Patents by Inventor Thomas Francis Degnan

Thomas Francis Degnan 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: 10035959
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for slurry hydroconversion of a heavy oil feed, such as an atmospheric or vacuum resid. The systems and methods allow for slurry hydroconversion using catalysts with enhanced activity and/or catalysts that can be recycled as a side product from a complementary refinery process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Ramanathan Sundararaman, Thomas Francis Degnan, Jr., Rustom Merwan Billimoria, Natalie Ann Fassbender, Manuel A. Francisco, Anjaneya Sarma Kovvali, Randolph J. Smiley, John Peter Greeley, William Ernest Lewis, Roby Bearden, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9816039
    Abstract: A heavy petroleum oil feed is upgraded by having its amenability to cracking improved by subjecting the oil to selective partial oxidation with a catalytic oxidation system to partially oxidize aromatic ring systems in the heavy oil. The partially oxidized oil can then be cracked in the conventional manner but at lower severities to lower molecular weight cracking products. The cracking following the partial oxidation step may be thermal in nature as by thermal cracking, delayed, contact or fluid coking or fluid catalytic cracking or hydrogenative as in hydrocracking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Manuel A. Francisco, Thomas Francis Degnan, Jr., Colin L. Beswick, Ramanathan Sundararaman
  • Patent number: 9605218
    Abstract: Improved yields of fuels and/or lubricants from a resid or other heavy oil feed can be achieved using slurry hydroconversion to convert at least about 90 wt % of the feed. The converted portion of the feed can then be passed into one or more hydroprocessing stages. An initial processing stage can be a hydrotreatment stage for additional removal of contaminants and for passivation of high activity functional groups that may be created during slurry hydroconversion. The hydrotreatment effluent can then be fractionated to separate naphtha boiling range fractions from distillate fuel boiling range fractions and lubricant boiling range fractions. At least the lubricant boiling range fraction can then be hydrocracked to improve the viscosity properties. The hydrocracking effluent can also be dewaxed to improve the cold flow properties. The hydrocracked and/or dewaxed product can then be optionally hydrofinished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Randolph J. Smiley, Ajit Bhaskar Dandekar, Ramanathan Sundararaman, Rustom Merwan Billimoria, Thomas Francis Degnan, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9605217
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for sequential slurry hydroconversion of heavy oil feedstocks. One or more low pressure slurry hydroconversion stages can be used to perform a majority of the conversion of a heavy oil feedstock. The bottoms from the low pressure stages can then be slurry hydroconverted in one or more high pressure stages to further convert the feedstock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Ramanathan Sundararaman, Thomas Francis Degnan, Jr., Rustom Merwan Billimoria, Randolph J. Smiley
  • Patent number: 9499752
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for slurry hydroconversion of a heavy oil feed, such as an atmospheric or vacuum resid. The systems and methods allow for slurry hydroconversion using catalysts with enhanced activity. The catalysts with enhanced activity can be used in conjunction with demetallization catalysts or catalysts that can be recycled as a side product from a complementary refinery process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Ramanathan Sundararaman, Thomas Francis Degnan, Jr., Rustom Merwan Billimoria, Keith Wilson, Randolph J. Smiley, Jacob Johannes Thiart
  • Publication number: 20160060550
    Abstract: A heavy petroleum oil feed is upgraded by having its amenability to cracking improved by subjecting the oil to selective partial oxidation with a catalytic oxidation system to partially oxidize aromatic ring systems in the heavy oil. The partially oxidized oil can then be cracked in the conventional manner but at lower severities to lower molecular weight cracking products. The cracking following the partial oxidation step may be thermal in nature as by thermal cracking, delayed, contact or fluid coking or fluid catalytic cracking or hydrogenative as in hydrocracking.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Manuel A. Francisco, Thomas Francis DEGNAN, JR., Colin L. BESWICK, Ramanathan SUNDARARAMAN
  • Publication number: 20150315491
    Abstract: New methods and systems for crude oil desalting are provided that utilize hydrodynamic cavitation to crack molecules that have a tendency to form emulsions, thereby allowing increased desalter throughput, reduced desalter operating temperatures, and/or reduced or eliminated need for diluent oil or emulsifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Patrick Loring Hanks, Michel Daage, Thomas Francis Degnan, JR.
  • Publication number: 20150315490
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for deasphalting with integrated hydrodynamic cavitation to improve the yield or quality of deasphalted oil obtained from a deasphalting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Applicant: ExxonMobile Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Patrick Loring Hanks, Michel Daage, Thomas Francis Degnan, JR.
  • Publication number: 20150315489
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for converting resids to oil streams useful as fuel oils by utilizing hydrodynamic cavitation. The cavitated fuel oils are more suitable for subsequent conversion to lighter products (e.g., through fluid catalytic cracking) or they can be blended to produce heating oils or bunker fuels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Patrick Loring Hanks, Michel DAAGE, Thomas Francis DEGNAN, JR.
  • Publication number: 20150315492
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for improving liquid product quality or yield from atmospheric or vacuum distillation unit by subjecting fractionated streams from such distillation units to hydrodynamic cavitation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Patrick Loring Hanks, Michel DAAGE, Thomas Francis DEGNAN, JR., Kenneth R. GRAZIANI
  • Publication number: 20150315478
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for improve the rheological properties of heavy crudes, waxy crudes, dilatant crudes and other crudes possessing challenging transporting properties utilizing hydrodynamic cavitation to crack hydrocarbons in the crude oil and thereby improve the transport properties of such crudes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Patrick Loring Hanks, Michel Daage, Thomas Francis Degnan, JR., Robert Dean Denton
  • Publication number: 20150315480
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for pretreating a heavy oil feed to a hydrocracker, such as a slurry hydrocracker to partially convert the stream and/or to convert catalyst precursors in the stream to catalytically active particles by hydrodynamic cavitation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Patrick Loring Hanks, Michel DAAGE, Thomas Francis DEGNAN, JR., Randolph J. SMILEY
  • Publication number: 20150021233
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for sequential slurry hydroconversion of heavy oil feedstocks. One or more low pressure slurry hydroconversion stages can be used to perform a majority of the conversion of a heavy oil feedstock. The bottoms from the low pressure stages can then be slurry hydroconverted in one or more high pressure stages to further convert the feedstock.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Ramanathan Sundararaman, Thomas Francis Degnan, JR., Rustom Merwan Billimoria, Randolph J. Smiley
  • Publication number: 20150014217
    Abstract: Improved yields of fuels and/or lubricants from a resid or other heavy oil feed can be achieved using slurry hydroconversion to convert at least about 90 wt % of the feed. The converted portion of the feed can then be passed into one or more hydroprocessing stages. An initial processing stage can be a hydrotreatment stage for additional removal of contaminants and for passivation of high activity functional groups that may be created during slurry hydroconversion. The hydrotreatment effluent can then be fractionated to separate naphtha boiling range fractions from distillate fuel boiling range fractions and lubricant boiling range fractions. At least the lubricant boiling range fraction can then be hydrocracked to improve the viscosity properties. The hydrocracking effluent can also be dewaxed to improve the cold flow properties. The hydrocracked and/or dewaxed product can then be optionally hydrofinished.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Randolph J. Smiley, Ajit Bhaskar Dandekar, Ramanathan Sundararaman, Rustom Merwan Billimoria, Thomas Francis Degnan, JR.
  • Publication number: 20150014216
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for slurry hydroconversion of a heavy oil feed, such as an atmospheric or vacuum resid. The systems and methods allow for slurry hydroconversion using catalysts with enhanced activity. The catalysts with enhanced activity can be used in conjunction with demetallization catalysts or catalysts that can be recycled as a side product from a complementary refinery process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Ramanathan Sundararaman, Thomas Francis Degnan, JR., Rustom Merwan Billimoria, Keith Wilson, Randolph J. Smiley, Jacob Johannes Thiart
  • Publication number: 20140374314
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for slurry hydroconversion of a heavy oil feed, such as an atmospheric or vacuum resid. The systems and methods allow for slurry hydroconversion using catalysts with enhanced activity and/or catalysts that can be recycled as a side product from a complementary refinery process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Ramanathan SUNDARARAMAN, Thomas Francis DEGNAN, JR., Rustom Merwan BILLIMORIA, Natalie Ann FASSBENDER, Manuel A. FRANCISCO, Anjaneya Sarma KOVVALI, Randolph J. SMILEY, John Peter GREELEY, William Ernest LEWIS, Roby BEARDEN, JR.
  • Patent number: 8455415
    Abstract: A poly(alpha-olefin/alkylene glycol) copolymer of the following formula: wherein R3, R4, Ra, and Rb are, independently, any of H, a C1 to C18 normal or branched alkyl radical, or a C1 to C18 aromatic radical or aromatic-containing alkyl radicals; wherein n and m, are, independently, integers from 1 to 1000; and wherein x is an integer from 0 to 10. There is also a process for making the copolymer. There is also a lubricant formulation having the copolymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Abhimanyu Onkar Patil, Satish Bodige, Suzzy Chen Hsi Ho, Thomas Francis Degnan, David Joseph Baillargeon, Margaret May-Som Wu
  • Patent number: 8394255
    Abstract: An integrated process for producing naphtha fuel, diesel fuel and/or lubricant base oils from feedstocks under sour conditions is provided. The ability to process feedstocks under higher sulfur and/or nitrogen conditions allows for reduced cost processing and increases the flexibility in selecting a suitable feedstock. The sour feed can be delivered to a catalytic dewaxing step without any separation of sulfur and nitrogen contaminants, or a high pressure separation can be used to partially eliminate contaminants. The integrated process includes an initial hydrotreatment, hydrocracking, catalytic dewaxing of the hydrocracking effluent, and an option final hydrotreatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Stephen J. McCarthy, Gary Paul Schleicher, Krista Marie Prentice, Michel Daage, Christopher Gordon Oliveri, Thomas Francis Degnan, José Guadalupe Santiesteban, Ajit Bhaskar Dandekar, William Joseph Novak, Wenyih F. Lai
  • Publication number: 20110098204
    Abstract: A poly(alpha-olefin/alkylene glycol) copolymer of the following formula: wherein R3, R4, Ra, and Rb are, independently, any of H, a C1 to C18 normal or branched alkyl radical, or a C1 to C18 aromatic radical or aromatic-containing alkyl radicals; wherein n and m, are, independently, integers from 1 to 1000; and wherein x is an integer from 0 to 10. There is also a process for making the copolymer. There is also a lubricant formulation having the copolymer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Inventors: Abhimanyu Onkar Patil, Satish Bodige, Suzzy Chen Hsi Ho, Thomas Francis Degnan, David Joseph Baillargeon, Margaret May-Som Wu
  • Publication number: 20100187155
    Abstract: An integrated process for producing naphtha fuel, diesel fuel and/or lubricant base oils from feedstocks under sour conditions is provided. The ability to process feedstocks under higher sulfur and/or nitrogen conditions allows for reduced cost processing and increases the flexibility in selecting a suitable feedstock. The sour feed can be delivered to a catalytic dewaxing step without any separation of sulfur and nitrogen contaminants, or a high pressure separation can be used to partially eliminate contaminants. The integrated process includes an initial hydrotreatment, hydrocracking, catalytic dewaxing of the hydrocracking effluent, and an option final hydrotreatment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Inventors: Stephen J. McCarthy, Gary Paul Schleicher, Krista Marie Prentice, Michel Daage, Christopher Gordon Oliveri, Thomas Francis Degnan, Jose Guadalupe Santiesteban, Ajit Bhaskar Dandekar, William Joseph Novak, Wenyih F. Lai