US1532456A - Apparatus for separating composite oils into component parts - Google Patents

Description

April 7, 1925.

F. E. VAN TILBURG APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING COMPOSITE OILS INTO COMPONENT PARTS Filed June 14, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNE Y6.

April 7, 1925.

. F. E. vAN TILBURG APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING COMPOSITE OILS INTO COMPNENT PARTS Filed June 14, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 AUXILIARY STILL V we .Z'zvv/VTOR; FRAN/f E. VAN 7h30/eq BY Patented Apr. 7, 1925.

FRANK E. VAN TILBURG, OF MINNEAPOLIS. MINNESOTA.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING COMPOSITE OILS INTO COMPONENT PARTS.

Application filed . Tune 14, 1923. Serial. No. 645,262.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. Fiumi E. VAN 'ITIL- BURG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements .in Apparatus for Separating Composite 011s into Component Parts, of w-hich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for separating composite oils into component parts. More particularly, it relates to separating the lighter petroleum products from the heavier lpetroleum products of crude oil. The objects of the invention are to increase the yield of gasoline or lighter products and to reduce the fuel consumption required for theoperation. The invention is based on the principle I when once separated from the origlnal mass of crude oil should not again be mixed with a heavier distillate or be allowed to mix with the original mass for the reason thatit requires less heat to re-distill the light d1stillates when not mixed with heavier distillates than it requires when the lighter distillates are allowed to flow back into the still to mix with the original mass and be redistilled when the mass reaches a higher temperature. The invention is also based upon the well known fact that when there is only a comparatively small difference in temperature between the initial boiling point and the end point of the distillate, it is possible to recover a lalger percentage of light petroleum product or obtain an increased yield of products of what is known as low end points or low boiling points such as gasoline and naptha. By end point is meant that characteristic of a so-called distillate which indicates the temperature at which the last of any particular sample is carried off in gaseous form. The general rey finery practice has been to re-run the lighter distillatesirecovered from crude oil whose end points are higher than those of gasoline and when this is done, it requires extra fuel to bring the distillatespto the temperature required for vaporization. In refineries which employ what tinuous system or a battery of stills consisting of two or more, it has been customary to allow the distillates which flow back from the vapor -lines of the stills to go into the original mass of oil with the result. that these distillates becomeV mixed with the Athat a petroleum distillatel is known as the con-v original mass. It requires greater heat to re-distill them when thus mixed than it does to re-distill them when kept separate. In order to' accomplish the objects of my invention, I provide a battery of stills and associated dephlegmators, and pass the condensatewhich forms in the rst dephlegmator toa pan in the second dephlegmator, and from there on through pan-'s in the other dephlegmators and then into an auxiliary still in which the condensate is subjected to the heat of the vapors coming from one or more of the main stills without bringing such vapors into contact with the condensate that is being re-distilled or in contact with thc vapors from such condensate. I also provide for passing the vapors from the auxiliary still to one or more of the dephlegmators. Further, I contemplate utilizing the heat from any one ofthe stills for the rc-distillation of the condensate thatl is allowed to flow back through pans in the dephlegmators to the auxiliary still.

The full objects and advantages of my in'- vcntion will appear in connection with the detailed description, and the novel features of my inventive idea will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the operation of my` invention,-

Fig. 1 is a View partly in vertical section and partly in side elevation showing an apparatus forcarrying ont my invention. Fig. 2 is a view -in vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3 showing an auxiliary still. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

As shown in the drawings, I provide a plurality of stills or boilers 10, 12, 14,16 and 18 -which are placed above lire boxes 20, 22, 24, 2G, and 28, respectively, which furnish heat for vaporizing the oils in the stills. The composite oil to be separated is fed into the first still in suitable manner as by means of' a pipe 30 and the stills are connected in series by pipes 32, 34, 3G, and 38. Pipes 40, 42, 44, and 4G connect the upper portions of the stills 10, l2, 14, and 16 respectively with dephlegmators 48, 50, 52, and 54, these pipes entering the dephlegmators somewhat above the bottoms thereof. From the tops of the dephlegmators, pipes 56, 58, and 62 lead to condensers (not shown) which lnay be of any suitable or customary type. Associated with the still 18 is an auxiliary still which includes a casing' G4 within which is a tubular structure having upper and lower heads 66 and 68 joined by a plurality of tubes 70 and extending through the heads so as to connect with upper and lower chainbers 72 and 74. The chamber 74 is connected by a pipe 76 with the upper portion of the still 18, this pipe having a shutoff cock 78 and also having a number of branch pipes 80 which may be connected to different stills. The pipes 80 are provided with shutoff cocks 82. The upper chamber 7 2 is connected by a pipe 84 with a pipe 86, one end of the latter being connected with the upper portion of the still 18 and the other end being connected to a condenser (not shown). A shutoff cock 88 is provided in the pipe 86 between its connection with the pipe 84 and the still 18. From the chamber 74 a pipe 90 leads to a customary run-down tank and this pipe is' connected by a branch pipev92 with a pan 94 supported in the upper portion of a shutoff cock 102.

the still 18. The pipe 92 is provided with a sluit off cock 96 and the pipe 90 below its junction with the pipe 92 is provided with a shutoff cock 98. The space surrounding the pipes 70 between the heads 66 and 68 is connected by a pipe 100 with a customary rundown tank, and this pipe Ais provided with Extending through the side wall of the auxiliary still casing 64 is a pipe 104 whose inner end portion 106 is bent downwardly so that the extended lower end is located slightly above the head 68. The pipe 104 outside of the casing 64 is downwardly inclined and its extreme end is located in a pan 108 supported in the upper portion of the first still 10. A pipe 110 leads back from the bottom of the dephlegmator 48 into the pan 108. A pipe 112 connects the bottom of the dephlegmator with the pipe 104 and a branch pipe 114 connects the pipe 112 with a pan 116 supported iu the upper portion of the still 12. The pipe 114 is provided with a shutoff cock 118, the, pipe 112 below its junction with the pipe 114 is provided with a shutoff cock 120, and the pipe 104 beyond its connection with the pipe 112 is provided with a shutoff" cock 122. A pipe 124 connects the bottom of the dephlegmator 52 with the pipe 104, and a branch pipe 126 connects the pipe 124 with a pan 128 supported in the upper portion of the still 14. The pipe 126 is provided with a shutoff cock 130, the pipe 124 below its junction with the pipe 126 is prov vided with a shutoff cock 132, and the pipe 104 beyond its connection with the pipe 124 is provided with a shutoff cock 134. A pipe 136 connects the bottom of the dephleginator 54 with the pipe 104 and a branch pipe 138 connects the pipe 136 with a pan 140 supported in the upper portion of the still 16. The pipe 138 is provided with a shutoff cock 142, the pipe 136 below its junction with the pipe 138 is provided with a shutoff cock 144,

the still 18 when the cock and the pipe 104 beyond its connection with the pipe 136 is provided with a shutoff cock 146. The pans 108, 116, 128, and 140 are connected in series by downwardly inclined pipes 148, 150, 152. Supported in the lower portions of the dephlegmators 48, 50, 52, and 54 are pans 154, 156, 158 and 160, respectively, which are connected in series by pipes 162, 164, and 166 except the pan 160 is connected by a pipe 168 with the space in the auxiliary still casing 64 between the heads 66 and 68. The pipe 46 previously referred to instead of being connected directly to the dephlegmators 54 is connected to a pipe 170 which connects this dephleginator with the space between the heads 66 and 68- in the auxiliary still. dephlegmator 54 is connected by a pipe 172 with the pipe 104 and the pipe 172 is provided with a shutoff cock 174. The operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood in connection with the forgoing description. It should be borne in mind that the temperature of the first still is maintained at about 300 F.. and that the temperature of the other stills in succession is increased progressively succeeding still, and

about 750 F. for each that. a corresponding progressive lncrease in The pan 160 in the heat is maintained in the associated dephleginators. When the cock 88 is closed and the cock T8 is open, vapors forming in the still 18 are caused `to pass through the pipe 76 and through the tubes in the auxiliary still 64. From the chamber 72 at the top ot the still, these vapors pass through pipe 84 and back into the pipe 86 on their way to the condenser. Condensates which forni in the dephlegniators are received in the pans 154, 156, 158 and 160 and flow through the connecting pipes 162, 164, 166 and 168 into the space between the heads 66 and 68 in the auxiliary still where these coudensates are subjected to the action of the hot vapors rising thriiugh tubes 70. 'lhe portions of the condeusates thus rc-distilled pass out through the pipe 170 and into the dephlegniator 5t. lt is apparent that vapors from other stills besides the still 18 may be passed through the pipes into the auxiliary still 64 before they are delivered to the condenser. Any condensate forming in the pipes 70 will collect in the chamber T4 from which the condensate may pass through the pipe to a run-down tank when the cock 98 is open or through the branch pipe 92 tothe pan 94 in 96 is open, and the cock 98 is closed. The condensate collected in the pan 94 will be re-distilled by the heat in the still 18. Condensate forming in the space between the heads 66 and 68 and around the pipes 70 will be allowed to passl through the pipe to a run-down tank when the cock 102 is opened, while it this cock is closed lUtl the condensate will collect in the. space between the heads and will pass on through the pipe 104 and be delivered to the pan 108` in the first still in case the cocks 122, 134, and 146 are all open. Any condensate which overflows the pans 154, 156, 158 and 160 in the respective dephleginators will drop to the bottom ot the de-y phlegmator. The condensate in the bottom of the dephlegmator 48 will How through the pipe 110 into the pan 108. It the cocks 120, 122, 132, 134, 144 and 146 are all open, the condensate in the bottom of the dephlegmators 50,. 52, and 54 will flow through the pipe 104 into the pan 108. It the cock 144 is closed and the cock 142 is open, the condensate in the bottom ot the dephlegmator 54 will flow through fthe pipe 138 into the pan 140. At the same time it' the condensate is passing into the pipe 104 from the auxiliary still 64 this condensate will continue down the pipe 104 if the cock 146 is open. It' now the cock 146 be closed and the cock 144 be opened, the condensate coming down the pipe 104 will pass through the pipe 138 into the pan 140. It the cock 132 1s closed and the cock 130 is open, the condensate in' the bottom ofthe dephlegmator 52 will How through lthe pipe 126 into the pan 128. At the same time, it' any condensate is passing into the pipe 104 from the auxiliary still 64, this condensate will continue down the pipe 104 if the, cock 134 is open. It, however. the cock 134 is closed and the cocks 132 and 146 are opened. the condensate coming down the pipe 104 will pass through the pipe 126 into the pan 128. The connections with the dephlegmator 50 may be similarly operated to direct the condensate into the pan 116.

vUpon opening the cock 174, the condensate in the pan 160 including that which passes Ithereinto from the pans 154, 156, and 158 instead ot passing to the auxiliary still 64 will pass down the. pipe 172 into the pipe 104 and thence into the pan 108 in the still l0. By the employment ot' the., auxiliary still 64. 1 utilize the heat ot' the vapors for redistilling the condensate. The condensates collect in the pans in the earlier stills and dephlegmators and pass on to pans in succeeding stills and dephlegmators where they are subjected to progressively increasing degrees of heat. l'The employment of my invention increases the yield of gasoline, saves fuel, and increases the capacity of the plant.

I claimz 1. Apparatus for separating composite i oils 'into component parts comprising a plurality of main stills, nected with said stills, a pan in each of said dephlegmators for collecting condensate formed therein, pipes connecting said pans in series, an auxiliary still, a pipe connectingt the last one of said pans with said auxiliary still for conducting the condensate by heat of said vapors,-

dephlegmators conthereinto, means for conducting vapors from one of said main stills into said auxiliary still for redistilling the condensate therein and means in said auxiliary still for preventing said vapors from coming into .contact with said condensate.

2. Apparatus for separating composite oils into component parts comprising a plurality of main stills, dephlegmators connected with said stills, a pan in each ot said dephlegmators for collecting the condensate formed therein, pipes connecting said pans in series, an auxiliary still, a pipe connecting the last one of said pans with said auxiliary stillfor conducting condensate thereinto, means for conducting vapors from one ot said main stills into said auxiliary still for redistilling the condensate therein by the heat of said vapors, means in said auxiliary still for preventing said vapors from coming in contact with said condensate, and means for conducting the vapors formed in said auxiliary still t-o the dephlegmator connected with one of said main stills.

3. Apparatus for separating composite oils into component parts comprising a plurality of main stills, dephlegmators connected with said stills, a pan in each of said dephlegmators for collecting the condensate formedtherein, pipes connecting said pans in series, an auxiliary still, a pipe connecting the last one of said pans with said auxiliary still for conducting lcondensate thereinto, means for conducting vapors from one of said main stills into said auxiliary still for re-distilling the condensate therein by the heat of said vapors, means in said auxiliary still for preventing said vapors from coming in contact with said condensate,mea1is for conducting the vapors formed in said auxiliary still to the dephlegmator connected with one ot said main stills, and means for conductingr reflux condensate. from said auxiliary still to one ot' said main stills.

4. Apparatus for separating composite oils into component parts comprising a plurality of main stills, a pan in the upper portion of each of said main stills, ipes connecting said pans in series, deph egmators connected with said stills, a pan in each of said dephlegmators for collecting the condensate ,formed therein, pipes connecting said last-named pans in series, means for trapping back into the pans in said stills overflow from the pans in said dephlegmators, an auxiliary still, a pipe connecting the last one ot the pans in said deplilegmators with said auxiliary still for -conduct-ing the condensate thereinto, means for conducting vapors from one of said main stills into said auxiliary still for redistilling the condensate therein by the heat of said vapors, means in said auxiliarystill for preventing said vapors from'coming in contact with said condensate, means for con-v ducting the vapors formed in said auxiliary still to the dephlegmator connected with one of said main stills, and means for conducting reflux condensate from said auxilia still to the pan in one of said main stills.

Apparatus for separating composite oils into component parts comprising a plurality of main stills, a pan in the upper portion of each of said main stills, pipes connecting' said pans in series, dephlegmators connected with said stills, a pan in each of said dephlegmators'for collecting the condensate formed therein, pipes connecting said pans in series, andmeans for trapping back into the pans in saidstills overflow from the pans in said dephlegniators.I

In testimony whereof I hereunto signature.

FRANK E. VAN TILBURG.

affix my 2-

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