US1347568A - Method of cracking hydrocarbons - Google Patents

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F, F,K WELLMAN.

mmm or CRAcKlNG HYHocAHBoNs.

APPLICATION FiLED FEB. l2. i919.

Patentsd .Iu'ly 27, 1926,

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FRANK E. WELLMAN, OF KANSAS CIT'iY, KANSAS. ASSIGNOR TO THE KANSAS CITY GASLINE COMPANY, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS, A CORPORATION `OF KANSAS.

METHOD O-CRACKING H'YDRCARIBONS.A

Lafrance;

Patented July 27, 1920.

Application filed February 12. 1919. ASerial No. 276.677.

Zh r/Z/ whom it may concern:

lie. it known that I, FRANK E. WELLMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the-county of lVyandotte, State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of' fran-king Hydrocarbons, of which the following is a specification,- reference being had therein to the accompanyingdrawing.

My invention relates to processes for the 'treatment of hydrocarbons, especially heavy petroleum distillates consisting almost e'ntirely of the paraliin series, to obtain lighter products suitable for motor fuel. The prescnt invention is a specific modiiication of that disclosed in my copending application sei-n1 No. 259,656, filed-October 25,1918.

The ol jectof the present invention is to provide a process wherebythe percentage of lvield of commercial. gasolene br motor fuel may be increased without a substantial increase in the pressure used. I attain this ohicct by the use of a certain relation betvfeen the volume of tho'oil under treatment and the space above in the cracking retort. My experiments show that with heavy petroleum distillate a charge equal to 1t) per cent. of the volume capacity of the retortgives a maximum yield of product at any given pressure. charged into the container involves diliiculty from overheating of the container since there is not enough oil on the bottom to prevent overheating the metal.

lilly invention may be carried out by the use oi an apparatus as typified by that illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

The drawing is a diagrammatic view showing the essential apparatus elements.

In the drawing 5 indicates the supply pipe leading from a suitable source of supply to a pump 6 discharging through a suitable valve and pipe 9 into a measuring tank il), the pump being operated by a suitable driving mechanism not shown. A gage glass 11 is provided for the measur ing tank and also an air reservoir 12 con-- nected with the tank through a pipe 13 and supplied by a 'suitable constant pressure pump 14. The measuring tank discharges at its lower end through a charging pipe line 15 into the cracking retort 16, the bottom ot' 'the measuring tank being provided with a suitable ioat valve 15a or other means toA prevent air from passing Less amountinto the cracking tube 16 upon emptying ofthe tank. A stop valve l? and pop valve 18 are connected in the charging pipe line 15 as Well as a pair of check valves 1S) and 2() arranged to prevent back pressure from the cracking tube. The cracking tube is constructed so as to resist the cracking tempcrature andprcssure used` both of which in this system are relatively high.

The discharge end of the cracking tube 16 is provided with a suitable ball float valve 21 for the purpose of retaining some gas pressure in the tube after discharge of the liquid. A discharge line 22 leads Vfrom the discharge end ot the cracking tube through cooling coil 23 to a receiving tank 24. Included in thedischarge line between the float valve 21 and the cooling coil 23 is a trip valve 25 arranged to be opened when tripped by a spring so as to citect a quick opening` the valve stem being provided withI a trip catch operated by' a handle 26, the

valve being set at closed position agamst r the tension ot the sprlng by means of the setting handlef27. The receiving tank 24 is supplied with suitable pressure and vacuum relief valves Q8 and v29 respectively, and'a discharge pipe 30 with a stop valve 31. The cracking tube 16v is mounted ina suitable furnace 32 provided with a source of heat such as the burner 33. The cracking tube 16 is also provided with a suitable pressure gage 34 and temperature indica i ing device 35.

The operation of the system is as tol lows:

The furnace having been started to heat the cracking tube,` the measuring tank 10 is filled with the required amount of oil, not exceeding in lvolume 1() per cent'. of the vol ume of the cracking tube 16 after which the valve 17 is opened, permitting the measured charge of oil to be forced out of the measuring tank by compressed air from the reservoir 12 and through the charging line 15 into the cracking tube 16. The cracking tube 16 is now charged with :upredetermined volume of oil under pressure and vthe valve 17 is now closed. Immediately upon closure of the valve 1", the pressure in the' cracking tube begins to rise due to continued heating ofthe oil. This continues until cracking begins, when the tempera* ture of the hydrocarbons becomes substantially constant, While the pressure continues to rise.l The temperatures employed range between 750 F. `and 9000 1".' and the pressures between 10d and. (SUUpounds to the Square inch. vl/'hen the pressure finally -reaches the maximum pQinLl'the valve 25 is trippeth'iijhich permits the contents' ot the cracking tube to be forcibly'discharged out through the chamber of the Hout valve.

ing tube.. The trip valve 25 is then set in closed position and the operation repeated Having thus described my invention. what I claini and desire to secuiby Letters Patent is:v

The process of treating hydrocarbon oil which consists inheating,r the saine toa high temperature and under a high pressure in a retort containing a volume of the hydrocarbon oil equal to ten per cent. of the total volume of the retort with gas under pressure filling: tlieretort over the oil, blowing out the cracked product under pres sure, and trapping back the zgas so as to retain it in the retort.

ture.

FRANK E. WELLMAN.

In testimony dre-reet. alix my signa-

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