Patents by Inventor Xin X. Zhu

Xin X. Zhu 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: 20160115100
    Abstract: Embodiments of apparatuses and methods for reforming of hydrocarbons including recovery of products are provided. In one example, a method comprises separating a reforming-zone effluent to form a net gas phase stream and a liquid phase hydrocarbon stream. The net gas phase stream is compressed, partially condensed and cooled, and separated to form an intermediate gas phase stream. The intermediate gas phase stream is cooled to form a cooled intermediate gas phase stream. The liquid phase hydrocarbon stream is cooled to form a cooled liquid phase hydrocarbon stream. The cooled intermediate gas phase stream is contacted with the cooled liquid phase hydrocarbon stream to form an H2-rich stream and a cooled second intermediate liquid phase hydrocarbon stream that is enriched with C3/C4 hydrocarbons. The H2-rich stream is contacted with an adsorbent to form an H2-ultra rich stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: Bryan K. Glover, Robert Edison Tsai, Xin X. Zhu, William Yanez
  • Publication number: 20160115096
    Abstract: Embodiments of apparatuses and methods for reforming of hydrocarbons including recovery of products are provided. In one example, a method comprises separating a reforming-zone effluent to form a net gas phase stream and a liquid phase hydrocarbon stream. The net gas phase stream is compressed, partially condensed and cooled to form a partially condensed, compressed net gas phase stream. The partially condensed, compressed net gas phase stream is separated to form an intermediate gas phase stream. The intermediate gas phase stream and the liquid phase hydrocarbon stream are combined to form a two-phase combined stream. The two-phase combined stream is cooled and separated to form an H2-rich stream and a cooled second intermediate liquid phase hydrocarbon stream that is enriched with C3/C4 hydrocarbons and further comprises C5+ hydrocarbons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: Robert Edison Tsai, Xin X. Zhu, Tokhanh Ngo, William Yanez, Lisa Lane
  • Publication number: 20160116156
    Abstract: A co-generation process for a regenerator in an FCC system having a reactor and a regenerator includes the steps of introducing flue gas from the regenerator into a heating unit at a first location of the heating unit, and introducing an oxygen/fuel gas mixture into the heating unit at a second location of the heating unit apart from the first location, and combusting the oxygen/fuel gas mixture in the heating unit at the second location to form a hot combustion gas. The process further includes the steps of combining the hot combustion gas and the flue gas at a third location of the heating unit apart from the first location to produce heated flue gas, heating water and/or steam with the heated flue gas to produce a heated steam, and introducing the heated steam into a turbine to extract energy from the heated steam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: Sanford Allan Victor, Richard A. Johnson, II, Xin X. Zhu
  • Patent number: 9243195
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for recovering cycle oil from FCC CSO is described. By feeding the additional cycle oil to a hydrocracking unit additional diesel, naphtha and petrochemical feedstock may be obtained. The additional cycle oil is obtained by vacuum separation of the CSO. The described process and apparatus can provide additional recovery for a refiner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Jibreel A. Qafisheh, Boyd E. Cabanaw, Xin X. Zhu
  • Patent number: 9228138
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for recovering cycle oil from FCC CSO is described. By feeding the additional cycle oil to a hydrocracking unit additional diesel, naphtha and petrochemical feedstock may be obtained. The additional cycle oil is obtained by vacuum separation of the CSO. The described process and apparatus can provide additional recovery for a refiner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Jibreel A. Qafisheh, Jill A. Bonucci, Xin X. Zhu, Boyd E. Cabanaw
  • Publication number: 20150375159
    Abstract: The invention involves a process for treating a gas stream from a hydroprocessor that contains hydrogen, methane and C2+ hydrocarbons. In embodiments of the invention, the gas stream is sent through at least two pressure swing adsorption units to produce a high quality hydrogen stream, a fuel gas stream containing most of the methane and a tail gas stream that is sent to a steam cracker. Lean gas from a gas plant and other refinery off gases may also be processed together with the gas stream from the hydroprocessor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Inventors: Robert E. Tsai, Xin X. Zhu, Joel J. Kaye, Eleftherios Adamopoulos
  • Publication number: 20150375160
    Abstract: The invention provides a process for treating a gas stream comprising hydrogen, methane and C2+ hydrocarbons comprising sending the gas stream to a pressure swing adsorption unit to produce a first purified gas stream comprising hydrogen and methane and a second purified gas stream comprising hydrogen, methane and C2+ hydrocarbons, sending the first purified gas stream to a second pressure swing adsorption unit to produce a hydrogen product stream comprising more than 99 mol % hydrogen and a fuel gas stream comprising more than 90 mol % of the methane in the first product gas stream, and sending the second purified gas stream to a gas plant to be separated into a plurality of streams.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2015
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Inventors: Robert E. Tsai, Xin X. Zhu, Ronald J. Long
  • Publication number: 20150376092
    Abstract: The invention provides a process for treating a gas stream comprising hydrogen, methane and C2+ hydrocarbons comprising sending the gas stream to a pressure swing adsorption unit to produce a first purified gas stream comprising more than 99 mol % hydrogen and a second purified gas stream comprising hydrogen, methane and C2+ hydrocarbons, and sending the second purified gas stream to a gas plant to be separated into a plurality of streams.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Inventors: Robert E. Tsai, Xin X. Zhu, Ronald J. Long
  • Publication number: 20150376525
    Abstract: The invention provides for sending a natural gas stream through a pressure swing adsorption unit to send a gas stream comprising mainly nitrogen, methane and hydrogen to a fuel gas stream and a gas stream comprising a significant majority of C2+ hydrocarbons from the natural gas stream to a tail gas stream to then go to a stream cracker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Inventors: Robert E. Tsai, Ronald J. Long, Xin X. Zhu, Kirit M. Patel
  • Publication number: 20150353844
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for hydrotreating hydrocarbons. A method includes heating a start-up oil in a stripper liquid fraction heat exchanger during a start-up period, and heating a reactor with the start-up oil. The start-up oil is discharged from the reactor when the start-up period ends, and a standard operating period begins after the start-up period. A reactor effluent is produced by introducing a hydrocarbon stream into the reactor during the standard operating period, where hydrogen sulfide is produced from an organic sulfur compound in the hydrocarbon stream. Steam is produced in the stripper liquid fraction heat exchanger during the standard operating period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2014
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventors: Richard K. Hoehn, Phillip F. Daly, Xin X. Zhu
  • Patent number: 9206358
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for processing hydrocarbon streams are provided. In an embodiment, a method for processing a hydrocarbon stream includes heating a feed stream in a convective bank. In the method, the feed stream is reacted in a first reaction zone to form a first effluent. The first effluent is heated in a first radiant cell that combusts fuel gas to heat the first effluent and forms a first exhaust gas. The method includes contacting the first exhaust gas with the convective bank to heat the feed stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: William M. Hartman, Xin X. Zhu, William Yanez, Lisa M. Lane
  • Patent number: 9181500
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for recycling LCO and/or HCO to a hydroprocessing zone to saturate aromatics for cracking in an FCC unit is disclosed. The recycle cracked stream may be recycled to a downstream hydroprocessing zone to avoid a first hydroprocessing zone that is primarily for demetallizing (and desulfurizing) feed to the FCC unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Xin X. Zhu, Trung Pham, Selman Z. Erisken, Haiyan Wang, David X. Wu
  • Publication number: 20150290555
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for recovering cycle oil from FCC CSO is described. By feeding the additional cycle oil to a hydrocracking unit additional diesel, naphtha and petrochemical feedstock may be obtained. The additional cycle oil is obtained by vacuum separation of the CSO. The described process and apparatus can provide additional recovery for a refiner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Applicant: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Jibreel A. Qafisheh, Boyd E. Cabanaw, Xin X. Zhu
  • Publication number: 20150290554
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for recovering cycle oil from FCC CSO is described. By feeding the additional cycle oil to a hydrocracking unit additional diesel, naphtha and petrochemical feedstock may be obtained. The additional cycle oil is obtained by vacuum separation of the CSO. The described process and apparatus can provide additional recovery for a refiner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Applicant: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Jibreel A. Qafisheh, Jill A. Bonucci, Xin X. Zhu, Boyd E. Cabanaw
  • Publication number: 20150291894
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for recovering cycle oil from FCC CSO is described. By feeding the additional cycle oil to a hydrocracking unit additional diesel, naphtha and petrochemical feedstock may be obtained. The additional cycle oil is obtained by vacuum separation of the CSO. The described process and apparatus can provide additional recovery for a refiner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Applicant: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Jibreel A. Qafisheh, Boyd E. Cabanaw, Xin X. Zhu
  • Publication number: 20150291893
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for recovering cycle oil from FCC CSO is described. By feeding the additional cycle oil to a hydrocracking unit additional diesel, naphtha and petrochemical feedstock may be obtained. The additional cycle oil is obtained by vacuum separation of the CSO. The described process and apparatus can provide additional recovery for a refiner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Applicant: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Jibreel A. Qafisheh, Jill A. Bonucci, Xin X. Zhu, Boyd E. Cabanaw
  • Publication number: 20150291895
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for recovering cycle oil from FCC CSO is described. By feeding the additional cycle oil to a hydrocracking unit additional diesel, naphtha and petrochemical feedstock may be obtained. The additional cycle oil is obtained by vacuum separation of the CSO. The described process and apparatus can provide additional recovery for a refiner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Applicant: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Jibreel A. Qafisheh, Jill A. Bonucci, Xin X. Zhu, Boyd E. Cabanaw
  • Patent number: 9150797
    Abstract: A hot stripped hydroprocessed stream from a stripper column may be sent directly to a vacuum fractionation column instead of being first processed in an atmospheric fractionation column. If a separate warm stripper column is used, both the warm stripped stream and a hot stripped stream may be fractionated in the same fractionation column, particularly a vacuum fractionation column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Xin X. Zhu, David M. Bowman, Anubhav Kapil, Mark Van Wees
  • Publication number: 20150274611
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for recycling LCO and/or HCO to a hydroprocessing zone to saturate aromatics for cracking in an FCC unit is disclosed. The recycle cracked stream may be recycled to a downstream hydroprocessing zone to avoid a first hydroprocessing zone that is primarily for demetallizing (and desulfurizing) feed to the FCC unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Applicant: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Xin X. Zhu, Trung Pham, Selman Z. Erisken, Haiyan Wang, David X. Wu
  • Publication number: 20150273425
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for recycling LCO and/or HCO to a hydroprocessing zone to saturate aromatics for cracking in an FCC unit is disclosed. The recycle cracked stream may be recycled to a downstream hydroprocessing zone to avoid a first hydroprocessing zone that is primarily for demetallizing (and desulfurizing) feed to the FCC unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Applicant: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Xin X. Zhu, Trung Pham, Selman Z. Erisken, Haiyan Wang, David X. Wu