CA1180298A - Recovery of contaminated seal oils - Google Patents
Recovery of contaminated seal oilsInfo
- Publication number
- CA1180298A CA1180298A CA000376901A CA376901A CA1180298A CA 1180298 A CA1180298 A CA 1180298A CA 000376901 A CA000376901 A CA 000376901A CA 376901 A CA376901 A CA 376901A CA 1180298 A CA1180298 A CA 1180298A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- process according
- gaseous material
- inert gaseous
- contaminated
- column
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
- 239000003921 oil Substances 0.000 title abstract description 27
- 238000011084 recovery Methods 0.000 title abstract description 3
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 21
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 16
- IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N Atomic nitrogen Chemical compound N#N IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract description 8
- 229910052757 nitrogen Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 4
- 229930195733 hydrocarbon Natural products 0.000 abstract description 3
- 150000002430 hydrocarbons Chemical class 0.000 abstract description 3
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 description 12
- RWSOTUBLDIXVET-UHFFFAOYSA-N Dihydrogen sulfide Chemical compound S RWSOTUBLDIXVET-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 7
- 238000007789 sealing Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000000919 ceramic Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000000356 contaminant Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 description 2
- VNWKTOKETHGBQD-UHFFFAOYSA-N methane Chemical compound C VNWKTOKETHGBQD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 239000002245 particle Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000003518 caustics Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000003795 chemical substances by application Substances 0.000 description 1
- 150000001875 compounds Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000001419 dependent effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000010687 lubricating oil Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000002480 mineral oil Substances 0.000 description 1
- 235000010446 mineral oil Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000003345 natural gas Substances 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
- C10M—LUBRICATING COMPOSITIONS; USE OF CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES EITHER ALONE OR AS LUBRICATING INGREDIENTS IN A LUBRICATING COMPOSITION
- C10M175/00—Working-up used lubricants to recover useful products ; Cleaning
- C10M175/005—Working-up used lubricants to recover useful products ; Cleaning using extraction processes; apparatus therefor
Landscapes
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Production Of Liquid Hydrocarbon Mixture For Refining Petroleum (AREA)
- Lubricants (AREA)
- Gas Separation By Absorption (AREA)
- Degasification And Air Bubble Elimination (AREA)
Abstract
A B S T R A C T
RECOVERY OF CONTAMINATED SEAL OILS
A process for the removal of volatile components (light hydrocarbons and/or H2S) from a contaminated seal oil by stripping in countercurrent flow with an inert gaseous material (air, nitrogen, steam) in a tray column or a packed-bed column.
RECOVERY OF CONTAMINATED SEAL OILS
A process for the removal of volatile components (light hydrocarbons and/or H2S) from a contaminated seal oil by stripping in countercurrent flow with an inert gaseous material (air, nitrogen, steam) in a tray column or a packed-bed column.
Description
RECOVERY OF CONTA~INATED SEAL OILS
The invention relates to a process for removing volatile components from a contaminated seal oil.
The sealing system o~ large rotary compressors, such as those handling natural gas or process gas on a refinery, in many cases consists of two liquid-film seals with sealing oil admitted to the space between the seal rings at a slightly higher pressure than the gas to be sealed. The sealing oil (which in most cases is a mineral oil based lubricating oil) flows slowly past both seal rings: the portion which escapes on -the atmospheric side of the seal is fit for re-use, but the portion escaping in the high-pressure or gas side of the seal ring will be contaminated with components of these gases, which components are dependent on the composition of these gases and consist of e.g. hydrogen sulphide and/or light hydrocarbons.
The seal oil which leaks from the high pressure side of the seal assembly cannot be recycled to the compressor without being purified. Hydrogen sulphide present therein has to be removed because it will be corrosive to the linings of the seals, and light hydrocarbons have to be removed because they dilute -the seal oil and lower the flash point thereof, and accordingly increase its flammability.
The invention provides a process for the removal of volatile components from contaminated seal oils by stripping in a specific way.
Accordingly there is provided a process ~or removing volatile components from a contaminated seal oil, which comprises stripping the contaminated seal oil in countercurrent flow with an inert gaseous material in a tray column or a packed bed column.
In case a tray column is used the trays may e.g. consist of valve trays, bubble cap trays or perforated plates.
8~Z~8 It is preferred to use a packed bed colurnn, which is a colurnn packed with solid particles, such as ceramic spheres, and in par-ticular Raschig rings. The seal oil to be treated trickles in downward flow over the solid particles and forms liquid films on the surface thereof.
The stripping may be carried out at a wide temperature range.
The temperature will in general be adapted to the type of compounds to be removed from the seal oil, and -to the inert gaseous material to be used as stripping agent.
Temperatures from 20-120 C are preferred. A-tmospheric pressures or somewhat above are very suitable.
An inert gaseous stripping material is a material which does not react with components of the seal oil or the contaminants thereof under the prevailing stripping conditions. Very suitable inert gaseous materials to be used in the stripping are nitrogen9 air and steam.
With the process according to the invention volatile com-ponen-ts, in particular hydrogen sulphide, can be substantially completely removed from contaminated seal oils, and the recovered seal oil can be recycled to the compressor.
It will be understood that seal oil from which volatile com~
ponents have been removed according to the process of the in-vention, cannot be recycled indefinitely to the compressor because non~volatile contaminants will no-t have been removed. For that reason it is of advantage to remove a minor part of the con-taminated seal oil, and add about the same amount of fresh oil to the purified oil to be recycled to the compressor.
The invention is illustrated by way of example in the figure~
which is a schematic one.
Equipment which is not essential for the process according -to the invention such as liquid and gas meters, heating and cooling equipment, has been omitted from the figure.
Contaminated seal oil present in tank 1 is heated with hea-ting equipment 2 to the required ternperature and pumped iJith the aid of pump 3 via line 4 to the upper part of stripping column 5. Colurnn 5 ?~
contains a bed ~ of 9.5 mm ceramic Raschig rings, ~,~hich bed is supported by gricl support 7. Stripping gas is introduced into column 5 below grid support 7 via line 8. Purified seal oil leaves column 5 via line 9. The stripping gas leaves column 5 via line 10.
EX~PLE
In a two~stage centrifugal compressor a gas, which contains about 7% H2S, was compressed from 1 bar abs. to 23 bar abs.
In order to keep this gas removed *rom the seals as far as possible a buffer gas was provided to ~e labyrinth of the primary seals, so that -the gas contacting the seal oil contained about 50 ppm H2S at 23 bar. The seal oil emerging from the pressure side of the seal contained from 1~100 ppm H2S andwas ~orwarded to tank 1. In this tank the oil was heated with the aid of a steam coil to about 80C, forwarded to column 5 which has a diameter of a 0.30 m and contained a bed of 4 m length packed with 2.5 mm Raschig rings, and stri-pped with nitrogen at a pressure of 1.1 to 1.2 bar abs. The throughput was 1250 l/day of seal oilj the am~unt of nitrogen used was 1250 l/day. The purified oil did not contain any H2S, had a flash point of at least 180, and could be recycled -to the compressor. The seal rings on the compressor showed no sign of attack by corrosive agents on the biennial overhaul.
The invention relates to a process for removing volatile components from a contaminated seal oil.
The sealing system o~ large rotary compressors, such as those handling natural gas or process gas on a refinery, in many cases consists of two liquid-film seals with sealing oil admitted to the space between the seal rings at a slightly higher pressure than the gas to be sealed. The sealing oil (which in most cases is a mineral oil based lubricating oil) flows slowly past both seal rings: the portion which escapes on -the atmospheric side of the seal is fit for re-use, but the portion escaping in the high-pressure or gas side of the seal ring will be contaminated with components of these gases, which components are dependent on the composition of these gases and consist of e.g. hydrogen sulphide and/or light hydrocarbons.
The seal oil which leaks from the high pressure side of the seal assembly cannot be recycled to the compressor without being purified. Hydrogen sulphide present therein has to be removed because it will be corrosive to the linings of the seals, and light hydrocarbons have to be removed because they dilute -the seal oil and lower the flash point thereof, and accordingly increase its flammability.
The invention provides a process for the removal of volatile components from contaminated seal oils by stripping in a specific way.
Accordingly there is provided a process ~or removing volatile components from a contaminated seal oil, which comprises stripping the contaminated seal oil in countercurrent flow with an inert gaseous material in a tray column or a packed bed column.
In case a tray column is used the trays may e.g. consist of valve trays, bubble cap trays or perforated plates.
8~Z~8 It is preferred to use a packed bed colurnn, which is a colurnn packed with solid particles, such as ceramic spheres, and in par-ticular Raschig rings. The seal oil to be treated trickles in downward flow over the solid particles and forms liquid films on the surface thereof.
The stripping may be carried out at a wide temperature range.
The temperature will in general be adapted to the type of compounds to be removed from the seal oil, and -to the inert gaseous material to be used as stripping agent.
Temperatures from 20-120 C are preferred. A-tmospheric pressures or somewhat above are very suitable.
An inert gaseous stripping material is a material which does not react with components of the seal oil or the contaminants thereof under the prevailing stripping conditions. Very suitable inert gaseous materials to be used in the stripping are nitrogen9 air and steam.
With the process according to the invention volatile com-ponen-ts, in particular hydrogen sulphide, can be substantially completely removed from contaminated seal oils, and the recovered seal oil can be recycled to the compressor.
It will be understood that seal oil from which volatile com~
ponents have been removed according to the process of the in-vention, cannot be recycled indefinitely to the compressor because non~volatile contaminants will no-t have been removed. For that reason it is of advantage to remove a minor part of the con-taminated seal oil, and add about the same amount of fresh oil to the purified oil to be recycled to the compressor.
The invention is illustrated by way of example in the figure~
which is a schematic one.
Equipment which is not essential for the process according -to the invention such as liquid and gas meters, heating and cooling equipment, has been omitted from the figure.
Contaminated seal oil present in tank 1 is heated with hea-ting equipment 2 to the required ternperature and pumped iJith the aid of pump 3 via line 4 to the upper part of stripping column 5. Colurnn 5 ?~
contains a bed ~ of 9.5 mm ceramic Raschig rings, ~,~hich bed is supported by gricl support 7. Stripping gas is introduced into column 5 below grid support 7 via line 8. Purified seal oil leaves column 5 via line 9. The stripping gas leaves column 5 via line 10.
EX~PLE
In a two~stage centrifugal compressor a gas, which contains about 7% H2S, was compressed from 1 bar abs. to 23 bar abs.
In order to keep this gas removed *rom the seals as far as possible a buffer gas was provided to ~e labyrinth of the primary seals, so that -the gas contacting the seal oil contained about 50 ppm H2S at 23 bar. The seal oil emerging from the pressure side of the seal contained from 1~100 ppm H2S andwas ~orwarded to tank 1. In this tank the oil was heated with the aid of a steam coil to about 80C, forwarded to column 5 which has a diameter of a 0.30 m and contained a bed of 4 m length packed with 2.5 mm Raschig rings, and stri-pped with nitrogen at a pressure of 1.1 to 1.2 bar abs. The throughput was 1250 l/day of seal oilj the am~unt of nitrogen used was 1250 l/day. The purified oil did not contain any H2S, had a flash point of at least 180, and could be recycled -to the compressor. The seal rings on the compressor showed no sign of attack by corrosive agents on the biennial overhaul.
Claims (13)
1. A process for removing volatile components from a contaminated seal oil, in which contaminated seal oil is stripped in countercurrent flow with an inert gaseous material in a tray column or a packed bed column.
2. A process according to claim 1, wherein said contaminated seal oil is stripped in counter-current flow with an inert gaseous material in a tray column.
3. A process according to claim 1, wherein said contaminated seal oil is stripped in counter-current flow with an inert gaseous material in a packed bed column.
4. A process according to claim 3, in which the packed bed consists of Raschig rings.
5. A process according to claim 1, 3 or 4, in which the stripping is carried out at a temperature from 20-120°C.
6. A process according to claim 1, 3 or 4, in which the inert gaseous material is nitrogen.
7. A process according to claim 1, 3 or 4, in which the inert gaseous material is air.
8. A process according to claim 1, 3 or 4, in which the inert gaseous material is steam.
9. A process for removing volatile components from a contaminated seal oil which comprises:
flowing contaminated seal oil downwardly through a packed bed column in countercurrent flow with an inert gaseous material, stripping said volatile components from said contaminated oil in said column, and recovering a purified oil from said column.
flowing contaminated seal oil downwardly through a packed bed column in countercurrent flow with an inert gaseous material, stripping said volatile components from said contaminated oil in said column, and recovering a purified oil from said column.
10, A process according to claim 9, wherein said stripping is carried out at a temperature of 20-120°C.
11. A process according to claim 10, in which the inert gaseous material is notrogen.
12. A process according to claim 10, in which the inert gaseous material is air.
13. A process according to claim 10, in which the inert gaseous material is steam.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB8018824 | 1980-06-09 | ||
| GB8018824 | 1980-06-09 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1180298A true CA1180298A (en) | 1985-01-02 |
Family
ID=10513909
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000376901A Expired CA1180298A (en) | 1980-06-09 | 1981-05-05 | Recovery of contaminated seal oils |
Country Status (6)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0041746A3 (en) |
| JP (1) | JPS5723694A (en) |
| AU (1) | AU545950B2 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1180298A (en) |
| NO (1) | NO811925L (en) |
| ZA (1) | ZA813771B (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5403475A (en) * | 1993-01-22 | 1995-04-04 | Allen; Judith L. | Liquid decontamination method |
Families Citing this family (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPS5945398A (en) * | 1982-09-08 | 1984-03-14 | Tokuyama Soda Co Ltd | Purification of lubricating oil |
| CH657867A5 (en) * | 1983-09-21 | 1986-09-30 | Buss Ag | METHOD FOR REPROCESSING ALTOEL AND DISTILLATION DEVICE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE METHOD. |
| JPS6236497A (en) * | 1985-08-12 | 1987-02-17 | Tokuyama Soda Co Ltd | Recovery of oils |
| US5241092A (en) * | 1991-05-13 | 1993-08-31 | Praxair Technology, Inc. | Deodorizing edible oil and/or fat with non-condensible inert gas and recovering a high quality fatty acid distillate |
| US5315020A (en) * | 1992-07-29 | 1994-05-24 | Praxair Technology, Inc. | Method of recovering waste heat from edible oil deodorizer and improving product stability |
| CN111909773A (en) * | 2020-07-22 | 2020-11-10 | 安徽国孚凤凰科技有限公司 | Method for removing peculiar smell of regenerated base oil |
Family Cites Families (9)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR676678A (en) * | 1928-09-28 | 1930-02-26 | Procedes R Audubebt Sa Des | De-production of engine lubricating oils |
| FR709242A (en) * | 1931-01-13 | 1931-08-04 | Rohol Vergaser Ges M B H | Process for the regeneration of lubricating oils in internal combustion machines |
| US2635754A (en) * | 1946-08-13 | 1953-04-21 | Donald E Stem | Magnetic plate |
| US3229900A (en) * | 1960-04-08 | 1966-01-18 | Battelle Development Corp | Reverse leakage seal for reciprocating parts |
| US3933953A (en) * | 1972-06-06 | 1976-01-20 | Max Leva | Apparatus for deodorizing fats and oils |
| JPS524770B2 (en) * | 1973-03-31 | 1977-02-07 | ||
| CA1037402A (en) * | 1974-01-16 | 1978-08-29 | John G. Ditman | Process for reclaiming used crankcase oil |
| US4140586A (en) * | 1976-06-14 | 1979-02-20 | Bethlehem Steel Corporation | Method and apparatus for distillation |
| US4032441A (en) * | 1976-06-30 | 1977-06-28 | Larkin G Eugene | Method for reclaiming used hydraulic fluid |
-
1981
- 1981-05-05 CA CA000376901A patent/CA1180298A/en not_active Expired
- 1981-05-14 EP EP81200520A patent/EP0041746A3/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1981-06-05 JP JP8586981A patent/JPS5723694A/en active Pending
- 1981-06-05 ZA ZA00813771A patent/ZA813771B/en unknown
- 1981-06-05 NO NO811925A patent/NO811925L/en unknown
- 1981-06-09 AU AU71431/81A patent/AU545950B2/en not_active Ceased
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5403475A (en) * | 1993-01-22 | 1995-04-04 | Allen; Judith L. | Liquid decontamination method |
| US5423979A (en) * | 1993-01-22 | 1995-06-13 | Allen; Judith L. | Liquid decontamination apparatus |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| ZA813771B (en) | 1982-06-30 |
| AU7143181A (en) | 1981-12-17 |
| JPS5723694A (en) | 1982-02-06 |
| AU545950B2 (en) | 1985-08-08 |
| EP0041746A3 (en) | 1982-04-07 |
| NO811925L (en) | 1981-12-10 |
| EP0041746A2 (en) | 1981-12-16 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |