US1070361A - Process of refining petroleum or similar oils and apparatus for carrying on this process. - Google Patents

Description

M. J. TRUMBLE. PROCESS OF REFINING PETROLEUM 0B SIMILAR OILS AND APPARATUS F 0R CARRYING- 1111;" ii l4; 4%;

on THIS PROCESS." uPLlonlon n'Lnn 1,111.14. 1913.

V v M. J. TRUMBLE. rnoonss 0F RBFINING PETROLEUM 0R SIMILAR OILS AND APPARATUS FOR CARRYING ON THIS PROCESS.

q APPLICATION FILED JAN.14. 1913.

Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

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[ma tian M. J. TRUMBLE. PROCESS OF BEFINING PETROLEUM 0R SIMILAR OILS AND APPARATUS FOR CARRYING ON THIS PROCESS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.1'4, 1913. 1 070 361 Patented Aug. 12,1913.

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UNITED STATES PATENT MILON JAMES TRUMBLE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO TRUMBLE BEFINING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ARIZONA.

PROCESS OF REFINING- PETROLEUM OR SIMILAR OILS AND APPARATUS FOR CARRYING ON THIS PROCESS.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 14, 1913. Serial No. 742,063.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MiLoN Janus TRUMBLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California. have invented a new and useful Process of Refining Petroleum or Similar Oils and Apparatus for Carrying on this Process, of which the following is a specification.

Natural petroleum oils as produced from the ground are composed of an indefinite number of series of oils, each of such series being of a difl'erent combination of'hydrogen and carbon and susceptible of volatilization at its own particular temperature.

In the ordinal means for partially vaporizing crude petroleumoils heretofore in practical use, it has been difficult to expand the several series desired and maintain throughout the evaporating chamber a uniformity of temperature by which the vapors thus'expanded are held in their proper expanded condition-until the same are withdrawn from the evaporating chamber without some of the series thus expanded being subjected to a lower temperature than that at which they originally expanded or to a lower temperature at which some of the vapors will condense. When such series are subjected to the least decrease in temperatlu'e within the still below that at which they expanded, they condense and fall back into the oil or onto a heated surface where they are again suddenly expanded. The sudden expansion of such condensed oil, in most instances, causes a disruption of the union of hydrogen and carbon going to make that series and produces whatis com monly termed a cracking or liberation of 'marsh gas or other light gases and'consequent deposit of partially freed carbon. The marsh gas thus generated is a non- 'condensable gas and is a total loss in so far as refined products from the oil are concerned, while the partially freed carbons remaining in the oil, or when carried into the distilled products. are a detriment to the quality of the finally finished products. When suchpartially freed carbons are carried over with the vapors into the finished gasolenes. benzins or kerosenes they cause a discoloration of such oils when they are subjected to the actinic rays of light, and hence it is necessary that such products be treated with acid in order to break down and precipitate such carbons into that which is commonly called sludge by the refiner.

I have discovered that natural hydrocarbons existing as petroleum oils may be vaporized within an evaporating still and be carried out of such still without any of the different series of the oils condensing within the still, thereby preventing cracking of any of the oils being treated. In order to accomplish this end I have discovered that it is necessary to provide an evaporating chamber wherein the vapors may be freed from a previously heated body of oil which is continuously fed thereto and in which the oil is divided to decrease the tension of the oil upon the vaporizable series of oils, and to obstruct and retard the passage of the divided oil and to maintain such oil in uniformly divided condition during its passage through the chamber,- and to provide means to prevent radiation of heat from such chamber, thereby preventing a decrease of Patented Au 12,1913.

temperature within the chamber, and prochamber at or above the temperature at which they were originally liberated from the oil.

I have found that a desirable form 0 evaporating chamber for the purposes above described exists in the improvement in evaporators for petroleum oils orother liquids invented by me for which Letters Patent of the United States was granted July 4th, 1911, No. 996,736, but other forms of evaporating or. expanding chambers will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art of oil refining after having familiarized themselves with my present invention.

One very important object of my invention is to provide an improved process of evaporating petroleum, as hereinafter more particularly set forth.

The principal object of iny invention is or similar oils may be economically refined =without disturbing the various series of hydrocarbons that go to make up such oils. a

Another object of my invention is to pro vide a cheap and simple apparatus which".

will effectually heat an oil to the point at which all'of'the series desired to be distilled therefrom will volatilize, and provide an evaporating chamber arramged adjacent to such; heating apparatus to receive the oil,

divide the oil to relieve the tension thereof upon the several series contained therein which are expanded to the point of vaporization, retard the oil in its passage therethrough to permit sutficient time for the en tangled vapors to free themselves from the un'vaporized liquid, and to provide means for preventing heat radiation from such chamber and maintaining the temperature of'such eva orating chamber at a parity with that 0 the expanded series. whereby such expanded series will be maintained in their expanded or volatilized condition until "tus for the purposes described which will.

they are withdrawn from the evaporating chamber.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple, cheap and convenient apparapractically conserve the heat applied through the furnace.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following specification, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

"My invention comprises first, the process of treating hydrocarbon oils in which the bodv of oilis first heated to a temperature sufiiciently high to volatilize all of the several series thereof which it'is desiredto remove from' the oil and under smflicient pressure to maintain it in liquid form, in introducing such heated oil into a chamber, dividing the oil and while maintaining such divided condition retarding the passage through such chamber to permit complete expansion and vaporization of the molecules of the selected series, maintaining both oil and vapors at the temperature of the oil with the evaporating chamber and insulating means surroundin such chamber whereby the temperature within the whole of the ma am ity with the temperature of the heated oilfrom the heater, whereby condensation of vapors of oil are prevented within the "chamber.

My invention also includes in combination, an evaporating chamber constructed to retard the flow of oil therethrough and maintain the oil in a suitably divided condition, and having a vapor outlet and a residuum outlet for petroleum oils, means for heating a flowing body of oil, means connecting such. oil heating means with the evaporating chamber, heat insulating means arranged around such evaporating chamber for maintaining the temperature within the evaporating chamber on a parity with the temperature of the heated oil. and means for dividing the oilwithin the evaporating cham-v ber to release the tension upon the expansible series therein at the temperature of the evaporating chamber and oil.

My invention also comprises the combina- ;tion of a furnace, means for heating a continuous flow of petroleum oil arranged within the furnace, a vertlcal evaporatmg chamber arranged adjacent to the furnace, a'conduit arranged to convey the heated-oil from the heating means in the furnace to the top of the evaporating chamber and deliver the same thereinto to permit such liquid to pass by gravity therethrough, said chamber being constructed to retard the flow of oil therethrough and maintain the oil in a suitably divided coridition: such evaporating chamber being insulated against heat radiation and provided with superheated steam inlet means thereto, whereby the temperature of the heated liquid introduced into the chamber is maintained during its passage throu h, the chamber and the evolved vapors thereh-om are maintained at the temperature at which they are rating chamber being vided with vapor outlet means and residuum outlet means.

My invention also consists in the combination of furnacehaving a flue communicating therewith, a liquid heating coil arranged within the furnace, and a vertical evaporating chamber having a vapor outlet and resi uum outlet. located inthe furnace flue,

e vplved. such evapomeans for conducting a liquid from the heating coil within the furnace into the top. of the evaporating chamber to deliver a heated liquid thereto to pass, downwardly through such evaporating chamber. said chamber be ing constructed to retard the flow of oil therethrough and maintain the oil in a suit ably divided condition and insulating means surrounding the lower part of the evaporatin chamber.

y invention further consists in providing a uniformly heated evaporating chamher which is insulated against heat radiation', oil inletmeansfor introducing a heated oil into the top of such evaporating by the expanded or vaporized portions of the oil are maintained in a buoyant condition and prevented from coming into contact with a colder temperature while within the evaporator, vapor outlet means for conducting the vapors from the chamber, and residuum outlet means for conducting residuum from the bottom of the chamber- The accompanying drawings illustrate a preferred form of my invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the apparatus on line :v w Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the furnace and oil heating coil. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal, vertical section of the furnace showing one retort. Fig. 5 is a horizontal, sectional plan, on reduced scale, showing the arrangement of the furnace and one form of the heat insulating means around the evaporating chamber,

such evaporating chamber being shown in its preferred relation with the furnace.

I provide a furnace 1 having a liquid heating coil 2 arranged therein, such heating coil preferably consisting of a plurality of sections of tubular retorts such as 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 lying parallel with each other within the furnace and connected together at their ends to form a continuous coil. The petroleum oil to be heated is admitted at 4 and passes through each of the several retorts 3,

. and when raised to the temperature desired Openings (1, I) and 0 are provided in the front wall of the furnace for the introduction of fuel to heat the retorts. The rear portion of walls 6 and 7 is cut away at the end farthest from the openings a, b and c to provide passage for products of combustion from compartments 8 and 9 to compartment 10 and into the throat 11 of the flue 12.

A vertical evaporating chamber 13, in order to be insulated against heat radiation, is arranged within the flue 12 and is seated upon a support 14 which has a concave face 14 to receive the convex bottom 14 -of the evaporating chamber, and also has a passageway '31 through which pipe 31 is arrangedto withdraw residuum from the bottom of the chamber 13. Channels 15 and 16 are arranged from the throat 11 through the lower'portion of the support 14 and communicate with ports 17, 18, 19 and 20 which penetrate such support and permit the heat leaving the furnace to'be carried into the flue and evenly distributed around the evaporating chamber.

As shown, I provide an insulating Wall 21 which entirely surrounds the lower portion of the'evaporating chamber. Such wall 21 may be of fire brick, asbestos or any other heat insulating material and may rise to any desired height around theevaporating chamber. Such wall 21, as shown, prevents the flame from the furnace coming into contact with the walls of the evaporating chamber. 'Suc'h wall 21, as shown, prevents the flame from the furnace coming into contact with the walls of the evaporating chamber and thereby prevents any of the oil therein from being too highly heated. Such wall evaporating'chamber 13 by means of a pipe 5 which is insulated against heat radiation by a covering of asbestos 22, the pipe 5 when thus insulated being carried upwardly from such retort outside of the flue 12 until it reaches the height of the top of the evapo 'rating chamber whence it crosses over to the flue and through the side thereof to the center of the top 23 of theevaporating chamber through which it enters as at 24. I have shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 how such pipe 5 may be run directly into the flue 12 at a point slightly above the level of the retorts and into the evaporating chamber and upwardly therein, the numeral 5, in dotted linesaindicating the pipe, and 22, in dotted lines, indicating the insulation sur rounding the'pipe outside of the flue. this arrangement, as shown in dotted lines, the oil is delivered centrally within the evaporating chamber the same as shown by pipe 5 in solid lines.

A spreader 25 is arranged below the delivery point of the oil within the evaporating chamber, which spreads the same onto a perforated disk shaped bafiie plate 26, through which it falls onto a like perforated baflle 27. In its passage through the perforations in the battles 26 and 27, the oil is thoroughly broken and agitated which reduces the tension thereof upon the several series of oils which are expansible at the temperature existing in the oil. The agitated oil after passing through the last bafl le 27 falls upon an imperiorate spreading cone 28 which directs the liquid onto the wall 29 01 the chamber over which it flows to the bottom 30 of the evaporator where it is collected and withdrawn through a suitable pipe such as 31. lmperforate spreading cones 32, 33, 34 and 35 are provided along the chamber to re direct any oil back onto the wall in case through any cause it might fall away there from. The battle plates 26, 27, and imperiorate spreading cones 28, 32, 33, 34, and 35 which direct the oil upon the inner wall 29 of the chamber over which it flows downward, constitute, with said walls, means for retarding the flow of the oil whereby to permit the expanded molecules to fully vaporize while the oil is maintained in. a divided condition. It will of course be understood however that other means for so retarding the oil during its flow through the vaporizing chamber may, if desired, be employed under my invention.

The spreader 25, battle plates 26 and 27 and imperforate cones 28, 32, 33, 34 and 35 are shown as supported within the chamber by means of a perforated vapor collecting pipe 36 which is perforated beneath each of the several cones as indicated at 37. Vapor outlets 38, 39 and 40 lead from the vapor collecting pipe 36 through the Wall of the evaporating chamber and through the wall of the flue 12 and enter a vertical vapor column 41 outside the fine. A vapor condensing line 42 connects with the vapor column 41 through which the vapors are drawn to a suitable condenser, such vapor line 42 being shown in Fig. 1 as broken in order to contract the view. The vapor column 41 is supported upon a post 43 in order to relieve the strain upon vapor outlets 38, 39 and 40.

A vapor relief line 44 is provided to take any vapor generated within the several retorts and is connected to each of the several retorts through the legs 45. Such vapor relief line connects with the oil pipe 5 into which all vapors generated within the several retorts. are delivered and conveyed thereby into the evaporating chamber.

Valves 46 are provided-in the several vapor legs 45 to regulate the passage of vapors from the several retorts to the vapor relief ine.

A. by-pass pipe 47 is provided through which oil may be passed from the retorts without passing through the pipe 5 into the evaporating chamber, valves 48 and 49 being arranged to be opened or closed as needed to direct the flow into the evaporating chamber or through the by-pass 4?. It is to be understood that such icy-pass 47 leads to some suitable receiving tank for such oil. Such by-pass pipe is broken in the like temperature indicating and recordingmeans 49 is provided to indicate the interior temperature of the evaporating chamber. The tube from the indicating and recording means 49 is shown in Fig. 2 passing through a tube in the left side of the flue 12 and into the evaporating chamber 13. By this means 1 am able to observe the equality or inequality of the interior temperature of the evaporator and the oils being delivered thereto.

By locating the evaporating chamber within the fine I am enabled to insulate the chamber against heat radiation, as the heat from the furnace will generally, to all practical ends, be sutficient to maintain the temperature of the interior of the chamber, but to insure against any decrease of temperature therein, and to insure the maintenance of the buoyancy of the expanded oils, I pro vide an auxiliary interior heater for the chamber comprising a steam superheating coil 50 which is arranged within the influence of the heat .in the furnace at 1.0 and which is connected by pipe 51 which enters the evaporating chamber and delivers steam to a perforated coil 52 in the bottom of the evaporating chamber. By means of such superheating coil 50 and coil 52 I am enabled to at any time introduce steam heated to the desired temperature to the interior of such evaporating chamber to maintain the temperature within the same at the required degree. As shown, such perforated coil 52' is located at a point within the evaporating chamber where it will be submerged in the oil at the bottom of the chamber, and when steam is delivered therefrom it will first pass into an oil body and thence rise throughout the entire body of the still, thereby maintaining everything within the chamber at the same temperature, as well as keeping all of the expanded oil vapors afloat until they have an opportunity to escape from the chamber.

The form of insulation surrounding the evaporating chamber may be varied and other forms of such insulation against heat radiation substituted, as for instance surrounding the entire chamber with the wall 21, in which case the temperature within the chamber would be maintained by the admission of the superheated steam, in which the operation of the device on account of the requirement of a less amount of superheated steam being required in maintaining the parity of temperature within the evaporating chamber. I

I provide a vertical indicating column 55 outside of the flue which communicates with the bottom of the evaporating chamber, and below the oil body therein by means of leg 56, and with the evaporating chamber above such oil body by means of leg 57. Pet cocks 58 are arranged along the length of such indicating column whereby the attendant may determine the height of oil Within the bottom of such evaporating chamber.

The method of operation of the particular embodiment of my invention disclosed herein is as follows: The oil in its crude state is admitted to the tubular retorts 3, in the furnace 1, and heat is applied by any suitable means, such as the use of a fuel oil, to the interior of the compartments 8, 9, and 10. The oil passes through-these retorts in order, being admitted through the pipe 4 and being carried therefrom through the insulated pipe 5 to the top of the evaporating chamber. As previously explained the oil is raised to the temperature required for evaporation of the series'desired in these retorts before being admitted to the evaporator. The oil entering the top of the evaporating chamber 13 first passes on to the spreader 25 from which it falls on to a perforated bafiie 26 through which it falls to a like perforated baflie 27 which tends to further separate and distribute it. From this bailie, plate 27 it falls on the spreading cone 28 and passes therefrom to the inner walls 29 of the evaporating chamber from which it passes downwardly in a finely divided state. Additional spreader cones 32, 33, 34, and 35. tend to return to the inside wall of the condensing chamber any oil which may pass through the perforations 37 in the vapor collecting pipe 36, and are taken therefrom through the vapor outlets 38, 39, and 40 into the vapor column 4.1 outside the evaporating chamber. Heat may be applied to the evaporating chamber from the outside by the flue gases or by the introduction of steam to the perforated coil 52 in the bottom of the evaporating chamber. Various methods of maintaining theinterior of this chamber at the critical temperature may of course be employed without departing from the spirit of my invention as hereinbefore explained, for example: The evaporating chamber may be so heat insulated that it will not be necessary to apply external heat. The vapors from the vertical vapor column a l are drawn off through the vapor condensing line42 to suitable condensers not shown.

It is to be understood that it is desirable to provide asufficient space within the evaporating chamber above the body of oil collected in the bottom thereof to accommodate the expanded "apors from the oil without pressure, and it is desirable to arrange the means for dividing the oil to relieve the tension thereof upon the expanded vapors in such a manner as to avoid entraining them with the descending oils, but I desire it to be understood that I consider my invention to broadly include any arrangement of an expanding or evaporating chamber, having vapor outlet and residuum outlet means, which is arranged to receive a previously heated oil and is provided with means to prevent heat radiation or loss of heat from such chamber, and means for adding auxiliary heat thereto in order to maintain the expanded vapors in a buoyant condition,

thereby preventing any contraction or condensation thereof while within the evaporating chamber.

In order to fully comprehend my invention it is necessary that the person desiring to practice the same should be informed as to the sensitive nature of .petroleum oil vapors and their requisite treatment, and should understand the importance of maintaining the temperature of the expanded or volatilized oil within the chamber in which it is freed from the entanglement with the heavier oil in which it has heretofore existed, and also the importance of maintaining the vapor in a fully expanded condition until it is withdrawn to a condensing apparatus where it will contract to its normal condition, and in that connection I desire to say that my invention is not to be confused with those in which attempts have been made to reduce all of the series of hydrocarbons existing in a natural oil to one series by heating the oils under pressure to a very high temperature and then suddenly expanding such highly heated oils within an expanding chamber, for the reason that in such processes the 'molecular structure is broken in the lower series with the view of combining them with the higher series. This attempt to so break up and recombine the several series of an oil is never-accomplished except at the cost of generating methane or other light gas, with its attendant loss in volume of oil treated.

By the use of my invention a gentle action is had and all breaking of the molecules of oil is prevented. All of the oil taken from the original oil in vapor form desired, and no evidence of distillation ortreatment can be detected, thus showing that no breaking of the oils has resulted, This feature is especially valuable in such cases as where an amount of water exists in combination with a petroleum oil and the same can only be removed by" heat. By the use of my apparatus the oil can be heated-to the degree necessary to vaporize the water and thereby break its bond with the oil. The vapors of water and whatever vapors of oil are evolved are kept buoyant within the evaporating chamber until they are drawn into the condenser. When such vapors of water and oil have been cooled down and condensed, the oil will rise to the top of the water and may be drawn 0d, after which it can be again mixed with the oil from which it has been extracted without leaving any traces that the samehas ever been treated. v

I desire'uit to be understood that by the term insulated against loss of heat by radiation I mean to define the loss of temperature within the evaporating chamber through the heat of the vapors and oil within such chamber being absorbed by the surrounding atmosphere, in which event the vapors within the chamber woulddecrease in temperature and contract accordingly,

and that series which was at its critical tom perature of vaporization would be influenced to condense; It is of the essence of my-invention to at all times provide means whereby all of the vapors liberated from the oil within: the chamber are never-subjected to a contracting temperature while within the evaporating chamber.

What l claim is v 1 The process of distilling from petroleum an oil of a given vaporizing temperature which consists of raising the temperature of the petroleum to said vaporizing temperature, subsequently passing the petroleum through a. vaporizing chamber maintained at said vaporizing temperature throughout and introducing into the chamber a heated gaseous medium having a temperature greater than 'tha't'of the petroleum when it enters said chamber there ing the flow of the petroleum to maintain it in a divided condition during its passage certain value fi'om a. complex mixture of hydrocarbons, which consists of raising the- I itnaintaining; the vapors in their expands "form, retardevaporatin temperature of the mixture while in liquidform to the vaporizing temperature of a mixture and retarding its flow therethrough so as to maintain the mixture in a divided condition during its passage through said r chamber, "and introducing in said chamber superheated steam at a temperature above that of the incoming mixture.

3. In an apparatus for distilling petro .leum and preventing condensation of the vapors thereof within the evaporating chamher, the combination of oil eating means,

an evaporating chamber having a vapor out-.

let and residuum outlet arranged adjacent to.

such oil -heating means constructed to receiveand finely divide the oil and to effect a retardation of the oil while passing therethrough, means for conveying the heated oil from the heating meansand delivering the same to the interior of the evaporating chamber, insulating means around evaporating chamber adapted and arran ed to prevent loss of heat therefrom by ra iation, and means for introducing a. heated gaseous 'medium' to the interior of such evaporating chamber, the temperature of the evaporating chamber being maintained the.

same throughout as that of the incoming oil.

4. In an apparatus for distilling petrolearn and preventing the condensation of the vapors thereof within the evaporating chamber, the combination of a furnace, an oil heating coil arranged therein, an evaporating chamber arranged adjacent to such furnace provided with means to divide the oil and constructed and arranged to retard the flow of oil therethrou h, insulating means arranged around suc evaporating chamber to prevent heat radiation therefrom, means for introducin steam into the chamber at atemperature a ove that of the incomin oil, means for conveying an heated within t e coil in the furnace to the top of the evaporating chamber, means for withdrawin vapors from the chamber, and means %or withdrawing residuum from the chamber, the temperature of the evaporating chamber being maintained the same throughout a's'that of the incoming oil.

5. In an apparatus for distilling petro-L such 1* for connecting the eilheatingooil with the chamberito deliver the oil heatediin it e1 coil into the upper portionioi the evaporat ng chamber, means within *the' evaporating chamber adapted to'divide such neated oil too reducethe tension tl l ereof-on bergf'and residuum joutlet 'meansfrom the] the v'olatilizable vapors therein at'the .tem- "chamber, thet'emperature of the'ex aporating t p erature of the oil and also, toretard the chamber beingmaihtained the same thronghflow of the oil-through the gchamben insllout asithatio the oil. 4 latin'g means arranged around sueh-evapo- In testimony whereof, I ave hereunto set rating chamberto prevent radiation of heat my hand at Los Angeles, "California; this 7th.

' therefrom, means for superheating steam, day of January, 1913.

' means for introducing such superheated v steam'to the interior of such evaporating 4 1 MILON J MES TR'IJMBLE; chamber whereby the temperature of the In presence of 7 vapors evolved Within the chamber are main- F; M. TOWNSEND, tained, vapor outlet means from the cham- A A. J. GUTZLER.

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