Patents by Inventor W. Larry Lewis

W. Larry Lewis 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: 20110226012
    Abstract: A process and an apparatus are disclosed for a compact processing assembly to recover C2 (or C3) components and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream. The gas stream is cooled and divided into first and second streams. The first stream is further cooled, expanded to lower pressure, and supplied as a feed between first and second absorbing means. The second stream is expanded to lower pressure and supplied as bottom feed to the second absorbing means. A distillation vapor stream from the first absorbing means is heated, compressed to higher pressure, and divided into a volatile residue gas fraction and a compressed recycle stream. The compressed recycle stream is cooled, expanded to lower pressure, and supplied as top feed to the first absorbing means. A distillation liquid stream from the second absorbing means is heated in a heat and mass transfer means to strip out its volatile components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicants: S.M.E. Products LP, Ortloff Engineers, Ltd.
    Inventors: Andrew F. Johnke, W. Larry Lewis, L. Don Tyler, John D. Wilkinson, Joe T. Lynch, Hank M. Hudson, Kyle T. Cuellar
  • Publication number: 20100326134
    Abstract: A process and an apparatus are disclosed for a compact processing assembly to remove carbon dioxide from a hydrocarbon gas stream. The gas stream is cooled, expanded to intermediate pressure, and fed to the top of a mass transfer means. A distillation liquid stream from the mass transfer means is heated in a first heat and mass transfer means to strip out its volatile components and form a bottom liquid product. A distillation vapor stream from the mass transfer means is combined with any vapor in the expanded cooled gas stream, and the combined vapor stream is cooled in a second heat and mass transfer means to partially condense it, forming a condensed stream that is fed to the top of the mass transfer means. A portion of the bottom liquid product is subcooled, expanded to lower pressure, and used to cool the combined vapor stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicants: Ortloff Engineers Ltd., S.M.E. Products LP
    Inventors: Andrew F. Johnke, W. Larry Lewis, John D. Wilkinson, Joe T. Lynch, Hank M. Hudson, Kyle T. Cuellar
  • Publication number: 20100287983
    Abstract: A process and an apparatus are disclosed for a compact processing assembly to recover ethane, ethylene, and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream. The gas stream is cooled and divided into first and second streams. The first stream is further cooled, expanded to lower pressure, heated, and its liquid fraction is supplied as a first top feed to an absorbing means. The second stream is expanded to lower pressure and supplied as a bottom feed to the absorbing means. A distillation vapor stream from the absorbing means is combined with the vapor fraction of the first stream, then cooled by the expanded first stream to form a condensed stream that is supplied as a second top feed to the absorbing means. A distillation liquid stream from the bottom of the absorbing means is heated in a heat and mass transfer means to strip out its volatile components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2010
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Applicants: ORTLOFF ENGINEERS, LTD., S.M.E. PRODUCTS LP
    Inventors: Andrew F. Johnke, W. Larry Lewis, John D. Wilkinson, Joe T. Lynch, Hank M. Hudson, Kyle T. Cuellar
  • Publication number: 20100287984
    Abstract: A process and an apparatus are disclosed for a compact processing assembly to recover ethane, ethylene, and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream. The gas stream is cooled and divided into first and second streams. The first stream is further cooled, expanded to lower pressure, and supplied as a feed between two absorbing means. The second stream is expanded to lower pressure and supplied as a bottom feed to the lower absorbing means. A distillation liquid stream from the bottom of the lower absorbing means is heated in a heat and mass transfer means to strip out its volatile components. A distillation vapor stream from the top of the heat and mass transfer means is cooled by a distillation vapor stream from the top of the upper absorbing means, thereby forming a condensed stream that is supplied as a top feed to the upper absorbing means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2010
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Applicants: Ortloff Engineers, Ltd., S.M.E. Products LP
    Inventors: Andrew F. Johnke, W. Larry Lewis, John D. Wilkinson, Joe T. Lynch, Hank M. Hudson, Kyle T. Cuellar
  • Publication number: 20100275647
    Abstract: A process and an apparatus are disclosed for a compact processing assembly to recover propane, propylene, and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream. The gas stream is cooled, expanded to lower pressure, and fed to an absorbing means. A first distillation liquid stream from the absorbing means is fed to a mass transfer means. A first distillation vapor stream from the mass transfer means is cooled to partially condense it, forming a residual vapor stream and a condensed stream. The condensed stream is supplied as the top feed to the absorbing means. A second distillation vapor stream from the absorbing means is heated by cooling the first distillation vapor stream, combined with the residual vapor stream, and heated by cooling the gas stream. A second distillation liquid stream from the mass transfer means is heated in a heat and mass transfer means to strip out its volatile components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Publication date: November 4, 2010
    Applicants: ORTLOFF ENGINEERS, LTD., S.M.E. PRODUCTS LP
    Inventors: Andrew F. Johnke, W. Larry Lewis, John D. Wilkinson, Joe T. Lynch, Hank M. Hudson, Kyle T. Cuellar
  • Publication number: 20100251764
    Abstract: A process and an apparatus are disclosed for the recovery of ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream in a compact processing assembly. The gas stream is cooled and divided into first and second streams. The first stream is further cooled to condense substantially all of it and is thereafter expanded to lower pressure and supplied as a feed between first and second absorbing means inside the processing assembly. The second stream is expanded to lower pressure and supplied as the bottom feed to the second absorbing means. A distillation vapor stream is collected from the upper region of the first absorbing means and directed into one or more heat exchange means inside the processing assembly to heat it while cooling the gas stream and the first stream. The heated distillation vapor stream is compressed to higher pressure and divided into a volatile residue gas fraction and a compressed recycle stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2010
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Applicants: Ortloff Engineers, Ltd., S.M.E. Products LP
    Inventors: Andrew F. Johnke, W. Larry Lewis, John D. Wilkinson, Joe T. Lynch, Hank M. Hudson, Kyle T. Cuellar
  • Publication number: 20100206542
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for heating and cooling portions of a fluid are provided. The method may include flowing a stream of a fluid through a first coil of a heat exchanger, separating a liquid component from the stream of the fluid, flowing the liquid component through a second coil of the heat exchanger, and flowing the stream of the fluid leaving the first coil over the first coil and the second coil, thereby cooling the stream of fluid flowing through the first coil and heating the liquid component flowing through the second coil. The apparatus may include a housing, a heat exchanger disposed within the housing, a separation chamber disposed within the housing and operable to separate a liquid component of the fluid, and a control system in fluid communication with the separation chamber and the heat exchanger, wherein the control system is operable to direct the liquid component from the separation chamber to the heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2009
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Inventors: Andrew Francis Johnke, W. Larry Lewis
  • Publication number: 20100206520
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for heating and cooling portions of a fluid are provided. The method may include flowing a stream of a fluid through a heat exchanger, separating a liquid component from the stream of the fluid, flowing the liquid component through the heat exchanger, and redirecting the flow of the stream back through the heat exchanger, thereby cooling the initial stream of fluid flowing through the heat exchanger and heating the liquid component flowing through the heat exchanger. The apparatus may include a housing, a heat exchanger disposed within the housing, a refrigeration system in fluid communication with the heat exchanger, and a control system in fluid communication with the heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2010
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Inventors: Andrew Francis Johnke, W. Larry Lewis