GB413530A - Improvements in cracking petroleum hydrocarbons - Google Patents

Abstract

<PICT:0413530/III/1> In a cracking process of the type described in Specification 253,562, [Class 32], in which oils are vaporized and cracked in the vapour phase and the cracked products are quenched by means of a cool oil, the unvaporized residue from the vaporizing stage is heated to reduce its viscosity and then mixed with the cooling oil and the cracked products absorbed thereby, and the mixture is vaporized and fractionated to obtain a final distillate. Topped crude oil is fed through a pipe 1 into a tower 4, and the reflux from the tower is pumped through preheating coils 8 into an evaporator 13. The vapours evolved are cracked in heating coils 15 in a furnace 16 and are then cooled in a reaction arrester 18 by condensate supplied from the tower 4 through a pipe 21, tank 23 and pipe 19. The mixed vapours and oils are passed through the line 31 where they are mixed with residue from the evaporator 13 which have been heated in a coil 28 and the mixture is passed to a flash tower 32 from which vapours are removed to the tower 4 while residues are led off through a pipe 36 and cooler 37. The vapours passing off from the top of the tower 4 are condensed in a cooler 41 and separated from gases in a vessel 42 from which a portion of the distillate may be returned to the tower 4 through a pipe 47.