US1694272A

US1694272A - Preparing hydrocarbon products

Info

Publication number: US1694272A
Application number: US651249A
Authority: US
Inventors: Nathaniel E Loomis
Original assignee: Standard Oil Development Co
Current assignee: Standard Oil Development Co
Priority date: 1923-07-13
Filing date: 1923-07-13
Publication date: 1928-12-04
Anticipated expiration: 1945-12-04

Description

Dec. 4, 1928. 1,694,272

E. LOOMIS PREPARING HYDROCARBON PRODUCTS Filed July'l5, 192s uin or. d, 12$.

"ETATEANIEL E:-LOOMIS, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 STANDARD OIL DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PREPARING- HYDROCABBON PROD'U CTS.

Application filed July 13, 1923. Serial No. 651.249.

This invention relates to the art of preparing hydrocarbon products, and will be fully understood from the following description Very light condensates from stills or from natural gas contain some constituents which .are normally gaseous, and even in mixture are unstable and fugitive. correspondingly, on exposure such constituents escape and in so doing also carry with them other heavier constituents which would otherwise be stable. This occasions considerable losses in the aggregate.

In accordance with the present invention,

' material of this character is blended with heavier naphtha in an absorber 'tower providing successive temperature 'zones and operating under pressure. One fbrin of ap paratus suitable for carrying out the invention is shown semi-diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing. In this tower A has a series of transverse partitions 1 upon which liquid may temporarily accumulate, but having perforations by which vapors may bubble up through. Along in the middle region of the tower isan inlet pipe 2; and at the top an outlet pipe 3 having a pressure-regulating valve 4:. Another inlet ipe 5 atthe top preferably ends in a spray liead 6. A pipe 7 at the bottom of the tower serves as a draw-0E for liquid. A suitable regulable cooling means is provided at the top of the tower, as for instance a 'coil 8 carrying a regulated cooling liquid.

The material containing unstable constituents, as for example a ver Y light hydrocarbon stock, is introduced t rough pipe 2, while an absorbing medium such as heavy naphtha is also supplied by pipe 5 at the top of the tower. Such naphtha may vary in grade, but preferably is such that when the product is drawn oflat outlet 7, a gasoline of finished or almost finished character results. The term heavy naphtha as used herein is intended to cover hydrocarbon oils generally that have a final boiling point not materially above that of gasoline and which may be blended with casing-head gasoline or sirpilar light condensates to form substantially finished gasoline with a balanced boiling range. I

Pressure is maintained in the tower, varyingsemewlultin accordance with the particular 'hydrocarbons worked with, but in gen: eral being 100-300 lbs. per square inch. In order to insure that all the undesired gaseous constituents are stripped out heat is supplied to a suitable extent at the bottom of the tower by a coil 9 carrying a regulated flow of steam or'other heating fluid. Other c0n stituents also vaporizing in the tower are brought into thorough contact with the liquid, in progressively cooler zones proceeding toward the top and are blended and sorted until the constituents passing through outlet 3 are only such as are normally and not desired in gasoline. The liquid prodnot desired is drawn oil at the base by pipe 7. The temperature in the still may be from about 260 to 300 F., the temperature of the vapors leaving the still ordinarily being a few degrees lower than the still temperature. The pressure usually falls p ogressively as the process continues. For example, a still showing an initial pressure of about 200 lbs. per sq. in. may show a pressure of about 100 lbs. per sq. in. after 16 hours running. The temperature and pressures will of course vary considerably with the particular stock being treated and the kind of naphtha used in washing. i

What I claim is: The improvemcnt in the art of preparing hydrocarbon products, which comprises in troducinga light condensate containing some hydrocarbons which are normally gaseous into the intermediate region of an absorber tower, and passing vaporizing constituents up through progressively cooler zones, while maintaining a pressure of 100-300 lbs. per square inch and supplying a flow of heavy naphta countercurrently, and drawing off a substantially balanced gasoline from the bottom of the tower.

NATHANIEL E. LOOMIS.