Patents by Inventor Thomas Willner

Thomas Willner 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: 9592485
    Abstract: The invent on relates to a device for producing starting materials, combustible substances and fuels from organic substances. Said device comprises a reactor (10) that comprises a feeding device (11) for the organic substances, a discharge device (12) for the reaction products, and a device (13) for supplying reaction energy for the transformation of organic substances into the reaction products. The invention is characterized in that the reactor (10) comprises a device (14) for forming a circulating flow inside the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: TECHNISCHE WERKE LUDWIGSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Uwe Berger, Thomas Willner, Walter Vanselow
  • Patent number: 9102880
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing crude oil from biomass by direct liquefaction under atmospheric pressure, involving the following steps: introducing dried biomass into a reactor containing heavy oil to form a sump oil phase consisting of biomass and heavy oil; maintaining the temperature of the sump oil phase at a predetermined reaction temperature; condensing and collecting the volatile reaction products; and isolating and collecting the crude oil. Said method is characterized in that the heavy oil phase has at least 5 wt. % organically bound oxygen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: NEXXOIL AG
    Inventor: Thomas Willner
  • Publication number: 20150152339
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the thermal conversion of heteroatom-containing crude oils into low-heteroatom light and middle oils as a product. The invention further relates to the products produced by this method and their application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2013
    Publication date: June 4, 2015
    Applicant: NEXXOIL AG
    Inventor: Thomas Willner
  • Patent number: 8858656
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for thermochemically converting organic waste material having high molecular weight into liquid combustible materials and fuels, comprising the following steps: feeding organic waste material into a reactor, heating the organic waste material to a temperature between 250° C. and 500° C. while avoiding exceeding critical coking temperatures in the reactor, feeding biogenic substances to the reactor, collecting and condensing the gases and vapors released from the mixture of organic waste material and biogenic substances, collecting the condensate and letting phases form, and removing the phase(s) containing liquid combustible materials and fuels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Nexxoil AG
    Inventor: Thomas Willner
  • Patent number: 8507740
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a petrochemical product from biomass, involving the following steps: dewatering and drying biomass; producing crude oil by the direct liquefaction of the dried biomass; hydrogenating the crude oil into hydrocarbons; and refining the hydrocarbons into a petrochemical product. Said method is characterized in that the hydrogen used for hydrogenating the crude oil is obtained from the wastewater accumulated during the dewatering and drying of the biomass and/or during the direct liquefaction and from the residue accumulated during the direct liquefaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Nexxoil AG
    Inventor: Thomas Willner
  • Patent number: 8425856
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for producing starting materials, combustible substances and fuels from organic substances. Said claimed device comprises a reactor (10) that comprises an introduction device (11) for the organic substances, an evacuation device (12) for the reaction products and a device (13) for feeding reaction energy for the transformation of organic substances into reaction products. The invention is characterized in that the introduction device (11) comprises pneumatic means (24) for the supply of solid material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Technische Werke Ludwigshafen AG
    Inventors: Uwe Berger, Thomas Willner, Walter Vanselow
  • Publication number: 20130091761
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for thermochemically converting organic waste material having high molecular weight into liquid combustible materials and fuels, comprising the following steps: feeding organic waste material into a reactor, heating the organic waste material to a temperature between 250° C. and 500° C. while avoiding exceeding critical coking temperatures in the reactor, feeding biogenic substances to the reactor, collecting and condensing the gases and vapors released from the mixture of organic waste material and biogenic substances, collecting the condensate and letting phases form, and removing the phase(s) containing liquid combustible materials and fuels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicant: Hochschule Fur Angewandte Wissenschaften Hamburg (Haw Hamburg)
    Inventor: Thomas Willner
  • Publication number: 20120167453
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing crude oil from biomass by direct liquefaction under atmospheric pressure, involving the following steps: introducing dried biomass into a reactor containing heavy oil to form a sump oil phase consisting of biomass and heavy oil; maintaining the temperature of the sump oil phase at a predetermined reaction temperature; condensing and collecting the volatile reaction products; and isolating and collecting the crude oil. Said method is characterized in that the heavy oil phase has at least 5 wt. % organically bound oxygen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: NEXXOIL AG
    Inventor: Thomas Willner
  • Publication number: 20120165582
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a petrochemical product from biomass, involving the following steps: dewatering and drying biomass; producing crude oil by the direct liquefaction of the dried biomass; hydrogenating the crude oil into hydrocarbons; and refining the hydrocarbons into a petrochemical product. Said method is characterized in that the hydrogen used for hydrogenating the crude oil is obtained from the wastewater accumulated during the dewatering and drying of the biomass and/or during the direct liquefaction and from the residue accumulated during the direct liquefaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: NEXXOIL AG
    Inventor: Thomas Willner
  • Publication number: 20110219670
    Abstract: The invent on relates to a device for producing starting materials, combustible suhstances and fuels from organic substances. Said device comprises a reactor (10) that comprises a feeding device (11) for the organic substances, a discharge device (12) tor the reaction products, and a device (13) for supplying reaction energy for the transformation of organic substances into the reaction products. The invention is characterised in that the reactor (10) comprises a device (14) for forming a circulating now inside the reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Inventors: Uwe Berger, Thomas Willner, Walter Vanselow
  • Publication number: 20110212000
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for producing starting materials, combustible substances and fuels from organic substances. Said claimed device comprises a reactor (10) that comprises an introduction device (11) for the organic substances, an evacuation device (12) for the reaction products and a device (13) for feeding reaction energy for the transformation of organic substances into reaction products. The invention is characterised in that the introduction device (11) comprises pneumatic means (24) for the supply of solid material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Inventors: Uwe Berger, Thomas Willner, Walter Vanselow
  • Publication number: 20110185632
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the direct thermochemical conversion of high molecular weight organic starting products into low molecular weight organic products that are liquid with a low viscosity at ambient temperature and can be combusted. Said method consists of the following steps: (1) the starting product, at least one reducing gas and slow-evaporating product fractions are provided in a reactor, (2) the provided starting material is rapidly heated to a reaction temperature, (3) said starting material is converted using the temperature, the reducing effect of the gas and autocatalytical effects of the product fractions in vaporous reaction products and reaction gas, (4) the reaction gas is separated by means of condensation by evacuating the condensed reaction products, said separated reaction gas comprising a mixture of hydrogen, methane and other hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Inventors: Uwe Berger, Thomas Willner, Walter Vanselow
  • Patent number: 5401867
    Abstract: A method for dry fractionation of a mixture of meltable, higher molecular weight organic substances, including: melting a mixture of organic substances which is meltable and which has a higher molecular weight by heating the mixture to a temperature effective to provide a melt, the melt having an interior temperature; pre-cooling the melt with a cooling means including a coolant to one of (1) cool the melt without nucleation of crystallization and (2) cool the melt and nucleate crystallization at a nucleation temperature; and growing crystals under conditions effective to one of (1) nucleate crystallization at the nucleation temperature and ripen the crystals, and (2) ripen crystals nucleated in step (b), wherein pre-cooling, nucleating and crystal ripening each include a thermal treatment, wherein, during precooling, temperature reduction is effected at any desired rate but under the conditions that the coolant has a temperature which is not more than 10.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Assignee: Krupp Maschinentechnik Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung
    Inventors: Werner Sitzmann, Thomas Willner
  • Patent number: 5198123
    Abstract: A plate filter press for the mechanical separation of solids from a liquid forming a suspension. The plate filter press is made of a plurality of vertical membrane plates and filter plates, the membrane plates and filter plates alternating. The space between the membrane plates and filter plates defines a filter chamber, which can be opened by moving the plates apart. An impermeable and flexible membrane is positioned in the filter chamber and is sealed to the periphery of the membrane plate. The space between the membrane and the membrane plate defines a pressure medium chamber for receiving pressure medium. The space between the membrane and the filter plate defines a suspension chamber for receiving the suspension. Finally, a woven metal fabric filter is positioned on each side of the filter plate. Both the filter plates and the woven metal fabric filters are planar. Liquid from the suspension is discharged through the woven metal fabric filter toward the interior of the filter plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1993
    Assignee: Krupp Maschinentechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Hans-Martin Stover, Gunther Suhr, Thomas Willner