Chevron U.s.a. Inc.

Texaco Inc.

Paul Bryan

Daniel Chinn

Curtis L Krause

Shabbir Husain

Prakhar Prakash

Clifford Michael Lowe

Yunquan Liu

Oluwasijibomi O Okeowo

Andre R DaCosta

A method of recovering unsupported fine catalyst from heavy oil comprises combining a slurry comprising unsupported fine catalyst in heavy oil with solvent to form a combined slurry-solvent stream. The combined slurry-solvent stream is filtered in a deoiling zone. A stream comprising unsupported fine catalyst and solvent is recovered from the deoiling zone. Unsupported fine catalyst is separated from the stream comprising unsupported fine catalyst and solvent. The deoiling zone can comprise a membrane that is rapidly displaced in a horizontal direction.

Recovery of slurry unsupported catalyst

An apparatus and process is taught for the formation of ethanol from a fermentation medium in the absence of an ethanol concentration distillation step.

Integrated mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) and membrane vapor permeation process for ethanol recovery (ethanol dehydration) from fermentation broth

The present invention discloses a system for biomass treatment which addresses the need to find economical solutions to transport biomass. In the present invention, small, distributed gasifiers convert the biomass into synthesis gas ('syngas'). The syngas is then transported via a pipeline network to a central fuel production facility.

Small distributed gasification units with syngas transportation via pipeline network for biomass treatment

An energy-efficient process for dewatering an aqueous organic solution includes using freely available solar energy to concentrate a draw solution within a reservoir. The draw solution is used in conjunction with a membrane to remove water from the organic solution in a forward osmosis process. The draw solution is diluted by the osmosis process, and returned to the reservoir to be re-concentrated and reused in the osmosis process.

Process for dewatering an aqueous organic solution

The invention relates to a process for producing a hydrogen-rich stream from a hydrogen-depleted stream. More particularly, the invention relates to a hydrocarbon synthesis process, by way of example, a Fischer Tropsch process, from which both hydrocarbons and high purity hydrogen are obtained. The process comprises contacting the hydrogen-depleted stream with a first reverse-selective membrane and a second reverse-selective membrane to provide a CO-enriched permeate and a hydrogen-containing retentate. The high purity hydrogen is produced from the hydrogen-containing retentate. The high purity hydrogen thus obtained may be used in a process selected from the group consisting of upgrading hydrocarbons produced from the hydrocarbon synthesis process, hydrotreating a natural gas stream, recycling to the hydrocarbon synthesis reaction unit, high purity hydrogen production, catalyst rejuvenation, and combinations thereof.

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Pinole, CA, United States of America

Paul Bryan