Patents by Inventor Vivek R. Pradhan

Vivek R. Pradhan 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: 6736963
    Abstract: Economical processes are disclosed for the production of fuels of reduced sulfur content from a feedstock, typically derived from natural petroleum, wherein the feedstock is comprised of limited amounts of sulfur-containing organic compounds as unwanted impurities. The processes involve an integrated, multiple stage system for converting these impurities to higher boiling products by alkylation and removing the higher boiling products by fractional distillation. Advantageously, the processes include selective hydrogenation of the high-boiling fraction whereby the incorporation of hydrogen into hydrocarbon compounds, sulfur-containing organic compounds, and/or nitrogen-containing organic compounds assists by hydrogenation removal of sulfur and/or nitrogen. Products can be used directly as transportation fuels and/or blending components to provide, for example, more suitable components for blending into fuels which are more friendly to the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: BP Corporation North America Inc.
    Inventors: Vivek R. Pradhan, Ptoshia A. Burnett, Stacey McDaniel, Michael Hodges
  • Patent number: 6733660
    Abstract: Economical processes are disclosed for the production of fuels of reduced sulfur content from a feedstock, typically derived from natural petroleum, wherein the feedstock is comprised of limited amounts of sulfur-containing organic compounds as unwanted impurities. The processes involve integrated, multistage processes which include pretreatment of a light naphtha with a solid adsorbent to remove basic nitrogen containing compounds, chemical conversion of one or more of the sulfur-containing impurities to higher boiling products by alkylation, and removing the higher boiling products by fractional distillation. Advantageously, the processes include selective hydrogenation of the high-boiling fraction whereby the incorporation of hydrogen into hydrocarbon compounds, sulfur-containing organic compounds, and/or nitrogen-containing organic compounds assists by hydrogenation removal of sulfur and/or nitrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: BP Corporation North America Inc.
    Inventors: Vivek R. Pradhan, Ptoshia A. Burnett, Stacey McDaniel, Michael Hodges
  • Patent number: 6602405
    Abstract: A product of reduced sulfur content is produced from an olefin-containing hydrocarbon feedstock which includes sulfur-containing impurities. The feedstock is contacted with an olefin-modification catalyst in a reaction zone under conditions which are effective to produce an intermediate product which has a reduced amount of olefinic unsaturation relative to that of the feedstock as measured by bromine number. The intermediate product is then contacted with a hydrodesulfurization catalyst in the presence of hydrogen under conditions which are effective to convert at least a portion of its sulfur-containing impurities to hydrogen sulfide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: BP Corporation North America Inc.
    Inventors: Vivek R. Pradhan, Ptoshia A. Burnett, George A. Huff
  • Patent number: 6599417
    Abstract: A product of reduced sulfur content is produced from an olefin-containing hydrocarbon feedstock which includes sulfur-containing impurities. The feedstock is contacted with an olefin-modification catalyst in a reaction zone under conditions which are effective to produce an intermediate product which has a reduced amount of olefinic unsaturation relative to that of the feedstock as measured by bromine number. The intermediate product is then separated into fractions of different volatility, and the lowest boiling fraction is contacted with a hydrodesulfurization catalyst in the presence of hydrogen under conditions which are effective to convert at least a portion of its sulfur-containing impurities to hydrogen sulfide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: BP Corporation North America Inc.
    Inventors: Vivek R. Pradhan, Ptoshia A. Burnett, George A. Huff
  • Publication number: 20030034276
    Abstract: Economical processes are disclosed for the production of fuels of reduced sulfur content from a feedstock, typically derived from natural petroleum, wherein the feedstock is comprised of limited amounts of sulfur-containing organic compounds as unwanted impurities. The processes involve an integrated, multiple stage system for converting these impurities to higher boiling products by alkylation and removing the higher boiling products by fractional distillation. Advantageously, the processes include selective hydrogenation of the high-boiling fraction whereby the incorporation of hydrogen into hydrocarbon compounds, sulfur-containing organic compounds, and/or nitrogen-containing organic compounds assists by hydrogenation removal of sulfur and/or nitrogen. Products can be used directly as transportation fuels and/or blending components to provide, for example, more suitable components for blending into fuels which are more friendly to the environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2001
    Publication date: February 20, 2003
    Inventors: Vivek R. Pradhan, Ptoshia A. Burnett, Stacey McDaniel, Michael Hodges
  • Publication number: 20030029776
    Abstract: Economical processes are disclosed for the production of fuels of reduced sulfur content from a feedstock, typically derived from natural petroleum, wherein the feedstock is comprised of limited amounts of sulfur-containing organic compounds as unwanted impurities. The processes involve integrated, multistage processes which include pretreatment of a light naphtha with a solid adsorbent to remove basic nitrogen containing compounds, chemical conversion of one or more of the sulfur-containing impurities to higher boiling products by alkylation, and removing the higher boiling products by fractional distillation. Advantageously, the processes include selective hydrogenation of the high-boiling fraction whereby the incorporation of hydrogen into hydrocarbon compounds, sulfur-containing organic compounds, and/or nitrogen-containing organic compounds assists by hydrogenation removal of sulfur and/or nitrogen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2001
    Publication date: February 13, 2003
    Inventors: Vivek R. Pradhan, Ptoshia A. Burnett, Stacey McDaniel, Michael Hodges
  • Publication number: 20020121459
    Abstract: A product of reduced sulfur content is produced from an olefin-containing hydrocarbon feedstock which includes sulfur-containing impurities. The feedstock is contacted with an olefin-modification catalyst in a reaction zone under conditions which are effective to produce an intermediate product which has a reduced amount of olefinic unsaturation relative to that of the feedstock as measured by bromine number. The intermediate product is then separated into fractions of different volatility, and the lowest boiling fraction is contacted with a hydrodesulfurization catalyst in the presence of hydrogen under conditions which are effective to convert at least a portion of its sulfur-containing impurities to hydrogen sulfide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2000
    Publication date: September 5, 2002
    Inventors: Vivek R. Pradhan, Ptoshia A. Burnett, George A. Huff
  • Publication number: 20020121458
    Abstract: A product of reduced sulfur content is produced from an olefin-containing hydrocarbon feedstock which includes sulfur-containing impurities. The feedstock is contacted with an olefin-modification catalyst in a reaction zone under conditions which are effective to produce an intermediate product which has a reduced amount of olefinic unsaturation relative to that of the feedstock as measured by bromine number. The intermediate product is then contacted with a hydrodesulfurization catalyst in the presence of hydrogen under conditions which are effective to convert at least a portion of its sulfur-containing impurities to hydrogen sulfide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2000
    Publication date: September 5, 2002
    Inventors: Vivek R. Pradhan, Ptoshia A. Burnett, George A. Huff
  • Patent number: 6059962
    Abstract: A product of reduced sulfur content is produced in a multiple stage process from a feedstock which is comprised of a mixture of hydrocarbons and includes sulfur-containing aromatic compounds as unwanted impurities. The first stage involves: (1) subjecting the feedstock to alkylation conditions which are effective to convert a portion of the impurities to higher boiling sulfur-containing products, and (2) separating the resulting products by fractional distillation into a lower boiling fraction and a higher boiling fraction. The lower boiling fraction is comprised of hydrocarbons and is of reduced sulfur content relative to the feedstock. The higher boiling fraction is comprised of hydrocarbons and contains unconverted sulfur-containing aromatic impurities and also the higher boiling sulfur-containing products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: BP Amoco Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce D. Alexander, George A. Huff, Vivek R. Pradhan, William J. Reagan, Roger H. Cayton
  • Patent number: 6024865
    Abstract: A product of reduced sulfur content is produced from a feedstock which is comprised of a mixture of hydrocarbons and includes sulfur-containing aromatic compounds as unwanted impurities. The process involves separating the feedstock by fractional distillation into a lower boiling fraction which contains the more volatile sulfur-containing aromatic impurities and at least one higher boiling fraction which contains the less volatile sulfur-containing aromatic impurities. Each fraction is then separately subjected to reaction conditions which are effective to convert at least a portion of its content of sulfur-containing aromatic impurities to higher boiling sulfur-containing products by alkylation with an alkylating agent in the presence of an acidic catalyst. The higher boiling sulfur-containing products are removed by fractional distillation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: BP Amoco Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce D. Alexander, George A. Huff, Vivek R. Pradhan, William J. Reagan, Roger H. Cayton
  • Patent number: 5871638
    Abstract: A dispersed fine-sized anion-modified and phosphorus-promoted iron-oxide slurry catalyst having high surface area exceeding 100 m.sup.2 /gm and high catalytic activity, and which is useful for hydrogenation and hydroconversion reactions for carbonaceous feed materials is disclosed. The catalyst is synthesized by rapid aqueous precipitation from saturated salt solutions such as ferric sulfate and ferric alum, and is promoted with phosphorus. The iron-based catalysts are modified during their preparation with anionic sulfate (SO.sub.4.sup.2-). The resulting catalyst has primary particle size smaller than about 50 Angstrom units, and may be used in a preferred wet cake or gel form which can be easily mixed with a carbonaceous feed material such as coal, heavy petroleum fractions, mixed waste plastics, or mixtures thereof. Alternatively, the catalyst can be dried and/or calcined so as to be in a fine dry particulate form suitable for adding to the feed material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1999
    Assignee: Hydrocarbon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Vivek R. Pradhan, Alfred G. Comolli, Lap-Keung Lee
  • Patent number: 5866501
    Abstract: A dispersed fine-sized anion-modified iron oxide slurry catalyst having high surface area exceeding about 100 m.sup.2 /gm and high catalytic activity, and which is useful for hydrogenation and hydroconversion reactions for carbonaceous feed materials is disclosed. The catalyst is synthesized by rapid aqueous precipitation from saturated salt solutions such as ferric alum or ferric sulfate, and is promoted with at least one active metal such as cobalt, molybdenum, nickel, tungsten and combinations thereof. The iron-based dispersed catalysts are modified during their preparation with anionic modifiers such as molybdate (MoO.sub.4.sup.2-), phosphate (PO.sub.4.sup.3-), sulfate (SO.sub.4.sup.2-), or tungstate (WO.sub.4.sup.2-). The resulting catalyst usually has primary particle size smaller than about 50 Angstrom units, and may be used in the form of a gel or wet cake which can be easily mixed with a hydrocarbonaceous feed material such as coal, heavy petroleum fractions, mixed waste plastics or mixtures thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1999
    Inventors: Vivek R. Pradhan, Alfred G. Comolli, Lap-Keung Lee