Membrane Technology and Research, Inc

Other

Nitto-denko Corporation

Wynn, Nicholas Patrick

Nicholas Patrick Wynn

Paul Su

Donald A Fulton

Douglas Gottschlich

Meijuan Zhou

Sylvie Thomas-Droz

Yu Huang

Haiqing Lin

Alvin Ng

Tiem Aldajani

Moyeen Mohammed

Alicia Breen

Mamoon Rashid Khan

Richard W Baker

Kaaeid A Lokhandwala

Zhenjie He

Masakatsu Urairi

Jurgen Kaschemekat

Jennifer Ly

Xiaotong Wei

Marc L Jacobs

Adrian Serbanescu-Martin

Jürgen Kaschemekat

Xuezhen Wang

Marc Jacobs

A device for simultaneous provision of shade and generation of solar power, suitable for deployment as a sailboat bimini or awning and a process for providing shade and generating solar power. The device includes multiple flexible solar panels, connected electrically, and bonded to rigid lightweight panels which are hinged together with restraints that prevent panel flexing or bending and thereby avoid propagation of microcracks in the solar cells, increasing longevity.

Lightweight bimini for capturing solar energy

A device for pumping water and powered by ocean waves, a wave farm including multiple devices and a process for capturing energy from waves in the form of hydraulic power. The floating device pitches in waves and includes one or more water filled coiled pipes, connected via valves to feed and discharge manifolds and to a hydraulic accumulator.

Wave powered pump

A gas separation module and assembly for housing ceramic tubular membranes. The module includes a plurality of tubes containing the ceramic tubular membranes. The tubes are arranged parallel to one another and are supported by tube sheet plates at each end. Gas-tight seals surround each membrane, preventing a feed gas and a residue gas within the inner lumen of the membrane from mixing with a permeate gas in the tube interior. The module also contains a gas distribution pipe for withdrawing the permeate gas out of, or introducing a sweep gas into, the module. This configuration allows for ceramic tubular membranes to be modularized for use in an assembly that carries out many types of gas separations.

Gas separation module and assembly

Gas separation processes are provided for separating dehydrogenation reaction products from a raw gas stream to recover hydrocarbons, specifically olefins, such as propylene and iso-butene, as well as unreacted feedstock. The processes employ a sequence of partial condensation steps, interspersed with membrane separation steps to raise the hydrocarbon dewpoint of the uncondensed gas, thereby avoiding the use of low-temperature or cryogenic conditions.

Membrane-based gas separation processes to separate dehydrogenation reaction products

A gas separation module and assembly for housing ceramic tubular membranes. The module includes a plurality of tubes containing the ceramic tubular membranes. The tubes are arranged parallel to one another and are supported by tube sheet plates at each end. Gas-tight seals surround each membrane, preventing a permeate gas within the inner lumen of the membrane from mixing with a feed or residue gas in the tube interior. The module also contains a gas distribution pipe for introducing feed gas into, and withdrawing residue out of, the module. This configuration allows for ceramic tubular membranes to be modularized for use in an assembly that carries out many types of gas separations.

A process for recovering unreacted olefin in a polyolefin manufacturing process comprising the treatment of a purge bin vent gas. The process involves cooling and condensing the vent gas (purge stream), which contains at least an olefin, a paraffin, and nitrogen, to produce a liquid condensate and an uncondensed (residual) gas stream. Both streams are then passed through membrane separation steps. The membrane separation of the uncondensed gas stream results in a residue stream containing mostly nitrogen and/or paraffin and a permeate stream enriched in either Chydrocarbons or olefin, depending on the type of separation. The permeate from this step is recirculated within the process prior to the condensation step. The membrane separation of the condensate results in a residue stream containing paraffin and a permeate stream enriched in olefin, which may be recycled to the polymerization reactor.

Process for recovering olefins in polyolefin plants

A gas separation process that utilizes ejector recycle with a membrane separation step in combination with a second separation step. The second separation step may be a second membrane separation, or may involve a different type of separation process. At least a portion of the non-product (i.e. residue) stream withdrawn from the second separation step is directed back to the ejector to form a processing loop. The ejector drives the gas flow in the loop and recycles the non-product stream to the first separation step.

Membrane-based gas separation process using ejector-driven gas recycle

A gas-separation membrane module assembly and a gas-separation process using the assembly. The assembly includes sets of manifolds, between which are mounted arrays of membrane modules, the manifolds and membrane modules forming a stack within a pressure vessel or housing. The stacked, manifolded arrangement enables many membrane elements to be fed in parallel with the gas to be treated.

Parallel feed gas separation membrane element assembly

Disclosed herein are methanol production processes that include a sweep-based membrane separation step using a membrane that is selective to carbon dioxide over hydrogen. Using the processes of the invention, the efficiency of methanol production from syngas is increased by reducing the compression requirements of the process and/or improving the methanol product yield. In certain embodiments, a hydrogen-rich stream is generated; this hydrogen-rich stream can be sent for other uses. An additional benefit is that the processes of the invention may debottleneck existing methanol plants if more syngas or carbon dioxide is available, allowing for feed of imported carbon dioxide into the synthesis loop. This is a way of sequestering carbon dioxide.

Processes for the production of methanol using sweep-based membrane separation steps

Disclosed herein is a process for the production of hydrogen by autothermal reforming of natural gas, with simultaneous recovery of carbon dioxide using carbon dioxide-selective membrane separation. Residual gas from the hydrogen and carbon dioxide recovery is recycled back to the autothermal reformer.

Gas separation process for production of hydrogen by autothermal reforming of natural gas, with carbon dioxide recovery

Disclosed herein is a methanol production process that includes at least two membrane separation steps. Using the process of the invention, the efficiency of methanol production from syngas is increased by reducing the compression requirements of the process and/or improving the methanol product yield. As an additional advantage, the first membrane separation step generates a hydrogen-rich stream which can be sent for other uses. An additional benefit is that the process of the invention may debottleneck existing methanol plants if more syngas or carbon dioxide is available, allowing for feed of imported carbon dioxide into the synthesis loop. This is a way of sequestering carbon dioxide.

Process for the production of methanol including two membrane separation steps

Disclosed herein is a methanol production process that includes a membrane separation step or steps. Using the process of the invention, the efficiency of methanol production from syngas is increased by reducing the compression requirements of the process and/or improving the methanol product yield. As an additional advantage, the membrane separation step generates a hydrogen-rich stream which can be sent for other uses. An additional benefit is that the process of the invention may debottleneck existing methanol plants if more syngas or carbon dioxide is available, allowing for feed of imported carbon dioxide into the synthesis loop. This is a way of sequestering carbon dioxide.

Process for the production of methanol including one or more membrane separation steps

Processes for removing water from organic solvents, such as ethanol. The processes include distillation in two columns operated at sequentially higher pressure, followed by treatment of the overhead vapor by one or two membrane separation steps.

Membrane-augmented distillation with pressure change to separate solvents from water

The invention is a pervaporation process and pervaporation equipment, using a series of membrane modules, and including inter-module reheating of the feed solution under treatment. The inter-module heating is achieved within the tube or vessel in which the modules are housed, thereby avoiding the need to repeatedly extract the feed solution from the membrane module train.

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Redwood City, CA, United States of America

Nicholas Patrick Wynn