Search Patents
  • Patent number: 9523040
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to improvements in the design of Fischer-Tropsch catalysts comprising a support and cobalt on the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Velocys Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Frank Daly, Laura Richard, Sreekala Rugmini
  • Publication number: 20140045954
    Abstract: The disclosed invention relates to a process for conducting a Fischer-Tropsch reaction, comprising flowing a reactant mixture comprising fresh synthesis gas and tail gas in a microchannel reactor in contact with a catalyst to form at least one hydrocarbon product, the catalyst being derived from a catalyst precursor comprising cobalt and a surface modified catalyst support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: VELOCYS, INC.
    Inventors: Stephen Claude LeViness, Francis Daly, Laura Richard, Sreekala Rugmini
  • Patent number: 9006298
    Abstract: The disclosed invention relates to a process for conducting a Fischer-Tropsch reaction, comprising flowing a reactant mixture comprising fresh synthesis gas and tail gas in a microchannel reactor in contact with a catalyst to form at least one hydrocarbon product, the catalyst being derived from a catalyst precursor comprising cobalt and a surface modified catalyst support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Velocys, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Claude LeViness, Francis Daly, Laura Richard, Sreekala Rugmini
  • Patent number: 9707546
    Abstract: Catalyst compositions, methods of making catalysts, and methods of conducting Fischer-Tropsch (FT) reactions are described. It has been discovered that a combination of large crystallite size and high porosity results in catalysts and FT catalyst systems with high stability and low methane selectivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Velocys Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Laura Richard, Kai Jarosch, Heinz J. Robota, Daniele Leonarduzzi, Diarmid Roberts
  • Patent number: 7829602
    Abstract: The disclosed invention relates to a process and apparatus for converting natural gas to higher molecular weight hydrocarbons. The process includes steam reforming to form synthesis gas followed by a Fischer-Tropsch reaction to convert the synthesis gas to the high molecular weight hydrocarbons. The reforming and Fischer-Tropsch reactions are conducted in microchannel reactors. The higher molecular weight hydrocarbons may be further treated to form hydrocarbon products such as middle distillate fuels, lubricating oils, and the like. The apparatus includes vessels containing SMR microchannel reactors and Fischer-Tropsch microchannel reactors. A composition comprising a mixture of olefins and paraffins is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Velocys, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Dwayne Litt, Wayne W. Simmons
  • Patent number: 8450381
    Abstract: The present invention includes a removable microchannel unit including an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice in fluid communication with a plurality of microchannels distributed throughout the removable microchannel unit, and a pressurized vessel adapted have the removable microchannel unit mounted thereto, the pressurized vessel adapted to contain a pressurized fluid exerting a positive gauge pressure upon at least a portion of the exterior of the removable microchannel unit. The invention also includes a microchannel unit assembly comprising a microchannel unit operation carried out within a pressurized vessel, where pressurized vessel includes a pressurized fluid exerting a positive gauge pressure upon an exterior of the microchannel unit operation, and where the microchannel unit operation includes an outlet orifice in fluid communication with an interior of the pressurized vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Velocys, Inc.
    Inventors: William Allen Rogers, Paul William Neagle, Michael Alan Marchiando, Christopher Paul Well, Robert Dwayne Litt, Ronald Chester Pasadyn, G. Bradley Smith, Charles Robert Miele, Thomas Peter Forte, Jimmy Glen Pelham
  • Patent number: 8188153
    Abstract: The disclosed invention relates to a process for converting a reactant composition comprising H2 and CO to a product comprising at least one aliphatic hydrocarbon having at least about 5 carbon atoms, the process comprising: flowing the reactant composition through a microchannel reactor in contact with a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst to convert the reactant composition to the product, the microchannel reactor comprising a plurality of process microchannels containing the catalyst; transferring heat from the process microchannels to a heat exchanger; and removing the product from the microchannel reactor; the process producing at least about 0.5 gram of aliphatic hydrocarbon having at least about 5 carbon atoms per gram of catalyst per hour; the selectivity to methane in the product being less than about 25%. The disclosed invention also relates to a supported catalyst comprising Co, and a microchannel reactor comprising at least one process microchannel and at least one adjacent heat exchange zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Velocys, Inc.
    Inventors: Yong Wang, Anna Lee Tonkovich, Terry Mazanec, Francis P. Daly, Dave VanderWiel, Jianli Hu, Chunshe Cao, Charles Kibby, Xiaohong Shari Li, Michael D. Briscoe, Nathan Gano, Ya-Huei Chin
  • Patent number: 9023900
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process for converting a reactant composition comprising H2 and CO to a product comprising at least one aliphatic hydrocarbon having at least about 5 carbon atoms, the process comprising: flowing the reactant composition through a microchannel reactor in contact with a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst to convert the reactant composition to the product, the microchannel reactor comprising a plurality of process microchannels containing the catalyst; transferring heat from the process microchannels to a heat exchanger; and removing the product from the microchannel reactor; the process producing at least about 0.5 gram of aliphatic hydrocarbon having at least about 5 carbon atoms per gram of catalyst per hour; the selectivity to methane in the product being less than about 25%. Also disclosed is a supported catalyst comprising Co, and a microchannel reactor comprising at least one process microchannel and at least one adjacent heat exchange zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Velocys, Inc.
    Inventors: Yong Wang, Anna Lee Tonkovich, Terry Mazanec, Francis P. Daly, Dave VanderWiel, Jianli Hu, Chunshe Cao, Charles Kibby, Xiaohong Li, Michael D. Briscoe, Nathan Gano, Ya-Huei Chin
  • Patent number: 7084180
    Abstract: The disclosed invention relates to a process for converting a reactant composition comprising H2 and CO to a product comprising at least one aliphatic hydrocarbon having at least about 5 carbon atoms, the process comprising: flowing the reactant composition through a microchannel reactor in contact with a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst to convert the reactant composition to the product, the microchannel reactor comprising a plurality of process microchannels containing the catalyst; transferring heat from the process microchannels to a heat exchanger; and removing the product from the microchannel reactor; the process producing at least about 0.5 gram of aliphatic hydrocarbon having at least about 5 carbon atoms per gram of catalyst per hour; the selectivity to methane in the product being less than about 25%. The disclosed invention also relates to a supported catalyst comprising Co, and a microchannel reactor comprising at least one process microchannel and at least one adjacent heat exchange zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Velocys, Inc.
    Inventors: Yong Wang, Anna Lee Tonkovich, Terry Mazanec, Francis P. Daly, Dave VanderWiel, Jianli Hu, Chunshe Cao, Charles Kibby, Xiaohong Shari Li, Michael D. Briscoe, Nathan Gano, Ya-Huei Chin