Go Boolean to Save Time

“Few companies that installed computers to reduce the employment of clerks have realized their expectations.... They now need more, and more expensive clerks even though they call them 'operators' or 'programmers.'” -- Peter F. Drucker (American Educator and Writer, b.1909)

 

Half the battle in keeping up with important developments in your field lies in efficient use of your time to do so.  Today we offer you a time saver tip …

Use Boolean operators when you search Google Patents.

Let’s pose a hypothetical … you are interested in seeing recent desulfurization-related patents produced by a number of catalyst companies.

So you navigate to Google Patents (http://www.google.com/patents?hl=en), click the Advanced Search link, and enter the following into the search form …

 

In case the screen shot is too small to read, the search strategy is …
Find results with: desulfurization
Assignee: UOP
Date – Return patents between 2001 and 2011

The result is about 300 hits, including the following:


SELECTIVE NAPHTHA DESULFURIZATION PROCESS AND CATALYST

patents.google.comUS Pat. App 12605730 - Filed Oct 26, 2009 - UOP LLC
... (54) SELECTIVE NAPHTHA DESULFURIZATION PROCESS AND CATALYST (75) Inventors: Lorenz J. Bauer, Schaumburg, IL (US); Suheil F. Abdo, Lincolnshire, IL (US); ...


You repeat the search strategy, substituting “BASF” for “UOP” in the assignee field.
You repeat again, this time searching for “Albemarle” in the assignee field.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could search for ALL THREE vendors at the same time?

Yes, it would.  And yes, you can.

Here’s how.  In the assignee field enter the three vendor names separated by the Boolean operator OR.

The result is a list of patents produced by EITHER UOP or BASF or ALBEMARLE during the past 10 years.  You now have only one search to perform, and one list to browse through.

Follow the Desulfurization Blog (www.desulf.blogspot.com) for a continuing stream of time-saver tips.  Even better, add it as a feed to your organization’s Web.

Spring Into Action … Add Value to Your Journal Subscriptions

“It's spring fever.... You don't quite know what it is you DO want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!” -- Mark Twain (American Humorist, Writer and Lecturer. 1835-1910)
A recent edition of Hydrocarbon Engineering (http://www.palladian-publications.com/) included the following article.

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Slimming Down Sulfur: Part Three
Alan Kramer, Albemarle, USA, explores the rare earth free solutions to FCC sulfur problems. The final installment of this three part article focuses specifically on fuel sulfur reduction, with a particular examination of the problems caused by gasoline range sulfur.
Source: http://www.energyglobal.com/magazines/issue.aspx?seo=hydrocarbon-engineering&month=12&year=2011
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The article inspired me to post two tips on how to maximize the cost of a subscription to this or any other journal.

1. Google® the author
2. ScienceDirect  the affiliation (If we can turn Google into a verb, we can do the same with ScienceDirect)

Everybody knows how to Google®.  My job is to show you how to do so more effectively.

When you Google® Alan Kramer, for instance, you get over 18 million hits.

Google® Alan Kramer Albemarle, however, and you get something in the range of 6 million hits.  That’s still more than you would want to scroll through, but you can use the same concept to refine your search string even more.  Add sulfur to the search string …

Alan Kramer Albemarle sulfur
… and you now have only about one million hits.

As good as Googling is, you need to add ScienceDirecting to your tool kit.  Which leads us to Tip Number 2 …

When you visit ScienceDirect (http://www.sciencedirect.com/), consider clicking the Advanced Search link.

Here’s an example of how this strategy can make your day a little easier.

Type Albemarle in the search box, then click the Search button.  The result is over 3000 hits.  Very few of them will be useful if you are interested in Albemarle the corporation.

Return to the Advanced Search page.  Type Albemarle again.  This time, restrict the search to Affiliations, illustrated below.

You’ve now narrowed the field to about 500 hits.  Each article has been authored by someone affiliated with Albemarle, the corporation.

Push the envelope further by ANDing the above with desulfurization.  You now have just 6 hits, including the following …

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Studies in Surface Science and Catalysis, Volume 162, 2006, Pages 143-150
Scientific Bases for the Preparation of Heterogeneous Catalysts
Preparation of monolithic catalysts for hydrodesulfurizationJ. Tsoua, J. Carneiroa, A.F. Pérez-Cadenasa, S. Eijsboutsb, M. Makkeea, J.A. Moulijna
a Reactor & Catalysis Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 136, 2628 BL D
b Albemarle Catalysts, Research Centre, P.O. box 37650, 1030 BE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
AbstractThe aim of this research project is the design and synthesis of optimal monolithic reaxctors and its use in deep desulfurization. In order to do so, stateof-of-the-art HDS compared to the monolithic catalysts. These monolithic catalysts were prepared from cordierite and coated first with two layers of α-Al₂O₃ followed by one layer of γ-Al₂O₃. The coated monoliths were then impregnated with NiMo solutions (optimized for the powder catalysts) and some parameters were optimized (such as impregnation time and drying procedure). Finally, monolithic catalysts with the same characteristics as powder catalysts were obtained.
source: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167299106809018
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So, as interesting as is the Slimming Down Sulfur article, by using it as a springboard we have added value to it with a  minimum of effort on our part.

Try out this approach the next time you read a thought-provoking article.

Speaking of which, the Desulfurization Blog (http://www.desulf.blogspot.com/)  is a quick way to add value to your online searching.  Add the blog to your toolbox.

ePTQ Technology Q&A

“I was gratified to be able to answer promptly. I said, "I don't know."” --- Mark Twain (American Humorist, Writer and Lecturer. 1835-1910)

The previous Desulfurization Blog post highlighted the value of PTQ-Petroleum Technology Quarterly, the journal.  This post highlights another valuable feature of the ePTQ site.

Go to ePTQ (www.eptq.com), register for the Technology Q&A, and begin browsing.  Search Q&A for “sulfur” and you find all sorts of interesting stuff … including the following exchange:

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Question
What Catalyst is good to upgrade a small Diesel Hydrotreater rated for 2200 BPSD in 1980, and what charge rate will be OK if available cut is Straight Run 315-371ºC TBP from Cusiana Crude? As per assay at http://portal.ecopetrol.com.co/categoria.aspx?catID=37
This cut shows ºAPI= 29.3, Sulfur= 0.271 %Wt, Total Nitrogen= 0.0202 %Wt, Cetane Index=55, and AROMATICS by SHEL method as follows: 3.52 %Wt for monoARO, 2.95 %Wt for diARO, 4.04 5Wt for TriARO, and 0.58 %Wt for TetraARO.
Reactor volume is 4 feet ID x 18 feet T/T rated for 900 psig at 800 ºF.
The unit has been hydrotreating 3000 BPSD of a kerosene cut. Hydrogen comes from the reformer (81.5 %H2), but pure hydrogen can be purchased locally if required for makeup.

Answers
07/10/2008
A: Samuel Sinanan, IPSL, Samuel.Sinanan@ipsl.co.tt
Well, your hydrogen partial pressure is good. Your LHSV at maximum throughput is 3.0. I have experience with Albermarle KF-757 in a similar service with good results.