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:
Nov. 28, 2017
Filed:
Oct. 17, 2014
Jaime A. Valencia, Houston, TX (US);
J. Tim Cullinane, Easton, PA (US);
Edward J. Grave, Spring, TX (US);
Robert D. Denton, Bellaire, TX (US);
Jaime A. Valencia, Houston, TX (US);
J. Tim Cullinane, Easton, PA (US);
Edward J. Grave, Spring, TX (US);
Robert D. Denton, Bellaire, TX (US);
ExxonMobil Upstream Reseach Company, Spring, TX (US);
Abstract
The present disclosure provides a method for separating a feed stream in a distillation tower. The method may include forming solids in a controlled freeze zone section of the distillation tower; emitting radiation from a first radiation source in the controlled freeze zone section while the controlled freeze zone section forms no solids; detecting radiation emitted by the first radiation source as a first radiation level; detecting radiation emitted by the first radiation source as a second radiation level after detecting the first radiation level; and determining whether the solids adhered to at least one of on and around a first mechanical component included in the controlled freeze zone section based on the first radiation level and the second radiation level.