Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company

Exxonmobil Chemical Patents Inc.

Exxonmobil Technology and Engineering Company

Exxonmobile Research and Engineering Company

Benjamin S Umansky

Michael C Clark

Richard Charles Dougherty

William J Tracy, Iii

William Ernest Lewis

Timothy Lee Hilbert

Richard A Demmin

Berne K Stober

James William Gleeson

Hans Georg Korsten

Carlos N Lopez

Michael A Hayes

Edward John Blok

Lei Zhang

Limin Song

Ajit Bhaskar Dandekar

Yibing Zhang

Mohan Kalyanaraman

Keith K Aldous

Michael Louis Hergenrother

Patricia H Kalamaras

Geoff Keiser

Tomas R Melli

Teck-Mui Hoo

Steven S Lowenthal

Antonio O Ramos

Ramesh X Gandhi

Mohsen N Harandi

Stuart Leon Soled

Stephen Harold Brown

Stuart S Shih

Terry Eugene Helton

Stephen John McCarthy

Jane C Cheng

Chuansheng Bai

Christine Nicole Elia

David C Dankworth

Anjaneya Sarma Kovvali

William Joseph Novak

Garland B Brignac

Himanshu Gupta

Robert J Falkiner

Juan D Henao

Rathna P Davuluri

Christopher Gordon Oliveri

Steven Webster Levine

Thomas Francis Degnan, Jr

Sean C Smyth

Todd P Marut

James W Gleeson

Dana W Nouri

Donald J Norris

John T Wyatt, Jr

Enrique Feliz

Mark J Reichensperger

Suisheng M Dou

Fengrong Chen

Charles R Bolz

Andre T Sims

John D Nelson

William C Lewis

James F Stanley

Eugene M Roundtree

Elizabeth A Nye

Glenn J Moloney

Katherine Sullivan Phillion

Paul W Kamienski

Cindy J Hughart

Akira Murata

Stacey Erin Johnson

Stephen J Mccarthy

William J Tracy

Christopher G Oliveri

John T Wyatt

Darunee Meemongkolkiat

Tech-Mui Hoo

William J Iii Tracy

Provided herein are molecular sieve membranes for separating hydrocarbons of a lube feed stock into a permeate and a retentate based on molecular shape. The molecular sieve membranes comprise one or more layers of size-selective catalyst and a porous support comprising a plurality of diffusing gaps. Each layer of size-selective catalyst has a plurality of perpendicular membrane channels and a plurality of opening pores. The porous support is in fluidic communication with the plurality of opening pores to provide a fluidic pathway between the perpendicular membrane channels and the diffusing gaps. Also provided are processes for separating n-paraffins from other hydrocarbons in a lube feed stock using the present molecular sieve membranes.

Wax and lube base stock products using shape selective membrane separation

Systems and methods are provided for producing upgraded raffinate and extract products from lubricant boiling range feeds and/or other feeds having a boiling range of 400&#xb0; F. (204&#xb0; C.) to 1500&#xb0; F. (816&#xb0; C.) or more. The upgraded raffinate and/or extract products can have a reduced or minimized concentration of sulfur, nitrogen, metals, or a combination thereof. The reduced or minimized concentration of sulfur, nitrogen, and/or metals can be achieved by hydrotreating a suitable feed under hydrotreatment conditions corresponding to relatively low levels of feed conversion. Optionally, the feed can also dewaxed, such as by catalytic dewaxing or by solvent dewaxing. Because excessive aromatic saturation is not desired, the pressure for hydrotreatment (and optional dewaxing) can be 500 psig (&#x2dc;3.4 MPa) to 1200 psig (&#x2dc;8.2 MPa).

Production of upgraded extract and raffinate

Systems and methods are provided for detecting abnormal temperature conditions within a fixed bed reactor. In a fixed bed reactor, a hydrocarbon (or hydrocarbon-like) feedstock can be exposed to one or more types of catalyst particles at elevated temperatures and/or pressures. In addition to the one or more types of catalyst particles, a plurality of temperature-sensor structures can be included in a catalyst bed and/or a coating including one or more temperature-sensor structures can be provided on an interior wall or other interior surface in the reactor. The temperature-sensor structures can have a threshold temperature at which the temperature-sensor structure changes to allow introduction and/or release of a detectable substance.

Abnormal temperature detection for fixed bed reactors

Systems and methods are provided for hydroconversion of a heavy oil feed under slurry hydroprocessing conditions and/or solvent assisted hydroprocessing conditions. The systems and methods for slurry hydroconversion can include the use of a configuration that can allow for improved separation of catalyst particles from the slurry hydroprocessing effluent. In addition to allowing for improved catalyst recycle, an amount of fines in the slurry hydroconversion effluent can be reduced or minimized. This can facilitate further processing or handling of any 'pitch' generated during the slurry hydroconversion. The systems and methods for solvent assisted hydroprocessing can include processing of a heavy oil feed in conjunction with a high solvency dispersive power crude.

Processing of heavy hydrocarbon feeds

Systems and methods for detecting coking in a wash bed of a vacuum pipe still with a sensing cable including an optical fiber sensor array aligned with a heating element disposed in the vessel. An optical signal interrogator is configured to measure a first temperature profile at a plurality of sensor locations to determine a flow distribution. An excitation source is configured to propagate at least one heat pulse through the heating element and the optical signal interrogator is configured to measure a second temperature profile corresponding to the heat pulse at the sensor locations. A control unit is configured to detect coking by determining one or more properties of the media exposed to the sensing cable at each of the plurality of sensor locations based on the second temperature profile corresponding thereto.

Method and system for detecting coking growth and maldistribution in refinery equipment

A process for producing high yields of higher quality (API Group II, Group III') lubricating oil basestock fractions which allows the production of two or more types of high quality lubes in continuous mode (no blocked operation mode) without transition times and feed or intermediate product tankage segregation. Two consecutive hydroprocessing steps are used: the first step processes a wide cut feed at a severity needed to match heavy oil lube properties. The second step hydroprocesses a light oil after fractionation of the liquid product from the first step at a severity higher than for the heavy oil fraction. The two hydroprocessing steps will normally be carried out in separate reactors but they may be combined in a single reactor which allows for the two fractions to be processed with different degrees of severity.

Hydrocracking process for high yields of high quality lube products

Systems and methods for determining the flow distribution of a fluid through a component with a sensing cable including an optical fiber sensor array aligned with a heating element disposed in the component. An excitation source is configured to propagate at least one heat pulse through the heating element along at least a portion of the sensing cable to affect an exchange of thermal energy between the heating element and the fluid exposed to the sensing cable. An optical signal is adapted to receive a signal from each of a plurality of sensor locations and measure a temperature profile corresponding to the heat pulse at the sensor locations. A control unit is configured to determine a flow of the fluid by determining one or more properties of the fluid exposed to the sensing cable at each of the plurality of sensor locations based on the temperature profile corresponding thereto. The present invention can be effective in accurate and high spatial resolution of flow distributions through vessel components, such as a particulate bed (such as a reactor catalyst bed), a wash bed including packing material, an absorbent bed, a structured bed, a filter, or the like.

Method and system for determining flow distribution through a component

Hydrocarbon feeds can be hydrotreated in a continuous gas-phase environment and then dewaxed in a liquid-continuous reactor. The liquid-continuous reactor can advantageously be operated in a manner that avoids the need for a hydrogen recycle loop. A contaminant gas can be added to the hydrogen input for the liquid-continuous reactor to modify the hydrogen consumption in the reactor.

Liquid phase distillate dewaxing

Methods are provided for liquid phase activation of dewaxing and/or hydrofinishing catalysts that include a molecular sieve or other acidic crystalline support. The methods are compatible with activating the catalysts as part of a catalyst system that also includes a hydrotreating catalyst.

Activation of dual catalyst systems

A diesel fuel product with beneficial cold flow properties can be produced. A suitable feedstock for forming a diesel boiling range product can be hydrotreated to have a sulfur content of at least about 100 wppm and then dewaxed. This two stage process can allow for production of an arctic or winter diesel without use of high pressures. Optionally, a divided wall column fractionator can be used to allow a single separation stage to handle the effluent from both the hydroprocessing and the dewaxing stages.

Low pressure production of low cloud point diesel

Processes are provided herein for producing naphtha boiling range products with a desired sulfur content by reducing the mercaptan content of the naphtha boiling range products after the products exit a hydroprocessing stage. Due to mercaptan reversion, naphtha boiling range products that contain even small amounts of olefins can have a higher than expected sulfur content after hydroprocessing. In order to reduce or mitigate the effects of mercaptan reversion, microchannel reactors (or microreactors) can be placed in a processing system downstream of a reactor that produces a low sulfur naphtha product. The microreactors can include a coating of metals that have activity for hydrodesulfurization. By passing at least a portion of the naphtha product through the downstream microreactors, the mercaptans formed by reversion reactions can be reduced or eliminated, resulting in a naphtha product with possessing a very low sulfur content.

Mercaptan removal using microreactors

A structure and method are provided for adding a catalyst bed platform to an existing reactor without welding to the structural portion of the reactor walls. The structure is constructed from components that can be passed through an existing opening in a reactor. The structure allows a catalyst bed in an existing reactor to be divided into catalyst beds with a reduced length to diameter ratio.

Catalyst bed platform with center support pipe

A divided wall column allows for fractionation of multiple streams while maintaining separate product qualities. Effluents from multiple stages of a reaction system can be processed in a single divided wall column. The divided wall column can produce multiple cuts from each separated area, as well as at least one output from a common area.

Two stage hydroprocessing with divided wall column fractionator

A modular catalyst bed support can be used to increase the number of catalyst beds available in a reactor. The modular catalyst bed support can include a lattice with a plurality of lattice openings and modules inserted into the lattice openings. The modular catalyst bed support can rest on top of an underlying catalyst bed, which can reduce or eliminate the need for attachment of the modular catalyst bed support to the walls of the reactor.

Modular catalyst bed support

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Fairfax Station, VA, United States of America

Benjamin S Umansky