US1345134A - Apparatus for distilling hydrocarbons - Google Patents

Description

J. W. COAST, JR.

APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING HYDROCARBONS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT 27. 1917.

1,345,134, Patented June 29,1920.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

JOHN W. COAST, JR., OF TULSA. OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOR TO THE PROCESS COMPANY, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING HYDROCARBONS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 29, 1920.

Application filed September 27, 1917. Serial No. 193,465.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. COAST, J r., a citizen of the United States of America, a resident of Tulsa, in the county of Tulsa, State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Distilling Hydrocarbons, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a partof this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for distilling hydrocarbons, and more particularly to means for heating the contents of a still, so as to avoid the injurious effects of coke, or tarry, coke-forming substances.

When high boiling point petroleum hydrocarbons are vaporized and cracked in an ordinary cylindrical still, heavy coke-torn ing substances settle to the bottom of the liquid in the still. If the coke or carbon is permitted to collect on the still bottom, it will prevent the free transmission of heat to the oil in the still, and when a suflicient quantity has accumulated the still bottom will become redhot. Some immediate steps must then be taken to avoid a rupture at the overheated portion ofthe still. In actual practice the coke accumulates on the hot still bottom while the oil in the still is maintained at a high temperature and under a high pressure, thus rendering the cracking operation quite dangerous.

The main object of this invention is to facilitate the transmission of heat to the oil undergoing distillation, at the same time preventing the heavy coke-forming substances fronl accumulating on the still bottom where the heat is transmitted through the still. In the preferred form of the invention this is accomplished by maintaining a body of heavy liquid on the bottom of the still. floating the oil to be distilled on said heavy liquid, and transmitting heat through the heavy liquid to ,crack and vaporize the floating liquid. The heavy liquid, preferably molten metal, interposed between the still bottom and the oil, prevents the cokeforming substances from reaching the bottom of the still. lly preventing the coke from accumulating on the still bottom. the cracking operation may be carried out continuously for a considerable period of time without cleaning the interior of the still.

'Furthermore, the still bottom will not be metal from the lower portion of the still to the interior of the body of floating oil undergoing distillation, thereby transmitting heat from the hottest part of the still to various points throughout the body of oil.

The. molten metal, taken from the lower portion of the still, is preferably distributed in the-body of oil so as to maintain all of the oil at a substantially uniform temperature.

If the heavy metal is permitted to harden in the still at the end of a run, when the still is cooled for the purpose of removing the residue, it would be difficult to thoroughly clean the lower portion of the still. tual practice has shown that some of the heavy bottom settlings would accumulate between the hard metal and the still bottom, rendering-it necessary to remove the metal for the purpose of thoroughly cleaning the bottom of the still. To facilitate the cleaning of the still 1 preferably remove the metalin a molten condition, at the same time dividing it into small bodies that can be easily replaced in the still.

Figure I is a diagrammatical view of a cracking apparatus embodying the features of the invention.

Fig. II is a transverse section of the still, gaken approximately on the line II-II,

ig. I.

Fig. III is an enlarged section showing the 3-way valve for controlling the discharge of the molten metal.

Theapparatus shown to illustrate the invention comprises a large cylindrical cracking still 1, arranged above a heating chamber 2 and connected, by means of a vapor pipe 3, to an air cooled reflux condenser 4.

5 designates a vapor pipe leading from the reflux condenser to a main condensing coil 6, from which the low boiling point product is recovered.

The apparatus herein shown 1s p rticularly adapted for use in cracking high )oiling by regulating a valve 7 preferably arranged in the vapor pipe 5. The pressure in the still is preferably greater than 50 pounds per square inch, for example about 80 pounds per square inch, and the temperature of the contents of the still preferably ranges from about 600 F. to 800 F.

A body of heavy liquid 8, preferably a readily fusible metal, for example, molten lead, is maintained in the bottom of the still. The oil to be distilled floats upon the surface of the molten lead 8, and the heavy coke-forming fractions which drop by gravity to the bottom of the'oil'also float upon the lead. The molten lead thus prevents the coke-forming substance from reaching the hot still bottom. The heat is transmitted from the still .bottom,'through the molten lead, to the floating oil.

The molten lead is preferably circulated by forcing a stream of the lead into the body of the oil. In the preferred form of the invention an elongated intake pipe 9, arranged in the lower portion of the still, is provided with inlet ports 10 at various points throughout its length. 11 designates a rotary pump connected to the intake pipe 9 and provided with a discharge pipe 12 leading to a 3-way-valve 13', the latter being provided with discharge members 14 and 15. The 3-way valve comprises a rotary plug 13 (Fig. III) which may be'adjusted to direct the molten lead to either of the discharge members 14 or 15. 16 designates a valve stem secured to the plug 13' and extending to the exterior of the still, as shown in Fig. II, said valve stem having an operatin handle 17 for adjusting the valve.

The pump 11, as well as the pipes 9 and 12, are preferably submerged in the liquid contents of the still. passing through a stufling box 19, at one end of the still, may be rotated to actuate the pump 11. A pinion 20 fixed to the inner end of shaft 18 meshes with an operating wheel 21 on the pump, and said shaft 18 may be rotated by transmitting power to a wheel 22 at the exterior of the still.

While the oil is undergoin distillation the-rotar pump 11 is operate continually thereby rawinga stream of the molten lead through the intake pipe 9 at the bottom of the still, said stream being forced throu h the pipe 12, valve 13 and discharge mem r15 to the body of oil. 23 designates a distributing reservoir, preferably in the form of a trough, open at the top and provided with numerous recesses 24 at its upper edges. This'distributing reservoir is located in the still to receive the molten lead passing from the discharge member 15. The hot molten metal overflows through the many recesses, or outlets 24, at the upper edges of the reservoir 23, and drops by gravity through the oil to'the main body of lead at the bot- A power shaft 18,

tom of the still. It will be observed that the molten lead, taken from the hottest part of the still is divided into a multitude of small streams and showered through the oil, so as to very efiectively transmit heat to, the large body of oil.

The valve 13 is normally positioned to provide for the discharge of molten lead through the 'pipe 15 so as to maintain a shower of the molten metal in the oil. However, it is desirable to remove the lead in a molten condition before cooling the still at the end of a run. To accomplish this the 3-way plug 13, forming part of the valve 13, is adjusted to place the discharge member 14 in communication with the pipe 12. The rotary pump will then force the molten .lead into a number of relatively small molds 25 at the exterior of the still.

The still can then be permitted to cool and the residue may be removed in any suitable manner. The lead will soon harden in the small molds 25 and the small bodies of lead can be easily 'taken from the molds and replaced in the still.

I claim:

1. In a distilling apparatus, a fire heated still having its bottom exposed directly to the fire, a liquid body of heavy fusible material contained in the still between the fire heated bottom and the bodv of oil undergoing distillation, the body of oil being floated on the liquid body of heavy fusible material, the vaporizing heat being transmitted from the fire, through'the still bottom and thence through the body of heavyfusible material to the body of oil floating thereon, and means for circulating said heavy fusible material into the body of oil and back to the main body of fusible material on the fire heated bottom, said means comprisin a distributing reservoir arranged in the sti 1 above the body of heavy fusible material, said reservoir having outlets for the discharge of streams of the fusible material into the oil, and means for forcing a stream of the fusible material from the lower por- .tion of the still to said distributing reservoir.

2. In an apparatus for cracking hydrocarbons, a still for the oil to be vaporized, said still being providedwith a body of fusible metal on its bottom wall, a heating chamber below said bottom wall, and means for circulating said fusible metal into the .oil and back to the main body of metal, said means comprising a pump arranged in the still, an intake conductor whereby fusible metal is conducted to the pump and a discharge member, for the discharge of the metal from the pump to the body of oil in the still.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I hereunto aflix my signature.

JOHN W. COAST, J n.

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