Exxonmobil Technology and Engineering Company

Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company

Mark A Deimund

Patrick Loring Hanks

Everett J O'Neal

Brandon J O'Neill

Ajit Bhaskar Dandekar

Louis R Brown

Sarah E Feicht

Vinit Choudhary

David L Perkins

Stephen John McCarthy

Lei Zhang

Anjaneya Sarma Kovvali

Arsam Behkish

Amy C Clingenpeel

Yesim Igci

Alice Lin

A submersible device submersible within an algae slurry contained within a pond of an algae bioreactor, the submersible device including a drive motor operable to actuate one or more driven devices that move the submersible device within the pond, a circulation device operable to circulate the algae slurry through the submersible device and discharge the algae slurry back into the pond from a discharge port provided on the submersible device, and a computer system that controls operation of the drive motor and the circulation device.

Autonomous submersible device for algae growth and collection

Devices, methods, and systems employing a multivariate optical computing sensor comprising a multivariate optical element calibrated to independently measure an electromagnetic spectral pattern of a cultivation characteristic of an algae strain in a cultivating algae water slurry and a detector for receiving output signals indicative of the cultivation characteristic. The cultivation characteristic may include, for example, total organic carbon, total carbohydrate, or fatty acid methyl esters.

Algae biofuel production and systems, methods, and devices related thereto

A system includes an algae bioreactor that contains an algae slurry, a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the algae bioreactor to receive the algae slurry from the algae bioreactor and heat and increase a pressure of the algae slurry, and one or more valves and a flash vessel in fluid communication with a discharge of the heat exchanger to flash the algae slurry and create steam and algae biomass. A separator receives the algae biomass from the flash vessel and separates oils from the algae biomass to generate a biofuel.

Solar steam explosion of algae

A system for growing algae includes a pivot arm pivotally coupled to a pivot connection positioned in a pond containing water and algae, and a mixing device coupled to the pivot arm and extending into the pond to mix the water and the algae as the pivot arm rotates.

Pivot arm systems for mixing in bioreactors

Systems and methods are provided for conversion of a combined feed of oxygenates (such as methanol or dimethyl ether) and olefins to a high octane naphtha boiling range product with a reduced or minimized aromatics content. The oxygenate conversion can be performed under conditions that reduce or minimize hydrogen transfer. Optionally, a catalyst that further facilitates formation of branched paraffins can be used, such as a catalyst that has some type of 12-member ring site available on the catalyst surface.

Olefin methylation for production of low aromatic gasoline

A system for growing and harvesting algae biomass includes a photo-bioreactor suitable for algae growth in water and a filter unit in fluid communication with the photo-bioreactor. An algae slurry, when at least partially contained within the photo-bioreactor, generates hydrostatic fluid pressure that exclusively drives the algae slurry to the filter unit and discharges a permeate.

Photo-bioreactor and filter unit integration for separation of algae biomass

Systems and methods are provided for conversion of oxygenate feeds to lubricant and/or distillate boiling range compounds with desirable properties by first selectively converting oxygenates to light olefins and then converting the light olefins to distillate and lubricant boiling range compounds with beneficial properties. The distillate boiling range products can have an unexpectedly high cetane, while the lubricant boiling range products can have an unexpectedly high viscosity index. The ability to form the distillate boiling range products and lubricant boiling range products is facilitated by using a Ni-enhanced oligomerization catalyst.

Oligomerization of olefins derived from oxygenates

Systems and methods are provided for oligomerization of olefins to distillate boiling range products while also recycling naphtha boiling range olefins as part of the feed. By performing the olefin oligomerization while also recycling naphtha boiling range olefins, it has been discovered that the resulting distillate boiling range products can have an unexpected improvement in diesel combustion quality, such as an unexpected improvement in cetane rating. In order to manage coke formation and maintain consistent activity profile for the oligomerization catalyst, the reaction can be performed in a moving bed reactor. Additional temperature control can be maintained by the recycling of the naphtha boiling range portions of the oligomerization product back to the reactor.

Distillate production from olefins in moving bed reactors

Systems and methods are provided for modifying the composition of the conversion catalyst in a reactor for oxygenate conversion during conversion of an oxygenate feed to allow for adjustment of the slate of conversion products. The modification of the conversion catalyst can be performed by introducing a substantial portion (relative to the amount of catalyst inventory in the reaction system) of make-up catalyst having a distinct composition relative to the conversion catalyst in the reaction system. Introducing the distinct composition of make-up catalyst can modify the composition of the conversion catalyst in the reactor to allow for changes in the resulting product slate. By introducing the distinct catalyst composition, the conversion catalyst in the reactor can correspond to a different composition of catalyst than the overall average catalyst composition within the catalyst inventory in the reaction system.

Growing community of inventors

Jersey City, NJ, United States of America

Mark A Deimund