Patents by Inventor Sophia SCHMIDT

Sophia SCHMIDT 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: 20250222394
    Abstract: A process for producing hydrogen from a synthesis gas stream, in which carbon dioxide is removed from the synthesis gas stream by absorption. After the carbon dioxide has been desorbed from the absorption medium, absorption medium present in the resulting carbon dioxide stream is removed by adsorption on a solid adsorbent, for example owing to a molecular sieve effect. A portion of the carbon dioxide stream thus obtained, now free of absorption medium, is heated and used for regeneration of the laden solid adsorbent. The invention further provides a plant for performing the process according to the invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2025
    Publication date: July 10, 2025
    Inventors: Sophia SCHMIDT, Matthias LINICUS, Martin RAVENTOS
  • Publication number: 20250059032
    Abstract: A method for generating hydrogen is provided. In certain embodiments, the method can include the steps of: introducing a hydrocarbon feed stream, at a first temperature, into a first reaction zone under conditions effective for producing a first process stream, wherein the first process stream is at a second temperature that is greater than the first temperature; introducing a second feed stream into a second reaction zone under conditions effective for producing a hydrogen product stream, wherein heat needed for producing the hydrogen product stream from the second feed stream is at least partially provided by heat exchange with the first process stream; and withdrawing the hydrogen product stream from the second reaction zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2022
    Publication date: February 20, 2025
    Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l’Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Umberto ROSSI, Sophia SCHMIDT, Dieter ULBER
  • Publication number: 20240343560
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for producing hydrogen in an existing steam methane reformer (SMR) via ammonia cracking, the apparatus comprising: an ammonia storage vessel; a furnace having a plurality of reactor tubes and a plurality of burners, wherein the reactor tubes and the burners are in fluid communication with the ammonia storage vessel, such that the reactor tubes and the burners are configured to receive a flow of ammonia gas sourced from the ammonia storage vessel, and catalytically crack the ammonia within the reactor tubes to produce a crude process gas and a flue gas; a plurality of waste heat recovery sections; a boiler feed water preparation system; means for treating the crude process gas in order to reduce the amount of the unreacted ammonia in the crude process gas, thereby resulting in an aqueous ammonia stream and a washed crude stream; and a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit disposed downstream the means for treating the crude process gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2023
    Publication date: October 17, 2024
    Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l’Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Dieter ULBER, Johan VANMANEN, Teja SCHMID MCGUINESS, Florian PONTZEN, Sophia SCHMIDT
  • Publication number: 20240343559
    Abstract: A method is provided for producing hydrogen in an steam methane reformer (SMR) via ammonia cracking, wherein the SMR can include a furnace, a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit, waste heat recovery sections, and a water scrubber, wherein the furnace has a plurality of SMR tubes and a plurality of burners. The method can include the steps of: withdrawing ammonia from an ammonia storage vessel; preheating the ammonia to form a warm ammonia stream; introducing the warm ammonia stream into the SMR tubes of the furnace under conditions effective for catalytically cracking the ammonia, thereby forming a crude stream comprising hydrogen, nitrogen, and unreacted ammonia; treating the crude stream with a water wash in order to remove the unreacted ammonia from the crude stream, thereby resulting in an aqueous ammonia stream and a washed crude stream; and introducing the washed crude stream into the PSA unit to produce a hydrogen product stream and a PSA off-gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2023
    Publication date: October 17, 2024
    Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l’Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Dieter ULBER, Johan VANMANEN, Teja SCHMID MCGUINNESS, Florian PONTZEN, Sophia SCHMIDT
  • Publication number: 20240335786
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for separating carbon dioxide from a raw hydrogen product stream to produce a hydrogen product stream and a carbon dioxide product stream. The process includes the absorption of carbon dioxide in an absorption stage in an absorption medium and subsequent desorption of the carbon dioxide from the laden absorption medium in a plurality of decompression stages. According to the invention carbon dioxide substreams withdrawn from the decompression stages are combined into a carbon dioxide total stream and compressed in a plurality of serially arranged compression stages. Each compression stage having a suction pressure value is assigned at least one decompression stage with a corresponding desorption pressure value and the number of decompression stages corresponds at least to the number of compression stages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2024
    Publication date: October 10, 2024
    Applicant: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude
    Inventors: Sophia SCHMIDT, Matthias LINICUS
  • Patent number: 12084347
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing hydrogen and for separating carbon dioxide from synthesis gas using a physical absorption medium. The process comprises the steps where the synthesis gas and the absorption medium are cooled; carbon dioxide is removed from the cooled synthesis gas via the cooled absorption medium in a physical absorption step at elevated pressure; laden absorption medium is treated in a plurality of flash stages, wherein co-absorbed carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon dioxide are separately removed from the laden absorption medium; hydrogen is separated from synthesis gas freed of carbon dioxide in a physical separation step, wherein hydrogen as product gas and an offgas comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide are obtained; product gas hydrogen and carbon dioxide are discharged from the process. The invention further relates to a plant for performing the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Sophia Schmidt, Matthias Linicus
  • Publication number: 20240294379
    Abstract: A process and a plant for producing pure hydrogen by steam reforming of a feed gas containing hydrocarbons. preferably natural gas or naphtha. with reduced carbon dioxide emissions are proposed. The reduction in carbon dioxide emissions is achieved in accordance with the invention in that carbon dioxide is separated both out of the converted cooled synthesis gas and out of the flue gas from the reformer furnace by means of suit-able measures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2022
    Publication date: September 5, 2024
    Inventors: Teja SCHMID McGUINNESS, Sophia SCHMIDT, Jakub KUZNIAR, Jasmin JUNGER
  • Patent number: 12054390
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for removal of unwanted, in particular acidic, gas constituents, for example carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide, from a crude synthesis gas containing metal carbonyls by gas scrubbing with a scrubbing medium. According to the invention water is added directly into the feed conduit of the methanol water mixture containing metal sulfides before the introduction thereof into the methanol-water separating column and/or water is injected directly into the methanol-water separating column at at least one point. This avoids deposits or encrustations of metal sulfide particles in the methanol-water separating column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Alfred Gubrinski, Sophia Schmidt, Dorit Rappold, Diana-Maria Gomez-Lozano
  • Publication number: 20240253986
    Abstract: A process and a plant for producing pure hydrogen by steam reforming of a feed gas containing hydrocarbons, preferably natural gas or naphtha, with reduced carbon dioxide emissions are proposed. The reduction in carbon dioxide emissions is achieved in accordance with the invention in that carbon dioxide is separated both out of a PSA tail gas stream and out of the flue gas from the reformer furnace by means of suitable measures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2022
    Publication date: August 1, 2024
    Inventors: Teja SCHMID McGUINNESS, Sophia SCHMIDT, Jakub KUZNIAR
  • Publication number: 20240100472
    Abstract: Provided is a process for producing a hydrogen-rich synthesis gas stream having reduced carbon dioxide emission by reacting a carbon-containing input gas stream in at least one synthesis gas production stage to produce a raw synthesis gas steam, producing a converted synthesis gas stream by converting the cooled raw synthesis gas steam in a CO conversion plant which includes at least one CO conversion stage, contacting the cooled converted synthesis gas stream in a carbon dioxide absorption column and discharging a first synthesis gas stream and utilizing at least a portion of the second synthesis gas stream depleted in carbon dioxide as a portion of fuel gas or process gas or forms the fuel gas or process gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventor: Sophia SCHMIDT
  • Patent number: 11826694
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for removing carbon dioxide from synthesis gas using a hygroscopic, physical absorption medium. The process includes cooling the absorption medium and the synthesis gas; water is at least partially removed from the synthesis gas by condensation; carbon dioxide is removed from the cooled synthesis gas via the cooled absorption medium in a physical absorption step at elevated pressure; laden absorption medium is treated in a plurality of serially arranged flash stages, wherein co-absorbed carbon monoxide and hydrogen are removed from the laden absorption medium in at least one first flash stage, and carbon dioxide is removed from the laden absorption medium in a flash stage arranged downstream of the first flash stage. The process features a high rate of separated carbon dioxide and a pure and dry (anhydrous) carbon dioxide product. The invention further relates to a plant for performing the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Société l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude
    Inventors: Sophia Schmidt, Matthias Linicus, Sharon Corbet
  • Publication number: 20230321588
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for removing carbon dioxide from a synthesis gas having at least hydrogen and carbon dioxide in which the synthesis gas is at least partially freed of carbon dioxide in an absorption apparatus by physical absorption at elevated absorption pressure. The carbon dioxide is subsequently desorbed by pressure reduction relative to the absorption pressure in a plurality of serially arranged flash stages and an at least partially regenerated absorption medium is withdrawn from the last of the plurality of serially arranged flash stages, recompressed to absorption pressure and recycled into the absorption apparatus for use as absorption medium. It is also provided according to the invention that a partially regenerated absorption medium from a flash stage upstream of the last of the plurality of serially arranged flash stages is recompressed to absorption pressure and recycled into the absorption apparatus for use as absorption medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2023
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Inventor: Sophia SCHMIDT
  • Patent number: 11781082
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process and a plant for removing thiols from synthesis gas. Thiols and optionally thiophene and carbon disulfide are absorbed in a dedicated absorption stage with methanol as physical absorption medium. Methanol laden with at least thiols is freed of thiols in a stripping stage with methanol vapours as stripping gas and the methanol vapours-containing thiols are freed of methanol in a scrubbing stage. The process according to the invention minimizes methanol losses and the amounts of coolant required for the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude
    Inventors: Sophia Schmidt, Matthias Linicus, Hincal Leichner
  • Publication number: 20230295527
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a gas scrubbing process and a plant for removing carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) from synthesis gas, wherein the synthesis gas includes at least hydrogen (H2), carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O), The invention features a dedicated circuit for water removal which comprises a scrubbing apparatus for removal of water by means of the physical absorption medium used in the gas scrubbing process. The absorption medium supplied to the scrubbing apparatus is withdrawn from a thermal separation apparatus for separation of water and absorption medium. The circuit is arranged such that water entrained via synthesis gas to be purified cannot pass into the main absorption medium circuit which is formed inter alia by an absorption apparatus and a regeneration apparatus. The energy cost and the apparatus complexity especially in respect of the thermal separation apparatus is thus reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2023
    Publication date: September 21, 2023
    Inventors: Sophia SCHMIDT, Matthias LINICUS
  • Patent number: 11724229
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process and plant for purifying a raw synthesis gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide as target components and carbon dioxide and sulfur components as disruptive components by gas scrubbing with a physically acting, liquid scrubbing medium selective for carbon dioxide and sulfur components. The process/the plant comprise an absorption apparatus, a hot regeneration apparatus, a preferably multistage flash regeneration apparatus and a reabsorber column supplied with the first portion of a stripping gas. According to the invention the flash regeneration apparatus is supplied with the second portion of the stripping gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude
    Inventors: Robert Szabo, Sophia Schmidt
  • Patent number: 11718796
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process and a plant for staged separation of concomitants from a raw synthesis gas stream to produce synthesis gas and a sulfur-free naphtha product as a by-product, To remove naphtha compounds and sulfur-containing concomitants, raw synthesis gas is treated with a scrubbing medium in a prescrubbing stage and withdrawn from the prescrubbing stage, and the laden scrubbing medium is mixed with water to bring about a phase separation into a scrubbing medium-water mixture and naphtha, wherein sulfur-containing concomitants are in solution in naphtha. To remove the sulfur-containing concomitants the naphtha is heated to obtain sulfur-free naphtha as a by-product of the gas scrubbing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude
    Inventors: Sophia Schmidt, Sharon Corbet
  • Patent number: 11673805
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing hydrogen by reforming hydrocarbons with steam, and for separation of carbon dioxide. The process includes one endothermic and one autothermal reforming step for production of a synthesis gas stream, wherein heat generated in the autothermal reforming step is utilized for heating in the endothermic reforming step. The process also includes a step of converting the synthesis gas stream obtained for enrichment with hydrogen, a step of separating the hydrogen thus prepared by pressure swing adsorption, and a step of separation of carbon dioxide from the residual gas obtained in the pressure swing adsorption. The reforming units for the endothermal and autothermal reforming steps are arranged parallel to one another or in series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude
    Inventors: Sophia Schmidt, Teja Schmid McGuinness
  • Patent number: 11628392
    Abstract: An absorption column including at least one external heat exchange circuit for cooling or heating the absorption liquid, including one or more serially connected heat exchangers, wherein the junction of the pipeline for withdrawal of the absorption liquid from the column is disposed above the junction of the pipeline into the first heat exchanger in the flow direction, wherein the pipeline also includes a dumped bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claide
    Inventors: Sophia Schmidt, Dorit Rappold, Christian Frey, Sharon Corbet, Alfred Gubrinski
  • Patent number: 11484826
    Abstract: The invention relates to a gas scrubbing process for purifying crude synthesis gas with methanol as a physical absorption medium, wherein an acid gas comprising at least hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is produced. The acid gas is produced in a hot regenerator arranged downstream of an absorption apparatus and subsequently separated from gaseous methanol in an acid gas separator by cooling and condensation. The acid gas separator has a condensation region and an absorption region, wherein both regions are separated from one another by a gas-permeable tray. This has the result that impurities such as hydrogen cyanide and/or ammonia outgassing from a first acid gas substream are not reabsorbed in the condensation region of the acid gas separator, thus avoiding an accumulation of impurities in the hot regenerator or other parts of the gas scrubbing plant. The invention further relates to an acid gas separator and to the use of the acid gas separator according to the invention in a process according to the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Sharon Corbet, Alfred Gubrinski, Pankaj Puri, Dorit Rappold, Sophia Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20220315434
    Abstract: What is proposed is a process and a plant for parallel production of methanol and ammonia by heterogeneously catalyzed reaction of hydrogen and carbon oxides on the one hand and hydrogen and nitrogen on the other hand. This includes producing a raw synthesis gas stream and dividing it into two portions. A first raw synthesis gas substream is used as input for a methanol synthesis to obtain raw methanol and a methanol synthesis purge stream. A second raw synthesis gas substream is subjected to a CO conversion, a carbon dioxide separation and a liquid nitrogen scrubbing and then sent to an ammonia synthesis. According to the invention at least a portion of the methanol synthesis purge stream is sent to the ammonia synthesis and at least one substream obtained from the second raw synthesis gas substream is passed to the methanol synthesis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Stefan WALTER, Stephan HAASE, Manon CORTALE, Sophia SCHMIDT