Patents by Inventor Stephen John Catchpole

Stephen John Catchpole 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: 10010858
    Abstract: A process is described for treating a natural gas stream containing methane and one or more higher hydrocarbons including the steps of mixing at least a portion of the natural gas stream with steam; passing the mixture adiabatically over a supported precious metal reforming catalyst to generate a reformed gas mixture comprising methane, steam, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen; cooling the reformed gas mixture to below the dew point to condense water and removing the condensate to provide a de-watered reformed gas mixture, and passing the de-watered reformed gas mixture through an acid gas recovery unit to remove carbon dioxide and at least a portion of the hydrogen and carbon monoxide, thereby generating a methane stream. The methane stream may be used to adjust the composition of a natural gas stream, including a vaporized LNG stream, to meet pipeline specifications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Johnson Matthey PLC
    Inventor: Stephen John Catchpole
  • Publication number: 20160175805
    Abstract: A getter composition for gettering hydrogen and water at temperatures greater than 80° C. includes at least one alkaline earth metal oxide or a precursor thereof and at least one transition metal oxide selected from the group consisting of copper oxide, nickel oxide and cobalt oxide or a precursor of the transition metal oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: Stephen John CATCHPOLE, David Jonathan DAVIS, Katy Anna LOCKEY, Thomas Luke SMITH, Jennifer Jane WILLIAMS
  • Publication number: 20160144335
    Abstract: A process is described for treating a natural gas stream containing methane and one or more higher hydrocarbons including the steps of mixing at least a portion of the natural gas stream with steam; passing the mixture adiabatically over a supported precious metal reforming catalyst to generate a reformed gas mixture comprising methane, steam, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen; cooling the reformed gas mixture to below the dew point to condense water and removing the condensate to provide a de-watered reformed gas mixture, and passing the de-watered reformed gas mixture through an acid gas recovery unit to remove carbon dioxide and at least a portion of the hydrogen and carbon monoxide, thereby generating a methane stream. The methane stream may be used to adjust the composition of a natural gas stream, including a vapourised LNG stream, to meet pipeline specifications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Applicant: Johnson Matthey PLC
    Inventor: Stephen John CATCHPOLE
  • Patent number: 9284236
    Abstract: A process is described for treating a natural gas stream containing methane and one or more higher hydrocarbons including the steps of: (i) mixing at least a portion of the natural gas stream with steam, (ii) passing the mixture adiabatically over a supported precious metal reforming catalyst to generate a reformed gas mixture comprising methane, steam, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen, (iii) cooling the reformed gas mixture to below the dew point to condense water and removing the condensate to provide a de-watered reformed gas mixture, and (iv) passing the de-watered reformed gas mixture through an acid gas recovery unit to remove carbon dioxide and at least a portion of the hydrogen and carbon monoxide, thereby generating a methane stream. The methane stream may be used to adjust the composition of a natural gas stream, including a vaporized LNG stream, to meet pipeline specifications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Johnson Matthey PLC
    Inventor: Stephen John Catchpole
  • Patent number: 8747806
    Abstract: A process for producing hydrogen includes: passing a hydrocarbon feed though purification sorbent(s), combining steam with the purified hydrocarbon and passing the hydrocarbon/steam mixture adiabatically through a bed of steam reforming catalyst, passing the pre-reformed gas mixture through a fired steam reformer to generate a crude synthesis gas mixture, passing the crude synthesis gas mixture through one or more beds of water-gas shift catalyst to generate a shifted synthesis gas mixture, passing the shifted synthesis gas mixture to a membrane shift reactor containing a bed of water-gas shift catalyst and a CO2-selective membrane, cooling the hydrogen-enriched gas mixture to below the dew point and separating off the condensate, passing the de-watered hydrogen-enriched gas mixture to CO2 separation in pressure-swing absorption apparatus, and recycling at least a portion of the purge gas stream as fuel to the fired steam reformer or to the hydrocarbon feed or purified hydrocarbon feed streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Johnson Matthey PLC
    Inventor: Stephen John Catchpole
  • Publication number: 20130090505
    Abstract: A process is described for treating a natural gas stream containing methane and one or more higher hydrocarbons including the steps of: (i) mixing at least a portion of the natural gas stream with steam, (ii) passing the mixture adiabatically over a supported precious metal reforming catalyst to generate a reformed gas mixture comprising methane, steam, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen, (iii) cooling the reformed gas mixture to below the dew point to condense water and removing the condensate to provide a de-watered reformed gas mixture, and (iv) passing the de-watered reformed gas mixture through an acid gas recovery unit to remove carbon dioxide and at least a portion of the hydrogen and carbon monoxide, thereby generating a methane stream. The methane stream may be used to adjust the composition of a natural gas stream, including a vapourised LNG stream, to meet pipeline specifications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Publication date: April 11, 2013
    Applicant: JOHNSON MATTHEY PLC
    Inventor: Stephen John Catchpole
  • Publication number: 20120039794
    Abstract: A process for producing hydrogen includes: passing a hydrocarbon feed though purification sorbent(s), combining steam with the purified hydrocarbon and passing the hydrocarbon/steam mixture adiabatically through a bed of steam reforming catalyst, passing the pre-reformed gas mixture through a fired steam reformer to generate a crude synthesis gas mixture, passing the crude synthesis gas mixture through one or more beds of water-gas shift catalyst to generate a shifted synthesis gas mixture, passing the shifted synthesis gas mixture to a membrane shift reactor containing a bed of water-gas shift catalyst and a CO2-selective membrane, cooling the hydrogen-enriched gas mixture to below the dew point and separating off the condensate, passing the de-watered hydrogen-enriched gas mixture to CO2 separation in pressure-swing absorption apparatus, and recycling at least a portion of the purge gas stream as fuel to the fired steam reformer or to the hydrocarbon feed or purified hydrocarbon feed streams.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Applicant: JOHNSON MATTHEY PLC
    Inventor: Stephen John Catchpole