Fueling Innovation

“I am building a fire, and every day I train, I add more fuel. At just the right moment, I light the match.” -- Mia Hamm (American female Soccer Player. b.1972)
 
It’s good to stay on top of trends that affect your area of research.  Magazines like Hart Energy’s Fuel help you do that.  The latest issue has a number of articles that will interest desulfurization researchers.  Two of them are …

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Rare Earth Element Costs Go Sky Highby Greg Haas
Until new mines and suppliers come online mid-decade, China will remain the world’s monopoly supplier.
My view: The rising cost of rare earth could influence the direction of research in desulfurization catalysts. Some researchers will be looking for processes less reliant on rare earth elements

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Big Oil Sees the Future and It’s Renewablesby Kristie Sotolongo
Advancing the technology for next-generation renewables, from proof-of-concept to commercial reality will require major investment, a need that is being filled in part by oil giants and other industrial players.
My view: Just because it’s "renewable" doesn't mean sulfur is not an issue.  The fact that the majors are pursuing renewables suggests that they are also researching how to desulfurize renewable products

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Today’s tip … visit Hart Energy’s Fuel Web (http://www.hartfuel.com/).  There you will find a link to the current issue.

Bonus tip … alert your team members and colleagues to the Desulfurization Blog (http://www.desulf.blogspot.com/)  It specializes in providing online research tips in bite size chunks that are easy to digest that will make their lives much more pleasant.

Remember CTRL-F

“When I was younger I could remember anything, whether it happened or not.” -- Mark Twain (American Humorist, Writer and Lecturer. 1835-1910)

The K.I.S.S. principle states, “Keep It Simple, Stupid.”  Now, I’m not stupid, and if you follow this blog, neither are you.  But it is easy to forget, sometimes, how some of the simplest techniques can simplify one’s life.

CTRL-F falls into the category of easily forgotten simple techniques.

For example, when searching ScienceDirect using this search string …

Solid oxide fuel cell sulfur

… you will be presented with several hundred results, even if you limit the search to the current year.

Let’s say you are in a hurry.  You want to view only those results that have the word sulfur somewhere in the little snippet that appears on the results list.

What do you do? Hit CTRL-F.  This command opens up a search box where you can type in the word sulfur.  Click “Next” to jump to each entry on the page that contains the word.   The word you seek will be highlighted in each entry.

The same technique works when you are searching patents.  For example, search Google Patents (http://www.google.com/patents?hl=en) using the same search string as above, i.e. …

Solid oxide fuel cell sulfur

The results include the following …

High Temperature Fuel Cell System and Method of Operating the Same

Inventors: Swaminathan Venkataraman, Matthias Gottmann, John Finn

Original Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation

source: http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=PlPrAQAAEBAJ&dq=solid+oxide+fuel+cell+sulfur

Now, patents are a rich source of technical information.  But finding the part of the patent that most interests you can be very time consuming.  How can you focus on those parts of the patent that pertain to sulfur?  Once again, CTRL-F to the rescue!

CTRL-F works for those PDF files that open up without the tool ribbon at the top.  Hit CTRL-F and the PDF search box opens up.

This blog is all about making it easy to find technical literature on the Web … many of the tips may be old news to you, but remember the newer member of your team.  Help them get up to speed by suggesting they follow the Desulfurization Blog (http://www.desulf.blogspot.com/)

Peruse PTQ Q4

“Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.” -- Mark Twain (American Humorist, Writer and Lecturer. 1835-1910)

PTQ-Petroleum Technology Quarterly Quarter 4 issue is now available.  It includes a number of desulfurization related articles …
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Future of opportunity crudes processingBrett Goldhammer, Claire Weber, Patrick Christensen, Serena Yeung, Thomas Garrett and Thomas Yeung
Hydrocarbon Publishing Company

Fast turnaround for a SRU tail gas scrubberSteven Meyer and Andrea Trapet
MECS

Diesel Hydrotreating and Mild HydrocrackingAndrew Tyas, DuPont Sustainable Solutions Clean Technologies

Assessment of crude Oil BlendsVivek Rathore, Rajiv Brahma, Tushar S. Thorat, P V C Rao and N V Choudary, Bharat Petroleum Corp///////

Three tips to maximize the usefulness of PTQ …

Register with ePTQ (www.eptq.com)  to be notified when a new quarterly issue is ready for download
Scroll to the end of an article for useful biographical information
Google an author by including his/her company name in the search string

Registration (Tip #1) is free.  Benefits of registration include …

Free access to PTQ digital edition
eMail notification when a new edition of PTQ is available
Free access to the Technical Q&A forum

Biographical information on authors is available at the end of each article.  Even if you don’t read the entire article, be sure to scroll (Tip #2) to the end to see this valuable information.

For example, at the end of the following article …

FCC Catalyst optimization in response to rare earth pricesSolly Ismail, BASF Refining Catalysts
At the end of the article is this mini-bio …

Tip #3 …Google the author for more info.  When you do, remember to include the name of his/her company affiliation in the search string.  Researching the author of the following author, for example …
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Diesel hydrotreating and mild hydrocrackingAndrew Tyas
DuPont Sustainable Solutions Clean Technologies///////

Your Google search string would be: Andrew Tyas Dupont
Some of the Google results on the first page …
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Andrew Tyas - United Kingdom profiles | LinkedInuk.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Andrew/Tyas - United KingdomCached
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Andy Tyas. Title: Regional Engineering Manager at DuPont; Demographic info: Guildford, United Kingdom | Oil & Energy. Current: Regional Engineering Manager ...

[PDF] 
Download - DuPontwww2.dupont.com/.../SEA4%20JST8%20paper%20-%20DuPont.pdfSimilar
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File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View
Carlos Cavalca(1), Tom Hightower(1), Glenn Liolios(2), Andrew Tyas(2), Nick Confuorto(3), Ronan Goff(4) and. Stuart Thomas(4). DuPont Clean Technologies ...

[PDF] 
Diesel Hydrotreating and Mild Hydrocrackingcore.theenergyexchange.co.uk/.../1450H_Andy_Tyas_-_DUPONT.p...
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Andrew Tyas. Clean Technologies Regional Engineering Manager. DuPont Sustainable Solutions. Europe, Middle East and Africa. World Refining Association ...

MEPEC2011www.mepec.org/Abstracts.htmlCached
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Supply Chain Optimization. Session Co-Chairs:Abdullah Al-Enaizan (Sabic, Saudi Arabia) Andrew Tyas (DuPont, USA), Session Co-Chairs: Ahmed Al Shaikh ...

WRA World Refining Associations - Our Events - Downstream Asia 2010www.wraconferences.com/downstream-asia-2010/s4/a112/?...Cached
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Andrew Tyas, Regional Engineering Manager, DuPont Clean Technologies. 11:45. · Overview of the alternative fuels market in Asia ...///////

Today’s final tip …
Consider emailing the Desulfurization Blog link (http://www.desulf.blogspot.com/) to your professional colleagues … They will appreciate you doing so.

Conference Alert: LARTC (Latin America Refining Technology Conference)

“The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow.” - Bill Gates (American Entrepreneur and Founder of Microsoft Co., b.1955)

Visit GTF - Global Technology Forum web (www.gtforum.com) to find upcoming conferences you and your colleagues may want to attend.  For example …
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LARTC Annual Meeting, 28-29 February 2012, Miami
We are currently working on the programme and it will be available soon. For speaking opportunities, please contact Vicki Pope at vicki.pope@gtforum.com

Global Technology Forum is delighted to announce the launch of the inaugural LARTC Annual Meeting taking place 28th - 29th February 2012 in Miami.

With 16 years of unparalleled close collaboration with the refining and petrochemical industries, GTF brings the success of their established ERTC and ARTC Annual Meetings to the region of Latin America thus providing the meeting place and platform for the Latin American downstream industry to exchange best practices and learn about the latest technical advancements in refining and petrochemicals. Attendees will include refining, technical and operational management as well as process and technical engineers.

Global Technology Forum has commissioned an advisory board, comprising of industry experts to make the paper selections for the conference. You are now invited to submit one or two original papers for this conference. Acceptance criteria will be originality and technical innovation. At this stage, the only requirements are a working title, subject area and brief description of the proposed content (typically a 200 word abstract).

Preference will be given to papers giving case histories and actual operating experience. We would be pleased to receive abstracts from supply companies that are co-authored with refining companies. Some suggested hot topics for the conference programme are as follows but are not restricted to:

Changing product specifications
ULSD and sulphur reduction technologies
Heavy crude processing and bottom of the barrel upgrading
Catalyst technologies
How to increase jet fuel and diesel production to meet the regions demand
Best practices / refiner case studies
Investments opportunities, what is driving long term strategy, new refining pirojects and joint ventures
Global downstream trends
Regulation impacts
source: http://events.gtforum.com/lartc///////

Today’s Time Saver Tip: Register to be notified of GTF sponsored events.
Bonus Tip … Feed the Desulfurization  Blog (http://www.desulf.blogspot.com/)  to your Web page for continuing online search tips to help you maximize your online research results.

Calling All Cars: Refining China 2012 (Beijing 28-29th March 2012): Call For Papers And Attendance

“If you call a tail a leg, how many legs has a dog? Five? No, calling a tail a leg don't make it a leg.” -- Abraham Lincoln (American 16th US President (1861-65), who brought about the emancipation of the slaves. 1809-1865)

PTQ – Petroleum Technology Quarterly – produces some of the finest technical articles on petroleum technology available.

I recently received the following email notification from PTQ

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Refining China 2012 (Beijing 28-29th March 2012): Call For Papers And Attendance

We are now issuing a Call for Papers for the 6th Refining China 2012 conference, to be held at the Regent Hotel, Beijing, 28-29th March 2012. Please note that the deadline for the submission of proposed presentations is 28 October 2011.

Attached find a pdf with further details. If you experience any problems viewing this pdf, let us know and we'll send you a text version.  And do pass this pdf on to anyone else who might be interested.

If you wish to take advantage of the opportunity to present such a case study to senior engineers and other decision-makers from Sinopec, Petrochina and CNOOC institutions and plants from across China, please submit a draft title and abstract for consideration, indicating your topic and how your paper meets the above requirements, to proposals@refiningchina.com

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Today’s tip … register with PTQ (www.eptq.com). Registration is free.  Once you register, you will be able to …

·         Access the Technical Q&A section, one of the best sources of specific technical advice I have found

·         Download the digital edition of each edition of PTQ

PTQ offers both services at no charge.

And, you will receive notification of upcoming PTQ sponsored conferences.

Expert Alert: Yuv Mehra

“Our work is the presentation of our capabilities.” -- Edward Gibbon (English Historian, 1737-1794)

Three for three … Today’s post serves up three search tips … and one tip has three sub-tips.

1.       Use LinkedIn

2.       Explore patents

3.       Add Yuv Mehra to your list of experts

Beginning with the first tip, take a look at Yuv’s LinkedIn Profile (http://www.linkedin.com/pub/yuv-mehra/23/a60/343).   Three things jump out at me (the three sub-tips I mention above)

a.       Presentation:  In his profile, Mr. Mehra has mastered a key concept.  Where others see a place to post their CV, he has chosen to market his expertise by presenting a list of his patents

b.       Patents: Mehra’s profile exemplifies the value of patents as technical literature.  Googling his publications, you will find his most significant work embodied in the patents he has produced

c.        Groups: Are you impressed by Mehra’s accomplishments?  Consider joining some of the LinkedIn groups he has chosen to join.  You may well find other experts of interest to you.

So, here’s a simple action plan …

·         Study Mehra’s LinkedIn profile for inspiration on improving your own profile

·         Browse the description section of each of his patents for interesting technical reading

·         Consider joining some of the LinkedIn groups Mr. Mehra has joined

Here is Yuv Mehra’s LinkedIn profile summary, and a few of his patents …

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Yuv Mehra's LinkedIn Profile: Summary

Yuv R. Mehra, a licensed professional engineer (California & Texas), joined Saudi Aramco in June 2000 and is currently serving as Gas and Light-ends Process Engineering Consultant in the Process & Control Systems Department. During 2003–04, Yuv contributed to Saudi Aramco as General Supervisor for the Upstream Process Engineering Division. Yuv is an Alumnus of the Saudi Aramco Leadership Forum.

Yuv, an inventor, holds M.S. & B.E. Degrees in Chemical Engineering (UCLA 1973 & IIT Roorkee 1971) and offers over 38 years of invaluable, hands-on practical, process engineering experience related to processing of hydrocarbons (natural gas, refining and petrochemicals) from the standpoints of major owner/operating as well as E&C companies.

Yuv focuses on identifying value-oriented opportunities, effectively communicating and following through assignments to conclusion. He has demonstrated his vast process engineering knowledge of the entire hydrocarbon value chain. His results-oriented effectiveness in process optimization, front-end engineering, project evaluations, troubleshooting, development of engineering standards, expert witnessing, assessment of intellectual property including marketability, development and offering topical courses, and integration of refining & petrochemicals is recognized industry wide. Twenty-eight US Patents related to natural gas processing (16), refining (3), and petrochemicals (9), about 60% of which are in commercial use, substantiate the depth of his knowledge and experience. Authored over 65 publications and conference presentations.

As an expert witness, participated in:
* A legal challenge related to an industrial release of hydrocarbons into the atmosphere. My role was to investigate and advise on the cause of the accidental release.
* Investigation of the root causes of two industrial accidents resulting in fire and damage to fa-cilities. Both facilities restarted only after implementation of my recommendations.

A Few of Yuv Mehra's

·         Process for increasing hydrogen partial pressure in hydroprocessing processes / United States Patent 6,740,226

·         Absorption process with solvent pre-saturation / United States Patent 5,687,584

·         Absorption process for rejection of reactor byproducts and recovery of monomers from waste gas streams in olefin polymerization processes / United States Patent 5,681,908

·         Retrofit unit for upgrading natural gas refrigeration plants / United States Patent 5,561,988

·         Absorption process without external solvent / United States Patent 5,551,972

A final thought … feed the Desulfurization Blog (http://www.desulf.blogspot.com/) to your organization’s Intranet.  It’s free.  It will offer continuing search tips and tricks to everyone in your organization.