Patents by Inventor Stan A. Knez

Stan A. Knez 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: 5736116
    Abstract: A retrofit method for increasing production capacity of an ammonia plant having a front end including in series primary and secondary reformers and a shift converter for reacting a hydrocarbon feed, steam and air to form a make-up syngas stream comprising hydrogen and nitrogen at about design stoichiometry, and a synthesis loop wherein a recycle syngas stream is combined with the make-up gas to form a syngas feed to ammonia converters. The retrofit involves the installation of an air separation unit to supply oxygen and nitrogen streams. The oxygen is used to enrich air supplied to the secondary reformer and increase the hydrogen content of the make-up gas substantially above the design stoichiometry and capacity. The nitrogen stream is supplied to the synthesis loop to obtain a desired hydrogen to nitrogen ratio in the syngas feed to the ammonia converters and compensate for the excess hydrogen in the make-up gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: The M. W. Kellogg Company
    Inventors: Joseph Ray LeBlanc, Stan A. Knez