US 12,227,703 B2
Foaming system for efficient plasma processing of heavy hydrocarbon
David Staack, College Station, TX (US); Md Abdullah Hil Baky, Bryan, TX (US); Charles S. Martens, College Station, TX (US); and Howard B. Jemison, Houston, TX (US)
Assigned to TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM, College Station, TX (US)
Appl. No. 17/911,609
Filed by Texas A&M University System, College Station, TX (US)
PCT Filed Mar. 17, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/022733
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 14, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/188650, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 23, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/990,942, filed on Mar. 17, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0121041 A1, Apr. 20, 2023
Int. Cl. C10G 49/20 (2006.01); C09K 23/00 (2022.01); C10G 15/12 (2006.01); C10G 49/00 (2006.01)
CPC C10G 49/20 (2013.01) [C09K 23/003 (2022.01); C10G 49/002 (2013.01); C10G 2300/1037 (2013.01); C10G 2300/4012 (2013.01); C10G 2300/802 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of conversion of a heavy crude oil to lighter hydrocarbons with a non-thermal plasma, the method comprising:
generating a pressurized mixture of a hydrogen containing gas and the heavy crude oil at a first pressure;
passing the pressurized mixture through a nozzle into a chamber maintained at a second pressure that is lower than the first pressure, wherein upon passing through the nozzle the pressurized mixture forms a crude oil foam; and
subjecting the crude oil foam to a non-thermal plasma reactor to convert at least a portion of the heavy crude oil into lighter hydrocarbons.