US117425A - Improvement in apparatus for distilling hydrocarbons - Google Patents

Description

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imm JUL 25 1871 UNITED STATES JAMES J. JOHNSTON, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING HVDROCARBONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 117,425, dated July 25, 1871 antedated July 13, i871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES J. JOHNSTON, of the city and county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Distillin g Hydrocarbon Oils; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, ref'- erence being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in a still with its heatingsurface corrugated and arranged at an angle of about forty-live degrees to the horizontal plane of its lire-chamber, said corrugated surface being so constructed as to form a series of chambers for oil, which flows from the upper chamber into the one next below it, and from it into the one next below it, and thus tlow from a higher chamber into a lower one during the process of evolving the oil, the chambers being so arranged with relation to each other that the oil, in liowing from one chamber to the other, shall, in flowing from the lower edge of one chamber into the one next below it, pass over a convexed surface in a thin sheet; and combining with the above still a still arranged above it for heating the hydrocarbon oil and separating the benzole from it prior to its entering the upper chamber of the still under it, said upper heating and separating-still being heated by the ascending heat of the still and re below it, and combining with said upper heating and separating still a tank for separating the hydrocarbon oil from the water that may be in it, and the gasoline from the oil, prior to its entering the heating' and'separating-still, the contents of said tank being heated by circulating the oil and the water that may be in it through pipes traversing backward and forward through the lire-chamber connected with the stills.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe more fully its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawing which formspart of my specification, Figure l, Sheet A, represents a front elevation of the lower and upper stills, and the separating-tank connected therewith, and also represents a vertical section of the furnace for the stills. Fig. 2, Sheet B, represents a transverse and vertical section of the lower and upper still and furnace connected therewith.

In the accompanying drawing, A A represent the furnace-walls, and F the lire-chamber of the furnace. A represents the lower still, the heating-surface of which is corrugated, which corruabove the bottom of the still.

gations form a series of oil-chambers, B, B1, B2, B3, and B4. The still may be constructed of wrought or cast-iron, and made in two parts, as shown in the accompanying drawing, (the line of parting being at the points marked 3,) or it may be formed in one part, in which case it should be constructed of wrought-iron. In the back part `of the still A, at 8, is a man-hole or door, which is used when cleaning out the still, and for other purposes which may be necessary for such opening or door. Above the still A is arranged a still, O, which is used for heating the hydrocarbon oil and separatingv the benzole from it prior to its entering the still A. 'Through the still O passes the flue D for the lire-chamber F of the furnace. The still C is'connected with the still A by means of a pipe, t', the upper end of which is attached to the still C near its bottom, and the lower end of it is attached to the still A so as to communicate with the upper chamber B of still A atthe point marked X. The pipe t is provided with a stop-cock or valve, P, which is used for regulating the flow of oil from still O into chamber l B of the still A. The tank E, which is used for separating the oil from the water that may be in it, and the gasoline from the oil, is provided with pipes g g g g, which traverse backward and forward through the fire-chamber F of the furnace in front of the heatingsurface of the still A. These pipes are provided with stop-cocks or valves n and o, which are used for regulating the circulation of the oil through them. The bottom fw and top u each forms a section of a sphere. To the center of the bottom w is attached a pipe, k, provided with a stopcock or valve, s. This pipe 7c is used for the purpose of drawing off the water when separated from the oil. The tank E is connected with the heating and separating-still C by a pipe, h, at a point which is about six inches The pipe h is attached to the tankE alittle below the point where the top u is riveted to the cylindrical portion or body of the tank. The pipe h is provided with a stop-cock or valve, m, which is used for regulating the iiow of oil from the tank E into the heating and separating-still C. To the lower side of the tank E, a little above its bottom, w', is attached a supply-pipe, J, which communicates with a supply-reservoir or tank of oil. The pipe J is proi vided with a stop-cock, R, for regulating the ow of oil from the supply-reservoir or tank into the vapor evolved from the oil to a suitable condenser. These pipes are marked D', y, and l, and the condensers to which they are to be attached may be made in any of the known forms. To the chainber B4 is attached a pipe, w, provided with a stopcock, a. This pipe is used for drawing off the heavy oil from chamber B4. The pipe w may be connected with an iron tank -placed under the ground, (or otherwise protected,) for the purpose of allowing the heavy and heated oil to iiow into it.

As the construction and arrangement of the several parts of my.improvement, and therelation that the various parts bear to each other, will be readily understood from the foregoing description and by reference to the accompanying drawing, I will therefore proceed to describe the operation of the several parts, which is as follows: The crude hydrocarbon oil iiows from the supplytank through pipe J into the tank E until it rises up in it a little above the pipe h. The valve m is then opened, and oil flows from the tank E into the still C until it rises up in the still a little above the upper bend in pipe i. The valve l) is then opened, and oil iiows through pipe i' into chamber B of the still A, and from chamber B into chamber B1, and from it. into chamber B2, and from it into chamber B3, and from it into chamber B4, and as soon as a small quantity of oil has iiowed -into chamber B4 the valve P of pipe i and the valve R of pipe J are closed, and the valves n and o of pipes g g g g are opened, and oil will iiow into and through these pipes. A fire is then made in the fire-chamber F. This will heat the oil in pipes g g g g, and the oil in tank E will commence circulating through said pipes, and become sufliciently heated to separate the water which may be in the oil (which is generally present) from it. The speciiic gravity of the water being greater than that of the oil, it will settle down into the concavity ofthe bottom w of the tank E, from which it is drawn off through pipe lc. When the oil in tank E is sufiicientlyheated to throw off gasoline through pipe l andthe condenser connected therewith, thc valve B of pipe J and valve P of pipe c' are partly opened so as to allow a small iiow of oil through said pipes. This will cause a very thin sheet of oil to iiow over the conveXed surfaces 2, between the chambers B, B1, B2, B3, and B4, and as the still A increases its capacity in evolving the oil, in proportion can the valves R and P be opened and the iiow of oil into the still increased. When an nndue amount of heavy oil accumulates in the chamber B4 it may be drawn off through pipe w.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the oil is heated, and the water and gasoline separated from it in tank E. From tank E it flows into the still C; here it is heated and the benzole separated from it. From still C it iiows into the still A, and distilled and made ready for the process of treating it for the purpose of inaking a merchantable oil. It will also be observed that the stills A C and tank E are each connected to separate condensers, so that a separate product from each is obtained, to wit: burningoil from still A, benzole from still C, and gasoline from tank E. It will be further observed that the oil is subjected to several different degrees of heat in the still A. This desirable result is obtained by the use of the chambers B, B1, B2, B3, and B4, arranged one above the other, and in so arranging the iiow of oil from one chamber to the other that it has to iiow in a broad thin sheet over the conveXed surfaces 2 between the chambers. This series of chambers and conveXed surfaces subjects the oil to different degrees of heat at dif-l ferent points in the still, and combines the vapor evolved from the oil at the different points, so as to form a single product when condensed. By this arrangement of chambers and conveXed surfaces, combined with still C, tank E, and the parts connected therewith, the oil iiows in a continuous stream, and is evolved while moving in a' thin body over a large surface in the still A, subjecting the oil gradually to an increased degree of heat in its downwardtravel in`the still. This will evolve the oil with great rapidity, and without subjecting it to an undue degree of heat, so that the product of distillation will be uniform and easily treated in the subsequent process of refining it. The still C is heated by the heat that ascends from the hre-chamber F and from the still A, and also the heat which passes upward from the fire chamber, which would otherwise be wasted. The heavy oil drawn off from chamber Bnl of the still A will be suitable for lubricating purposes, or it may be mixed with the benzole and subsequently redistilled.

The advantages of my improvement in apparatus for distillin g hydro carbon oils, brieiiy stated, consist: First, in obtaining a greater amount of burning-oil from a given quantity of the crude oil. Second, uniformity in the product of distillation. Third, the distilled oil can be treated at less cost. Fourth, economy in cost of apparatus for distilling the oil. Fifth, the danger from iire is greatly diminished. Sixth, economy of time and labor in the process of distilling hydrocarbon oils.

Having thus described the nature, construction, and advantages of my improvement, what I claim as of my invention isl. A still with a corrugated heating-surface, in which is a series of oil chambers elevated one above the other, and so arranged with relation to each other that the oil shall iiow from the upper chamber in a broad thin sheet over a convexed surface into the chamber next below it, and thus flow down from one chamber to the other through the whole series, substantially as herein described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The still A, as described, combined with the still C, and a tank, E, provided with pipes g, and communicating with still C through the medium of pipe h, and still C communicating with still A by means of pipe 1T, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JAMES J. JOHNSTON.

Vitnesses:

A. G. J oi-INsroN, Jos. H. Davis.

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