US1520804A - Process and apparatus for making oil gas - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 30, 1924. 1,520,804

c. R. BURKE ET AL PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING OIL GAS ,Fild Sept. 16. 1922 844/0034 ms 6%077Zw 3,2350%6, 7 /zoi/m [Ff/2 72226 Patented De'c, 30, 1924..

arm); STA-E ATENT orica.

CHARLES R. BURKE, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA, AND THOMAS F. HINTZE, OF ARROWCHAR, NEW YORK; SAID BURKE ASSIGNOR OF HIS RIGHT TO LOUISE P. BURKE, OF TULSA,

OKLAHOMA.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING OIL GAS.

Application filed September 16, 1922. Serial No. 588,686.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that CHARLES R. BURKE and THOMAS F. Hm'rzn, citizens of the United States, residing at Tulsa, in the county of 5 Tulsa and State of Oklahoma, and at Arrowchar, county of Kings, Staten Island, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes and Apparatus for Making Oil Gas; and they do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in the methods of producing a low boiling point hydrocarbon product such'as gasoline,

naphtha or -benzol, and a gas for heating or illuminating purposes from high boiling 29 point hydrocarbons, and is in the nature of an improvement on the subject matter disclosed in the patent granted to C. R. Burke on September 6, 1921, No. 1,389,934.

1 The invention also includes the apparatus designed for, carrying out the process. I

The primary object of the invention is to greatly increase the production of gas, while producing the low boiling point hydrocarbon products, the process for producing both being practically continuous.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for carefully regulating the operation in order that the production of the low boiling point product and gas may be produced as desired by the operator.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features and steps hereinafter described in detail in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, and more particularly pointed .out in the appended claims.

The drawing is a diagrammatic view of 4 one form of a complete apparatus for carrypump 7 has an outlet pipe 10provided with designates a suitable.

a pulsator 11. The pipe ,10 terminates ina header 12 forming part of a suitable converter, retort or still 13. The header 12 is provided with valved extensions or branches 14 connected to the pipes 15 of the still, and the lower ends of these pipes are connected .to vertical conduits 16 that communicate with an upper header 17 and a lower tank 18. The pipes 15 extend through a suitable heating apparatus 19 in which a temperature is preferably maintained suflicient to crack or convert the oil passing through said pipes.

It is sometimes desirable to introduce the contracted or restricted lower end 25 of a holder 26, which forms an important element of the. apparatus disclosed in the Burke patent mentioned above. This holder is preferably capable of holding one hundred per cent or more of the amount charged to the converter or still 13 in twenty-four.

hours, and as set forth in said patent, a large amount of the vapor rising from the still condenses in this holder and forms'a strata or cushion of condensate through which other vapors from the still must pass in order to be discharged from the holder. The lighter vapors from said holder pass off by way of the pipe 27 to a condenser 28, and the condensate fro-m this condenser en'- ters a trap 29 having an outlet pipe 30 which conducts the condensate to a storage tank 31. The gas which passes through the condenser 28 enters a pipe 32, which conveys the same to an accumulator tank 33, referred to hereinafter. A pipe 34 extends from the trap 29 to a skimming tank 35.

It is desirable at suitable times to remove heavier condensate from the holder 26, in

order to utilize said condensate for the production of a fixed gas.

To permit this withdrawal of the condensate, the contracted neck 25 of the holder'isprovided with an outlet pipe 36 leading to the pumping chamher of the pump 6. This pump chamber has an outlet pipe 37 leading to a header 38 forming part of a second converter 39. The header 38 is provided with valved extensions 40 connected to-the upper ends of converter tubes 41 having enlarged lower portions 42, which are connected to conduits 43. These conduits have their lower ends connected to 'a sludge tank 44 and their upper ends connected to a header 45 communicating with. a gas outlet pipe 46. I It is also preferred to feed water into the pipes 41 simultaneously with the introduction of the condensate from the holder 26. and to permit this the pump 8 has'a water conveying pipe 47 extending to a superheater coil 48, which has an outlet pipe 49 connected to the upper ends of the tubes 41.

- The second converter 39 has a heating apparatus 50, in which the heat is maintained at a degree sufliciently high to convert the oil or oil and steam in the tubes 41 to a fixed gas, and as before stated, this gas passes oil by way of the pipe 46 to a condenser 51 having an outlet trap 52. A pipe 53 conveys the gas and any condensate which has not been gasified to the accumulatortank 33. The

condensate from this tank flows through the pipe 54 to receivers 55. The trap' 52 also has an outlet pipe 56 extending to the skimming tank 35. v

The fixed gas passes from the accumulator tank 33 through a pipe 57 provided with an exhauster 58, and this pipe extends to a scrubber 59 having a pipe 60 leading to a gas holder 61, in which the fixed gas may be stored.

It will be noted from the drawing that the various pipes, tubes, conduits, etc, are provided with suitable valves to permit the proper regulation of the apparatus.

' Attention is also called to the fact that the heat applied to the converter 13 is lower than that applied to the converter 39, the temperature in'the former being maintained, after preliminary operations, at from 700 F., to 900 F, and the temperature in the converter 39, after preliminary operations, being maintained at from 1,000 F. to 1,500 E, or at a higher temperature as may be required. 1

The converter 13 acts mainly for the purpose of converting the higher boiling point hydrocarbons to gasoline, naphtha or benzol for instance, while the converter 39 changes the heavier hydrocarbon vapors delivered from the holder 26 into the fixed gas for heating and illuminating purposes.

It will be understood that the condensate from the holderlmaybe permitted to return to the converter '13 or be passed into the pipe 36, by simply regulating the proper valves.

It is also to be noted that the enlarged portions 42 of the converter tubes 41 are located in What may be termed the heat Z0116,

wherein the vapors are particularly converted into the desired illuminating gas or heating gas. These enlargements 42 form expansion chambers in which the oil vapors, capable of becoming converted into a fixed gas at the temperature employed, may be said to automatically become such a gas due itsexpansion in the zone of highest temperature.

When the oil introduced into the converter 1 3 is mixed with superheated water, we have practically an emulsion of oil and water, and then advantage may be taken of the expanding action of the superheated water into steam to aid in the prevention of the accumulation of carbon, and the water alio acts as a vehicle for the transit of the o1 The tanks 18 and 44 function as carbon, coke or sludge receptacles and they are provided with outlet pipes 62 to permit the said substances to be drawn off when required.

In practicing the process, we havefor example, subjected mid-continental residual to decomposition above 700 F. in converter 13 and we thus produced;

7.0'per cent gas.

21.0 per cent gasoline.

, 56.0 per cent distillate.

16.0 per cent fuel oil and waste.

We then passed the distillate (56%) to converter 39 and produced;

55.0 per cent gas. 30.0 per cent distillate. 15.0 per cent' fuel oil.

Therefore, a complete summary of the full cycle was as follows;

37.8 per cent gas.

21.0 per cent gasoline.

24.4 per cent gas oil.

16.8 per centfuel oil and waste.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of the apparatus, and the steps and advantages of the method may be clearly understood by those skilled in the art, and it is apparent that various changes may be made in the apparatus and method without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the claims.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A method of producing a relatively large percentage of fixed gas and a relatively small percentage of low boiling point by-products from high boiling point hydrocarbons consisting in subjecting high boiling point hydrocarbons to a temperature sufficient to crack at least a portion of the same, separating the lighter vapors from the heavier condensate, condensing the light vapors to form a light distillate or low boiling point by-product, and directly subjecting the heavier condensate without substantial loss of heat at substantially atmospheric pressure to a heat suflicient to decompose said heavier condensate and convert the major portion only of the same into a fixed gas and a substantial minor portion into fuel oil.

2. A method of producing a relatively large percentage of fixed gas and a relatively small percentage of low boiling point byproducts from high boiling point hydrocarbons, consisting in subjecting high boiling point hydrocarbons to a temperature suf-j ficient to crack at least a portion of the same, separating the lighter vapors from the heavier condensate, condensing the light vapors to form a light distillate or low boiling point by-product, mixing the heavier condensate with aqueous fluid, and directly subjecting said mixture without substantial loss of heat at substantially atmospheric pressure to a heat suflicient to decompose said heavier condensate and convert the major portion only of the same into a fixed gas arid a substantial minor portion into fuel 01 3. A method of producing a relatively large percentage of fixed gas and a relatively small percentage of low boiling point byproducts from high boiling point hydrocarbons, consisting in subjecting high boiling point hydrocarbons to a temperature suflicient to crack at least a portion of the same, separating the lighter vapors from the heavier condensate, condensing the light vapors to form a light distillate or low boiling point by-product, mixing the' heavier condensate with an aqueous fluid, and directly subjecting the mixture without substantial loss of heat at substantially atmospheric pressure and while permitting the same toexpand, to a heat suflicient to de compose said mixture and convert the 1na-,

jor portion only of the same into a fixed gas and a substantial minor portion into fuel oil.

4. In the art of treating high boiling point hydrocarbon oils, a method which consists in maintaining a body of hydrocarbon liquid in a holder, vaporizing the high boiling point hydrocarbon oil and conducting the vapor into said hydrocarbon liquid in the holder at a point below the surface of the liquid therein, permitting the hot vapors to rise freely in the oil in said holder, thereby heating the last mentioned oil and at the same time condensing high boiling point fractions of the vapor, conducting the light vapor from the surface of the oil in the holder and condensing said vapor, withdrawing the condensed oilfrom the holder, and directly subjecting saidcondensed oil without substantial loss of heatiand at at.- mospheric pressure, to heat sufficient to 0011- vert the major portion only of the same into a products from high boiling point hydro carbons, consisting in subjecting high boil-- ing point hydrocarbons to a temperature suificient to vaporize the same, subjecting the lighter vapors resulting from said vaporization to condensation in order to produce a low boiling poifit product, condensing the heavier vapors resulting from said vaporization, and directly subjecting the condensate from the heavier vapors without substantial loss of heat at substantially atmospheric pressure to a heat suflicient to decompose said condensate and convert the major portion only of the same into a fixed gals and a substantial minor portion into fuel 01 6. A method of producing a relatively large percentage of fixed gas and a relatively small percentage of low boiling point by-p'roducts from high boiling point hydrocarbons, consistng in subjecting high boiling point hydrocarbons to a temperature suflicient to vaporize the same, passing. said vapors continuously into a holder wherein a cushion of condensate is maintained, pass-- ing lighter vapors from said holder to a condenser and condensing the same to produce a low boiling point by-product, permitting the'heavier vapors resulting from said vaporization to condense in said holder, passing condensate from, said holder to a converter, and directly subjecting said condensate without substantial loss of heat at substantially atmospheric pressure to a heat sufiicient to decompose sa d heavier condensate and convert the major portion only of the same into a fixed gas and a sub-- stantial minor portion into fuel oil.

7. A method of producing a relatively large percentage of fixed gas'and a relatively small percentage of low boiling point byproducts from high boiling point hydrocarbons, consi'st'ng in subjecting high boiling point hydrocarbons to a temperature sufiicient to vaporize the same, then subjecting said vapors while in their course through heated zones to suflicient heat to convert at least a portion of the same into a fixed gas, passing said gas and vapors into a holder and maintaining in sa'd holder a body ofhydrocarbon liquid formed by the conden-fl vert the major portion only of the same into a fixed gas and a substantial minor portion into fuel oil.

8.'An apparatus for the purpose de.

verter operatively connected to said holder and having tubes provided with enlarged outer end portions to permit expansion of the material treated in the same, and a condenser connected to the outlet of the second converter.

9. An apparatus for the purpose described comprising a first converter hav'ng inclined tubes through which the material treated may flow by gravity, a restricted outlet pipe connected-to the lower ends of said tubes, a holderconnected to the outlet end of said pipe and arranged to permit condensate from the holder to flow by gravity from the holder to said tubes, a condenser, a pipe for conveying light vapors from the upper end of sa d holder to said condenser, an accumulator tank, a pipe connecting the outlet of said condenser to said accumulator tank for conveying gas from the condenser to the tank, a second converter having tubes produced with enlarged'portions to permit material passing through the same to expand,;a pipe connecting the lower portion of the holder to the inlet ends of the second converter tubes, a second condenser, a second'pipe connecting the outlet ends of the second converter tubes to the second con denser, and a pipe connecting the outlet'end ofthe second condenser to sad tank.

lin testimony whereof We affix our signatures.

CHARLES R, BURKE. THOMAS F. HINTZE.

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