The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 06, 2011
Filed:
Oct. 25, 2010
Louis Edward Stein, Houston, TX (US);
Danny Yuk Kwan Ngan, Houston, TX (US);
Arthur James Baumgartner, Houston, TX (US);
Karl Gregory Anderson, Missouri City, TX (US);
Raul Jasso Garcia, Sr., Houston, TX (US);
Richard Rodriguez, Houston, TX (US);
Louis Edward Stein, Houston, TX (US);
Danny Yuk Kwan Ngan, Houston, TX (US);
Arthur James Baumgartner, Houston, TX (US);
Karl Gregory Anderson, Missouri City, TX (US);
Raul Jasso Garcia, Sr., Houston, TX (US);
Richard Rodriguez, Houston, TX (US);
Shell Oil Company, Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
A contactor/separator is formed from a vessel; an inlet for receiving a vapor/liquid mixture; an inlet for receiving a superheated vapor; a hub located within the vessel, the hub including a plurality of vanes for imparting a centrifugal motion to the vapor/liquid mixture or the superheated vapor; an outlet in a bottom of the vessel for removing liquid; and an outlet for removing vapor from the vessel. A method is also provided for heating and separating liquid and vapor from a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising introducing a hydrocarbon feedstock into a contactor/separator: introducing a superheated vapor into the contactor/separator such that it contacts and vaporizes a portion of the feedstock within the contactor/separator; separating unvaporized feedstock from vaporized feedstock in the contactor/separator; removing the vaporized feedstock and the superheated vapor through a first outlet; and removing the unvaporized feedstock through a second outlet.