GB475663A - Improvements in or relating to the dehydration of oils - Google Patents

Abstract

<PICT:0475663/III/1> Fuel and other oils are freed from water by passing them at a temperature above 100 DEG C. through a series of towers tall relative to their width, and maintaining a depth of oil in each tower sufficient to prevent puking, steam and oil vapours being withdrawn from the top of each tower and dry oil at the end tower. Preferably the oil is heated in stages to above 100 DEG C. and then exposed in stages at successively higher temperatures. In an example, fuel bottoms is pumped from the last of a series of settling tanks 10 through a filter 12 and a series of heaters 13, whereby its temperature is raised in stages to above 100 DEG C.; and through a pipe 16 to a heat-insulated tower 17; steam and volatiles pass out by a pipe 18 to a condenser 19 and settling tanks from which any oil separating is led to storage tanks and mixed with the final water-free oil. The oil passes through a pipe 20, heaters 21 which raise its temperature to 230 DEG F., a tower with a jacket supplied with the exhaust steam from the heaters 13, and finally through heaters, which raise its temperature to 260 DEG F., and a steam-jacketed tower. The towers are about 60 ft. high, 2--6 ft. wide; the depth of oil maintained therein is about 7ft.