US1423064A - Carbureting liquid fuels - Google Patents

Description

0. P. AMEND.

CARBURETING LIQUID FUELS. APPLICA ION FILED I UNE 8.1917- 1,423,.U64, Patented July 18, 1922.

@7 70 ,FAWeeMaT o'rro r. AMEND, or New roan, 1t. Y. osncnnn'rme LIQUID FUELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 18, 1022.

Application filed. June 3,1917. Serial No. 173,665.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Orro P. AMEND, a citizen of the United States of America, and residing at New. York city, New York, United States of America, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carbureting Liquid Fuels, of which the following is,a specification.

The subjects of this invention are new hydrocarbon liquid fuels suitablefor use in high speed internal combustion engines,

and possessing the desirable qualities of the highest grade of gasoline, as well as certain other qualities that make them superior to the best saturated gasoline. The primary product is a cracked product, thatis to say, it is produced by the cracking of highboilingpetroleum oils and distillates, preferably petroleum distillates boiling above250 (1., although distillates distillingbetween 150 C., and 250 (1., may also be treated. it can be produced in unlimited quantities at a very low cost, from either kerosene or burning oil, gas oil, or fuel oil, and the product itself can either be used alone as a high grade motor fuel in internal combustion engines, or can be mixed with any desired percentage of naphtha or kerosene, or even higher boiling distillates, and when so mixed, forms a highly volatile desirable motor fuel that is both stable and uniform, and has none of the disadvantages that ordinarily result from the blending of a highly volatile saturated gasoline, such as casing-head gasoline, with a heavier hydrocarbon. When my product is so blended with a heavy naphtha, or kerosene, or burning oil, the resulting fuel can be burned in an internal combustion engine to the last drop, no deterioration takes place on standing, and no greater evaporation takes place than with ordinary gasoline. It can also be blended with ordinary gasoline, in order to improve the volatility of the latter by adding to the latter a larger proportion of highly volatile hydrocarbons distilling below either 70 (1., 80 (1., 90 (1., 100 (1., or 120 C., as may be desired.

A great many different varieties of my new motor fuel can be produced, with a g y varying between .82 and .72, or even lower. No matter what the specific gravity of my product may be within the limits say from 56 to B, (.72 to .755 sp. it is either equal to, or superior to, normal 76 B. saturated gasoline, both as regards lowness of flashing point, and as to the percentage of hydrocarbons contained therein boiling either below (1., (1.,

(1., (1., or (1., or in the percentage of hydrocarbons boiling between 60 C. and 90 (1., or between 60 (1. and 100 (1., or between 60 C. and 120 (1., whichever basis of comparison is applied. As is well known, the percentage of high grade gasoline, say from 70 B. to 76 '13. in gravity, produced by normal processes of fractional distillation, is comparatively small, and it is practically impossible to-day to purchase such high, grade gasoline for motor fuel; the greater part of the gasoline of commerce having a gravity ranging from approximately 58 B. to 62 B. This is due to the fact that the increasing shortage of gasoline, in comparison to the rapidly increasing demand for the same for motor fuel, renders it necessary for manufacturers of gasoline to mix with the high grade gasoline an increasing proportion of low boiling hydrocarbons with a consequent impairment of the character of the resulting blend.

In other words, the 61 B. gasoline, that is practically the staple motor fuel to be had to-day in this country, contains less than one-third as much hydrocarbons volatile below 90 C., as 76 B. gasoline, only about 40% of the content of 76 B. gasoline volatile below 100 (1., and less than one-half the content of hydrocarbons volatile below 110 (1., that is contained in high grade 76 B. gasoline.

A comparative fractionation table of a sample of my product, compared with the above samples of 76 B. gasoline and 61 B. gasoline, shows conclusively the superior volatile qualities of my fuel to either of them.

Table A.

76 B. gasorlinc n m 61 3;. caglel orks gaso 'ne. sample A. Co.

Baum gravity at 60 56. 9 77 61 Temperature distillation:

Initial boiling point. 43 C. 34 C. 45 C %ofiat40(1 2 %oifat500 2.5 11 1 off at 60 C l9. 5 25. 5 2 %0fiat70 (1. 42 6 7 off at 80 C. 56 l2 7 off at 90 C. 68 20 7, off at 100 0 77 5 3o off at 110 (1.. 84 41 7;, off at 120 C 88 54 off at C 90. 5 66 %ofiat (1... 92 70 7,, off at C 93 S4 011 at C 97 (Dry point 154 C.)

It will be seen from the above table, that the initial boiling point of my product and of 61 B. gasoline is about the same, where as. the initial boiling point of 76 B. gasoline is considerably lower. As to final boiling point, approximatel 97% of my product distills below 130 as against 90.5% of the 76 B. gasoline, and as against 66% of the 61 B. gasoline.

As the great end sought in the cracking of heavy oils-to produce a highly volatile motor fuel, is to obtain. as large a percentage as possible of hydrocarbons boiling below 80 (1., 100 (3., or 120 (1, respectively, my product in this respect is more than twiceas good as ordinary gasoline, and is superior to 76B, gasoline.

By adding, however, to the cracked distillate set out e. g. in sample A, additlonal amounts of heavier cuts of the cracked distillate, distilling above 80 (1, the percentage of hydrocarbons or of the fuel volatile below 80 C., may if desired, be reduced to any desired percentage down to 40% or lower. In the same way, a cracked distillate can be obtained containing any desired lower percentage of the fuel volatile below 100 C.,

such as, for instance, either 70%, 50%,

.or lower.

Below is set forth a distillation table of my crude distillate from which the refined distillate (sample A), the distillation tableof which has been given above, was

produced Amend crude,Baum gravity at 60 F.

Initial boiling point (Dry point With regard to the percentage of recovery in this product that I can obtain from cracking a heavy oil, I am able to obtain of the above cracked distillate,-approximately 95% of which distills below 120 C., approximately of the amount of heavy oil so treated. I obtain about 20% of gas and about 10% of heavier distillate, which can be rerun and converted into motor fuel, thus making a total recovery of highly volatile motor fuel of about 80% of the amount of the original oil treated. As from 70% to 90%, approximately, of mymotor fuel is volatile below 100 C., I convert from 56% to 72% of the original heavy oil treated, into hydrocarbons volatile between 50 C. and 100 C.

The primary product that I have obtained is also a highly homogeneous motor fuel,

By cutting my cracked distillate between say, 43 C. and 100 (1., only hydrocarbons having a carbon content of from five to seven atoms of carbon to the molecule, are included therein, these hydrocarbons consisting substantially of paraflins, naphthenes and olefines, or substantially of naphthenes and olefines, with, in each case, a small percentage, generally not over five to eight per cent, and often much lower, of aromatic hydrocarbons, such as benzene and toluene.

The presence of a considerable percentage of olefine hydrocarbons in my distillate also enables the fuel to be subjected to higher compression without preignition.

Even when the entire distillate up to 130 C. or even 140 C., is taken, it contains substantially only hydrocarbons having between five and eight atoms of carbon to the molecule, and contains generally less than eight per cent of aromatic hydrocarbons.

One of the objections to a cracked motor fuel is generally the high percentage of aromatic hydrocarbons that it contains. These aromatic hydrocarbons, owing to their extremely high carbon content and low hydrogen content, are extremely oliflicult to oxidize completely, the incomplete oxida- .tion and combustion resulting in heavy-can bonization of the engine and smoking of the bromine absorption number for the distillate being about 131, and the sulphuric acid absorption number about 66. The naphthene content of the aJbove distillate is nearly 40%. p The percentage of naphthenes in my cracked product may, however, be varied at will, within rather wide limits. For example, where a heavy naphthene hydrocarbon, such a California, Mexico, or Baku petroleum is subjected to my cracking process, a much higher content of naphthenes is obtained in the cracked distillate than where a parafiin hydrocarbon, such as Pennsylvania petroleum, or a mixed paraflin and naphthene hydrocarbon, such as Oklahoma petroleum, is subjected t the cracking operation. Where a heavy paraffin hydrocarvpara'flin hydrocarbons bon is cracked, there will be present a considerable percentage of highly volatile in the resulting cracked distillate. This percentage may be 20% or even more, and the percentage of naphthene hydrocarbons will generally be correspondingly reduced. The result of such an increase in paraflins present and the decrease in naphthenes is to make the specific gravity of the distillate correspondingly lighter, and also to increase somewhat the percentage of lower boiling hydrocarbons. This is due to the fact that the paraffin hydrocarbons have from about thirteen to eighteen degrees centigrade lower boiling points than the corresponding naphthene hydrocarbons of the same carbon content. i

The characteristics of my fuel that distinguish it from ordinary gasoline, say 60- B., to 62 B., are

(1) It is a much cleaner burning fuel than gasoline and when used in the engine, will leave the spark plugs absolutely clean, when the use of gasol' e will cause them-to be covered with soot. n fact, my fuel when burned in an internal combustion engine,

will burn sooty spark plugs clean in a very (3.) An engine using my'fueh'can run at.

lower speeds and be throttled down much lower without missing fire than when gasoline is used. The engine can therefore idle more easily and go slower incrowded traffic, which is a very great advantage;

(4) M fuelalso accelerates'more rapidly than ordinary asoline, which is a distinct advantage in the stopping and starting in crowded traffic;

(5) As a result of the above advantages,

it is a-much more flexible fuel than ordinary gasoline. Tt has also a distinctive odor different from that of ordinary gasoline, but

entirely free from the unpleasant cracked odor peculiar to other cracked gasolines;

(6). It has smokeless exhaust. The exhaust gases are also entirely free from the.

unpleasant odors of other cracked gasolines (7) Wider explosive range than gasoline; The air-gasoline vapor mixture must con- 'tain not less than 2.5% of gasoline vapor and not more than 4.8% to be properly explosive. In other words, the explosive range .of gasoline is only over 2.3'%.' Any gasoline-vapor-air mixture containing less or more than this proportion of gasoline va-' por is not satisfactorily explosive in an internal combustion engine.

The ethylene hydrocarbons, however,

.make explosive mixtures with air, when the ethylene-air mixture contains from 4.2% to 14.5% of ethylene vapor. The explosive range of the-ethylene hydrocarbons is therefore over 10.3% or nearly five times, as wide as gasoline. My fuel imixture containing about fifty per cent of ethylene hydrocarbons has therefore nearly three times the explosive range of gasoline; and where only twenty-five, per cent of ethylene hydrocarr bons are present the explosive range of my fuel is. nearly'double that of gasoline.

(8) Susceptibility to higher compression without preignition, than gasoline. My fuel can'- be subjected to a compression of 125 poundsto the square inch, or even higher,

without preignition.

Owing to its very lowflashing point, it

is a peculiarly valuable motor fuel for use in aeroplanes where the engine is running at very high altitudes and at very lowtem:

peratures of the surrounding air.

The most distinctive characteristlc of my fuel, resulting from the combination of qualities set out, above, and the greatest commercial advantage resulting from it, consists in the factthat it can be blended with any desired proportion of ordinary gasoline, naphtha, kerosene,or'burning oil, or alcohol, and when so blended, produces a homogeneous stable uniform motor fuel, the lighter parts of which do not evaporateto 1 any extent, and that can be used up to the last drop without experiencing any difficulty in the engine.

The method by which produce my new cracked distillate, is as follows The high boiling hydrocarbons be cracked,whether kerosene, gas oil, fuel oil,

etc., are preferably first heated and vaporized in a still, and these vapors then cracked in a cracking tube or retort, although they may be both vaporized and cracked in the 'retort,-the cracking temperature varying between 400 C. and alight red heat, ac-

cording to the nature of the high boiling 1 hydrocarbon to be cracked, but preferably usinga cracking temperature with gas oil,

.or fueloil, of between 500 C. and 700 (1.,

and with kerosene, of between 650 C. and 850 C. .No pressure is necessary in the cracking retort, although pressures may be used, but preferably not: in excess of fiftypounds to the square inch. Kerosene vapors mixed with nitrogen gas or anyfiinert gas passed through a cracking tube containing.

bone-black, or animal charcoal, heated to between 650 C. and 850 (l, and the re -sulting vapors mechanically .cimpressed to from 250 to 350 pounds to the square inchand=condensed, is converted intoa distillt containing a high tile olefines. As catalytic material, animal or vegetable charcoal may be used, as well as granulated coke, or other finely divided carbon. In fact, while not necessary, any porous refractory material may be used, such as, for instance, broken pottery, meerschaum, pumice-stone, magnesia, lime, clays, broken brick, fire brick, etc., or iron, wire, shavings, or filings. In any case, there should preferably be a porous mass of heated metallic or refractory material, substantially filling the heated part of the cracking tube or retort. Finely divided metals produced by the reduction of their oxides or salts, preferably finely divided iron, may also be used. Such finely divided metals, may also be coated upon metallic wires, filings, or other porous material, or made into associations, preferably with refractory materials substantially free from silica, such as lime, magnesia, baryta, etc. The hydrocarbons maybe passed over these metals or refractary substances either alone or mixed with a suitable inert gas. The cracking tube may be one inch in diameter or considerably larger, as desired, the limit of diameter being dependent upon the ability to heat the interior of the tube. Where the tube is filled with a porous metallic mass that is a good conductor of heat, much larger tubes may advantageously be used, such as from three to six inches in diameter. A large number of tubes may be inclosed in a reverberatory furnace. The cracking tube or retort need not be longer than ten feet and may be heated by gas, or electrically, or in any other suitable manner. The cracking tube or retort containing the refractory, or porous, or catalytic material, should preferably be vertical or inclined upward, and should be sufliciently high before the outlet for the vapors is reached, so that heavy hydrocarbon vapors not sufiiciently cracked by their first passage through the refractory or catalytic material, should condense in the cooler upper part of the tube and fall back through the refractory or catalytic material, with the result of being cracked still further. In other words, the cracking tube or retort should preferably be roughly divided into two parts, the first or lower heated part filled with the porous, or refractory, or catalytic material, and the second or progressively cooler part, up Which only the lighter hydrocarbon vapors will ascend to the outlet, the heavier vapors falling back into the heated part of the tube or retort. lVhere the cracking tube or retort is a vertical or an upward inclined one, the length of the tube filled. with porous or refractory catalytic material, may be considerably shorter than where the cracking tube or retort is a horizontal one. Where it is a horizontal tube, from eightto ten feet in length percentage of highly vola filled with refractory or catalytic material is desirable, but where the cracking tube is a vertical or upward inclined tube, even five feet of refractory or catalytic material is sufficient.

The cracking temperature in the retort is preferably maintained at a temperature at which the minimum evolution of gas and deposition of carbon is produced,that is to say, at a temperature of dissociation rather than of decomposition. I have found that decomposition,and the resulting formation of considerable quantities of aromatic hydrocarbons, terpenes, terpene-like hydrocarbons and other asphaltic or easily oxidizable hydrocarbons, and tarry or resinous matter and gas and carbon,is greatly reduced either by cracking the hydrocarbon vapors as they come over from the still orby using, as the raw material for cracking, a highboiling hydrocarbon distillate within a very narrow range of distillation, preferably a range of not over fifty degrees centigrade,- that is to say, a high boiling hydrocarbon with as near as possible to a constant boiling point. The cracking temperature can be regulated in any given case, roughly by observing the amount of gas and carbon or tarry matter produced at any given crack- .dioxide gas, which are present during the cracking operation and subsequently pass along with the cracked hydrocarbon vapors, first to a condenser and dephlegmator where the vapors are cooled and the high-boiling hydrocarbons above the desired point of cut are removed. The out can be made at any desired point between say 150 C. and 200 C., but preferably below 200 C. The hydrocarbon vapors not liquefiable at the point of cut, along with the fixed gases, are then subjected to mechanical compression, being preferably drawn into the cylinders of a suitable compresser and are there compressed in two or more stages to a pressure of from 250 to 600 pounds to the square inch, according to the character of the product desired to be obtained. For instance, for the production of a cracked distillate of a gravity between .73 and .75, approximately, and a bromine absorption number in excess of 100, and containing over twenty-five per cent of highly volatile naphthene hydrocarbons, the hydrocarbon vapors should preferablv be cracked at a temperature between 650 C. and 750 C., and a pressure of between 300 pounds and 350 pounds to the square inch should be maintained in the compresser, nitrogengas-or carbon dioxide,

i 45 tion in the mixture and only oxidize gradul' frOIILthe use Of g e- The S115- to the square inch.

-hydr'ocarbons in the mixture, I use prefer- .ably either hydrogen gas, or natural gas avy hydrocarbon distillate, so that a or methane gas, being used as the compres- 'with the cracked distillate, these being the sible medium. The compressed vapors and alcohols chiefly formed from the unsaturated gases are thereupon preferably allowed to cracked gases. y

cool by sudden expansion, passing through a C ked f el can be" blended a s With suitable condenser, the pressure during con m y 5 B g e andeven den'sation being preferably above atmos- 5% to 10% of my cracked distillate when pheric, and preferably about to pounds mixed, with 5 1011 ordinary gas e, astly I improves the volatility of the gasoline. It .The choice of fixed gas to be used'during an, h w v r, be mixed n p ly any the cracking and com ressing operation,-deproportions with gasoline, as well as-"n'aphpends entirely upon the character of the tha or kerosene, or even'he'avier oils, A product which Iimay' desire to produce. S lvent action seems to take place W th the Where I desire to produce a product conheavler oils, and the highly volatile hydrotaining a high content of highly volatile carbons contained in my ,cracked distillate ethylene hydrocarbons, I use preferably nia e p rmanently retained in the blend, and

trogen gas or anyother absolutely inert gas, do not work out or evaporate in the way in" such as carbonic acid gas (G0,); which does Whieh i a l g d h y P not enter into the chemical reaction at,the aflill, such as casing-head gas gasoline" and temperatures and pressures applied Where, kerosene, does. The highly volatile and however, I desire to reduce the content of a y ({ombustiblei g hydrocarbons, c. -v unsaturated. hydrocarbons in the mixture tamed in my cracked dlstlllate, carry comand to increase the percentage of parafiin Plete eombllstion t0 heaVieSt Y bons contained in the kerosene or other (which generally contains a considerable large p ge f y n V t content of hydrogen (H or mixed hydro- VBI 2 0 C. or 250 C. can be present in carbon hydrogenigdses resulting from a, my blended cracked at previous cracking operation. By compress allafi'ecting its value as a motor fuel, or its ing the hydrocarbon vapors to a high presm combllstlon Sure, i \approxmlagely f 400 t 500 Alcohol 1s susceptible to a compression of pounds,.in the presence of hydrogen gas, I as high as 150 pounds to the square inch have obtained a cracked distillate containing l p preignition and the olefines are susless than ten per cent ofunsaturated hydrop lble to a compression of 125 P U t0 arb My cr d nd t t i the square inch, or over, without preignition.

small percentage of asphaltic hydrocarbons, ing ethyl alcoh01 as a p h ugh terpenes, hemirterpenes, such as" isopren the heat units 1n a gallon of alcohol are only polyterpenes, and other terpene-like hydroone-half of the heat unlts contained in a galcarbons; These hemi-terpenes, terpenes and 1 of gasoline, the susceptibility gh polyterpenes, and even more unsaturated Compression of the alcohol enables }it, when hydroca b t k up Oxygen very il run 1n a high compresslon engine, to obtain and are easily converted into asphaltic or eflicie y 0f ab011t 35 where gasoline resinous or rubber-like colloidal bodies. W111 ly r lt In an efficiency of about 18%,

. Some of these colloidal bodies are yellowish so that the Power results derived m the even light lubricating oils, or alcohol, may a blend of my new fuel with kerosene, the 55 in color, while others are colorless. Some of e 0f a1e0h0l in a properly constructed enthese hydrcarbon colloids are held in solug e pr ctically the same as those oball on exposure t li ht ai ceptihility of my new fuel to this high comt i th b di th t a th o t 1 pressron without preignition, thus will enjectionable constituent of most unsaturated able 1t to develop much greater power in cracked distillates, and the chief reason why 'hlgh compression engines than 18 in the latter are not used in internal combusfrom it in the ordinary gasoline engines, tion i V WlllCh are adapted to only about 80 pounds Either gasoline, naphtha, kerosene, or of pressure to the square inch. Similarly, in

be used as a diluent of my motor fuel. susceptibility to high compression of my Where alcohol is used, it may be either ethyl, fuel more than offsets the inability to withpropyl, butyl, or am 1 or even higher alcostand high compression of the kerosene and hols of the C IL H series, or mixtures results in a fuel that is as susceptible, if not ,of two or more of such alcohols. Ethyl almore susceptible, to high compression than cohol boils at about 78 (1', propyl alcohol at gasoline. In the same way, the very low about 97 (3.,and amyl alcohol at about 135 flashing point of my fuel is uniformly dis- C. Mixtures of .-ethyl and propyl alcohol tributed throughout in the blend with kerowill generally boil below 90 C. I prefer, sene, producing a-blended motor fuel that however, an alcoholic mixture consisting has even a lower flashing point than ordichiefly of ethyl and propyl alcoholsto mix nary gasoline.

Below are set, out two distillation tables, number one (1) of a blend of of my primary cracked distillate (without alcohol) with 50% of ordinary 46 B. kerosene, obtained frbm the Standard Oil Works in New Jersey, and number two (2), a distillation table of a blend of one gallon of my cracked motor fuel (withoutalcohol) with three gallons of such export kerosene, together with brake horse power and fuel consumption tests made with each of these blended fuels. These two samples are only used as illustrations and not as limiting me to any specific percentage of blend. It is obvious that the percentage of the "two constituents, that is, of my primary cracked distillate and gasoline, or naphtha, or kerosene, can be blended in any proportion desired, e. g. from say 10% of kerosene with 90% of my cracked fuel to 5% of my cracked fuel with ordinary gasoline, or ten per cent with ordinary kerosene. The range of specific gravity of the resulting blends will be extremely wide and may range from approximately 65 B. down to approximately 40 13., or from .72 specific gravity to .82. Any figures given herein, both as to gravity, boiling points, flashing points, absorption numbers, etc., are simply by way of illustration and not by way of limitation. The infinite variety of the combination of my fuel with kerosene or with the heavier naphthas, or with alcohols, or alcoholic mixtures, is one of its distinguishing characteristics, as well as the fact that only a comparatively small percentage of it, when mixed with a high boiling distillate, such as kerosene, or with alcohol, produces a lowflashing motor fuel suitable for use in high speed internal combustion engines.

Another important characteristic of the blend of my cracked distillate with kerosene is that practically no difierent adjust- -ment is required for the carbureter than with ordinary gasoline.

Sample distillation table of a blended mimtare of 50% of amend motor fuel and 50% export kerosene and also of ordinary 60 B. to 60 B. gasoline.

Sample distillation table of a blended mimture of 50% of amend motor fuel and 50% eat-port kerosene and also of ordinary 60 B. to 62 B. gasoline-Continued.

NUMBER (1).

Amend o g g 62 E213...

en product, 50% lfi g export S 0 Co kerosene.

%offat1400 49.5 %ofiatl500 51.5 84 off at 160 C 53 Z, 011 at 170 C 55 off at 180 C 57 off at 190 60 off 64 00 68.5 01? 72. 5 off 76. 5 off 81.5 off at 250 85 off at 260.- C 88.5 ofi at 270 91 of! at. 86 93 of! 94 off at 300 95. 5 ofi at-310 C 97 (Dry point (Dry point NUMBER (2).

Test of motor fuel (50% Amend product and 501% export refd.). Object oftest-horse power and fuel consumption. Type of braheelectrio. Bra/ ee constant.000746. Motor asedMassniole-Phipps, bore 3-1/8 inches, stroke 4 inches.

Revo1ul gig Lbs Gallons Time of run tions Horse- 0 ed in fuel per fuel per in 'minutes. per power. B. H. P. B. H. P. minute. per hour per hour.

(lbs).

Test of ordinary gasolene (6060? Object of testhorsepowrer and fuel eonsamp-znlon. Type of brake-electric. Brake eonstant.000746. Motor ased dllassniclo-Phipps, bore 3-1/2 inches, stroke 4 in.

Amount Lbs. fuel Gals. Time of run gg Horseof fuel er fuel per in minutes. g power. used in B. P. B. H. P. run (lbs.). per hour. per hour.

It will be seen by comparison of the above tests that at 1600 and 1800 revolutions per minute higher horse power was developed by my blended cracked fuel than by the gasoaeeaoea line, and at most of the s eeds, considerably less of my blended cracked fuel was required perbrake horse power per hour than for gasoline, the fuel economy being particularly noticeable at revolutions of over 1400 per minute. In other words, my blended cracked fuel is a more economical fuel for high speed engines than gasoline.

Where a blend is made of two parts of my cracked distillate boiling say below 120 (J.

with one part ofkerosene, approximately sixty per cent of the. blended cracked distillate will distill below l l0 (1., about 50% below 100 (1., and about 40% below 90 C.

The specific gravity of these blended fuels, that is, those in which my cracked product is blended with a higher boiling hydrocarbon, will generally range between .75 and .80 (57 B. to. l4 B.) approximately.

In the accompanying drawing, the single figure shows, more or less diagrammatically, partly in section and partly in elevation, a substantially complete apparatus for carrying out the process and producing the products herein claimed.

Referring to the drawing, A is a still having an oil inlet a, and an inlet for inert-gas 6, extending to nearly the bottom of the still. The still is heated by. means of a submerged carbon electrode 0, preferably in tubular form, as shown, the said electrode being provided with suitable terminals d and c properly insulated from the walls of the still. The outlet at for the vapors from the still leads to a cracking tube or retort a containing animal or vegetable charcoal I), supported on a perforated false bottom [2 Retort a is preferably positioned in a chamber 0 containing molten lead 0Z kept in a molten condition by means of a suitable heater such as gas-burner 0 whereby the vapors from the still, entering retort a", are heated to the desired cracking temperature. The outlet B from the cracking retort a connects with a cooling coil or condenser C, positioned within a cooling jacket or casing E, said jacket being provided with a suitable inlet 2' and outlet j for the cooling agent, such as water. Positioned in outlet pipe B is a' pressure vlave D, whereby any desired pressure, preferably under 50 pounds, may be kept on the vapors within retort a during the cracking operation. Outlet from the condenser leads to a suitable trap or condensed liquid collector F, having a battle Z and a suitable draw-ofi pipe on. The trap .is provided with an outlet at for non-condensed gases or vapors, said outlet leading to a suitable compressor Gr, diagrammatically shown,

wherein said vapors or gases are compressed,

whence they pass through the outlet 0 of the compressor into an expansion chamber H. The effect of expanding the mixture of compressed gases and vapors in chamber l-T results in the reduction of the temperature pass, whereupon they may be subjected to such further use or treatment as is found desirable.

The operation of the apparatus will be readily understood from the hereinbefore detailed description of the invention, but it may be briefly described as follows. The high boiling hydrocarbons to be cracked, e. g., kerosene, gas oil, fuel oil, etc., having been introduced into still A, are heated and vaporized by means of the heated carbon electrode 0, whereupon the vapors pass into the cracking retort a The temperature in this retort may vary between 400 C. and a light red heat, depending upon the nature of the high boiling hydrocarbon to be cracked, but, preferably, a temperature is employed between 500 C. and 700 C., when operating on gas oil or fuel oil. but, when operating upon kerosene, the temperature ma be increased, say from 650 C. to 850 C. The desired temperature in the retort is readily secured by means of the lead bath described. No pressure is absolutely necessary in the cracking retort, although pressures may be used, but preferably not in excess of 50 pounds to the square inch. An inert gas, such as nitrogen, is introduced into still A through pipe I), and acts as a carrier in conducting the original oil vapors, or cracked products, through the system. The bone-black or animal charcoal b employed in retort a acts catalytically to assist the cracking operation. 5 heretofore stated, however, any suitable porous or refractory material may be employed in retort (L The subsequent treatment of the cracked vapors will be readily understood from the hereinbefore detailed description of the process and apparatus.

It will be understood that the products herein claimed may be produced in apparatus of a distinctly different type from that described, and that modifications may be made in the details of operation hereinbefore outlined,'without departing from the spirit or substance of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A colorless refined motor fuel, made from petroleum, having a specific gravity above .72, a bromine absorption number in ,excess of 50, a flashing point below 10 F,

not less than about fifty per cent of which fuel is volatile below C, said fuel being substantially free from terpenes and easily oxidi'Za-ble hydrocarbons and'from res nous colloidal matter.

2. A colorless refined motor fuel, made from petroleum, havinga specific gravity above .72, a bromine absorption number in excess of 50, havinga carbon to hydrogen ratio not in excess of 6.65 to 1, not less than seventy per cent of which fuel is volatile at temperatures below 100 (1., said fuel being substantially free from terpenes and easily oxidizablehydrocarbons, and from resinous colloidal matter.

3. A colorless motor fuel, made from petroleum, having aspecifie gravity above .73, a bromine absorption number in excess of 100, a flashing point below zero F., not less than fifty per cent of which fuel is volatile at temperatures below 80 C., and not less than seventy per cent of which fuel is volatile below 100 said fuel being substantially free from terpenes and resinous colloidal matter.

4. As a new motor fuel, a cracked petroleum distillate having a'specific gravity between .73 and .75, approximately, having a flashing point below zero. and a bromine absorption number above 100, over ninety per cent of said fuel distilling at temperatures below 125 (1., and over fifty per cent of said fuel distilling below 80 C.

5. A colorless petroleum product having a specific gravity between .72 and .745, consisting substantially of saturated hydrocarbons and ethylene hydrocarbons, and containing between twenty per cent and sixty-five per cent of ethylene hydrocarbons, and having approximately the following distillation table:

Fraction Total Temperature. per over cent. per cent.

Bet. 40 and C 5 5 Be. 50 and C 33 38 Bet. 60 and C 30 68 Bet. 70 and C 32 sorption number in excess of 50, a flashing point below 10 F., and a distillation range not less than between 60 (1. and (1., not less than seventy per cent of which product is volatile below 100 (1., and containing not less than twenty per cent of naphthene hydrocarbons volatile below 120 C., said product being substantially free from terpenes and resinous colloidal matter.

8. A motor fuel, made from petroleum, having a specific gravity above .74, and a bromine absorption number above 100, containing not less than thirty per cent of naphthene hydrocarbons volatile below 120 (1., over ninety per cent of said fuel being volatile below (1., and not less than fifty per cent of said fuel being volatile at temperatures below 80 (1., said fuel being substantially free from terpenes and easily oxidizable hydrocarbons, and from resinous colloidal matter.

9. A colorless motor fuel, made from pctroleum, having a specific gravity above .74, a bromine absorption number in excess of 125, a flashing point below zero F., over fifty per cent of which fuel is volatile at temperatures below 80 C., containing not less than thirty per cent of naphthene hydrocarbons, and free from terpenes and resinous colloidal matter.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

OTTO P. AMEND.

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