Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
208402000 | Using electrical, magnetic or wave energy | 19 |
20090120845 | Beneficiation of Hydrocarbons From Mineral Matrices - Methods for liberating organic carbonaceous products from mineral matrices such as oil shale and the products liberated by the present methods inter alia, the invention in a preferred embodiment subjects oil shale to resonance disintegration including inter alia rapid pressure and directional changes to essentially instantaneously vary forces acting thereon. Oil shale processed by non-impact processing according to the invention liberates kerogen from the mineral matrix to permit subsequent conversion to shale oil or other utilization. | 05-14-2009 |
20090308793 | ACTIVATION, REFINING, AND USE OF OIL SHALE - The invention provides the activation, refining and stabilization of oil shale. The stabilization may be performed by recirculative extraction, the activation by electromagnetic irradiation, steam, or by an inorganic base, and the refining by ion beam irradiation. The thus processed oil shale may be used to adsorb organic and inorganic contaminants from a variety of materials include materials of vegetable origin. | 12-17-2009 |
20100025304 | MICROWAVE-BASED RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBONS AND FOSSIL FUELS - The present invention provides methods for decomposing and extracting compositions for the recovery of petroleum-based materials from composites comprising those petroleum-based materials, comprising subjecting the compositions and/or composites to microwave radiation, wherein the microwave radiation is in the range of from about 4 GHz to about 18 GHz. The present invention also provides for products produced by the methods of the present invention and for apparatuses used to perform the methods of the present invention. | 02-04-2010 |
20100219107 | RADIO FREQUENCY HEATING OF PETROLEUM ORE BY PARTICLE SUSCEPTORS - A method for heating materials by application of radio frequency (“RF”) energy is disclosed. For example, the disclosure concerns a method for RF heating of petroleum ore, such as bitumen, oil sands, oil shale, tar sands, or heavy oil. Petroleum ore is mixed with a substance comprising susceptor particles that absorb RF energy. A source is provided which applies RF energy to the mixture of a power and frequency sufficient to heat the susceptor particles. The RF energy is applied for a sufficient time to allow the susceptor particles to heat the mixture to an average temperature greater than about 212° F. (100° C.). Optionally, the susceptor particles can be removed from the mixture after the desired average temperature has been achieved. The susceptor particles may provide for anhydrous processing, and temperatures sufficient for cracking, distillation, or pyrolysis. | 09-02-2010 |
20100219108 | CARBON STRAND RADIO FREQUENCY HEATING SUSCEPTOR - A method for heating materials by application of radio frequency (“RF”) energy is disclosed. For example, the disclosure concerns a method and apparatus for RF heating of petroleum ore, such as bitumen, oil sands, oil shale, tar sands, or heavy oil. Petroleum ore is mixed with a substance comprising mini-dipole susceptors such as carbon strands. A source is provided which applies RF energy to the mixture of a power and frequency sufficient to heat the mini-dipole susceptors. The RF energy is applied for a sufficient time to allow the mini-dipole susceptors to heat the mixture to an average temperature greater than about 212° F. (100° C.). Optionally, the mini-dipole susceptors can be removed after the desired average temperature has been achieved. The susceptors may provide advantages for the RF heating of hydrocarbons, such as higher temperatures (sufficient for distillation or pyrolysis), anhydrous processing, and greater speed or efficiency. | 09-02-2010 |
20100307960 | PLASMA-ASSISTED TREATMENT OF COAL - A process for the plasma-assisted treatment of coal in which coal is directly converted to heavy hydrocarbons. The first step in the process is direct conversion of coal to aliphatic hydrocarbons under plasma conditions in the presence of light hydrocarbons, such as natural gas. In the second process step, the aliphatic hydrocarbons are upgraded to a liquid fuel. The energy for the process can be provided by radio frequency energy, such as microwave energy, that is powered by a renewable energy source. The process has flexibility to adjust aromatic content in the fuel to match fuel specification requirements. | 12-09-2010 |
20110108466 | METHOD OF SEPARATING HYDROCARBONS FROM OIL ROCKS USING IONIC LIQUIDS - A method of extracting hydrocarbon from oil containing rocks is herein disclosed. According to one embodiment a method includes mixing oil sandstone and a phosphonium based ionic liquid and subjecting the resulting mixture to microwave radiation of 2.54 Gigahertz. Within 1 minute the trapped hydrocarbon is extracted into the ionic liquid which can be subsequently processed to remove the hydrocarbons from the ionic liquid. | 05-12-2011 |
20110132809 | SEPARATION AND EXTRACTION OF DESIRED RECOVERABLE MATERIALS FROM SOURCE MATERIALS - Systems and methods for extracting recoverable materials (e.g., petroleum and/or other hydrocarbons) from source materials (e.g., tar sands) are provided. According to one embodiment a method is provided for extracting bitumen from tar sand. Tar sands are introduced into a batch or continuous processing plasma furnace. The bitumen contained within the tar sand is then vaporized by exposing the tar sands to a plasma energy field that penetrates the tar sands. The vaporized bitumen is captured for subsequent processing. | 06-09-2011 |
20110315605 | Pretreatment Method for the Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes and Carbon Nanostructures from Coal and Carbon Chars - Carbon nanostructures such as multiwalled carbon nanotubes are formed from electrolyzed coal char. The electrolyzed coal char is formed by forming a slurry of coal particles, metal catalyst and water and subjecting this to electrolysis, which generates carbon dioxide and hydrogen. This forms a coating on the particles which includes metal catalysts. These particles can be used as is for formation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes using a pyrolysis method or other method without the addition of any catalyst. The gelatinous coating can be separated from the char and used as a fuel or as a carbon source to form carbon nanostructures. | 12-29-2011 |
20120055850 | LOW CARBON DIOXIDE FOOTPRINT PROCESS FOR COAL LIQUEFACTION - A method for producing hydrocarbons is provided, which comprises (a) subjecting a coal feedstock to mechanical activation ( | 03-08-2012 |
20120055851 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING LIQUID HYDROCARBON FUELS FROM COAL - A method of converting coal into a liquid hydrocarbon fuel utilizes a high pressure, high temperature reactor which operates upon a blend of micronized coal, a catalyst, and steam. Microwave power is directed into the reactor. The catalyst, preferably magnetite, will act as a heating media for the microwave power and the temperature of the reactor will rise to a level to efficiently convert the coal and steam into hydrogen and carbon monoxide. | 03-08-2012 |
20120160744 | Method of Producing Synthetic Pitch - Embodiments of a method are described for modifying pitches, oils, tars, and binders by using these materials as solvents to extract organic chemicals from coal. | 06-28-2012 |
20120312723 | MECHANICAL PROCESSING OF OIL SANDS - A method of extracting bitumen from oil sands having a transition temperature at which the oil sands solidify includes forming formable oil sands into pellets and cooling at least a surface of the pellets sufficiently to prevent the pellets from aggregating; cooling the pellets to below the transition temperature; fracturing the pellets to release the bitumen from the oil sands while maintaining the temperature of the pellets below the transition temperature; and separating the bitumen from the oil sands in a separator. | 12-13-2012 |
20140048452 | COAL LIQUEFACTION - Systems and methods for coal liquefaction are provided. According to one embodiment, coal is introduced into a plasma furnace. A plasma energy field is generated within the plasma furnace by causing an electrical discharge between a pair of arc rods located within the plasma furnace and positioned above the coal. Hydrocarbons contained within the coal are separated from the coal by causing the plasma energy field to penetrate the coal and heat the coal to a temperature sufficient to liquefy the hydrocarbons by focusing and drawing the plasma energy field through the coal with a magnetic field created proximate to the coal. The liquefied hydrocarbons are then captured. | 02-20-2014 |
20150053591 | SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING HYDROCARBON FUELS USING SURFAGUIDE - A system for processing hydrocarbon materials includes a waveguide having a lateral portion comprising housing having a first end portion configured to be connected to an energy generator, a closed opposite end portion, a primary axis extending from the first end portion to the second end portion, and a central portion having a circular opening. A reaction tube structure comprising an outer wall made of a dielectric material is positioned in or connected to the opening of the waveguide. When hydrocarbon feedstock and process gas are fed into the reaction tube structure and energy is received in the waveguide, energy is propagated to the reaction tube structure to form a plasma within the reaction tube structure and cause the feedstock and process gas to react and form into a product stream. | 02-26-2015 |
20150053592 | METHOD FOR PROCESSING HYDROCARBON FUELS USING MICROWAVE ENERGY - A method of operating a hydrocarbon material processing system includes feeding a hydrocarbon feedstock from a hydrocarbon feedstock source into a reaction tube positioned within an opening of a waveguide, feeding a process gas from a process gas source into the reaction tube, receiving microwaves in the waveguide from a microwave generator, energy from the waveguide in the reaction tube to cause the feedstock and process gas to react and form into a product stream comprising a fuel product. The method also includes periodically delivering a cleaning gas into the reaction tube, without stopping the propagation of the energy and without pausing the feeding of the hydrocarbon feedstock and the process gas into the reaction tube. | 02-26-2015 |
20150315476 | METHOD FOR PROCESSING HYDROCARBON FUELS USING MICROWAVE ENERGY - A method of processing hydrocarbons includes feeding a hydrocarbon feedstock into a reaction tube positioned within an opening of a waveguide, feeding a process gas into the reaction tube, receiving microwaves in the waveguide from a microwave generator, propagating microwave energy from the waveguide into the reaction tube to cause the formation of a first plasma in the reaction tube, that causes the feedstock and process gas to react and form into a product stream comprising a fuel product. The method also includes periodically, without stopping the propagation of microwave energy into the reaction tube, delivering a cleaning gas comprising oxygen. The method may also include forming a second plasma in the reaction tube, from the cleaning gas that causes burning off of a carbon residue film from the reaction tube; extracting the cleaning gas from the product stream; and delivering the extracted cleaning gas to the cleaning gas source. | 11-05-2015 |
20160046878 | ULTRASONIC CAVITATION REACTOR FOR PROCESSING HYDROCARBONS AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF - Systems and methods for upgrading or improving the quality of a heavy oil feedstock. The systems and methods described herein utilize cavitation energy, such as ultrasonic cavitation energy, to transmit ultrasonic or other cavitation energy (e.g., cavitation forces, shear, microjets, shockwaves, micro-convection, local hotspots, and the like) into heavy oil to drive hydroconversion under low pressure hydrogen condition (e.g., less than 500 psig) that are not conventionally believed to be suitable for treating heavy oil. | 02-18-2016 |
20160075953 | Oil shale retorting - Pyrolysis of oil shale or removal of valuable hydrocarbons from other hydrocarbon-containing materials is achieved through heating of induction-heatable objects which can transfer heat to the oil shale or other hydrocarbon-containing material in a dynamic process matrix. The induction-heatable materials should be conductive and resistive. The induction-heatable materials may also be resistive. The induction-heatable objects are exposed to a rapidly-changing magnetic field which causes current to flow within the induction-heatable objects. Resistive heating results, which generates heat within the induction-heatable objects. If the induction-heatable objects are also magnetic, then heat is secondarily generated within them by magnetic hysteresis. The induction-heatable objects are mixed with oil shale feedstock to form a dynamic process matrix either before or after they are heated by induction heating. The dynamic process matrix resides within a retort for a desired period of time heat is transferred from the induction-heatable objects to oil shale particles in the matrix through the mechanism of conductance due to intimate contact between the induction-heatable objects of and oil shale in the dynamic process matrix. Pyrolysis of the oil shale occurs and valuable hydrocarbons can be collected. The process is dynamic because the induction-heatable objects contact different oil shale particles within the matrix at different times to achieve relatively even heat distribution within the matrix. Any hydrocarbon-containing materials may be subjected to this treatment. | 03-17-2016 |