Patents by Inventor Thomas M. Devine

Thomas M. Devine 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: 9464242
    Abstract: A system for characterizing and optimizing refinery feedstock blends according to their corrosivity is provided. Refinery feedstocks can be characterized based on any of: dissociation of acids in the crude, breakup of naphthenic acid molecular associations, mass changes of carbon steel samples, and/or dissociation of sulfur compounds in the feedstocks. The characterization can be carried out via any of impedance, spectroscopic measurements, and continuous measurements of mass changes of carbon steel samples with a crystal microbalance over a range of temperature, e.g., from ambient to 750° F. The system can be employed in any of refinery, terminal, and laboratories, using models and/or hardware to optimize the usage of refinery feedstocks in the blending and valuation of the feedstocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Grzegorz Jan Kusinski, Thomas M. Devine
  • Patent number: 9347009
    Abstract: A method for characterizing and optimizing refinery feedstock blends according to their corrosivity is provided. Refinery feedstocks can be characterized based on any of: dissociation of acids in the crude, breakup of naphthenic acid molecular associations, mass changes of carbon steel samples, and/or dissociation of sulfur compounds in the feedstocks. The characterization is performed as a function of temperature via any of electrical resistivity measurement, vibrational spectroscopic analysis, voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, crystal microbalance measurements of weight changes, and combinations thereof. The method employs models and/or hardware to optimize the usage of refinery feedstocks in the blending and valuation of the feedstocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Grzegorz Jan Kusinski, Thomas M. Devine
  • Publication number: 20160025614
    Abstract: A new technique to measure corrosion rates in naphthenic crudes in a high temperature environment has been designed using a gallium phosphate (GAPO) crystal microbalance. The technique is highly sensitive and can measure instantaneous corrosion rates. Due to the high temperature stability of the GAPO crystals, this technique can be used to measure in the laboratory dynamic naphthenic acid corrosion rates of iron at the high temperatures that are prevalent in various locations in oil and gas production and refining facilities, therefore opening a new and more accurate method to study naphthenic corrosion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventors: Thomas M. DEVINE, Rajashree CHAKRAVARTI, Brian N. PATRICK, Kyrolos Paul EL GIHENY
  • Patent number: 9140679
    Abstract: A method for characterizing refinery feedstocks according to their corrosivity is provided. The characterization is based on any of: dissociation of acids in the crude, breakup of naphthenic acid molecular associations, and/or dissociation of sulfur compounds in the feedstocks. In one embodiment, the characterization is done via vibrational spectroscopic measurements over a range of temperature, e.g., from ambient to 700° F. The method can be practiced in any of refinery, terminal, and laboratories. It can be used in conjunction with models and hardware to optimize the usage of refinery feedstocks in the blending and valuation of the feedstocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Grzegorz Jan Kusinski, Thomas M. Devine
  • Patent number: 9103813
    Abstract: Refinery feedstocks can be characterized based on any of: dissociation of acids in the crude, breakup of naphthenic acid molecular associations, and/or dissociation of sulfur compounds in the feedstocks. The characterization is performed as a function of temperature via any of electrical resistivity measurement, vibrational spectroscopic analysis, voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and combinations thereof. The method can be practiced in any of refinery, terminal, and laboratories. It can be used in conjunction with models and hardware to optimize the usage of refinery feedstocks in the blending and valuation of the feedstocks. In one embodiment, the characterization of refinery feedstocks is via the use of EIS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Grzegorz Jan Kusinski, Thomas M. Devine
  • Publication number: 20120160707
    Abstract: A method for characterizing refinery feedstocks according to their corrosivity is provided. The characterization is based on any of: dissociation of acids in the crude, breakup of naphthenic acid molecular associations, and/or dissociation of sulfur compounds in the feedstocks. In one embodiment, the characterization is done via vibrational spectroscopic measurements over a range of temperature, e.g., from ambient to 700° F. The method can be practiced in any of refinery, terminal, and laboratories. It can be used in conjunction with models and hardware to optimize the usage of refinery feedstocks in the blending and valuation of the feedstocks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Inventors: Grzegorz Jan Kusinski, Thomas M. Devine
  • Publication number: 20120166099
    Abstract: A system for characterizing and optimizing refinery feedstock blends according to their corrosivity is provided. Refinery feedstocks can be characterized based on any of: dissociation of acids in the crude, breakup of naphthenic acid molecular associations, mass changes of carbon steel samples, and/or dissociation of sulfur compounds in the feedstocks. The characterization can be carried out via any of impedance, spectroscopic measurements, and continuous measurements of mass changes of carbon steel samples with a crystal microbalance over a range of temperature, e.g., from ambient to 750° F. The system can be employed in any of refinery, terminal, and laboratories, using models and/or hardware to optimize the usage of refinery feedstocks in the blending and valuation of the feedstocks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Inventors: Grzegorz Jan Kusinski, Thomas M. Devine
  • Publication number: 20120160709
    Abstract: Refinery feedstocks can be characterized based on any of: dissociation of acids in the crude, breakup of naphthenic acid molecular associations, and/or dissociation of sulfur compounds in the feedstocks. The characterization is performed as a function of temperature via any of electrical resistivity measurement, vibrational spectroscopic analysis, voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and combinations thereof The method can be practiced in any of refinery, terminal, and laboratories. It can be used in conjunction with models and hardware to optimize the usage of refinery feedstocks in the blending and valuation of the feedstocks. In one embodiment, the characterization of refinery feedstocks is via the use of EIS.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Inventors: Grzegorz Jan Kusinski, Thomas M. Devine
  • Publication number: 20120160736
    Abstract: A method for characterizing and optimizing refinery feedstock blends according to their corrosivity is provided. Refinery feedstocks can be characterized based on any of: dissociation of acids in the crude, breakup of naphthenic acid molecular associations, mass changes of carbon steel samples, and/or dissociation of sulfur compounds in the feedstocks. The characterization is performed as a function of temperature via any of electrical resistivity measurement, vibrational spectroscopic analysis, voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, crystal microbalance measurements of weight changes, and combinations thereof. The method employs models and/or hardware to optimize the usage of refinery feedstocks in the blending and valuation of the feedstocks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Inventors: Grzegorz Jan Kusinski, Thomas M. Devine
  • Publication number: 20070281102
    Abstract: A system for coating a surface comprising providing a source of iron-based amorphous metal, the iron-based amorphous metal including devitrified ferrite; directing the iron-based amorphous metal toward the surface by a spray for coating the surface; and separating at least a portion of the devitrified ferrite from the spray before the spray reaches the surface. Also an apparatus for coating a surface comprising a source of iron-based amorphous metal, the iron-based amorphous metal including devitrified ferrite; an application system for directing the iron-based amorphous metal toward the surface by a spray for coating the surface, and a system for separating at least a portion of the devitrified ferrite from the spray before the spray reaches the surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Inventors: Phillip D. Hailey, Sumner D. Day, Joseph C. Farmer, Nancy Yang, Thomas M. Devine, Larry Kaufman