WikiHow

“Except in mathematics, the shortest distance between point A and point B is seldom a straight line” -- Anonymous

To do good research, you need to connect to your fellow researchers. You won’t find anything about desulfurization per sé on WikiHow, but you will find tips on how to connect with and keep in touch with desulfurization colleagues.

For example, if you search WikiHow (www.WikiHow.com) using the term “LinkedIn” you will find several tips on how to improve your networking skills.

But first … this might be a good time to say something about the process of finding information on the Web. While there may be a few questions that you can answer with a simple Google query, most of the really useful information requires a more iterative approach. Connecting with desulfurization colleagues is a good example of the iteration approach.

Let’s say you have searched a site like AllConferences.com (www.AllConferences.com) or something similar to identify a conference you feel would help you advance your research. And let’s say that the conference you have identified is Pacifichem 2010 (http://www.pacifichem.org/). And let’s say, further, that you have identified a specific presenter at the Pacifichem conference … let’s say, Chunshan Song … that you would like to network with.

Design of Zeolite Catalyts for Clean Synthesis of Chemicals (#178)
Takashi Tatsumi Chunshan Song Sang-Eon Park

Now let’s say that you are not that comfortable with the whole networking thing. So you go to a site like WikiHow to get some tips on how to network at conferences. For example, a WikiHow search using the term “LinkedIn” results in the following hit …

How to Network at a Conference [Excerpt]
Look up the people who will be presenting at the conference. They are influencers who can help you get better networked into your targeted industry. Take the time to visit these presenters websites. They should also all have email addresses on their websites--even top executives may have emails. But, if they don't try to find them on sites like LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com).
Tell these influencers you look forward to hearing their talks. You are growing a relationship when you recognize someone for the valuable expertise they will be sharing at a conference. These presenters will appreciate you taking the time and you will gain relationship equity with them. They will, most likely, email you back and thank you. Now you can re-email them and let them know you will make sure you introduce yourself, in person, when you see them at the event.
Go up and introduce yourself at the event. Go to the presenters' talks you have emailed. Go early and sit in the front row. After their presentation take up a business card with a personalized note you have written on the back telling them how much you appreciated their insights. This will build even more relationship equity. You can also ask to follow up with a quick phone call with a question you may have about their presentation. Now you are at the point where you have really created a connection and, more likely than not, laid the groundwork for a long-term connection with whom you can develop all kinds of new business or career opportunities.
source: http://www.wikihow.com/Network-at-a-Conference

Following the WikiHow advice, you Google® Chunshan Song and find …

Activities
Chair, Division of Fuel Chemistry, American Chemical Society, 2008.
Judge, ConocoPhillips Energy Prize (national energy award program), 2008.
Scientific Advisory Board, NSF Engineering Research Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis, University of Kansas/ University of Iowa/Washington University at St Louis/ Prairie View A&M University, 2008-present.
Decision Review Board, Chevron-Penn State Alliance on Coal Conversion Technology, 2008.
Advisor, Technical Advisory Council, Research & Development Center, Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia, 2007-present.
Chair-Elect, Division of Fuel Chemistry, American Chemical Society, 2007.
International Advisory Board Member for 2007 International Conference on Coal Science and Technology Nottingham, UK, 2006-2007.
Chair, Advisory Board for International Pittsburgh Coal Conference, 2005-2006.
Treasurer, 19th North American Catalysis Society Biennial Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, USA, May 22-28, 2005.
Member, Long-Range Planning Committee, American Chemical Society Division of Petroleum Chemistry, 2005-2007.
Chair, Division of Petroleum Chemistry, American Chemical Society, 2004.
Award Committee, 21st International Pittsburgh Coal Conference, Osaka, Japan, Sept 12-17, 2004.
Program Chair, American Chemical Society Division of Fuel Chemistry, 2003.
Co-chair, Advisory Board for International Pittsburgh Coal Conference, 2003-2004.
Chair-Elect, American Chemical Society Division of Petroleum Chemistry, 2003.
International Scientific Committee, International Conference on Carbon Dioxide Utilization, 2003-present.
Member, Scientific Committee, 18th North American Catalysis Society Meeting, Cancun, Mexico, June 1-6, 2003.

One of the articles he has co-authored is …

A Nanoporous Polymeric Sorbent for Deep Removal of H2S from Gas Mixtures for Hydrogen Purification
source: http://www.eme.psu.edu/faculty/song.html

Googling® the article you find an abstract …

A nanoporous polymeric sorbent for deep removal of H2S from gas mixtures for hydrogen purification
Author(s):
Xiaoxing Wang Clean Fuels and Catalysis Program, The Energy Institute andDepartment of Energy and Geo-Environmenta
Xiaoliang Ma
Sun Lu
Abstract: A nanoporous composite sorbent (PEI/SBA-15) was developed by the wet impregnation loading of a linear polyethyleneimine (PEI) on a mesoporous molecular sieve SBA-15, which was prepared by hydrothermal synthesis. The sorbent was characterized by XRD at low angles, N_2 physisorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and FT-IR. The sorption performance of the sorbent for removing H2S from H_2-containing gas mixtures was evaluated in a flow system. The characterization results showed that after PEI loading, PEI was dispersed inside the meso-channels of SBA-15 with almost no change of the SBA-15 structure, and the interaction of amine groups in PEI with the functional groups on the SBA-15 surface may anchor PEI on the inner surface of SBA-15. The effects of the inlet H2S concentration and co-existing moisture on the sorption performance were examined. With increasing inlet H2S concentration, both the breakthrough capacity and the saturation capacity increased. The sorption of H2S on the PEI/SBA-15 sorbent can be expressed by the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. A higher sorption capacity was observed in the presence of moisture, indicating that moisture has a promoting effect on the sorption removal of H2S from gas streams on the PEI/SBA-15 sorbent. However, the desorption rate of the sorbed H2S was also reduced in the presence of moisture. The sorption/ desorption cycles showed that the PEI/SBA-15 sorbent had a good regenerability and stable sorption performance.
Source: Green Chemistry , 2007, 9 (6) : 695-702
source: http://citation.nstl.gov.cn/detail.jsp?internal_id=617839

With this kind of information, you would be well prepared to follow the tips in the WikiHow article.

One final tip … this hypothetical exercise demonstrates the time consuming process of chasing down the information you need to do your work. You can do it yourself, or you can save valuable time by enlisting the service of your friendly corporate librarian. If confidentiality is a concern … no worries … confidentiality is a part of the librarian’s professional code.

Send your confidential request for a free search strategy to unearth the information you need to … Research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com

Hands on desulfurization resource

"As a general rule, the most successful man in life is the man who has the best information." -- Benjamin Disraeli
“Information is not knowledge.” -- Albert Einstein

A problem with any refining technology, including desulfurization technology, is getting it to work in a particular situation. When you run into a hands-on puzzle, it may be time to turn to colleagues who may have found a solution to your puzzle. Refining Online (www.refiningonline.com) provides a Q&A forum that helps you do just that. Registration is free. Here, as an example, is a recent exchange …

From the Refining Online Q&A Forum
Question No.: 5135 Category : Refining
Date Posted: 11/10/2009
Subject: Desalter
Question:
How step down of transformer will help us during water shot in desalter?
///
Response 5135-1
Date : 11/11/2009
When you are processing high conductivity crudes, the current in the desalter will rise sharply & will near its trip point. During this time the voltage in the desalter will drop to nearly zero. As we know as per stokes law, a particular potential difference (voltage) has to be maintained for settling of water droplets. Hence we step down the transformer so that at least a small potential will be maintained across the water droplets for settling and step down of transformer also helps in avoiding tripping of the desalter due to high current.

Following the ROL Blog might also be useful. Here is a ROL Blog excerpt …

How FCC Feed Hydrotreating Affects FCC Yields And Economics
September 1, 2007 • 1 Comment
The following paragraphs show an example of the effects of hydrotreating ANS VGO on a typical FCC operation. The focus of the discussion is to compare FCC feed hydrotreating with FCC product treating as competing options for making low sulfur gasoline and diesel fuels.

Table 1 presents the properties of virgin ANS VGO and compares them with the properties of the VGO after severe hydrotreating (95% desulfurization). Hydrotreating increases the API gravity of the VGO by about 5.5 numbers, increases the aniline point by 10°F, lowers the nitrogen level by about 50% and lowers the VABP by 24°F. The VABP reduction is the result of a small amount of hydrocracking that occurs in the hydrotreater.

Source: http://rolblog.wordpress.com/category/refining-operations/

Wondering how to research your technology topic? Send your question to research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com . We will reply with free advice on how structure your query. All questions are treated with strictest confidentiality.

AllConferences.com

"Conferences at the top level are always courteous. Name-calling is left to the foreign ministers." -- W. Averell Harriman

You probably keep up with conferences through the professional associations you belong to, but for a change of pace you might want to take an occasional look at a site like AllConferences.com (www.AllConferences.com). Here are three listings from that site that might be of interest to someone in the desulfurization arena …

Introduction to the Canadian Oil Sands - PEICE
Begins January 19, 2010
City Calgary
Country Canada

///

Leapfrogging Opportunities for Air Quality Improvement
Begins May 10, 2010
City Xian
Country China

///

10th International Conference on Clean Energy
Begins September 15, 2010
City Famagusta
Country Cyprus

For one thing, it can bring you the peace of mind that comes from knowing you are not missing anything important.

Your comments are always welcome. If you have a question you would like to keep confidential, send me an email at: research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com

ChevronTexaco, Vacuum Resid Slurry Hydrocracking (VRSH)

Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world. -- Archimedes

A few posts ago I highlighted Sulphco’s efforts to commercialize its Sonocracking™ desulfurization technology. As noted in the Wikinvest article on Sulphco, “Major companies like Merichem, ChevronTexaco (CVX) , CONOCOPHILLIPS (COP) and other large oil producers have been actively pursuing their own versions of sonocracking.” However, even companies with such vast resources at their disposal can have setbacks.

Note, for example, the following comment, resulting from a Google® search on “vrsh chevron” …

“The VRSH pilot plant project (Vacuum Resid Slurry Hydrocracker) now on the fast track in Pascagoula has some serious realities of scale issues to overcome, even if the pilot plant proves the technology viable.

“For one...even though the process has efficiencies of greater than 105% liquid conversion....relative to about 75-82% for a conventional delayed Coker...., the massive amounts of manufactured hydrogen required for a commercial scale plant are truly daunting. For a 100 kpbd resid unit, approximately 340 Mscfd of hydrogen would be needed. In today's dollars, we are talking about a 8 billion to 15 billion dollar investment for a VRSH complex at a refinery. Beyond the huge financial hurtles, the production of those quantities of hydrogen would require permitting new huge greenhouse gas emissions...CO2 being the byproduct of H2O / CHx reforming.

“If you start talking about carbon sequestration as a part of the project, then the cost goes into the stratosphere.

“Don't bet on seeing a commercial scale VRSH plant in the USA in the near future. When the fuel crisis winds up toward the end game, those that have the money..ie. those that have the oil....may provide the funding for a domestic plant if the political wind at that time will allow it.”

source: http://messageboards.aol.com/aol/en_us/articles.php?boardId=69817&articleId=5408&func=5&channel=Money+%26+Finance

And as a reminder to those of us who focus on technology, the price of crude has an enormous impact, as we see from the following quote from a post by Sylvia Hall (shall@wlox.com) ...

“A much awaited pilot project at Chevron's Pascagoula Refinery has been deferred due to the economy. The VRSH project, announced last March, won't be considered again until at least 2010. The company says the delay is due to the dropping price of crude oil.”

source: http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=9766821

Speaking of economics, you may have run across the concept of using OPM – Other People’s Money – to leverage your investments. Well, you can think of employing a research service as using OPT – Other People’s Time – as a way to leverage your time. When you are hip deep in primary research and need help with secondary research, remember us at research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com … Our research supports your research

Gone Fishin': Casting for Information on Conoco

There's a fine line between fishing and standing on the shore like an idiot. -- Steven Wright

When I ran across a reference to ConocoPhillips’ desulfurization research activities in a Sulphco article, I was curious. So I went fishing for information in ScienceDirect (www.ScienceDirect.com). A simple search statement …

conoco sulfur

resulted in a number of hits, among which were ...

Applied Catalysis B: Environmental
Volume 56, Issues 1-2, 10 March 2005, Pages 137-147
Deep desulfurization of gasoline by selective adsorption over solid adsorbents and impact of analytical methods on ppm-level sulfur quantification for fuel cell applications

Catalysis Today
Volume 116, Issue 4, 15 September 2006, Pages 554-561
Sulfur Removal to Produce Ultra Clean Fuel
Oxidation of sulfur components in diesel fuel using Fe-TAML® catalysts and hydrogen peroxide
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
Volume 307, Issue 1, 1 March 2007, Pages 1-8
Selective adsorption of refractory sulfur species on active carbons and carbon based CoMo catalyst

Reading the full text of some of the “Conoco sulfur” articles should yield useful information that could then be used to design more specific search statements. But, as with real fishing, information angling sometimes produces disappointing results. That’s why it sometimes pays to hire someone else to do the fishing for you.

Do you have any fish stories? Submit a post, or contact me directly at: research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com

Made in China: Dongshi Desulfurization Technology Collaboration Network

"Americans who travel abroad for the first time are often shocked to discover that, despite all the progress that has been made in the last 30 years, many foreign people still speak in foreign languages” -- Dave Barry

If desulfurization efforts in China interest you, and especially if you read Chinese, you might want to take a look at the Dongshi Desulfurization Technology Collaboration Network (http://www.dongshi888.com/en/index.asp). The Chinese language is not a part of my skill set, unfortunately. And most of the content of the Dongshi site is in Chinese. Still, there is enough English language content to offer a tantalizing view of the Network’s activities.

To quote from the site …

“In April 2005, the Dongshi Desulfurization Technology Collaboration Network was established and the first desulfurization technology exchange conference was held at the same time. This network is the first technology collaboration organization in China founded independently by enterprise in the desulfurization industry. The founder is Changchun Dongshi Technology & Trading Company. At that time there were more than one hundred member enterprises and the Technology Committee of the network consists of over ten experts and scholars who have been engaged in desulfurization technology research work for long times.

“The netwok’s mission is from enterprises and service enterprises, devote constant efforts to the improvement and raising levels of the desulfurization technology.

“From the establishment of the network up to now,5 years have been passed and I recall the participating in the collaboration network activities, there are quite a few deep impressions as follows：

“The activities of the collaboration network have been focused on the mission of the network.
The desulfurization technology exchages conferences are the main large-scale activities of the network and up to now five conferences have been held.Before the conference , letters of questionaire are sent to the member enterprises and problems existed in their actual desulfurization production are supposed to hand over and at the same times papers of good production experiences and methods of solving desulfurization problems have been sent to Dongshi.At the conferences the participants will exchange their experiences and discuss the difficult problems face to face. For some typical problems experts are organized to deliver reports on these subjects and answer questions from the representatives of the enterprises”

source: http://www.dongshi888.com/en/readnews.asp?t=980

Contact information from the Dongshi site …

Our address：Fengye Comprehensive Building, No.6th Shenzhen Street, the Economic Development District, Changchun, Jilin Province
postal code：130033
telephone exchange：
Mobile phone number：0086-431-85038366　0086-431-85041096
facsimile：
WebSite：www.dongshi888.com
E-mail：dongshi888@tom.com / 888@dongshi888.com

Our address:
No.6 Shenzhen Street,Changchun Economic Development District, Changchun Jilin Province 130033 People’s Republic of China
Company operator:0086-431-85038366
For technical service,please contact Mr. Gao Zhidou the chief engineer
Mobile phone number:0086-13610782157
E-mail: gaozhidou206@sina.com
For foreign business please contact Mr Liu Yi
Tel.:0086-431-84631910
Fax:0086-431-85041099
Mobile:0086-13614300782
E-mail: liuyihaiwai@yahoo.com.cn

If anyone has anything to share on the Dongshi Desulfurization Technology Collaboration Network, please post to this blog, or send me an email at: research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com

Hart Energy

“If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that got 1000 MPG” -- Bill Gates

Hart Energy (www.hartenergy.com) supports the science and technology of petroleum refining in many ways. From traditional print venues such as Fuel, Refinery Tracker, Global Refining & Fuels Today, and Diesel Fuel News, through single client consulting service, you can find a solution that will help you in your quest for an answer to your desulfurization effort.

Take a look at "Middle East Fuel Quality Overview" (www.unep.org/pcfv/PDF/JordanWrkshp-MiddleEastFuelQuality.pdf), presented to UNEP Jordan by Candace Vona (cvona@hartenergy.com) in 2008. It provides a Hart organization chart that gives a quick visual of the various channels that Hart uses to provide information.

The presentation also gives a good roadmap of the path toward clean fuel in the Middle East.

As a disclaimer, Jean Steinhardt Consulting LLC is not associated in any way with Hart Energy. We invite comments from our readers on their experience with Hart, or with any other information provider. Please post your (respectful) comments to this blog, or send an email to: research@jeansteinhardtconsulting.com

How do I … do a company background check?

“October: This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August and February.” ~Mark Twain

Every once in a while you run across a novel desulfurization technology that you would like to explore. Sometimes the most direct way to learn about the technology is to learn about the company that owns the technology.

Case in point … Sulphco (http://www.sulphco.com/) . For years now Sulphco has been attempting to commercialize its Sonocracking technology. They have travelled a long, tortuous, and often controversial road, and as of this date may (or may not) be on the verge of profitability.

What is the best way to learn more about Sulphco and its prospects? Google® and Yahoo!® searching springs to mind. If you have a couple hours to spare, that might work for you.

However, you can optimize your time with a more targeted approach. Two free Web sites you might try are …

Wikinvest (http://www.wikinvest.com/) … this site happens to have the most comprehensive summary of the history, technology, and challenges faced by the company that I have found so far. Wikinvest’s analysis is also remarkably free of the hyperbole you will find in much of the other reports you will see on the Web.

ImpluCorportation (http://www.implu.com/) … The thing I like about this site is that it provides quick access to a list of officers, directors, and other people associated with the company.

Bookmark these two sites for future reference. And, while you’re at it, bookmark this blog (http://www.desulf.blogspot.com/)

STN International

"Scientists investigate that which already is; Engineers create that which has never been.” -- Albert Einstein

As I’ve said before, this blog is as much about how to search as it is about specific desulfurization items we have discovered during our periodic searches. Accordingly, this post on STN International (http://www.stn-international.com/) fits right in. STN International “provides access to the optimal versions of CAS-produced databases, including CAplusSM and CAS REGISTRYSM. STN ties together published research, journal literature, patents, structures, stereochemistry, trade names, physical properties, sequences, and other data. With STN, you can find information on a wide range of disciplines within natural, social, and applied sciences and mathematics.” (Thanks to AIIP (http://www.aiip.org/) for this synopsis)

How does this apply to you, a desulfurization researcher? Major oil companies subscribe to STN International. They do so because it is a hugely valuable resource which can help you do your work in a more time-effective manner. Time = money. When you save time, your company makes money.

Unfortunately, STN International is expensive. Because of this, your employer will not want to make it available to everybody in the enterprise. If you are in the group that DOES subscribe, good on you (as we say in Texas.)

If you are not in that privileged group, you should find out if some other group in the company does have access. Contact your corporate librarian, if you have one. The librarian may have access or know who does.

Your company does not employ a corporate librarian? (gasp!) Then contact STN International and ask for the sales representative for your geographic area. The sales rep will be glad to tell you who within your organization subscribes. You can then contact that group and see if they would be willing to share the cost of the subscription by including you in their contract with STN.
Once you have access to STN International resources, you will need training to use it to best advantage. Contact your corporate librarian first. Second choice is to contact your training department. Third choice is to contact your STN International sales representative. Arrange for training, onsite if possible, but Web-enabled is OK, too.

And remember if you have a “How Do I” question, send it to us at: research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com

Does ExxonMobil know something the others don't?

ExxonMobil, often described as the largest publicly owned integrated oil major in the world, is looking for … librarians! This in an era where it is common for corporate executives to tell their researchers “everything’s on the Internet … do it yourself.”

You and I know different. The people who actually do the work of research need the help of librarians and other information professionals to optimize their time That the decision-makers at ExxonMobil recognize this fact says a lot about the acumen of their management team.

If you, as a desulfurization researcher, are fortunate enough to have a corporate librarian at your disposal, make use of that resource. And if you do not have such a resource available to you, remember that independent information professionals like Jean Steinhardt Consulting LLC can help.

We at Jean Steinhardt Consulting offer a free “How Do I … “ service that can help you determine the usefulness of our service. When you wonder “how do I research this topic … ?“ send us your question.. We won’t do the research for free … that, as you well know, takes a lot of time. But we will offer hints, tips and tricks on how we would design a search strategy to optimize your research efforts.

Send your “HowDoI” to research@JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com