# US 10,370,198 B2 · Systems and methods for providing feed material to a pressurized system

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- Number: US 10,370,198 B2
- Document ID: US10370198B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/653,595
- Filed: 2017-07-19
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2014-10-01
- Assignees: Shell Oil Company
- Applicants: Shell Oil Company
- Inventors: Joseph Broun Powell; Robert Edward Trepte
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10370198B2

## CPC

- B65G 53/30: Conveying materials in bulk through pipes or tubes by liquid pressure
- B01J 8/0015: {Feeding of the particles in the reactor; Evacuation of the particles out of the reactor}
- B01J 8/0035: {Periodical feeding or evacuation}
- B65G 33/08: for fluent solid materials
- B65G 53/12: the gas flow acting directly on the materials in a reservoir
- B65G 65/40: Devices for emptying otherwise than from the top
- B01J 2208/00752: Feeding
- B01J 2208/00761: Discharging
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS

## Abstract

Methods and systems for transferring feed materials between zones having substantially different pressures, where the transfer can be continuous or semi-continuous. The methods and systems include a plurality of lock hoppers to receive feed material from a low pressure zone and pressurize it with fluid to a pressure of a high pressure zone. The pressurized material can be discharged to a circulation loop, which carries the pressurized material to one or more receiving unit(s) of a pressurized system. At least some feed material remains in the receiving unit(s) and at least a portion of the fluid exits to become part of the circulation loop. After discharge, the lock hoppers can be depressurized so the next pressurization cycle can begin with additional feed material. The lock hoppers can be operated in a time-staggered manner to provide continuous or semi-continuous transfer of material.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for transferring material from a low pressure zone to a high pressure zone comprising:
(a) providing feed material to a first lock hopper;
(b) closing a valve coupled to an inlet of said first lock hopper;
(c) after step (b), providing fluid to said first lock hopper to pressurize the first lock hopper;
(d) after the first lock hopper is pressurized, opening a valve coupled to an outlet of said first lock hopper;
(e) releasing pressurized content comprising fluid and feed material from the first lock hopper to a circulation loop via said outlet, which is in fluid communication with said circulation loop;
(f) providing feed material to a second lock hopper;
(g) closing a valve coupled to an inlet of said second lock hopper;
(h) after step (g), providing fluid to said second lock hopper to pressurize the second lock hopper;
(i) opening a valve coupled to an outlet of said second lock hopper;
(j) releasing pressurized content comprising fluid and feed material from the second lock hopper to the circulation loop via said outlet, which is in fluid communication with said circulation loop;
(k) providing at least a portion of pressurized content in the circulation loop to a first receiving unit via an inlet of the first receiving unit, said inlet is in fluid communication with the circulation loop;
(l) providing at least a portion of fluid from the first receiving unit to the circulation loop via an outlet of the first receiving unit, said outlet is in fluid communication with the circulation loop;
wherein the circulation loop comprises a direction of flow of material from the outlet of the first lock hopper and the outlet of the second lock hopper to the inlet of the first receiving unit and from the outlet of the first receiving unit to the outlet of the first lock hopper and the outlet of the second lock hopper;
(m) closing the valve coupled to the outlet of the first lock hopper;
(n) releasing fluid from the first lock hopper to a containment unit to depressurize the first lock hopper;
(o) closing the valve coupled to the outlet of the second lock hopper; and
(p) releasing fluid from the second lock hopper to a containment unit to depressurize the second lock hopper.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
providing at least a portion of pressurized content of the circulation loop to a second receiving unit via an inlet of the second receiving unit, said inlet is in fluid communication with the circulation loop.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 further comprising:
providing at least a portion of fluid from the second receiving unit to the circulation loop via an outlet of the second receiving unit, said outlet is in communication with the circulation loop,
wherein the circulation loop comprises a direction of flow of material from the outlet of the first lock hopper and the outlet of the second lock hopper to the inlet of the first receiving unit and from the outlet of the first receiving unit and the outlet of the second receiving unit to the outlet of the first lock hopper and the outlet of the second lock hopper.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the first receiving unit and the second receiving unit are in parallel with one another.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 further comprising:
simultaneously providing at least a portion of pressurized content in the circulation loop to the inlet of the first receiving unit and the inlet of the second receiving unit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 further comprises:
releasing the pressurized content of the first lock hopper to the circulation loop in step (e) at a different time than releasing the pressurized content of the second lock hopper to the circulation loop in step (j); and
continuously providing at least a portion of pressurized content in the circulation loop to the first receiving unit and the second receiving unit.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 further comprises:
releasing the pressurized content of the first lock hopper to the circulation loop in step (e) at a different time than releasing the pressurized content of the second lock hopper to the circulation loop in step (j); and
semi-continuously providing at least a portion of pressurized content in the circulation loop to the first receiving unit and the second receiving unit.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
providing additional fluid to at least one of the first lock hopper and the second lock hopper to facilitate releasing of pressurized content of the respective lock hopper.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein the additional fluid provided to at least one of the first lock hopper and the second lock hopper comprises fluid from the circulation loop.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
(q) allowing vapor to enter the first lock hopper to facilitate the releasing of fluid of the first lock hopper; and
(r) allowing vapor to enter the second lock hopper to facilitate the releasing of fluid of the second lock hopper.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 wherein steps (a)-(e), (m)-(n), and (q) are performed at a different time from steps (f)-(j), (m)-(n), and (r), respectively.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 wherein steps (a)-(e), (m)-(n), and (q) are performed before steps (f)-(j), (m)-(n), and (r), respectively.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of step (c) and (h) further comprises:
providing fluid from the circulation loop to at least one of the first lock hopper and the second lock hopper.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprises:
releasing the pressurized content of the first lock hopper to the circulation loop in step (e) at a different time from releasing the pressurized content of the second lock hopper to the circulation loop in step (j); and
continuously providing at least a portion of pressurized content in the circulation loop to the first receiving unit.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprises:
releasing the pressurized content of the first lock hopper to the circulation loop in step (e) at a different time than releasing the pressurized content of the second lock hopper to the circulation loop in step (j); and
semi-continuously providing at least a portion of pressurized content in the circulation loop to the first receiving unit.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the fluid from the first receiving unit provided to the circulation loop in step (l) comprises feed material in the pressurized content provided to the first receiving unit in step (k).

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16 wherein, in the circulation loop, feed material from the first lock hopper and the second lock hopper is in contact with feed material from the first receiving unit.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein, in the circulation loop, feed material from the first lock hopper and the second lock hopper is in contact with fluid from the first receiving unit.