US1274970A - Method of producing and separating liquefied gas. - Google Patents

Description

L. WOLF. METHOD OF PRODUCING AND SEPARATING LIOUEFIED GAS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3|, l9l6.

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v L. WOLF. METHOD OF PRODUCING AND SEPARATING LIQUEFIED GAS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3|. I916- Patented Aug. 6, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

Ill/117,717,151;

Inventor.

Linus WolF M76604! AIIys.

county of .Cook,

UNITED mansion on rnonucme AND snrnnnrme nrounrmn Gas.

Original application filed December 3,

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it lmown' that I, LINUs Wonr, a citrzen of the United States, residing at Chicago,

State of Illinois, have invented an Improvement in Methods of Producing and Separating Liquefied Gas, of which the following description, in connec- I the hydrocarbon constituents which tion with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to a novel method of producing a liquefied gas from distillation tively easy to liquefy are first'separated d from the distillation ornatural gases,

then the remaining liquefiable constituents are liquefied whereby a liquefied gas is pro-I duced which is free from the easily-liquefiable hydrocarbon constituents. A liquefied I gas of this nature will'readily vaporize and can be used for heating, lighting and power purposes. I

In' accordance with my improved method, the easlly-liquefiable constituents are separated from the remaining constituents of the 0 ratus by which the method-can be The apparatus herein, shown is c aimed in distillation or natural gas by mixing with said gas a ture and in sufiicient quantities to reduce the temperature of the distillation or natural gases to the point where the easily-liquefiable constituents thereof become liquid and can be separated therefrom.

In order to give an understanding of my inventiom'I' have illustrated in the drawin an apparatus by which the method may e carried 0111;,Ib11b 'I desireto state that the practice of the method is not limited to the particular. type of apparatus herein shown,

the latter being merely selectedas one appamctised.

co-pending application Se. No. 804,333, .ecember 3,,1913, of which this is a divisibm Specification of Letters Patent.

. tillation or' natural gas,

similar gas at a verylow tempera- STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

inrus worn, or cnrcaeo, rumors.

A Patented Aug. 6, 1918 1913, Serial No. 804,333. Divided and this applicaton filed May 31, 1916. Serial No. 100,809.

Figure lfis a more or less diagrammatic view showing part of an apparatus by which my improved method may be practised;

' Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the remainder of the apparatus.

In producing from natural or distillation gasa liquefied gas which is free from the easily-liquefiable constituents such as gasolene, it is the practice to subject the distillation or natural gas to a refrigerating process which is suflicient to liquefy the easily-liquefiable constituents,said constituents when thus liquefied being separated from the gas and the latter being then subjected to high pressure and severe refrigeration to effect constituents. In accordance with my present invention the necessary refrigeration of the natural or distillation gas for the purpose of liquefying the easily-liquefiable constituents is prevented by commingling with the disin figaseous form, which constituents have a su ciently low temperature so that when they are commin led with the gas said constituents cool the gas at a point Where the easily-liquefiable constituents thereof will become liquefied. After the liquefaction in this manner of the'easily-liquefiable'constitu- I ents, they are separated from the remainder of thelgas and v 4 pressure and severe refrigeration to hquefy the remaining liquefiable constituents therewill be better understood upon reference to the drawings which show anapparatus by which it may be carried out.

In the drawings, 1 designates suitable retort in which distillation gases are formed by distillation of crude oil. This retort may have anysuitable or usual construction.- The distillation gases are taken from the retort through a pipe 2 and led into a cooling device 3 of usual constructlon by which the tar and other similar heavyproducts are separated. From the cooler 3 the gases are taken through a pipe 4 through a cooling apparatus 5 in which the gas is 'cooled to a point sufiicient to liquefy'the easily-liquefiable, hydrocarbonconstituents. The cooling in this apparatus is accomplished-by mixing with the distillatlon gases a similar gas which has a ve low temperature, this operation resulting 1n reducing the temperature of the distillation gases to a constituents thereof the liquefaction of the less easily-liquefiabl'e the latter is subjected to high 7 of. The method above briefly referred to generally a 1 length.

point where the easily-liquefiable hydrocarbon constituents became liquefied.

The cooling device herein illustrated comprises a cooling chamber 6 into the lower end of which the pipe 4 leads, said cooling chamber having situated within it agitators or mixers 7 by which the gas passing.

therethrough is mixed or agitated. These mixers are shown in. the form of blades mounted on shafts 8 j'ournaled in suitable bearings, and the shafts carry pulleys 9 which are connected by belts with some source of power, the construction being such that the adjacent agitators are rotated in opposite directionsd', The ,low temperature gases are preferably introduced into the cooling chamber at several points along its In the construction herein shown the cooling chamber: has associated therewith at various points an annular spray device 10 provided with nozzles-11 extending through the Wall of the chamber 6, said nozzles operating to deliver the gas into said chamber from all sides thereof. This gas is supplied to these spray devices 10 through a supply pipe 12. The low temperatt'n'e gas which is thus used for cooling the distillation gases in the-chamber 6 is distillation gas which has been previously liquefied and" which has secured its lo'W -temperature by being expanded from a high pressure to the.

pressure of the distillation gases in the cooling chamber '6.

The cooling chamber 6 is placed in a casing 13 filled with suitable insulating material 14 so as to prevent any "loss'of' heat by radiation. through the cooling chamber 6 and are thus cooled by being mixed with the low temperature gases the easily-liquefiable hydrocarbon constituents, such, for instance, as gasolene or naphtha, become liquefied, and as they thus become liquefied they collect in a chamber or tank 15 having a sealed outlet pipe 16 that .delivers into a collecting tank or receptacle 17. Theobject of the sealed outlet pipe is to prevent the admission of air to the chamber 15 while at the same time permitting the liquid'to be freely discharged from the chamber 15 as it collects therein.

From the cooling chamber 6 the distillation gases which are not liquefied in the cooler are taken through a pipe 18 to ascrubber 19 of any usual construction by which the sulfur is removed, and from the scrubberthe gases-pass through a pipe 20, to a filter 21, and thence to a compressor 22 by which the gases are highly com resscd, und'r'ed pounds. From the compressor the cornpressed gases'jp'ass through a pipe 23 to .a water cooler 24 which partially cools them,

.and from the cooler 24 the gases are taken to a refrigerating apparatus 26 in which they are cooled while under pressure to a As the distillation gases pass I associated: therew ratus. In the illustrated construction this 120 form of a reverse current device, it colnprising a co1l;27through which the compressed gases pass, and a reverse current coil 28 through winch the refrigerating gases pass. From the refrigerating apparatus the gas passes into a. collecting chamber 29 in which the liquefied gas accumulates. This collecting chamber 29 has ade'livery pipe 30 connected thereto leading. to a chamber 31 provided' with a pressure gage 32, test cock '33,

etc., and from this chamber the liquefied gas '8 is delivered through a pipe 34.- to a steel tank or bottle 35 in which it is stored for shipment. The refrigerating medium that is used in thereverse current coil 28 of the refrigeratin g apparatus is liquefied gas taken from the collecting chamber-29. The chamber 31'1has a pipe 4'0 connected theretowhich is con trolled by a suitable valve ll, and this pipe 40 leads to the reverse current coil 28' so.

that by opening the valve 41 some of the liquefied gas'which is under high pressure expands into said pipe and the reverse current coil 28, such expansion producing the low temperature required for the lique- 9'5 faction of the gases. After the refrigerating gases have passed through the refrigerating apparatus they are taken through aipipe 42 to the delivery pipe 12 an'd are delivered to the coolingchamber -6,"t-hese gases constituting thelow temperature gases that are used for effecting the cooling of the distillation gases in the cooler 6.

Distillation gases produced from crude oil contain some hydrocarbons which are ex- F trem'ely difficult to lique'fy, and-these hydro carbons will pass over into the collecting chamber 29 in a gaseous, rather than a liquid state. In order to continue the l'iquefying process and thus' secure the liquefaction of some of these higher gases, I provide a refrigerating apparatus in connection with the c'ol'ectiiig tank 29 which is -c0'nstr'uct'ed .t-o continue .the refrigerating process on the gases which accumulate tank29. F or this purpose said tank is provided with an extension 43 in which the gases will accum-ulatc, and this extension has i'th a refrigerating apparefrigerating ap aratus comprises a casing 44 surroun 111 he extension i43;; 'a'1id p1'o-;

vided with be e-p'lates 45 to make a cir cuitous passage therethro-ugh; [The ext'en- I 43 has connected thereto at its end a pipe 46 leadilifg around into the side of the casing 44, said i trolled by a suitable valve t? the valve 47,

I lower pe being coni By opening J'he gases under high pressure in the extension 43 are expanded into the in "said collecting 1 15 casing 44, and thus produce a refrigerating? out the additional refrigerating apparatus 49 by which a proper in connection with the extension 43.

The proper operation of the compresso 22 requlres that the pistons should be kept properly lubricated, and I have found that this can best be done by admitting to the gas which is to be compressed a. certainv amount of moisture, the moisture providing the-necessary lubrication. The compressor 22 will be water-jacketed to keep it'cool, as usual in compressors, and I have shown the water jacket herein as provided with a valve quantity of water from the jacket can be admitted to the cylinder. A slight quantity is suflicient for this purpose. This water is converted into vapor by the heat of compressionand is delivered from the compressor with the gases through the pipe 23. It is necessary to remove this water from the gas before the latter is liquefied in the refrigerating apparatus 26, and to provide for this I employ a separating'tank 25 connected to the water-cooling coil 24 and through which the compressed gases pass on their way to the refrigerating apparatus 26. This collecting chamber 25 is somewhat in the nature of a 'trap, the pipe 50 from the coil 24 entering the top of the collecting chamber and extending part way to the bottom and the outlet 51 from the chamber being above the discharge end of the pipe 50. The moisture in the gas will be condensed in the cooling apparatus 24 and will collect in the bottom of the collecting chamber 25: In order to draw this water off I provide a second chamber 52 connected to the lower end of the chamber 25 by a pipe 53 having a valve 54 therein, and the chamber 25 is provided with a drip cook 55. When water accumulates in the tank 25 the valve 54'is opened and the pressure will force the water around into the tank 52 after which the valve 54 may be closed and the water allowed to drain out through the tank 52 through the drip cock 55. i

In order to regulate the degree of refrigeration attained in' the refrigerating apparatus 26, I have provided a by-pass 60 controlled by a valve 61 through which the refrigerating medium or a part thereof can be shunted around the counter-current, coil 28. In order to still further regulate this .lecting tank press'or will inte refrigerating action, I have provided means whereby the gas which is expanded in the countencurrcnt coilmay be taken either from the bottom of the collecting tank 29 or from a point some distance from the bottom. The liquid at the bottom of the col- 29 will have less of the gaseous constituents therein than that toward the upper part of the tank because as the liquefied gas is delivered to the tank 29 from the reverse current coil 28, the unliquefied gaseous constituents will tend to .rise in the tank so that the liquid in the upper portion of the tank will contain a greater proportion of the gaseous constituents than that in the lower part of the tank. Accordingly the specific gravity of the liquid will be greater at the bottom of the tank'than it is part way up in the tank. 63 is a pipe which leads into the bottom of the tank 29 and terminates some distance above the bottom, said pipe leading to and communicating with the pipe 40 and being controlled by 64. By means of the two valves 41 and 64 a suitable valve the liquid in the counter-current coil 28 may be taken either from the bottom or from the middle portion of controlled.

I have shown at 70 an internal combustion 1 tion'engine 70 and thus the water which is used in the cooler is also made use of for cooling the engine. Under some circum stances it may be desirable to use -warm water in the jacket of the compressor so as to avoid the possibility of the gas becoming cooled in the compressor to a point where some of the constituents will become liquefied, for the presence of liquid in the .com- 4 ere with its operation. It is desirable to remove. some of the heat of compression in the condenser, but not to cool the gas-to the point where any. portion of it will become liquefied.

The apparatus which has been above described in some detail is designed for use in the treatment. of the distillation gas. If natural gas is being treated, no retort will be necessary for the production of the gas, as the gas could be piped directly from the supply to either the cooling device 3 or the cooling device 5.

4 From the above it improved process consists in. ,commingling with distillation gas or natural gas c'onstituentstthereof at'asufiiciently low tem perature and in suflicientvvolume to 'efiect the tank 29, and by this means the degree of refrigeration can be gas accumulating in will be seen thatmy I it will be obvious that the process is not limited in its practice to the particular apparatus herein shown.

I claim:

. 1. The process of producing liquefied .con-

I stituents of a hydrocarbon :gas, such as distillation gas or natural gas, which consists in passing the hydrocarbon gas through a -heat-insulated chamber, introducing into 20 said chamber gas constituents of said hydrocarbon gas at a sufficiently low temperature and in sufficient volume to effect the cooling of the hydrocarbon gas to a point Where the easily-1i uefiable constituents thereof become lique ed, agitating the gas as it passes through said chamber, --separating the liquid thus obtained from the gaseous constituents, and then liquefying said gaseous constituents.

2. The method of treating a hydrocarbon gas such as distillation gas or natural gas which consists in passing the hydrocarbon gas through a heat-insulated chamber, introducing into said chamber gas constituents of said hydrocarbon gas at a sufficiently low temperature and in suflicient volume to effect the cooling of the hydro- ,carbon gas to a point where the easily-liquetillation gas or natural gas, which consists in passing the hydrocarbon gas through a heat-insulated chamber, introducing into said chamber at different points along its length gas constituents of said hydrocarbon gas at a sufficiently low temperature and in sufficient volume to eflect the cooling of the hydrocarbon gas to a point Where the easilyliquefiable constituents thereof become liquefied, agitating the gas as it passes through said chamber, separating the liquid thus obtained from the gaseous constituents, and then liquefying said gaseous constituents.

In testimony whereof, I havesigned my name to this specification.

LINUS WOLF.

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