US1654771A - Treating hydrocarbon oils - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 3, 1928.

E. R. woLcoT'r A 'TREATING HYDROCARBON OILS Filed oct. 1, 1924 @noauto z @gi 1&5 @www Patented Jan. 3, 192s. l

UNITED STATES -Parri-:NT oFFlcE.

EDSON RQWOLCOTT, OF.4 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE TEXAS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE.

:casarme HYnnocAaBoN oILs.

application mea october 1, 1924. serial No. 740,905.

This invention relates'to the conversion of higher boiling hydrocarbons into lowerl boiling'ones and has in view particularly the production of gasoline and other similar products. l

Broadly andgenerally my invention contemplates a method of treatment in which the oil is subjected to the disrupt-ive action produced by an explosion or combustion of 1G a ra idly burning material. In lpracticing the lnventionv the 'oil to be converted is charged into a confined space and a suitable combustible material contiguous or in close proximit to the oil is red whereby the oil is su jected to high ressure and heat suicient to effect molecu ar decomposition. i In present methods of cracking it is necessary to subject the oil to crackin temperatures and pressures for pro onged periods of -time in order to produce the desired decomposition. In accordance with my invention the-oil is subjected to sudden explosion with minimum heating thereby avoiding the production of excess quantities of carbon or coke and permanent gas. In the preferred method of carrying out the invention the oil is subjected to extremely high pressure produced by the rapid burning or explosion of aisuitable combustible gas for a comparatively short time, for example momentarily and the resultantproducts are then sud enlyexpanded.v In one method of practicing the invention a suitable combustible material, such as hydrocarbon gas, is introduced into a combustion chamber provided with a sparkplug or other suitable means for ignition. An oil 'chamber is disposed adjacent the combustion chamber and the oil is retained in the oil chamber by means of frangible partitions formed of thin metal, oil paper or other similar material. The force of the explosion or ra id combustion disrupts the partitions an the heated combustion products are forced into violent contact with the oil,

subjecting it to high pressure and completin molecular decom sition. It is preferab e to operate continuously, means being provided for introducin new partitions or closures after' each exp osion. yThus after the oil has been passed into the confined space the combustible material is ignited, the explosion follows and the oil is projected into. an expansion chamber. The means for feeding the partitions, the means for ignitthat an expansion or disti lation chamber' 10 is provided in which are mounteda plurality of U tubes 11.v For introducing the oil to be converted .a pump 12 andchiarging line 13 having-a plurality of branch lines 14 which lead to the several U tubes, is provided. Each branch line 14: is equippe with a check valve 15. VAssociated with each UA tube is a. combustion -chamber 16 -provided with a spark plug 17 or suitable ignition means. The spark plugs lare in circuit with a suitable source of electrical energy and it is preferable to provide interrupters or timing means for controlling l the ignition in the several combustion chambers. Each combustion chamber is equipped with a pipe 18 adapted for supplying a suitable combustible iuid, such as a hydrocarbon gas. Mea-ns is also provided for admitting air to the-combustion chamber or, if desired, the proper explosive mixture ofv air or gas may be admitted through the pipe 18.

The oil chambers 11 may be provided with restricted outlets 19 in order to assist in obtaining the desired high pressure in the treating chambers. In the apparatus shown the expansionv chamber 10 also constitutes a distilling chamber and is provided with a vaporline 20 leading to a suitable fractionating or preliminary condensing means 21, having a liquid or condensate line 22 anda vapor line 23 which terminates in a condenser coil 24. A receiver 25 is provided for collecting the condensate obtained from the condenser 24. The still 10 may be provided with a draw-0E line 26.

In practicing the invention with the ap-y paratus shown the oil is introduced into the several U chambers 11, The oil may be fed continuously or suitable timing mechanism,` 5'

working synchronously with thev timing mechanism for the ignition means 17, may be Aprovided to control the flow. When the explosion or 'rapid burnin occurs in a given combustion chamber 16 e products of combustion are forced violently in contact with the oil in the pipe or chamber 11 thereby4 subjecting the oil to extremely high ressurc and a temperature sufficient to pro uce decomposition. The oil is then expanded by being forced through the restricted outlet into the chamber 10. The vaporizingproducts are taken off through the vapor line 20 into the fractionating means 21 wherein certain lower boiling point products are condensed. These products are drawn off through the pipe 21 and may be utilized as desired. The vapors passing from the separator or fractionating `means'21 are passed to the condenser coil 24 and the gasoline or other volatile product desired is collected as a, condensate in the receiver 25. y

Itis'apparent that various methods of operation and types of apparatus may be employed in the practice of the invention. One advantageousmethod is to feed the oil to the combustion or treating chamber through a porous medium. Thus a cylindrical treatin g chamber may be provided having'about its internal periphery an annular mass of po rous material onto which the oil to be converted is fed. The combustible gas is tired in the interior f the Chamber and thus operates upon the oil feeding through the po' rous material.`

Although the preferred embodiment of the invention' has been set forth in connection4 with apparatus having a particular construction and arrangement of parts and mode of operation, it is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made therein, while securing to a greater or less extent some or all of the benefits of theinvention,

without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Therefore, only such limitations should be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. The process of converting higher boiling hydrocarbons into lower boiling -ones that comprises introducing a combustible mixture and a quantity of oil into a chamber, firing said mixture under pressure to momentarily subject the oil to a cracking tem;

erature under high pressure and then subjectingthe oil to expansion to' effect distilpressure to cause the formation of lower boiling hydrocarbons and then discharging the converted oil from said confined space.

3. The process of convert-ing higher boiling hydrocarbons into lower boiling ones `that comprises introducing thev oil to be treated into a plurality of pools` exploding gas under compression in a plurality of pockets contiguous to said pools to momentarily 'subject the several pools of oil to cracking temperatures under. su eratmos.

pheric pressures and discharging t e resultant products into an enlarged chamber.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this th day of September, 1924.

. EDSON R. WOLCOTT.

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