US1655998A

US1655998A - Counter flow still

Info

Publication number: US1655998A
Application number: US25274A
Authority: US
Inventors: Forrest E Gilmore
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1925-04-23
Filing date: 1925-04-23
Publication date: 1928-01-10
Anticipated expiration: 1945-01-10

Description

maa ses Jan 10, 1928.

F. r E. GIILMORE COUNTER FLOW STILL more mm EPW013395 E Filed April Patented Jan. 10, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

COUNTER FLOW STILL.

Application filed April, 23, 1925. Serial lie. 25,274.

My invention relates to a still for refining mineral oil and its products.

It is an object of this invention to provide a still which may be used as a skimming still a for use in a refinery to extract gasoline from crude .oil, also as a cracking or converting still, in which case it may be used either singly or connected in series; it may also be used as a still in conjunction with an absorpto tion gasoline plant to distill gasoline from the saturated absorption medium.

With the-above and, other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, In invention consists in the construction an arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a vertical crosssection of a still embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 33 of Fi 1, and

Fig. 4 is a etail view in vertical cross section, showing the arrangement of the heating tubes. v

' Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the shell of a vertical still closed at the bottom and top and which is shown in Fig. 2 as rectangular in cross section, 2 representing the front and rear sides, and 3 the sides of the shell 1.

In the lower portion of the shell 1 there.

are arranged in spaced relation a plurality of groups of heating pipes horizontally dis osed and having their open ends arranged 1n the side walls 3 of the shell 1 and designated as 4-,,5, 6, 7 and 8, respectively, group 4 being near the bottom of t e shell 1. Hot gases irom'a furnace or dutch oven (not shown) communicate by means of a conduit 9 with the lowermost group 4 of the heating ipes. The side walls 3 are provided with ues 10 which conduct the hot gases from one group of heating pipes to the group immediately above, so that the hot gases pass successively through the groups of

heating pipes

4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, and from thelatter they pass through a smoke stack 11.

Near the top of the shell 1 is a valve-controlled vapor outlet 12, leading to a condensor, not shown. Some distance below the vapor outlet 12 is a temperature regulator 13 com rising a thermocouple, which controls va ve 14. in the cold oil inlet pipe 15.

In the upper part of the shell 1, above the grou s of heating pipes, there are a series of so-ca led bubbler trays, horizontally disposed. Each bubbler tray consists of a pan 16 having a rim 17, from which the liquid falls onto a circular distributor 18, whence the liquid falls onto a tray 19, from whence the liquid falls through a central downwardly extending pipe 20 which terminates a short distance above the bottom of the pan 16,- thus forming a liquid seal.

An inlet: 20 of hot oil enters the still at the point between the third and fourth bubbler trays. In the space above the bubbler trays fine battling material 21 is disposed for the extraction of mists. The space between the grou of

heating pipes

4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 is filled w th bafiling material, shown in the present instance as expanded metal lath 22, although similar material may be substitutedtherefor. The space between the lowermost group of heating tubes 4 and the bottom of the still constitute an oil collecting chamber 23, from which an outlet pipe 24, controlled by a constant level valve mechanism 25, leads to a heat exchanger, or the'like.

As shown in Fig. 4, the heating pipes are preferably arranged in staggered relation and they may be cleaned of any deposits of carbon and the like by removing manhole covers 26 arranged in the front and rear walls of shell 1. I

In the operation hot oil is introduced through the inlet 20 into the still. Some cold oil is also introduced through the cold oil inlet 15 into the still, the amount of the cold oil being regulated by the temperature regulator 13. The cold oil lowers the temperature of the rising vapors and scrubs them in such a way that all the heavy fractions in the vapors which are not desired in the finished product are condensed and returned to the still below. The hot oil passing downwardly from one bubbler tray to another falls over the top group of heating pipes 8 and successively downwardly over the

other groups

7, 6, 5 and 4, until it reaches the oil collectin chamber 23, whence it passes out through t e outlet24. As the group of tubes 4 near the bottom of the still are very hot and the groups of

tubes

5, 6,

7' and 8 above the first lowermost group are successively of a lower temperature, the oil falling downwardly from one group to another of said heating tubes has its temperature successively raised. As a result there is a slight amount of cracking and each fraction of the 011 given off or evaporated at the lowest tem erature-at which it will pressure at which the thene series with the result that the product is an anti-knock fuel. Since the gases from the furnace have a counter-flow action with theoil, the fuel economy is very great. The

'bubbler trays'acting as a fractional eondenser make it possible to get a finished gasoline or motor fuel without the necessity of re-running it in a steam still.

hen the still is used as a cracking or converting still, the tem erature at the bottom of the still will be a out 800 or 900 F., and there may be some coke'formed by this high heat which may be cleaned off by removing the manhole' covers 26, as above stated.

The important part of the still is the counter-flow action, whereby the descending oil passes successively over a set-of heating tubes, each succeeding tube being hotter than condensate in the the one before. Also any b h y-gravlty to t e bubbler trays is returne hot tubes. The bafiling

material

21 and 22 increase the surface for the evaporation of the oil.

The still may also be used in an absorption plant, in which case the oil level may be held above the top of the lowest set 4 of the heating tubes.

Thus I have designed a still, simple of construction, and efficient and economical in operation, which may be used as a skimming still, or a cracking or converting still, or a still for distilling off gasoline from absorption medium.

While I have shown the preferred form of construction of the still, it is to be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in the construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as claimed.

I claim:

A still for use in refining oil, comprising a vertical shell rectangular in cross section, a plurality of sets of heating pipes horizontally disposed in vertical spared relation in said shell, bathing material disposed between said sets of heating pipes, a hot gas inlet to the lowermost set of heating pipes, means for passing gases successively through the sets of heating pipes disposed above said lower set, a series ofbubbler trays disposed in the upper part of said shell, battling material above said bubbler trays, a vapor exit from the upper part of the shell, a hot oil inlet entering the shell between said bubbh-r trays, a cold oil inlet above said hot oil inlet, a thermostatic control for the cold oil inlet, and a float controlled oil outlet near the bottom of the shell.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this s cification.

ORREST E. GILMORE.