US1647367A

US1647367A - Method of and apparatus for lifting oils

Info

Publication number: US1647367A
Application number: US41573A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gustav A Kramer
Original assignee: SIMPLEX REFINING Co
Current assignee: SIMPLEX REFINING Co
Priority date: 1925-07-06
Filing date: 1925-07-06
Publication date: 1927-11-01
Anticipated expiration: 1944-11-01

Description

' Nb'v. 1, 1927.

a. A. KRAMER METHOD OF AND APPARATUS F08 LIFTING OILS Filed July 6. 1925 l umR 1 QQO IIII/ i'llllll II/III. v

Gasmv A. KRAMER, a8?- Patented Nov. 1, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAV A. KRAMER, OIEv CONCORD, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

T SDIIPLEX REFI'NING COMPANY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A. CORPORA- TION OF CALIFORNIA.v

IMIEITHOID OIE'JANT) APPARATUS FOR LIETIN G OILS..'

Applicationfll'ed July 6,1925. Serial No. 41,573.

My invention relates to the art of oil refining and more particularly to a novel means of raising oil from one level to another, and it has a peculiar utility in lubrlcating oil refining plants operating under high vacuum. The handling of 0118 1n vacuum plants by mechanical pumps presents certain difficulties especially since it is extremely hard to'keep'packed joints tight when pumping liquid at 'the'high temperatures used in such plants, and some leakage through such joints may be anticipated.

" In lubricating oil plants operating under high vacuum any such leakage is especially l5 objectionable since it results in the vacuum pulling air into the system. Many lubricating oil plants are operated at absolute pressures below 25 millimetersof mercury and even relativel small amounts of air leaking into such a p ant not only combine with the oil to produce objectionable compounds 1n the oil but also produce gaseous products which have a large volume due to the low absolute pressure.v Since .the gaseous products are not condensible but must be removed by the vacuum pumps, this necessitateslarge pumps and makes it diflicult to maintain the vacuum. V

It is an object of the present invention to provide means to lift 011 from one level to another without the use of mechanically operating pumps, and with the practical certainty that no air will be introduced into the oil as it is lifted even when the oil is subjected to high temperatures and extremely low absolute pressures.

This is accomplished by maintaining a static head on the lower end of the column of oil which is to be lifted and by lightening the column of oil by injecting therein a material which is in the gaseous state at the temperature and pressure maintained insaid column, this material being injected either as a liquid or a vapor. This admixture of gas lightens the average specific gravity of the column and allows the static head to force the oil therein to flow upwardly. Obviously the material used mustnot have an injurious effect on' the oil and should prefer ably be chemically inert with relation tothe oil.

It is a further object of the invention. to provide means by which hot oil may be readily pumped, the term hot oil being a temperature of use as a lifting medium a material which assumes a gaseous or more properly a vapor state at the temperature and pressure in they column but whichis of such a nature that it may be readily condensed and withdrawn as a, liquid.

Fortunately we have available a material which is particularly suitable for this purpose, and in the practical operation of the invention, when used to liftoil in a vacuum lubricating oil refining plant, steam is preferably used since it is inert with relation to the oil, is a gas at the temperature and pressure at which the oil is refined, and is readily condensible. Other vapors such as those of gasoline or other light hydrocarbons might be used, but in practice steam is usually preferable.

Further objects and advantages will be made evident hereinafter.

Referring to the drawing which is for illustrative purposes only,

Fig. 1 illustrates a portion of a battery of Olll stills equipped with my invention, the various elements of the apparatus being old inltlhe art and being illustrated diagrammatica y.

Fig. 2 is a section through the steam injection nozzle used in my invention.

In the apparatus illustrated in the draw ing I show a pair of

stills

10 and 11 which may be part of a battery of such devices. I also show a heater 12, a separator 13. and a vacuum producing apparatus 14. The

stills

10 and 11 maybe cylindrical or spherical and are preferably provided with

domes

20 and 21. Oil is delivered to the still 10 through a p pe 22 having a valve 23, vapor being taken from the top of the still through a pipe 24. The pipe 24 leads to the vacuum producing device 14 which may consist of a separating chamber 25 into which the vapor is conducted, this chamber 25 being provided with a spray-nozzle 26 through which water is forced from a pipe 27 having a a coil of pipe 44 therein and a heating device such as an oil burner 42 which is controlled by a valve 43. In the coil 44 of the heater 12 the oil may be heated and'delivered to a feeder this feeder consisting of a long pipe extending downwardly and connecting at its lower end 51 with a riser 52. A jacket 53 surrounds the riser 52 near its lower end, the riser being perforated inside the jacket 53 as shown at 54 in Fig. 2. Steam is delivered to the jacket 53 through a pipe 55 controlled by a valve 56, the steam mixing with the oil in the riser and moving upwardly therewith into the separator 13.

The separator 13 may beof any convenient form suitable to separate liquid from a mixture of steam, oil and gases. The separated liquid is delivered from the bottom of the separator into a pipe having two branches and 61, the branch 60 having a valve 62 and the branch 61 having a. valve 63. The branch 60 communicates with the dome 20 of the still 10 and the branch 61 communicates with the dome 21 of the still 11. The top of the separator is connected by a pipe 65 with the pipe 24. The dome 21 is connected through a pipe 66 with the pipe 24. The still 11 is provided with an outlet pipe 67 having a Valve 68.

The method of operation is as follows:

The still 10 being charged through the pipe 22, the vale 23 may be closed and a vacuum may be drawn on the still by the use of the pump 32, the valves 28 and 68 being closed. The oil tends to flow downwardly through the pipe 40 into the feeder 50 through the furnace 12. Steam being injected through the openings 54 into the riser 52 tends'to cause the oil to flow therein due to an unbalanced pressure between the feeder 50 and the riser 52. The fluid in the riser 52 containing a large number of. bubbles of steam has a much smaller unit weight than the liquid in the feeder 50 and there is a consequent downward flow through the feeder 50 and an upward flow through the riser 52. The steam acting upon the oil in the riser 52 tends to promote a distillation thereof. In the separator 13 any steam and uncondensed gas or vapors are separated from the oil. which may be returned throughthe valve 62 and the branch 60 to the still 10. It is obviously possible by continuing the injection of steam to cause the oil to continuously circulate outwardly through the pipe 40 and back to the still through the branch 60. The oil is heat.- ed in the furnace 12 by means of externally applied heat and is maintained at such temperature that no condensation of steamoc ours in the riser 52.

The lubricating oil vapors are withdrawn through the pipe 24 and are condensed in the chamber 25 by means of the water spray 26. The -still 10 may also be externally heated. After the distillation has proceeded to a certain degree it is sometimes desired to transfer the charge from the still 10 into the still 11, which can be readily accomplished by closing the valve 62 and openin the valve 63. Due to the lifting action 0 the steam injected into the riser 52, the oil is withdrawn from the still 10 through the pipe 40 and is passed through the heater 12 to the feeder 50 passing upwardly through the riser 52 into the separator 13. In the separator 13 the oil is freed from gas, steam and other vapors and is delivered through the valve 63 to the branch 61 into the still 11. In the still 11 the distillation may be continued.

It will be noted that by the use of the riser 52 into which I inject steam, I am able to provide for a flow of hot oil either from the still 10 through the'heater 12 and back to the still 10, or from the still 10 through the heater 12 to the still 11. The use of steam in this manner is particularly advantageous in vacuum distillation, in which the presence of steam is highly desirable. It may be also accomplished with an extremely small weight of steam due to the large volume of the steam at the temperatures employed in the vacuum distillation of lubricating oil and the high vacuums maintained therein.

In practice I may maintain the space 25 atan absolute pressure as low as 25 mm. of mercury and the temperature of the oil in the

stills

10 and 11 may be in excess of 300 F. At these high vacuums and high temperatures it is extremely difficult to circulate oil using mechanical pumps, and my invention provides a ready means for elevating hot oil from one level to another, or for circulating it through any desired piece of apparatus. I claim as my invention:

1. An apparatus for moving hot oils from a lower to a higher level which comprises:

a feeder conducting oil downwardly from said lower, level for establishing a static head; a riser connected at its lower end to the lower end of said feeder; means for introducing steam into said riser near the lower end thereof; and means for maintaining the fluids in said riser at such a tempera ture and pressure that no condensation of said steam occurs therein.

2. An apparatus for moving hot. oils from a lower to. a higher level which comprises: a feeder conducting oil downwardly from said lower level for establishing a static head; a

' is chemically inert with relation to said oil fluids in said riser at such a temperature and pressure that no condensation of said vapor occurs therein.

3. A method of feeding oil into an enclosed space maintained under low absolute pressure which comprises: maintaining a body of oil to provide a static head; establishing a vertical column of oil having its lower end in communication with said body of oil so that said column is balanced against said static head; injecting a material, which and which is a vapor at the temperature and pressure prevailing in said space and a liquid at normal atmospheric temperature and pressure, into the lower end of said column in suflicient quantities to lighten the column to a sufiicient degree to permit said static head to force the upper end of said column into said space; separating the vapor from the oil in said space; removing said vapor from said space and cooling it under low absolute pressure to produce a condensate; and removing fluids from said space to maintain the desired low absolute pressure in said space.

4. A method of feeding oil into an enclosed space maintained under low absolute pressure, which comprises: maintaining a body of oil to provide a static head; estab lishing a column having its lower end in communication with said body of oil so that said column is balanced against said static head; injecting steam into the lower end of said column which is maintained at a .temperature and pressure suflicient to maintain said steam in vapor form, said steam being injected in a quantity suflicient to lighten the column to such a degree-as to permit the static head to force oil from the upper end of said column into said space;-separating the steam from the oil and cooling it under low absolute pressure to produce water; and removing fluids from said space and connected spaces in sufiicient quantities to maintain the desired low absolute pressure.

5. A method of establishing an upward movement of hot oil in a column extending from a lower point to a higher point which comprises: establishing an impelling static head on the lower end of said column by supplying hot oil under pressure to said lower end; lowering the specific gravity of said column by injecting therein a material, chemically inert with relation to the oil, which is a vapor at the pressure and temperature prevailing in said column, said material being injected in amounts sufficient to lighten the column to a degree that will cause said static head to force said oil out of the top of said column into an enclosedspace; separating the oil and vapor in said space; and condensing said vapor in said space.

6. A method of lifting oil into an enclosed space maintained under a partial vacuum which comprises: maintaining a body of oil to provide a static head; establishing a column of oil having its lower end in communication with said body of oil; injecting into the lower part of said column a material which is a vapor at the temperature and pressure of said column but which is readily condensible at the pressure and temperature in said space, said material being injected in suflicient quantities to lighten the column and permit said static head to force the upper end of said column into said-space: separating the vapor from the'oil in said space; and thereafter condensing and removing said material as a liquid.

In testimony whereof, I have-hereunto set my hand at Martinez, California, this 29th day of June, 1925.

GUSTAV A. KRAMER.