Patents by Inventor Suriyanarayanan Rajagopalan

Suriyanarayanan Rajagopalan 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: 20190144756
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for integrating a fluidized coking process, optionally a coke gasification process, and processes for production of additional liquid products from the coking and/or gasification process. In some aspects, the integrated processes can allow for conversion of olefins generated during a fluidized coking process to form additional liquid products. Additionally or alternately, in some aspects the integrated processes can allow for separation of syngas from the flue gas/fuel gas generated by a gasifier integrated with a fluidized coking process. This syngas can then be used to form methanol, which can then be converted in a methanol conversion process to form heavier products. In such aspects, olefins generated during the fluidized coking process can be added to the methanol conversion process to improve the yield.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2017
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventors: Tien V. Le, Brenda A. Raich, Bing Du, Mohsen N. Harandi, Suriyanarayanan Rajagopalan
  • Publication number: 20190144768
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for producing high quality synthesis gas from a fluidized coking system that includes an integrated gasifier. Additionally or alternately, systems and methods are provided for integrating a fluidized coking process, a coke gasification process, and processes for production of compounds from the synthesis gas generated during the coke gasification. The integrated process can also allow for reduced or minimized production of inorganic nitrogen compounds by using oxygen from an air separation unit as the oxygen source for gasification. Although the amount of nitrogen introduced as a diluent into the gasification will be reduced, minimized, or eliminated, the integrated process can also allow for gasification of coke while reducing, minimizing, or eliminating production of slag or other glass-like substances in the gasifier. Examples of compounds that can be produced from the synthesis gas include, but are not limited to, methanol, ammonia, and urea.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2017
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventors: Mohsen N. Harandi, Suriyanarayanan Rajagopalan
  • Publication number: 20190112537
    Abstract: A Flexicoking™ unit which retains the capability of converting heavy oil feeds to lower boiling liquid hydrocarbon products while making a fuel gas from rejected coke to provide only a minimal coke yield. The heater section of the conventional three section unit (reactor, heater, gasifier) is eliminated and all or a portion of the cold coke from the reactor is passed directly to the gasifier which is modified by the installation of separators to remove coke particles from the product gas which is taken out of the gasifier for ultization. In one embodiment, a portion of cold coke is transferred directly from the reactor to the gasifier, and another portion of cold coke is combined with hot, partly gasified coke particles transferred directly from the gasifier to the reactor. The hot coke from the gasifier is passed directly to the coking zone of the reactor to supply heat to support the endothermic cracking reactions and supply seed nuclei for the formation of coke in the reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Inventors: Suriyanarayanan Rajagopalan, Glen E. Phillips, Mohsen N. Harandi
  • Publication number: 20180291280
    Abstract: A method for converting methanol to gasoline boiling range hydrocarbons is disclosed. In an aspect the method includes feeding crude methanol from a methanol synthesis reactor to a methanol separation vessel to recover a methanol stream in a vapor phase; and without condensing the methanol stream, feeding the methanol stream in the vapor phase to a reactor containing a conversion catalyst for converting methanol to at least one of dimethyl ether or gasoline boiling range hydrocarbons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Inventors: Mitch L. HINDMAN, Mohsen N. HARANDI, Suriyanarayanan RAJAGOPALAN
  • Publication number: 20180169644
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for catalyst regeneration using a stoichiometric amount or less air for coke combustion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Suriyanarayanan Rajagopalan, Mohsen N. Harandi
  • Publication number: 20180169602
    Abstract: A method is provided for upgrading a hydrocarbon feed. The method may include contacting a hydrocarbon feed with a catalyst in a fluidized bed reactor; directing a portion of the catalyst from the fluidized bed reactor to a regeneration zone, such that the portion of the catalyst flows in a first direction through the regeneration zone; directing combustion air into the regeneration zone in a counter-flow direction to the first direction, wherein the combustion air is provided at a rate of about 100.05% or less of the stoichiometric air requirement for combusting coke present on the portion of catalyst; regenerating the portion of the catalyst in the regeneration zone to produce regenerated catalyst; and directing a portion of the hydrocarbon feed to combine with the regenerated catalyst downstream of the regeneration zone and lift the regenerated catalyst back to the fluidized bed reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Mohsen N. Harandi, Alvin U. Chen, Charles R. Bolz, Christopher G. Smalley, Masaaki Sugita, Suriyanarayanan Rajagopalan, Bing Du
  • Publication number: 20180170823
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for the conversion of methanol to gasoline. Such methods may be performed be the sequential conversion of methanol to dimethyl ether, the conversion of dimethyl ether (and unconverted methanol, if present) to an intermediate olefin-rich product, and the oligomerization of the olefin-rich product to gasoline boiling range hydrocarbons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Suriyanarayanan Rajagopalan, Mohsen N. Harandi, Karlton J. Hickey
  • Publication number: 20180171241
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for making gasoline. The method includes converting a resid-containing feed to a first fuel gas and a fluid coke in a fluidized bed reactor; gasifying the fluid coke with steam and air to produce a second fuel gas, said second fuel gas comprising a syngas; contacting the first fuel gas with a first conversion catalyst under first effective conversion conditions to form an effluent comprising C5+ hydrocarbon compounds; and converting the syngas to gasoline boiling range hydrocarbons by converting the syngas to a methanol intermediate product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Mohsen N. Harandi, Suriyanarayanan Rajagopalan
  • Patent number: 9964256
    Abstract: In a process for the catalytic conversion of organic oxygenates to hydrocarbons, a feed comprising at least one organic oxygenate is contacted with a zeolite catalyst under conditions effective to produce a hydrocarbon product comprising aromatics, olefins and paraffins. At least a fraction of the hydrocarbon product containing C4+ hydrocarbons, including at least part of the olefins, is then contacted with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst under conditions effective to saturate at least part of the olefins in the C4+-containing fraction and produce a hydrogenated effluent containing less than 1 wt % olefins. The hydrogenated effluent is useful as a diluent for heavy crude oils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Mohsen N. Harandi, Timothy L. Hilbert, Suriyanarayanan Rajagopalan, Stephen J. McCarthy, Rohit Vijay
  • Publication number: 20170233667
    Abstract: A method for utilizing the heating value of clarified shiny oil (CSO) by in which clarified slurry oil from the settler of a fluid catalytic cracking unit is introduced as feed to the gasifier of a Flexicoking unit where it is reacted at high temperature with the air and steam to produce additional heat. In this way, the heating value of the CSO is better utilized as refinery fuel gas and plant economics are enhanced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventors: Mohsen N. Harandi, Suriyanarayanan Rajagopalan, Glen E. Phillips
  • Publication number: 20170121615
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for producing diesel boiling range compounds from an olefin-containing feed. The olefin-containing feed can include a refinery fuel gas and/or a naphtha feed. The olefin-containing feed can be exposed to a first set of conversion conditions that can include a low pressure to produce an oligomerized olefin effluent. The oligomerized olefin effluent can be exposed to a second set of conversion conditions that include a higher pressure than the first set of conversion conditions to produce a product effluent that includes diesel boiling range compounds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: Mohsen N. Harandi, William S. Bragan, II, Thomas J. Doolin, Adam I. Smith, Suriyanarayanan Rajagopalan
  • Publication number: 20170057836
    Abstract: Systems and methods utilize heated waste flue gas to indirectly heat untreated water. The heated waste flue gas, which may come from a steam generator, passes through one or more heating coils in a vessel to vaporize untreated water and separate out solids and other contaminants before subsequent condensing. The steam generator may receive resulting treated water to produce steam for injection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Suriyanarayanan Rajagopalan, Dale Embry, Edward Latimer
  • Publication number: 20170057835
    Abstract: Systems and methods utilize heated waste flue gas to treat water. The heated waste flue gas, which may come from a steam generator, bubbles through untreated water to vaporize the untreated water and separate out solids and other contaminants before subsequent condensing. The steam generator may receive resulting treated water to produce steam for injection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Suriyanarayanan Rajagopalan, Dale Embry, Edward Latimer
  • Publication number: 20160178132
    Abstract: In a process for the catalytic conversion of organic oxygenates to hydrocarbons, a feed comprising at least one organic oxygenate is contacted with a zeolite catalyst under conditions effective to produce a hydrocarbon product comprising aromatics, olefins and paraffins. At least a fraction of the hydrocarbon product containing C4+ hydrocarbons, including at least part of the olefins, is then contacted with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst under conditions effective to saturate at least part of the olefins in the C4+-containing fraction and produce a hydrogenated effluent containing less than 1 wt % olefins. The hydrogenated effluent is useful as a diluent for heavy crude oils.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Mohsen N. Harandi, Timothy L. Hilbert, Suriyanarayanan Rajagopalan, Stephen J. McCarthy, Rohit Vijay
  • Publication number: 20150368572
    Abstract: A Flexicoking™ unit which retains the capability of converting heavy oil feeds to lower boiling liquid hydrocarbon products while making a fuel gas from rejected coke to provide only a minimal coke yield. The heater section of the conventional three section unit (reactor, heater, gasifier) is eliminated and the cold coke from the reactor is passed directly to the gasifier which is modified by the installation of separators to remove coke particles from the product gas which is taken out of the gasifier for ultization. Hot coke from the gasifier is passed directly to the coking zone of the reactor to supply heat to support the endothermic cracking reactions and supply seed nuclei for the formation of coke in the reactor. Coke is withdrawn from the gasifier to remove excess coke and to purge the system of metals and ash.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Suriyanarayanan Rajagopalan, Glen E. Phillips, Mohsen N. Harandi