US1174511A - Process of producing coke and gas from fluid hydrocarbon. - Google Patents

Description

L. P. LOWE:

PROCSOF PRODUCING COKE AND GAS FROM FLUID HYDROCARBON.

APPLICATION FILED APR.29.1914.

1,174,511. I I Patented Maf.7,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Fi i.

INVENTOR, Leon 1. Laura %@%M WW $26 11% ATTORNEY WITNESSES.-

r L. P. LOWE. PROCESS OF PRODUCiNG COKE AND GAS FROM FLUID HYDROCARBON S w APPLICATION FILED M R. 29, I914- 1,174,51 1.

Patented Mar. 7, 191

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- INVENTOR. Leon '1. Lou/e,

M hz-M r WITNESSES A TTORNE Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEON 1P. OI SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

rnocnss F PRODUCING COKE AND GAS FROM FLUID HYDROCABBON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

, Patented Mar. 7, 1916;

Application filed April 29, 1914. Serial No. 885,181.

a To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEON P. "LOWE, a citizen of the United States, residing at San and gas from petroleum, or other fluid hydrocarbons, including natural gases.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical section of an apparatus for carrying out my improved process; Fig. 2 1s a similar view of a modification thereof.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a metal shell having a brick lining 2. Extending transversely across said shell are horizontal series of arches, namely, a lower series of arches 3 to support the solid con:

.. stitiients recovered from petroleum, an intermediate series of arches 1 above said solid constituents to protect them from the agitating action of air introduced above the arches 4 during the reheating step of my improved process, and an upper series of arches 5, which support checker br1ck-work 6 extending upwardlv to within a short distance of y the top of the shell. Upon said shell 1 is erected a stack 7, and products of combustion from-the interior of said shell discharge into said stack through an opening in the top of the shell controlled by a valve 8. The stack 7 is not, however, a necessary part of r the apparatus, and can be dispensed with if preferred to supply air by forced blast.

Leading into the space 9 between the top of the shell and the top of the checker brickwork are valve-controlled oil conduits l0, and pipes 11 for admitting preferably corn-f pressed combustible gas to assist in atomizing or spraying the fluid hydrocarbon. Into the space 12 between the upper arches 5 and the intermediate protective arches 4 011 or gas is admitted by valve-controlled burners or atomizers 13 and air is admitted by valve controlled air conduits 14. Access is had to the space 15 immediately above the lower arches 3 by charging and discharglng doors 16. Into the space 17 between the lower arches and the bottom of the apparatus air can enter by a valve-controlled conduit 18 and gas can automatically escape by an outlet 19 leading to the usual seals, washers,

condensers and the' like. Access is also had to said space by a cleaning-out door 20.

In carrying out my improved process, a shallow layer of coke, coal or other suitable carbonaceous substance is placed on the lower arches 3, ignited, and brought to a high degree of heat by an air blast admitted through the air conduit 18. Simultaneously air is admitted by the conduits 14 and the checker brick-work 6 above the upper arches 5 is highly heated by the combustion of oil or gas admitted .by the burners 13, all the products of combustion escaping through the valve 8. When the checker brick-work 6 hasbeen sufiiciently heated, probably from 1600 to2200 F. the' burners 13 are closed, the air blasts through the, air conduits 14 and 18 are shut off, and the valve 8 is closed. The conduits 10 and 11 are opened and oil or other suitable fluid hydrocarbon is then atomized or sprayed, either bv direct pressure .or compressed combustible gas, into the space above the checker brick-work 6,) through which it passes downwardly. In so passing the atomized hydrocarbon is, more or less completely, broken down into hydrogen and carbon, the latter assuming the solid form known as lamp black. This mixture of hydrogen and carbon, with residual tarry hydrocarbons if any, then passes down through the bed of incandescent fuel on the lower arches 3, which fuel bed filters out and retains the solid carbon and still further breaks down the residual hydrocarbons into carbon and gas, the gas passing through the fuel bed, and through the lower arches, escaping from the apparatus at the gas outlet 19, from which it passes to the customary seal, cooling apparatus, condensers, container, or point of consumption.

The complete separation of fluid hydro carbon into hydrogen and carbon is scarcely practicable in the checker brick-work 6 alone, certain constituents of the hydrocarbon going forward therefrom in the form of a heavy, tarry hydrocarbon, which heavy substance is, however, broken down in passing through the zone of thefuel bed onthe lower arches 3, heated more highly than is practically possible in the checker brick-.

work 6 alone, this highly heated zonesepa the process is repeated. This process cumulating the coke cannot, however, he carried on continuously- The heat of the checker brick-work 6, must be restored from time to time to a temperature suiiicient to on-use the partial breaking down.-:..ef the hydrocarbon in the checker brickwork ii, a and the heat of the lower fuel bed must 11kt?- Y after the breaking. down? has been con-' wise be restored to'a temperature suiiicient to cause its final breaking'down? as completely as practically may be. Consequently,

tinned for the=proper length of time, the

conduits 10, 11 are closed, the valve 8 is opened, the air blasts through the conduits 14 and 18 are setin action and the burners 1 113 are iopenedl Only a relatively] small amount of air is admitted below the fuel bed During the step of. reheating "the 1 over the coke chamber. servethe purpose of preventing the combustion and agitation of the coking fuel. Any gases that have arisen from the coking fuel are, in the reheating stage, burnt, and thus assist in the reheating of the checker brick-work; whereas during the coking step, they pass downwardand are separated into carbon and hydrogen. After the checker brick-work and the fuel bed have been restored to the proper temgerature, the step of fbreaking down, the uid hydrocarbon is repeated. 'Should any tarry residue or lamp black escape through a the. gas outlet 19, it will be retained in, and

recovered. from, the gas washing, condens ing and cooling devices, and returnedto the apparatusfrom time to time with other fuels, until the gasification and carboniza tion of the original hydrocarbon are finally completed. Ifit is desired so todo, other carbonaceous fuel can also be used for the production of cokein conjunction with that derived from the fluid hydrocarbons as described. If it'is not desired to-otherwise use the produced gas, it can be returned to yum apparatusand used to heat the checker brick-work 6.

I do not regard it essential to the success F of my process that the hydrocarbon'lsh'ould be completely separated into carbon and hydrogen, asthe process will be of sufiicient utility even though, as will probably be the.

case, the-resulting gas contains a certain amount of hydrocarbon gases.

The radiant heat from the arches over the cokingnplhamber is an important factor in the co g roccss, the action being the same .as when co e is made from coal by the well known bee-hive process.

f; The 0 ration of the apparatus with vary a.

v with a mixture thereof, under which conditions a portion of the fuel in the coking chamber will be consumed in converting the steamand air into a combustible gas. If preferred, flue channels can be used instead of the arches 3 to support the coking fuel. When the apparatus is operated in a highly heated condition it can be used for the manufacture of commercial hydrogen suitable, for instance, for inflating balloonsor air ships.

In the modification of the apparatus illustrated in. Fig; '2, the arches 4, 5, checker brick-workfi, 'air'conduits 14, and burners 13 are vdispensed with, and :a gas burner 23 is preferably supplied leading into the space 17. 'With-this apparatus, a shallow layerof coke, coal or other suitable carbenaceous substance placedon the arches 3, 1s ignited by the gas burner 23 or otherwise,-and brought to a high degree of heat as before. Oil is then admitted and sprayed, as before, into the chamber in the upper part of the shell, but it now passes directly into the bed of in candescent fuel on the arches 3. It then asses through said fuel bed, and in so'passmg is broken down? into hydrogen and carbon, the gasv passing through the bed, and

through the arches, and escaping as before,

the carbon being retainedin the fuel bed in the form of coke, the bed gradually increas .ing in depth; When a suflicient amount of coke has accumulated, it is removed, and the process is repeated. The heat of the fuel .bed must be restored from time to time, as before, to a temperature sufficient to cause the breaking down of theoil.

I claim The'process of obtaining coke and com-v bustible gas from fluid hydrocarbon which consists in heating to incandescence a bed of solid fuel, passing thereinto finely divided fluid hydrocarbon, thereby breaking down the hydrocarbon into hydrogen and carbon, drawing through said bed'the hydrogen only and leaving thereon a deposit of carbon, admitting t0 the carbon thus deposited an amount of air sufi'icient only to consume part only of said deposited carbon, and repeating the part of the operation subsequent to the first-named step.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence oftwosubscribmg witnesses.

L. P. LQWE.

Witnesses:

' F. M. WRIGHT,

D. B. Rrcnanos.

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