Patents by Inventor Stephen M. Cundy

Stephen M. Cundy 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: 7867379
    Abstract: This invention relates to a process of producing an upgraded product stream from steam cracker tar feedstream suitable for use in refinery or chemical plant processes or for utilization in fuel oil sales or blending. This process utilizes an ultrafiltration process for separating the steam cracker tar constituents resulting in a high recovery, low-energy process with improved separation and product properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Daniel P. Leta, Edward W. Corcoran, Eric B. Sirota, Stephen M. Cundy, Kirk C. Nadler, John Di-Yi Ou, Paul F. Keusenkothen
  • Patent number: 7815790
    Abstract: This invention relates to a process of producing an upgraded product stream from the products of a resid visbreaking process to produce an improved feedstream for refinery and petrochemical hydrocarbon conversion units. This process utilizes an ultrafiltration process for upgrading select visbreaking process product streams to produce a conversion unit feedstream with improved properties for maximizing the conversion unit's throughput, total conversion, run-time, and overall product value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Daniel P. Leta, Leo D. Brown, David T. Ferrughelli, Stephen M. Cundy, MaryKathryn Lee, Copper E. Haith, Eric B. Sirota
  • Patent number: 7736493
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for improving a deasphalting unit process by producing an improved feedstream for the deasphalting process via ultrafiltration of a vacuum resid-containing feedstream. In particular, the present invention produces an improved quality feedstream to a solvent deasphalting process which results in improved deasphalted oil (DAO) production rates and/or higher quality deasphalted oils. The present invention can be particularly beneficial when used in conjunction with an existing deasphalting equipment to result in improved deasphalted oil (DAO) production rates and/or higher quality deasphalted oils from the existing deasphalting equipment without the need for significant equipment modifications to the existing deasphalting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Daniel P. Leta, Lisa M. Rogers, Merryl J. Miranda, Keith K. Aldous, Stephen M. Cundy, MaryKathryn Lee, Edward W. Corcoran
  • Publication number: 20090230022
    Abstract: A heavy residual petroleum feed boiling above 650° F.+ (345° C.+) is subjected to membrane separation to produce a produce a permeate which is low in metals and Microcarbon Residue (MCR) as well as a retentate, containing most of the MCR and metals, the retentate is then subjected to hydroconversion at elevated temperature in the presence of hydrogen at a hydrogen pressure not higher than 500 psig (3500 kPag) using a dispersed metal-on-carbon catalyst to produce a hydroconverted effluent which is fractionated to give naphtha, distillate and gas oil fractions. The permeate from the membrane separation may be used as FCC feed either as such or with moderate hydrotreatment to remove residual heteroatoms. The process has the advantage that the hydroconversion may be carried out in low pressure equipment with a low hydrogen consumption as saturation of aromatics is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Martin L. Gorbaty, David T. Ferrughelli, Edward W. Corcoran, Stephen M. Cundy
  • Publication number: 20090234166
    Abstract: A heavy residual petroleum feed boiling above 650° F.+ (345° C.+) is subjected to hydroconversion at elevated temperature in the presence of hydrogen at a hydrogen pressure not normally higher than 500 psig (3500 kPag) using a dispersed metal-on-carbon catalyst to produce a hydroconverted effluent which is fractionated to form a low boiling fraction and a relatively higher boiling fraction which is subjected to membrane separation to produce a permeate which is low in metals and Microcarbon Residue (MCR) as well as a retentate, containing most of the MCR and metals. The process has the advantage that the hydroconversion may be carried out in low pressure equipment with a low hydrogen consumption as saturation of aromatics is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Martin L. Gorbaty, David T. Ferrughelli, Edward W. Corcoran, Stephen M. Cundy, Andrew Kaldor
  • Publication number: 20090057192
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for improving a deasphalting unit process by producing an improved feedstream for the deasphalting process via ultrafiltration of a vacuum resid-containing feedstream. In particular, the present invention produces an improved quality feedstream to a solvent deasphalting process which results in improved deasphalted oil (DAO) production rates and/or higher quality deasphalted oils. The present invention can be particularly beneficial when used in conjunction with an existing deasphalting equipment to result in improved deasphalted oil (DAO) production rates and/or higher quality deasphalted oils from the existing deasphalting equipment without the need for significant equipment modifications to the existing deasphalting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Daniel P. Leta, Lisa M. Rogers, Merryl J. Miranda, Keith K. Aldous, Stephen M. Cundy, MaryKathryn Lee, Edward W. Corcoran
  • Publication number: 20090057200
    Abstract: This invention relates to a process of producing an upgraded product stream from steam cracker tar feedstream suitable for use in refinery or chemical plant processes or for utilization in fuel oil sales or blending. This process utilizes an ultrafiltration process for separating the steam cracker tar constituents resulting in a high recovery, low-energy process with improved separation and product properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Daniel P. Leta, Edward W. Corcoran, Eric B. Sirota, Stephen M. Cundy, Kirk C. Nadler, John Di-Yi Ou, Paul F. Keusenkothen
  • Publication number: 20090057203
    Abstract: This invention relates to an ultrafiltration process for separating a heavy hydrocarbon stream to produce an enriched saturates content stream(s) utilizing an ultrafiltration separations process. The enriched saturates content streams can then be further processed in refinery and petrochemical processes that will benefit from the higher content of saturated hydrocarbons produced from this separations process. The invention may be utilized to separate heavy hydrocarbon feedstreams, such as whole crudes, topped crudes, synthetic crude blends, shale oils, oils derived from bitumen, oils derived from tar sands, atmospheric resids, vacuum resids, or other heavy hydrocarbon streams into enriched saturates content product streams. The invention provides an economical method for separating heavy hydrocarbon stream components by molecular species instead of molecular boiling points.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Daniel P. Leta, Eric B. Sirota, Edward W. Corcoran, Anjaneya S. Kovvali, Stephen H. Brown, Stephen M. Cundy
  • Publication number: 20090057226
    Abstract: This invention relates to a process for producing a product stream with improved reduction of Conradson Carbon Residue (“CCR”) and a reduced average boiling point from a heavy hydrocarbon feedstream utilizing a high-pressure, low-energy separation process. The invention may be utilized to reduce the CCR content and reduce the average boiling point in heavy hydrocarbon feedstreams, such as whole crudes, topped crudes, synthetic crude blends, shale oils, bitumen, oil from tar sands, atmospheric resids, vacuum resids, or other heavy hydrocarbon streams. This invention also results in a process with an improved CCR separation efficiency while maintaining permeate flux rates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Daniel P. Leta, Edward W. Corcoran, Brian Erik Henry, James D. Dearth, Kirk C. Nadler, Stephen M. Cundy, Miroslav Petro, Thomas H. McWaid, Li Song, Yan Yin Chan
  • Publication number: 20090057198
    Abstract: This invention relates to a process of producing an upgraded product stream from the products of a resid visbreaking process to produce an improved feedstream for refinery and petrochemical hydrocarbon conversion units. This process utilizes an ultrafiltration process for upgrading select visbreaking process product streams to produce a conversion unit feedstream with improved properties for maximizing the conversion unit's throughput, total conversion, run-time, and overall product value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Daniel P. Leta, Leo D. Brown, David T. Ferrughelli, Stephen M. Cundy, MaryKathryn Lee, Copper E. Haith, Eric B. Sirota