GB221052A - Improvements in processes of treating carbonaceous materials - Google Patents

Abstract

221,052. Trumble, M. J. July 12, 1923. Hydrocarbons, cracking. - In distilling heavy oil mixed with coal to obtain gasoline &c. the materials are heated under pressure in a closed retort by means of superheated steam at about 800‹ C. The steam and vapours are, before condensation, passed through a turbine or other prime mover and used to generate electricity. The treatment is carried out in a series of retorts 1, each of which is connected to a main 7 for supplying superheated steam from boilers 13 and superheaters 15, a main 8 for supplying heavy oil mixed with powdered coal, a vapour-collecting main 9, from which the steam and vapours are passed through a turbine 28 and thence through dephlegmators 33, 34 and by a pipe 41 to a condenser. A heavy oil mav be supplied to the top of the dephlegmator 34 by a pipe 43, and this oil together with condensates is mixed with powdered coal fed into the base of the dephlegmator 33 by a worm 47 from a hopper 46. The mixture is forced into the main 8 by a pump 23. The retorts are connected so that vapours generated in one retort mav be passed into the. next retort of the series. In operation, lignite contained in one of the retorts is dehydrated, by filling the retort with heated heavy oil from a main 11 supplied from a tank 56 through a pump 67 and heater 63. Excess of oil flows from the top of the retort to a main 12 and is returned by a pipe 59 to the tank 56. Steam escapes through a pipe 80. When the lignite is dried, the oil is drained to a main 10 and back to the tank 56. Steam and vapours from another retort of the series are passed into the top of the retort, the mixture of steam and vapour pass to the main 9 and thence to the turbine 28. Superheated steam from the main 7 and a mixture of heavy oil and powdered coal from the main 8 are then passed into the retort and the mixed vapours from the retort are passed through a second retort before entering the main 9.