By Dehydrogenation Patents (Class 585/654)
  • Patent number: 8642826
    Abstract: A process for long-term operation of a continuous heterogeneously catalyzed partial dehydrogenation of a hydrocarbon to be dehydrogenated, in which a reaction gas mixture stream comprising the hydrocarbon to be dehydrogenated in a molar starting amount KW is conducted through an overall catalyst bed comprising the total amount M of dehydrogenation catalyst and the deactivation of the overall catalyst bed is counteracted in such a way that, with increasing operating time, the contribution to the conversion in the first third of the total amount M of dehydrogenation catalyst in flow direction decreases, the contribution to the conversion in the last third of the total amount M of dehydrogenation catalyst in flow direction increases, and the contribution to the conversion in the second third of the total amount M of dehydrogenation catalyst in flow direction passes through a maximum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: BASF Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Martin Dieterle, Catharina Klanner, Götz-Peter Schindler, Klaus Joachim Müller-Engel, Jens Scheidel, Christoph Adami
  • Patent number: 8624074
    Abstract: A process for the dehydrogenation of paraffins is presented. The process utilizes a rapid recycling of dehydrogenation catalyst between the dehydrogenation reactor and the catalyst regeneration unit. The process comprises preheating a combined hydrogen and paraffin hydrocarbon feedstream and passing the combined stream to a dehydrogenation reactor. The hydrocarbon feedstream and the catalyst pass through the reactor at a rate to limit the average residence time of the catalyst in the reactor. The catalyst is cycled to a regeneration unit, and passed through the regeneration unit to limit the average residence time of the catalyst in the regeneration unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Gavin P. Towler, Cynthia K. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 8598401
    Abstract: A method for improving performance of a catalyzed reaction carried out in a moving bed system having a reaction zone. A process stream is introduced into the reaction zone at a temperature, and the temperature of the catalyst introduced to the reaction zone is different from the process stream introduction temperature to increase conversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Bing Sun, Joseph Edward Zimmermann, Michael Vetter
  • Patent number: 8586811
    Abstract: Processes and hydrocarbon processing apparatuses for preparing mono-olefins are provided. An exemplary process includes separating a hydrocarbon feed into a first fraction of carbon-containing compounds having less than or equal to 5 carbon atoms and a second fraction of compounds that have a lower vapor pressure than those in the first fraction. Dienes and/or acetylenes from the first fraction are selectively hydrogenated into corresponding mono-olefins. Paraffins from the first fraction are converted into corresponding mono-olefins. The converted mono-olefins are contact cooled with an impurity-containing liquid hydrocarbon stream, with the impurities in the impurity-containing liquid hydrocarbon stream having a lower vapor pressure than compounds in the first fraction. The dienes and/or acetylenes from the first fraction are selectively hydrogenated prior to converting the paraffins from the first fraction into mono-olefins and after separating the first fraction from the hydrocarbon feed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Steven C. Kozup, Joseph Edward Zimmermann
  • Publication number: 20130296603
    Abstract: Dehydrogenative coupling can be achieved in nearly quantitative conversions and yields using a membrane reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: KING ABDULLAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventor: KING ABDULLAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
  • Patent number: 8563793
    Abstract: Processes utilizing the integration of (i) processes and the associated equipment used to purify and recover propylene from propane- and/or C4+-containing refinery hydrocarbon streams, with (ii) catalytic dehydrogenation are disclosed. This integration allows for elimination of some or all of the conventional fractionation section of the dehydrogenation process, normally used to purify propylene from unconverted propane in the reactor effluent. Significant capital and utility savings are therefore attained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Joseph E. Zimmermann, Larry C. Erickson, Gregory J. Nedohin
  • Patent number: 8552237
    Abstract: A dehydrogenation catalyst is described that comprises an iron oxide, an alkali metal or compound thereof, and rhenium or a compound thereof. A process for preparing a dehydrogenation catalyst comprising preparing a mixture of iron oxide, an alkali metal or compound thereof, and rhenium or a compound thereof is also described. Additionally, a dehydrogenation process using the catalyst and a process for preparing polymers are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: BASF Corporation
    Inventor: Ruth Mary Kowaleski
  • Publication number: 20130245277
    Abstract: Provided is a novel iridium catalyst complex which is useful in the dehydrogenation of alkanes. The iridium complex comprises the metal iridium atom complexed with a benzimidazolyl-containing ligand. The iridium atom can be coordinated with the nitrogen atoms in the benzimidazolyl-containing ligand to form an NCN pincer ligand complex. In another embodiment, the iridium catalyst is used, with or without a co-catalyst, in a dehydrogenation reaction converting alkanes to olefins. The reaction can be in a closed or open system, and can be run in a liquid or gaseous phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Inventors: Alan Stuart Goldman, Robert Timothy Stibrany
  • Patent number: 8524971
    Abstract: A process is presented for the dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons in a radial flow reactor. The process includes the continuous feeding of catalyst into the reactor and the continuous withdrawal of catalyst from the reactor, where the catalyst is modified to increase the increased density. The catalyst is a layered structure with a dense core and an active catalytic outer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Mark G. Riley, Bipin V. Vora
  • Patent number: 8524969
    Abstract: A method for the dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons to alkenes, such as n-pentene to piperylene and n-butane to butadiene at pressures less than atmospheric utilizing a dehydrogenation catalyst are disclosed. Embodiments involve operating the dehydrogenation reactor at a pressure of 1,000 mbar or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Fina Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: James Butler, Olga Khabashesku, James T. Merrill
  • Publication number: 20130211169
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for converting hydrocarbons into unsaturated products such as acetylene and/or ethylene. The invention also relates to converting acetylene to olefins such as ethylene and/or propylene, to polymerizing the olefins, and to equipment useful for these processes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Inventors: Frank Hershkowitz, Paul F. Keusenkothen, Jeffrey W. Frederick, Richard J. Basile, John W. Fulton
  • Patent number: 8506796
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for contacting radially flowing fluids with a solid particulate (e.g., catalyst) with reduced tendency to form fluid jets that impinge on the solid particulate, leading to solid attrition and plugging, are described. Representative particle retention devices for use in these apparatuses and methods have flow channels passing therethrough, from a first surface to an opposing second surface that is adjacent to a particle retention zone. Widths of the flow channels at this opposing second surface will exceed their smallest flow channel widths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: John J. Senetar
  • Patent number: 8502005
    Abstract: A method for producing a linear paraffin product from natural oil and kerosene includes providing a first feed stream comprising kerosene, pre-fractionating the first feed stream to produce a heart cut paraffin stream comprising paraffins in a heart cut range, and combining the heart cut paraffin stream with a second feed stream comprising natural oil to form a combined stream. The method further includes deoxygenating the natural oil and fractionating the combined stream to remove paraffins that are heavier than the heart cut range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Andrea G. Bozzano, Stephen Wayne Sohn
  • Publication number: 20130158327
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon dehydrogenation process includes providing the hydrocarbon feed to a reactor. The hydrocarbon feed includes at least one hydrocarbon selected from light paraffins, heavy paraffins, or combinations thereof. The process further includes introducing an inert diluent into the feed stream, contacting the feed stream and the inert diluent with a catalyst in the reactor, and flowing an effluent stream out of the reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Laura E. Leonard, Andrea G. Bozzano, Gavin P. Towler
  • Publication number: 20130157840
    Abstract: This disclosure provides a molecular sieve composition having a first and second crystalline molecular sieve, made by the method comprising: (a) providing a reaction mixture comprising at least one source of ions of tetravalent element Y, at least one source of alkali metal hydroxide, water, optionally at least one seed crystal, and optionally at least one source of ions of trivalent element X, the reaction mixture having the following molar composition: Y:X2=2 to infinity, preferably from about 2 to about 1000, OH?:Y=0.001 to 2, preferably from 0.1 to 1, M+:Y=0.001 to 2, preferably from 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2013
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Wenyih Frank Lai, Robert Ellis Kay
  • Patent number: 8431761
    Abstract: A method for obtaining an olefin is disclosed, the method comprising subjecting a paraffin to dehydrogenation in the absence of oxygen and in the presence of a catalyst comprising a crystalline substrate, to obtain an olefin. The catalyst includes an inert stabilizing agent for maintaining the catalyst crystal structure. The catalyst may be regenerated by being subjected, in air, to a temperature between about 550° C. and about 750° C., for a period of time between about 15 minutes and about 4 hours.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Wei Pan, Stephen M. Casey, Bryan K. Glover, Feng Xu
  • Patent number: 8404104
    Abstract: A method for obtaining an olefin is disclosed, the method comprising subjecting a paraffin to dehydrogenation in the absence of oxygen and in the presence of a catalyst comprising a crystalline substrate, to obtain an olefin. The catalyst includes an inert stabilizing agent for maintaining the catalyst crystal structure. The catalyst may be regenerated by being subjected, in air, to a temperature between about 550° C. and about 750° C., for a period of time between about 15 minutes and about 4 hours.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Wei Pan, Stephen M. Casey, Bryan K. Glover, Feng Xu
  • Patent number: 8378163
    Abstract: The invention describes catalysts, methods of making catalysts, methods of making a microchannel reactor, and methods of conducting chemical reactions. It has been discovered that superior performance can be obtained from a catalyst formed by directly depositing a catalytic material onto a (low surface area) thermally-grown alumina layer. Improved methods of conducting oxidative dehydrogenations are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Velocys Corp.
    Inventors: Junko Ida, Francis P. Daly, Terry Mazanec, Barry L. Yang, Richard Long
  • Patent number: 8349263
    Abstract: An improved process for the production of olefins, and in particular for separation of olefins produced by a dehydrogenation process from paraffin feed stocks, is provided. A high pressure product splitter is used to separate olefins produced in a dehydrogenation plant from residual paraffin feed stocks. The use of a high pressure splitter to separate olefin products from paraffin feed stocks allows for recovery of a high purity olefin product with lower energy consumption compared to prior art processes. The process is particularly suited to separation of propylene from propane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Lummus Technology Inc.
    Inventor: Sunil Panditrao
  • Publication number: 20120310027
    Abstract: A reactor comprising a first zone comprising a dehydrogenation catalyst and a second zone separated from said first zone by a proton conducting membrane comprising a mixed metal oxide of formula (I) LnaWbO12?y wherein Ln is Y or an element numbered 57 to 71; the molar ratio of a:b is 4.8 to 6, preferably 5.3 to 6; and y is a number such that formula (I) is uncharged, e.g. y is 0?y?1.8.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: PROTIA AS
    Inventors: Christian Kjølseth, Per Christian Vestre
  • Patent number: 8309782
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for dehydrogenation of a hydrocarbon feedstock in the presence of a catalyst that comprises a noble metal M that is selected from the group that consists of platinum, palladium, rhodium, and iridium, at least one promoter X1 that is selected from the group that consists of tin, germanium, and lead, and optionally a promoter X2 that is selected from the group that consists of gallium, indium and thallium, an alkaline or alkaline-earth compound and a porous substrate, in which the atomic ratio X1/M and optionally X2/M is between 0.3 and 8, the Hir/M ratio that is measured by hydrogen adsorption is greater than 0.40, and the bimetallicity index BMI that is measured by hydrogen/oxygen titration is greater than 108.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: IFP Energies nouvelles
    Inventors: Fabienne Le Peltier, Sylvie Lacombe, Christophe Chau, Stephane Morin, Lars Fischer, Renaud Revel
  • Publication number: 20120271080
    Abstract: Embodiments of processes for producing propylene from paraffins are provided. The process comprises the steps of combining an effluent that comprises propylene and propane from a paraffin dehydrogenation reactor with an offgas stream that comprises propane to form a combined effluent stream. The combined effluent stream is separated into a propylene product stream and a propane-rich recycle stream. The propane-rich recycle stream is introduced to the paraffin dehydrogenation reactor operating at dehydrogenation conditions to convert propane in the propane-rich recycle stream to propylene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Paul A. Sechrist, Gregory Werba, Mohamed Shakur, Steven Lankton, Steven Kozup, Bing Sun
  • Patent number: 8293670
    Abstract: A process for catalyst regeneration is presented. The process regenerates a catalyst in a paraffin dehydrogenation process, where the reaction is endothermic. The regeneration process provides the heat for the process through heating the catalyst and removes the need for a charge heater to the dehydrogenation reactor, which in turn eliminates high temperature thermal residence time which eliminates thermal cracking of the feed and improves the overall product selectivity. In addition, plot area, equipment costs and operating complexity are reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: David N. Myers, Daniel N. Myers
  • Patent number: 8273938
    Abstract: A process is presented for the selective separation and recovery of large normal paraffins from a heavy kerosene boiling point fraction. The process includes passing the heavy kerosene fraction through an adsorption separation system for separating the normal paraffins from the paraffin mixture. The recovered extract and raffinate streams are mixed with a diluent made up of a lighter hydrocarbon. The subsequent diluted extract and raffinate streams are passed through first fractionation columns to separate the desorbent from the diluent and the heavier paraffins. The mixture of the diluent and heavier paraffins is passed through a second set of fractionation columns to separate the diluent and the heavier paraffins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Robert J. L. Noe, Stephen W. Sohn, Jeffrey L. Pieper, Douglas G. Stewart
  • Publication number: 20120222422
    Abstract: A method is disclosed of coupling and integrating natural gas recovery and separation along with chemical conversion. The method can comprise extracting at least one natural gas component. Non-limiting examples of the extracted component include ethane, propane, butanes, and pentanes. The method can also comprise contacting a natural gas stream with a catalyst under conditions that selectively convert at least one component into at least one product, such as ethylene, acetic acid, polyethylene, vinyl acetate, ethylene vinyl acetate, ethylene oxide, ethylene glycol, and their derivatives, propylene, polypropylene, propylene oxide, propylene glycol, acrylates, acrolein, acrylic acid, butenes, butadiene, methacrolein, methacrylic acid, methacrylates, and their derivatives, which can then be separated from the remaining components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Inventors: Mark Allen Nunley, Madan Mohan Bhasin, William George Etzkorn, George Ernest Keller, II, Parvez H. Wadia
  • Patent number: 8258357
    Abstract: This invention relates to an integrated process for the efficient production of olefins from C4 feedstocks comprising butane and more particularly to a method of producing propylene and butadiene. The process combines a dehydrogenation unit with an olefin conversion unit to convert butane feedstock to propylene and butadiene products. The combined catadiene-OCT process produces yields of propylene from normal butane in excess of 70%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Lummus Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Kerman Dukandar, David Spence, Sunil Panditrao
  • Publication number: 20120198769
    Abstract: A catalyst-coated support including a sheetlike support, a primer layer applied thereto and composed of nanoparticles composed of silicon oxide-comprising material, and at least one catalyst layer applied to the primer layer. The layers applied are notable for a particularly good adhesive bond strength and can be used particularly efficiently in heterogeneously catalyzed gas phase reactions, especially in microreactors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Inventors: Steffen Schirrmeister, Martin Schmitz-Niederau, Ingo Klüppel, Christoph Filthaut
  • Patent number: 8237000
    Abstract: Processes for using a combination of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons are provided. A hydrocarbon feedstock, carbon dioxide and oxygen are fed to an oxidative dehydrogenation reactor system containing one or more catalysts that promote dehydrogenation of the hydrocarbon feedstock to produce a dehydrogenated hydrocarbon product. The processes of the present invention may be used, for example, to produce styrene monomer by dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene using carbon dioxide and oxygen as oxidants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Lummus Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen C. Arnold, Johannes Hendrik Koegler, Anne Mae Gaffney, Chuen Yuan Yeh, Ruozhi Song
  • Publication number: 20120190904
    Abstract: Disclosed is a dehydrogenation method that includes supplying a feed containing a hydrocarbon and steam into a dehydrogenation reactor containing a dehydrogenation catalyst, contacting the hydrocarbon and steam with the dehydrogenation catalyst to form a dehydrogenation product, wherein the dehydrogenation product comprises a dehydrogenated hydrocarbon, unreacted feed, steam and hydrogen, passing the dehydrogenation product through a membrane separator, and permeating hydrogen through a membrane positioned in the membrane separator. The hydrocarbon can be an alkyl aromatic and the dehydrogenated hydrocarbon can be a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon, optionally the hydrocarbon can be an alkane and the dehydrogenated hydrocarbon can be an alkene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: FINA TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventor: James R. Butler
  • Publication number: 20120157737
    Abstract: A reactor includes an essentially horizontal cylinder for carrying out an autothermal gas-phase dehydrogenation of a hydrocarbon-comprising gas stream using an oxygen-comprising gas stream to give a reaction gas mixture over a heterogeneous catalyst configured as monolith. The interior of the reactor is divided by a detachable, cylindrical or prismatic housing, which is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the reactor and is gastight in the circumferential direction, into an inner region having one or more catalytically active zones, each having a packing composed of monoliths stacked on top of one another, next to one another and behind one another and before each catalytically active zone in each case a mixing zone having solid internals are provided and into an outer region, which is supplied with an inert gas, arranged coaxially to the inner region. A heat exchanger is connected to the housing at one end of the reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Gerhard Olbert, Ulrike Wegerle, Grigorios Kolios, Albena Kostova, Jasmina Kessel, Alexander Weck, Alireza Rezai
  • Publication number: 20120108877
    Abstract: A process for the production of propylene from a propane rich hydrocarbon source is presented. The process converts a propane rich stream and uses less equipment and energy for the separation and production of propylene. The process uses a non-noble metal catalyst and utilizes a continuous reactor-regeneration system to keep the process on line for longer periods between maintenance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2010
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: UOP LLC
    Inventors: David N Myers, Daniel N. Myers, Joseph E. Zimmermann
  • Publication number: 20120065443
    Abstract: The invention relates to a catalyst comprising a monolith composed of a catalytically inert material with low BET surface area and a catalyst layer which has been applied to the monolith and comprises, on an oxidic support material, at least one noble metal selected from the group consisting of the noble metals of group VIII of the Periodic Table of the Elements, optionally tin and/or rhenium, and optionally further metals, wherein the thickness of the catalyst layer is 5 to 500 micrometers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Godwind Tafara Peter Mabande, Soo Yin Chin, Goetz-Peter Schindler, Gerald Koermer, Dieter Harms, Burkhard Rabe, Howard Furbeck, Oliver Seel
  • Patent number: 8134040
    Abstract: Modular reactor panel (1) for catalytic processes, comprising a feed header (5), a product header (7) and adjacent channels (3), each channel (3) having a length, running from an entrance end to an exit end, and wherein the entrance ends are directly connected to and open into the feed header (5) and the exit ends are directly connected to and open into the product header (7) and wherein the feed header (5) has at least one connection (9) to a feed line (51) and the product header (7) has at least one connection to a product line (55) and wherein part (21) of at least one of the feed header (5) and the product header (7) is detachable giving access to the channel ends and reactor comprising a housing (47) containing one or more of said reactor panels (1, 29), the reactor further comprising a feed line (51) and a product line (55), the panels (29) being connected to the feed line (51) and to product line (55).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Saudi Basic Industries Corporation
    Inventor: Peter Hubertus Kösters
  • Publication number: 20120053385
    Abstract: The product gas from a dehydrogenation reaction is treated by a downstream gas scrub followed by depressurization in a high-pressure flash vessel equipped with mass transfer elements, wherein a fuel gas flows upwardly through the mass transfer elements in the high-pressure flash vessel countercurrent to depressurized solvent so that absorbed hydrocarbons are taken up by the fuel gas. The fuel gas is the heating gas for heating the dehydrogenation reactor and is, for example, natural gas. To increase efficiency, the hydrocarbon stream which has been separated from the acidic gas can be recirculated to the process gas path upstream of the gas scrub.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: UHDE GMBH
    Inventor: Johannes Menzel
  • Patent number: 8106249
    Abstract: Methods of oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) is provided wherein conducting ODH in microchannels has unexpectedly been found to yield superior performance when compared to the same reactions at the same conditions in larger reactors. ODH methods employing a Mo—V—Mg—O catalyst is also described. Microchannel apparatus for conducting ODH is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Velocys
    Inventors: John H. Brophy, Kai Jarosch, Terry J. Mazanec, Matthew B. Schmidt, Laura J. Silva, Anna Lee Tonkovich, Fred Pesa, David J. Hesse
  • Publication number: 20110319691
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods are disclosed for contacting radially flowing fluids with solid particles (e.g., catalyst) with reduced tendency for fluidization of the particles, and especially a sealing portion of the particles at the top of a particle retention zone disposed between screens at upstream and downstream positions relative to radial fluid flow. Fluidization is reduced or eliminated by offsetting openings of the screens in the axial direction, such that upstream openings in the upstream screen are above highest downstream openings in a downstream stream. The offset in openings imparts a downward flow component to radially flowing fluid, thereby reducing solid particle fluidization without the need to induce a specific pressure drop profile along the entire axial direction of the screens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Bing SUN, Paul A. SECHRIST
  • Patent number: 8080698
    Abstract: Systems and processes for producing one or more olefins are provided. A feed containing C4 compounds can be dehydrogenated to provide a first product containing butene. At least a portion of the first product can be bypassed around a methyl-tert-butyl-ether production unit and cracked in a first cracker to provide a second product containing propylene, ethylene, and butane. A light hydrocarbon containing gas oils, full range gas oils, resid or any combination thereof can be cracked in a second cracker to provide a cracked hydrocarbon containing propylene, ethylene, and butane. An alkane can be cracked in a third cracker to provide cracked alkanes containing propylene, ethylene, and butane. The second product, cracked hydrocarbons, and cracked alkanes can be combined and separated to provide a third product containing propylene and a first recycle containing butane. At least a portion of the first recycle can be recycled to the first product prior to cracking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Kellogg Brown & Root LLC
    Inventor: Curtis N. Eng
  • Patent number: 8043577
    Abstract: With the help of a method and device for nozzle-jetting oxygen into a synthesis reactor, e.g. for oxy-dehydration, with largely axial flow of the gas mixture through a catalyst bed, it is intended to vastly improve the mixing-in and mixing-through of oxygen above the catalyst especially for oxy-dehydration process. This is achieved by feeding the oxygen to a ring distributor system arranged above the catalyst bed in pure form, as air or mixed with inert gas or water vapor and jetting the oxygen onto the catalyst surface through several exit openings in the ring distributor at an inclined angle deviating from the vertical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Uhde GmbH
    Inventors: Johannes Kowoll, Max Heinritz-Adrian, Lothar Semrau
  • Publication number: 20110251448
    Abstract: The present invention is an improved cyclic, endothermic hydrocarbon conversion process and a catalyst bed system for accomplishing the same. Specifically, the improved process comprises reacting a hydrocarbon with a multi-component catalyst bed in such a manner that the temperature within the catalyst bed remains within controlled temperature ranges throughout all stages of the process. The multi-component catalyst bed comprises a reaction-specific catalyst physically mixed with a heat-generating material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: SUD-CHEMIE INC.
    Inventors: Vladimir Fridman, Michael A. Urbancic
  • Publication number: 20110230698
    Abstract: A process for the dehydrogenation of paraffins is presented. The process utilizes a rapid recycling of dehydrogenation catalyst between the dehydrogenation reactor and the catalyst regeneration unit. The process comprises preheating a combined hydrogen and paraffin hydrocarbon feedstream and passing the combined stream to a dehydrogenation reactor. The hydrocarbon feedstream and the catalyst pass through the reactor at a rate to limit the average residence time of the catalyst in the reactor. The catalyst is cycled to a regeneration unit, and passed through the regeneration unit to limit the average residence time of the catalyst in the regeneration unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Gavin P. Towler, Cynthia K. Zimmerman
  • Publication number: 20110226988
    Abstract: Chemical processes and reactors for efficiently producing hydrogen fuels and structural materials and associated systems and methods. A representative process includes dissociating a hydrogen donor into dissociation products by adding energy to the hydrogen donor, wherein the energy includes waste heat generated by a process other than dissociating the hydrogen donor. The process can further include providing, from the dissociation products, a structural building block and/or a hydrogen-based fuel, with the structural building block based on carbon, nitrogen, boron, silicon, sulfur, and/or a transition metal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: McAlister Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Roy Edward McAlister
  • Patent number: 8013196
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of ethylene, comprising the steps of a) thermally converting, by a pyrolysis or a partial oxidation process, a feed charge containing methane into an acetylene containing effluent, and b) in situ hydrogenating, by a non-catalytic reaction, the acetylene produced in the first step into ethylene by intimately mixing the acetylene containing effluent with an ethane feed. The process according to the invention is more efficient than other synthesis schemes, while simplifying the overall process design. This process thus offers an economically attractive scheme for mass production of ethylene from natural gas, based on a well-known and proven acetylene route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Saudi Basic Industries Corporation
    Inventors: Aggadin Mamedov, Saeed Al-Wahabi, Yungyi Lin, Mohamed Sabri Abdelghani, Akram Al-Alwan
  • Patent number: 8003837
    Abstract: Catalysts comprising: a ground, spent (de)hydrogenation catalyst material present in an amount of 10 to 70% by weight based on the catalyst, the ground, spent catalyst material comprising iron oxide; and a fresh catalyst material present in an amount of 30 to 90% by weight based on the catalyst, the fresh catalyst material comprising iron oxide, wherein at least a portion of the iron oxide in the fresh catalyst material comprises a phase selected from the group consisting of hematite, potassium ferrite, and mixtures thereof are described along with processes for preparing and using the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Christian Walsdorff, Christophe Houssin, Gerald Vorberg, Reinhard Koerner, Otto Hofstadt
  • Patent number: 7999144
    Abstract: Methods of oxidative dehydrogenation are described. Surprisingly, Pd and Au alloys of Pt have been discovered to be superior for oxidative dehydrogenation in microchannels. Methods of forming these catalysts via an electroless plating methodology are also described. An apparatus design that minimizes heat transfer to the apparatus' exterior is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Velocys
    Inventors: Anna Lee Tonkovich, Bin Yang, Steven T. Perry, Terry Mazanec, Ravi Arora, Francis P. Daly, Richard Long, Thomas D. Yuschak, Paul W. Neagle, Amanda Glass
  • Publication number: 20110183221
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a catalytic porous layer for oxygen activation that can be used in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) and dense ceramic membranes for oxygen separation at a high temperature. This porous layer is mainly composed of an electron and oxygen ion mixed conductive material and has a structure selected from simple perovskite-type structures, double perovskite-type structures or perovskite-related structures, i.e. structures such as the Ruddlesden-Popper, Dion-Jacobson and Aurivillius type.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Inventors: José Manuel Serra Alfaro, Vicente Bernardo Vert Belenguer, Sonia Escolástico Rozalén
  • Patent number: 7985706
    Abstract: Provided are: a uniformly, highly dispersed metal catalyst including a catalyst carrier and a catalyst metal being loaded thereon dispersed throughout the carrier, the uniformly, highly dispersed metal catalyst having excellent performances with respect to catalytic activity, selectivity, life, etc.; and a method of producing the same. The uniformly, highly dispersed metal catalyst includes a catalyst carrier made of a metal oxide and a catalyst metal having catalytic activity, the catalyst metal being loaded on the catalyst carrier, in which the catalyst carrier is a sulfur-containing catalyst carrier having sulfur or a sulfur compound almost evenly distributed throughout the carrier and the catalyst metal is loaded on the sulfur-containing catalyst carrier in a substantially evenly dispersed manner over the entire carrier substantially according to the distribution of the sulfur or the sulfur compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Chiyoda Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshimi Okada, Toshiji Makabe, Masashi Saito, Takako Nishijima
  • Publication number: 20110144400
    Abstract: The invention relates to a material which is suited as a carrier for catalysts in the dehydrogenation of alkanes and in the oxidative dehydrogenation of alkanes and which is made of an oxide ceramic foam and may contain combinations of the substances aluminium oxide, calcium oxide, silicon dioxide, tin oxide, zirconium dioxide, calcium aluminate, zinc aluminate, silicon carbide, and which is impregnated with one or several suitable catalytically active materials, by which the flow resistance of the catalyst decreases to a considerable degree and the accessibility of the catalytically active material improves significantly and the thermal and mechanical stability of the material increases. The invention also relates to a process for the manufacture of the material and a process for the dehydrogenation of alkanes by using the material according to the invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: UHDE GMBH
    Inventors: Muhammad Iqbal Mian, Max Heinritz-Adrian, Oliver Noll, Domenico Pavone, Sascha Wenzel
  • Publication number: 20110112348
    Abstract: The disclosed invention relates to a process for converting ethylbenzene to styrene, comprising: flowing a feed composition comprising ethylbenzene in at least one process microchannel in contact with at least one catalyst to dehydrogenate the ethylbenzene and form a product comprising styrene; exchanging heat between the process microchannel and at least one heat exchange channel in thermal contact with the process microchannel; and removing product from the process microchannel. Also disclosed is an apparatus comprising a process microchannel, a heat exchange channel, and a heat transfer wall positioned between the process microchannel and heat exchange channel wherein the heat transfer wall comprises a thermal resistance layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Inventors: Anna Lee Tonkovich, Kai Tod Paul Jarosch, Bin Yang, Francis P. Daly, Thomas P. Hickey, Jeffrey Marco, Timothy J. LaPlante, Richard Q. Long
  • Publication number: 20110110849
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of converting a raw material stream into a product stream by passing said raw material stream through a bed of fluidized solid particles and allowing heat exchange to occur between the bed of fluidized solid particles and the raw material stream, said method being characterized in that it alternately employs a production mode and a restoration mode to control the temperature of the bed of fluidized solid particles: -said production mode comprising passing the raw material stream through the bed of fluidized solid particles and allowing the temperature of the fluidized solid particles in the bed to decrease or to increase as a result of the production energy associated with the conversion of the raw materials stream into the product stream; and -said restoration mode comprising restoring the temperature of the bed of fluidized solid particles by passing a restoration stream through the bed of fluidized solid particles to decrease the temperature of the fluidized solid
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2009
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Inventor: Roland Siemons
  • Patent number: 7923592
    Abstract: The disclosed invention relates to a process for converting a feed composition comprising one or more hydrocarbons to a product comprising one or more unsaturated hydrocarbons, the process comprising: flowing the feed composition and steam in contact with each other in a microchannel reactor at a temperature in the range from about 200° C. to about 1200° C. to convert the feed composition to the product, the process being characterized by the absence of catalyst for converting the one or more hydrocarbons to one or more unsaturated hydrocarbons. Hydrogen and/or oxygen may be combined with the feed composition and steam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Velocys, Inc.
    Inventors: Anna Lee Tonkovich, Thomas Yuschak, Timothy J. LaPlante, Scott Rankin, Steven T. Perry, Sean Patrick Fitzgerald, Wayne W. Simmons, Terry Mazanec, Eric Daymo