycled from the flue gas (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Casale SA
    Inventors: Sergio Panza, Giovanni Luigi Capetti
  • Patent number: 9139431
    Abstract: A process and a plant for producing a makeup synthesis gas (6) for the synthesis of ammonia where a hydrocarbon feedstock is reformed in a primary reformer (10) and in an autothermal reformer (14) in parallel with said primary reformer; nitrogen is furnished by an air separation unit (13), and O2-enhched air (8) produced in said air separation unit is fed to the autothermal reformer. A method for the revamping of the front-end of an ammonia plant is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Casale SA
    Inventor: Sergio Panza
  • Publication number: 20150251983
    Abstract: A process for producing methanol, where a hydrocarbon feedstock (1) is reformed and a make-up syngas is reacted in a synthesis loop, obtaining crude methanol which is further treated to obtain high-grade methanol, and where the carbon dioxide dissolved in the crude methanol is recycled to the reforming section in order to adjust the stoichiometric number of the make-up syngas. In a preferred embodiment, a flash gas (9) separated from the crude methanol (8) and light ends (10) coming from distillation are recycled to a compressor (106) and fed to a primary reformer (100); further carbon dioxide can be recycled from the flue gas (11).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Applicant: Casale SA
    Inventors: Sergio PANZA, Giovanni Luigi CAPETTI
  • Patent number: 8871063
    Abstract: A process for selective removal of a gaseous product (P) from a gaseous system comprising said product and other components (R1, R2), wherein the gaseous system is admitted to a first environment, which is separated from a second environment by a boundary wall, and a permeation membrane (3, 300) forms at least part of said boundary wall; a spatially non-uniform electric field (4) is generated between a first electrode or first plurality of electrodes (1, 301) located in the first environment and a second electrode or second plurality of electrodes (2, 302) located in the second environment, so that field lines of said non-uniform electric field cross said membrane, and a dielectrophoretic force generated on particles of said gaseous component (P) is at least part of a driving force of the permeation through said membrane, an amount of said product (P) being selectively removed from the first environment and collected in the second environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Casale SA
    Inventor: Sergio Panza
  • Publication number: 20130101490
    Abstract: A process for producing ammonia synthesis gas from a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock, with steps of primary reforming, secondary reforming with an oxidant stream, and further treatment of the synthesis gas including shift, removal of carbon dioxide and methanation, wherein the synthesis gas delivered by secondary reforming is subject to a medium-temperature shift (MTS) at a temperature between 200 and 350° C., and primary reforming is operated with a steam-to-carbon ratio lower than 2. A corresponding method for revamping an ammonia plant is disclosed, where an existing HTS reactor is modified to operate at medium temperature, or replaced with a new MTS reactor, and the steam-to-carbon ratio in the primary reformer is lowered to a value in the range 1-5-2, thus reducing inert steam in the flow rate trough the equipments of the front-end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2011
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: Ammonia Casale SA
    Inventors: Ermanno Filippi, Francesco Baratto, Sergio Panza, Raffaele Ostuni
  • Publication number: 20130087444
    Abstract: A process for selective removal of a gaseous product (P) from a gaseous system comprising said product and other components (R1, R2), wherein the gaseous system is admitted to a first environment, which is separated from a second environment by a boundary wall, and a permeation membrane (3, 300) forms at least part of said boundary wall; a spatially non-uniform electric field (4) is generated between a first electrode or first plurality of electrodes (1, 301) located in the first environment and a second electrode or second plurality of electrodes (2, 302) located in the second environment, so that field lines of said non-uniform electric field cross said membrane, and a dielectrophoretic force generated on particles of said gaseous component (P) is at least part of a driving force of the permeation through said membrane, an amount of said product (P) being selectively removed from the first environment and collected in the second environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Publication date: April 11, 2013
    Applicant: Ammonia Casale SA
    Inventor: Sergio Panza
  • Publication number: 20120141350
    Abstract: A process and a plant for producing ammonia, where an ASU (3) delivers an oxygen stream and a nitrogen stream; the oxygen stream (9) is fed to the secondary reformer of a front-end reforming section (1); the nitrogen stream (10) is used to wash a purge gas or tail gas taken from the synthesis loop (2), preferably in a cryogenic section; a methane-free and inert-free gas stream is recovered and recycled to the synthesis loop (2) or at the suction of the main syngas compressor, to recover the hydrogen contained therein. A corresponding method for increasing the capacity of an ammonia plant, by providing the ASU and feeding the oxygen stream to the secondary reformer and the nitrogen stream to a suitable purge gas recovery unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2010
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: Ammonia Casale S.A.
    Inventors: Sergio Panza, Pietro Moreo, Elio Strepparola
  • Publication number: 20110313064
    Abstract: A process for producing methanol, where a hydrocarbon feedstock (1) is reformed and a make-up syngas is reacted in a synthesis loop, obtaining crude methanol which is further treated to obtain high-grade methanol, and where the carbon dioxide dissolved in the crude methanol is recycled to the reforming section in order to adjust the stoichiometric number of the make-up syngas. In a preferred embodiment, a flash gas (9) separated from the crude methanol (8) and light ends (10) coming from distillation are recycled to a compressor (106) and fed to a primary reformer (100); further carbon dioxide can be recycled from the flue gas (11).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2010
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: Methanol Casale S.A.
    Inventors: Sergio Panza, Giovanni Luigi Capetti
  • Publication number: 20110297886
    Abstract: A process and a plant for producing a makeup synthesis gas (6) for the synthesis of ammonia where a hydrocarbon feedstock is reformed in a primary reformer (10) and in an autothermal reformer (14) in parallel with said primary reformer; nitrogen is furnished by an air separation unit (13), and O2-enhched air (8) produced in said air separation unit is fed to the autothermal reformer. A method for the revamping of the front-end of an ammonia plant is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2009
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: AMMONIA CASALE S.A.
    Inventor: Sergio Panza