LU82425A1 - OIL MATURATOR - Google Patents

Description

, D. 51.138

Patent application of ... 7 ... May ... l.98o ..............

Designation of the Inventor (1) The undersigned ..... Monsieur Jacques de Muys.er, 35, bld. Royal, at ...................

LUXEMBOURG (Luxembourg) acting as depositor - agent of the depositor - "(2) ........." Extraction De Smet ". Prins Boudewiinlaaji 265, Edecrem. Belgium f) of the invention concerning: ........ "Oil mutuiftteuy" ........................... ..................................

designated as inventor (s): 1. Name and first names .... Rierr.a ... Jean ... Léo.nce ... GRQETAERS ................. .................................................. ...

Address .S.Qrhenlaan., .... 5., .... à .... 2.6lD .... WILRIJK, .... Belgique .............. ........................................

2. Surname and first names ............................................. .................................................. .................................................. .......................

Address ................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ........................................

3. Surname and first names ............................................. .................................................. .................................................. ......................

Address ................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ........................................

He affirms the sincerity of the aforementioned indications and declares to assume full responsibility for them.

........... Luxembourg ........................ I. 2.9 ... May ................................ 19 8o .....

LUXEtëEOliiîGEp SERVICE U PRÛFS.ETÉ lilDüSTRIELLE \ i. , // ............................................... .................................................

----------------------------- .. (signature) A 68026________ (1) Last name, first names, company, address.

/ Q \ kl ______ ~ Ax. "DD., Ί D. 51.138 'Brief Description filed in support of a request for

PATENT

at

Luxembourg formed by: "Extraction De Smet" for: "Oil Maturator".

»V - 2 -

The present invention relates to an oil soaker comprising at least one cylinder for the oil, an agitating device acting near the inner wall of said cylinder, and an envelope surrounding said cylinder and intended for a coolant.

In a ripener, the oil, for example palm oil, or the animal fat is treated to obtain a fraction which remains liquid at low temperature. The coolant is usually water. The water circulates in a closed circuit comprising the above-mentioned envelope. Oil; , contained in the cylinder cools by contact with the inner wall of the cylinder whose outer wall is in contact with water. Crystals form as the oil cools. These crystals are formed in particular on the inner wall of the cylinder. They are removed from this wall by the agitator device and the oil is thus finally composed of a mixture of a solid fraction comprising the stearins and a liquid fraction comprising the oleins. After maturation, that is to say after the formation of the crystals, the oil is removed from the maturer to a continuous vacuum filter.

An object of the invention is the creation of a ripener of the kind described in which the temperature of the water, and therefore the temperature of the oil, can be precisely controlled.

Another object of the invention is the creation of a% ripener, the heat exchange surface of which is as large as possible for a given quantity of water.

Another object of the invention is the creation of a soaker using a relatively small amount of water, so that an addition of cold water in the circuit outside the envelope has the immediate consequence of a reduction of the temperature of the water flowing through the casing and therefore an immediate decrease in the temperature of the wall of the cylinder which is in contact with the oil.

For this purpose, the volume of the above envelope is less than half the volume of the cylinder.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, the volume of the above-mentioned envelope is less than 1/5 of the volume of the cylinder.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the above-mentioned envelope is delimited on the one hand by the aforementioned cylinder, called the first cylinder, and on the other hand by a second cylinder surrounding this first cylinder * and coaxial with the latter .

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the ripener comprises a battery of first cylinders provided with envelopes, these first cylinders being interconnected, said battery comprising a common oil supply pipe and an outlet pipe for the various first cylinders, the envelopes communicating at the top and bottom with collectors for the coolant.

In a very advantageous embodiment of the invention, the agitator device comprises a shaft coaxial with the cylinder and carrying vanes extending near the inner wall of the first cylinder.

In another embodiment of the invention, the ripener comprises a series of coaxial cylinders, the distance between the successive cylinders being alternately small and large, the cylinders thus delimiting smaller spaces for the coolant and more great for oil.

In a particular embodiment of this embodiment, the agitator device comprises a shaft coaxial with the cylinders and carrying above the cylinders arms from which pallets plunge into the larger spaces, each pallet extending to the vicinity walls of the cylinders delimiting the space in which this pallet is located.

Other details and particularities of the invention will emerge from the description of two embodiments of an oil soaker according to the invention, given below by way of nonlimiting example and with reference to the attached drawings. .

Figure 1, subdivided into Figures la and lb, is a plan view of a first embodiment of an oil soaker according to the invention.

Figure 2, subdivided into Figures 2a and 2b, is a * sectional view along line II-II of Figure 1.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation in plan of the drive of the agitator devices of a set of two oil ripeners according to FIGS. 1 and 2.

Figure 4, subdivided into Figures 4a and 4b, is a horizontal sectional view of a second soaker according to the invention, the agitator not being shown.

Figure 5 is a sectional view along line V-V of Figure 4 ··.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view along line VI-VI of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view along the line VII-VII of FIG. 12.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view along the line, VIII-VIII of FIG. 12.

^ Figure 9 is a partial elevational view of the oil soaker according to Figures 4 to 8 seen in the direction of arrow IX in Figure 4.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view along line X-X of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view along line XI-XI of FIG. 9.

FIG. 12, subdivided in FIGS. 12a and 12b, is an elevation view and partially in section of the ripener according to FIGS. 4 to 11 supplemented by its agitator device.

In the different figures, the same reference notations designate identical elements.

The oil ripener shown in Figures 1 to 3 comprises two beams 1 carrying a base plate 2 to which are welded each cylinder 3 for oil, also called inner cylinders. The lower parts of the five inner cylinders are connected together by four small tunnels composed of two vertical plates 4 and by an upper plate 5. Each tunnel consequently opens into the lower parts of two adjacent inner cylinders 3.

In one of these tunnels opens an oil supply consisting of a pipe 6 provided with a flange 7. Thanks to the fact that the five cylinders 3 are interconnected by the small tunnels, all of the five cylinders can be filled through the pipe 6.

Each cylinder is closed at the top by a cover 8 which is held by two nuts 9 screwed onto bolts 10.

Only the cover 8 of the median inner cylinder has been shown in FIG. 2, but it is understood that the other cylinders 3 are also provided with a cover 8.

The bolts 10 are welded in a vertical position * on the upper plate 11 of a water collector generally designated by 12 and further comprising a lower plate 13 and a vertical plate 14 conforming to the shape of the edges of the plates 11 and 13 .

Another water collector, generally designated by 15, surrounds the cylinders 3 at the level of their lower part.

This collector 15 is also composed of an upper plate 16, a lower plate 17 and a vertical plate 18 conforming to the shape of the edges of the upper 16 and lower 17 plates.

- 6 -

Each inner cylinder 3 is surrounded by a coaxial cylinder 19, also called an outer cylinder, leaving a free space 20 between the inner 3 and outer 19 cylinders.

Spacers 21 are welded to the outer wall of the inner cylinders 3 and maintain a distance between the inner cylinders 3 and the outer cylinders 19 surrounding them.

These spacers 21 occupy only a small part of the annular passage between the inner 3 and outer 19 cylinders and therefore do not prevent the passage of water through the spaces 20.

*

The lower plate 17 of the lower collector 15 * and the upper plate 11 of the upper collector 12 have holes corresponding to the interior cylinders 3. Along the edges of these holes the interior cylinders 3 are welded to the plates 11 and 17.

The upper plate 16 of the lower collector 15 and the lower plate 13 of the upper collector 12 have holes corresponding to the outer cylinders 19. The outer cylinders 19 are at these locations welded to the plates 13 and 16.

The outer cylinders 19 do not extend over the entire height of the inner cylinders 3, but only from the upper plate 16 of the lower manifold 15 to the lower plate 13 of the upper manifold 12.

The lower 15 and upper 12 collectors communicate 4.

so through the spaces 20.

An overflow for the oil starts from one of the inner cylinders 3 and passes through the upper manifold 12. It is composed of a pipe 22 with a flange. An oil outlet starts from an orifice formed in the base plate 2 below one of the cylinders 3. This oil outlet consists of a pipe 23 with a flange.

The water is brought into the lower collector 15 through two openings 25 formed in the plate 18.

- 7 - The water is discharged from the upper collector 12 through an opening 26 formed in the plate 14.

When water is filled, through the openings 25, the lower collectors 15 and upper 12 and the spaces 20, the air can escape through an opening 24 formed in the upper plate 11 of the upper collector 12.

The water, once introduced into said collectors 15 and 12 and spaces 20, circulates in a closed circuit which outside of the soaker comprises a connection between the outlet formed by the opening 26 and the inlet formed by the or- * vertices 25.In this connection are interposed a pump providing circulation and a means of adding cold water. Inside the water purifier the water circuit consists of the lower manifold 15, the spaces 20 between the inner cylinders 3 and the outer cylinders 19 and the upper manifold 12.

The mass of water circulating in the closed circuit is relatively small, since the distance between the inner cylinders 3 and the outer cylinders 19 surrounding them is also small.

The cylinders 3 and 19 together delimit an envelope for water whose volume relative to the volume of the cylinders 3 is less than 1/2 and preferably of the order of 1/5. The amount of water being relatively * small compared to the amount of oil contained in the 'cylinders 3, an adaptation of the water temperature, for example by adding cold water outside the ripener, allows directly influence the temperature of the water in contact with the outer walls of the cylinders 3 and therefore precisely control the rate of oil cooling.

by cooling the oil, crystals are formed on the interior walls of the interior cylinders 3. Each cylinder includes a device which removes these crystals from the walls of the cylinders by agitation.

For this purpose each cylinder 3 comprises a shaft 27 which is coaxial with the cylinder 3 and therefore vertical. The shaft 27 is composed of three parts connected to each other by the flanges 28. The adjacent flanges 28 are connected to each other by bolts and nuts, not shown.

The shaft 27 is supported with its lower end in a clamp 29 whose fixed part is fixed against the underside of the base plate 2. Each clamp 4 29 is protected by a ring 30 which surrounds it and which is welded to the underside of the base plate 2.

At its upper end the shaft 27 is guided in a bearing (not shown) located in the housing 31 presented by the support 32 carried by a ring 33 which is connected by three arms 34 to the inner wall of the inner cylinder 3.

Each of the three parts of the shaft 27 carries two pallets 35. These pallets are fixed by means of arms 36 to the shaft 27. The two pallets 35 fixed on the same part of the shaft are diametrically opposite one compared to each other. The pallets of the three parts of the shaft are offset by 60 ° relative to each other.

The pallets 35 move more or less against the inner wall of the cylinder 3 and therefore remove the crystals which have formed on the wall. The crystals removed are then incorporated into the oily mass.

The drive of the shafts 27 is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 3 which relates to the drive of the shafts 27 of two batteries of five cylinders 3. Above the cover 8 each shaft 27 carries a chain wheel 37.

These chain wheels are driven by an endless chain 38 which is driven by a drive wheel 39, driven in turn by a motor not shown. The chain 38 is / * kept under tension by the tensioner 40./'It should be noted that the na vator described has a large surface area for heat exchange between the oil on the one hand and the water d 'somewhere else. The volume that can be occupied by the oil is large compared to the limited volume available for water. The adaptation of the water temperature is immediate when adding cooling water.

The fact that the layer adhering to the interior walls of the interior cylinders of the cylinders is frequently renewed by frequent agitation accelerates the maturation causing filterable crystals. Crystallization is therefore rapid and selective, which allows a high olein / stearin yield, for example of the order of 65/35.

The ripener according to Figures 4 to 12 differs from the ripener according to Figures 1 to 3 essentially in that the different cylinders containing the oil are concentric. The ripener according to FIGS. 4 to 12 comprises, like the ripener according to FIGS. 1 to 3, spaces 101 for the oil surrounded by spaces 102 for the cooling water.

The spaces 101 and 102 are determined by a series of coaxial cylinders 103 to 110. The distance between the successive cylinders, resulting from the difference in diameter of the cylinders is not identical. The distance between the cylinders 103 and 104, 105 and 106, 107 and 108, 109 and 110 is relatively small compared to the distance between the cylinders 104 and 105, 106 and 107 and 108 and 109.

The near distance cylinder pairs 103-104, 105-106, 107-108 and 109-110 determine four spaces 102 for cooling water, while the larger distance cylinder pairs 104-105, 106-107 and 108-109 determine three spaces 101 for the oil.

- 10 -

The spaces 101 are delimited at the bottom by annular plates 111, 112 and 113, extending respectively between the cylinders 104 and 105, 106 and 107, and 108 and 109.

The cylinders 105, 106, 107 and 108 are shorter than the cylinders 103, 104, 109 and 110.

An oil supply line 114 opens into the upper part of the exterior space 101 for the oil; it crosses the cylinders 109 and lio delimiting the exterior space 102 for water.

The oil brought through said line 114 first fills the space 101 outside; by overflowing above the pair of cylinders 107-108, the oil fills the middle space 101 and then overflowing above the pair of cylinders 105-106, the oil fills the interior space 101.

A pipe 115 passes through the cylinders 109 and 110 at their upper part; it constitutes an overflow for the oil.

The oil is evacuated from the spaces 101 through openings made in the annular plates 111, 112 and 113 which constitute the bottoms of these spaces.

Tubes 116 are connected to said openings.

Means not shown, such as valves, close off the tubes 116 during normal operation of the soaker and are closed in their open position to allow the oil to be discharged.

A beam 117 surrounds the cylinder 110 along its lower edge.

The spaces 102 are closed at the bottom and at the top by flat rings 118-119, 120-121, 122-123 and 124-125 extending between the cylinders 103-104, 105-106, 107-108 and 109-110 .

In these spaces 102 are mounted baffles 126 extending alternately from the lower flat ring up to a certain distance from the upper flat ring and from the upper flat ring up to a certain distance. of the lower flat ring. The arrangement of these baffles with respect to an inlet 127 and an outlet 128 for water results from FIG. 4.

The water inlet 127 comprises for each of the spaces 102 a pipe 129 which opens into a box 130 located at the bottom and next to the corresponding space 102, on the side of the interior cylinder 103, 105, 107 and 109 delimiting the space in question.

At the level of the box 130 the above-mentioned inner cylinder has a rectangular opening 131 through which the box 130 communicates with the space 102 in question.

The water outlets 128 are produced in the same way. They are diametrically opposite to the inputs 127.

The water entering through the inlet 127 travels through the space 102 in a zig-zag along the path imposed by the baffles 126 and this both in the direction of the needles and in the opposite direction to finally reach from the two sides the outlet 128.

Pipes 133 pass through the lower rings 118, 120, 122 and 124 forming the bottoms of the spaces 102; these pipes 133 extend as close as possible to the upper rings 119, 121, 123 and 125 without, however, being blocked by the latter, as seen in FIG. 9.

These pipes are used for evacuating the air when the spaces 102 are filled with water. The water level however remains below the upper ends of the pipes 133 and the water is not discharged through these pipes.

The water circulates in a closed circuit, inside the ripener through the spaces 102 from the inputs 127 to the outputs 128 and outside the ripener from the outputs 128 to the inputs 127. The circuit of the water includes outside of the soaker * - 12 -Μ a pump and a means of adding water.

The spaces 102 containing the water being relatively small compared to the spaces 101 containing the oil, the addition of a small amount of water directly influences the temperature of the water that circulates and has its direct influence on the cooling of oil in spaces 101.

As described above, the oil is admitted into the spaces 101 through the supply pipe 114. The oil is treated in the ripener for a period of approximately four hours and is then evaluated from this ripener through the pipes 116.

During its treatment in the ripener, the oil is kept in motion so that the crystals which form on the walls of the cylinders delimiting the spaces 101 are removed in these spaces and introduced into the oily mass.

A chassis composed of two beams 134 parallel to one another and two beams 135 extending between the beams 134 and perpendicular to the latter is fixed to the outer cylinder 110. The beams 134 are arranged symmetrically with respect to a plane median of said cylinder. The beams 134 are fixed to the outer wall of the outer cylinder 110 by means of two assemblies each consisting of a curved plate 136 conforming to the shape of the cylinder 110 / of a flange 137 integral with this * plate and extending horizontally and three ribs 138 for reinforcing the curved plate.

Bolts 139 fix the beams 134 relative to the flanges 137 and rings 140 are welded to the beams 134 to allow mounting.

On the frame 134-135 is mounted a drive device 141 which rotates a vertical shaft 142 which carries two horizontal spokes 143.

Each of these spokes carries three flat pallets 144.

- 13 - 'These pallets extend into spaces 101 for the oil up to a small distance from the bottom of the latter and also remain at a short distance from the cylindrical walls.

The flat pallets 144 constitute agitators which move more or less against the walls delimiting the spaces for the oil and therefore remove the crystals which have formed on these walls. The crystals removed are then incorporated into the oily mass.

It should be noted that the ripener according to Figures 4 to 12, like the ripener according to Figures * 1 to 3, has a large area for the exchange of heat between the oil on the one hand and the water of somewhere else. The volume which can be occupied by the oil is large compared to the more limited volume available for water. The water temperature is immediately adjusted when adding cooling water.

As in the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 3, the fact that the layer adhering to the walls delimiting the spaces for the oil is frequently renewed by frequent stirring near the cooled walls, accelerates the maturation causing filterable crystals. Crystallization is therefore rapid and selective, which also makes it possible in this embodiment to obtain a high olein / stearin yield, for example of the order of 65/35.

Claims (14)

1. Oil soaker comprising at least one cylinder for oil, an agitating device acting near the inner wall of said cylinder, and an envelope surrounding said cylinder and intended for a coolant, characterized in that the volume of l The above envelope is less than half the volume of the cylinder. 2. A soaker according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the volume of the above envelope is less than one fifth of the volume of the cylinder. 3. A soaker according to one or other of the preceding claims, characterized in that the aforesaid envelope “is delimited on the one hand by the aforesaid cylinder, called the first cylinder, and on the other hand by a second cylinder surrounding this first cylinder and coaxial with the latter. 4. A soaker according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it comprises a battery of first cylinders provided with envelopes, these first cylinders being interconnected, said battery comprising a common oil supply pipe and a common outlet pipe for the various first cylinders, the envelopes communicating at the top and bottom with collectors for the cooling liquid. 5. A soaker according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the first cylinders are connected by small tunnels, the above-mentioned oil supply pipe opening into one of these small tunnels. 6. A soaker according to either of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the agitator device comprises a shaft coaxial with the cylinder and carrying vanes extending near the inner wall of the first cylinder. 7. A soaker according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the pallets are arranged in pairs% - 15 - * the pallets of a pair being arranged diametrically relative to one another. 8. A ripener according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it comprises three pairs of pallets arranged one above the other and offset by 60 ° relative to each other. 9. ripener according to either of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that it comprises a series of coaxial cylinders, the distance between the successive cylinders being alternately small and large, the cylinders thus delimiting smaller spaces for> coolant and larger spaces for oil. 10. A soaker according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the two smallest cylinders are at a small distance from each other and the two largest cylinders are at a small distance from each other, the extreme spaces therefore being smaller spaces for the coolant. 11. A ripener according to either of claims 9 and 10, characterized in that the a-agitator device comprises a shaft coaxial with the cylinders and carrying above the cylinders arms from which the pallets are immersed in the larger spaces, each pallet extending close to the walls of the cylinders delimiting the space in which this pallet is located. 12. A ripener according to either of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the smaller spaces are closed at the top and at the bottom by flat rings extending between the cylinders delimiting these spaces. 13. A soaker according to the preceding claim, characterized in that in each smaller space a pipe passes through the lower ring and extends to a small distance from the upper ring. %., - 16 - 14. Oil soaker as described above or shown in the accompanying drawings. 9