US1704277A - Means for treating oils - Google Patents

Description

Maid! 1929- c. a. BELKN AP 1,704,277

' nuns FOR TREATING OILS dgi ginal Filed Sept. 30. 19.20 2 S w 1 P J m m m Mud! 1929. c. a. BELKNAP 1,704,277

mus FOR mum-me OILS animal Filed Sgpt. so. 1920 z Sheets-Shggt 2 $1 IATTORNEDY.

Patented Mar. 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

was r. BELKNAP, or nmnnmn rm, moment.

me nor. TREATING OILS. l

Continuation of application Serial No. 413,758, filed september 30, 1920. This applicationllled 7,

1925, Serial 1T0. 28,725.

My invention relates to improvements in means for treating oils and more particularly to an apparatus for treating hydrocarbons and the like.

5 Among the salient objects of the invention are to'provide a means for treating oils in which the entire space in the apparatus is initially filled with oil under a mechanical pressure as high as that desired in the treat n ing of the oil; to provide an apparatus for treating hydrocarbons and other oils in which the vapors are prevented from comin ofi except at the temperature and pressure desired; to provide an improved means for treating oils in which the vapors generated will not produce any higher pressure in the apparatus than that produced by the mechanical ressure; to provide an improved means an apparatusfor treatingoils in which the pressure maintained on both the oil and the vapor is always a mechanical pressure and under control of the operator; to provide an improved means for treating oils in which the vapor space can automatically increase as the vapors increase and in which the vapors are prevented from passing out of the still until the level of the'oilis forced back to a predetermined level and in general to provide an improved means for treating oils in which the vapor space, pressure and temperature can each be regulated independent of the others. I

In the drawings: p

F lg; l is a side elevation, partly in section,

as through an apparatus embodying my invention. 7 i

Fig. 2 is a cross sectionon the line 2-42 of Fifi. 1.

eferring to the apparatus shown in the drawings and describing in detail the apparatus, 1 designates a still or retort formed of headers 2 and3 connected by a plurality of vertically extending pipes 4. The latter pass through the flue chamber of a furnace 5, which is provided with fire-box 6 and stack 7. The hot gases in passing fromthe fire-box to the stack are. compelled to pass around the end 8 ofthe horizontal bafile 9 through which the pipes 4 extend, thusheating the latter. Oil is supplied to the'header 3 by means of a conduit 10 connecting to a force pump 11, which is adapted to draw oil from any suitable source of supply through the inlet 12. Positioned between the pump and the header 3 is a checkvalve 13 which will prevent the side t e furnace, andjconnecte to the headers Renewed July 85, 1928 l return through theconduit 100i any oil pumped into the header. Leadingfrom any suita lo part of the still apparatus and preferably from the lowerheader is a discharge conduit 14 provided with a weighted valve 15, the purpose of this valve being to permit the oil to flow back out oftheheader 3 whenever the pressure in the still apparatus exceeds that at which the valve lfiisset. f p a In starting the apparatus, oilis forced by means of the pump 11 through the conduit 10 into. the header 3, vertical pipes 4 and header 2 untilthe apparatus is entirely filled, any air or other gas which may be in the still, being allowed to escapethrough the pet cock 1'6, after which the latter is closed. When the entire space in the still has been filled with oil, the pumping is continued and places the oil under an increasing pressure until such pressure is reached as will raise the loaded valve 15 and permit the oil to flow out of the return conduit 14. The fire in the furnace 5 having been started, the temperature of the oil is increaseduntil it reaches a point where vaporswill'be generated at thepressure at a which the oil in the still ismaintained. AS soon as any vapors are generated theywould have a tendency to increase the pressure within the still but this is prevented by-the action of the loaded valve 15, which permits the passage of oil through the return conduitl'l,

7 when the pressure in the still exceeds that at which thevalve 15 is set. This in placed the vapors generated increasing the pressure, the automatically increase the vapor space an this increase ofvapor space may becontinned to any desired level 1n the stilhappae ratus. As shown in detail in Fig. 1, the of vapors which would naturall accumulate in the u per header is governed y a valvell" actuate toward and from its seat by means of a motor 18. The control for the latter oom-' prises a plurality of pairs of contacts 19 and 19, and 20 and 20, etc., the connection be tween which is closed by a contact'plate 21 carried by a stem 22, the lower end of which is provided with a float 23. This float is preferabl mounted in a pipe24, sitioned out- 105 2 and 3 by means of conduits 26 and 27; The construction of parts is such that the headers 2 and 3, the vertical pipes 4 and the pipe fl V are allin open communication. I

The upper set of contacts such as 19 and 19' 1;

are arranged in a circuit, which, when closed will drive the motor in a direction to adjust the valve 17 against its seat. The other set of contacts 20 and 20, are arranged in a reverse circuit, that is, one which when closed will drive the motor in a direction to move the valve 17 away from its seat 25. As the vapors generate and force the level oi the oil in the still back, they will finally reach a level at which the float 23 will move down by gravity sufficient to bring its contact 21 into registration with the contacts 20 and 20. When the reverse circuit is thus closed the motor 18, acting through the gears 28 and 29, will withdraw the valve 17 from its seat and permit the vapors to escape into the inclined pipe 30, from which they are discharged into the condenser 31. A loaded valve 32 may be employed on the discharge end ofthe condenser, it it is desired to condense the vapors under substantially the same pressure at which they are generated, the valve 82 being set at substantially the same but slightly less pressure than the valve 15. In starting the apparatus the condenser may be filled with distillate at a pressure substantially as great as that at which the loaded valve 32 is set so that-all the vapors may be both generated and condensed under substantially the same pressure.

WVhenever' sufficient vapors escape past the valve 17 so as to tend to reduce the pressure in the still, the constant mechanical pressure on oil will raise the level of the oil and by raising the float and the contact 21 will close the circuit controlled by the contacts 19 and 19, and actuate the motor in its forward direction to close the valve 17 to its seat. I i

It is obvious that. by changing the levels of the contacts20 and 20 in the pipe 24, the maximum amount of vapor space can be increased or decreased, or if desired, a plurality of sets of reverse contacts 20 and 20 could be employed and governed by a switch so that the operator could at his will adjust the maximum vapor space in the apparatus.

From the above description, it is obvious that the pressure in the still is at all times governed by the pressure at which the loaded valve 15 in the return conduit 14 is set and that the vapors generated cannot increase or decrease the pressure. Moreover, since the pressure on the still is always a mechanical pressuregit can be changed at the will of the operator by adjusting the weight 38 on the loaded valve 15. As the temperature can be governed by the fires in the furnace 5 and the maximum vapor space is governed by the position of the contact 20 and 20, it is obvious that the pressure, temperature, and vapor can be adjusted each'independent of the other, although to generate vapors, it is, of course, necessary to have the temperature suil'iciently high to drive off the vapors from the substance treated at the mechanical pressure employed. r

My apparatus is therefore capable of carrying out a method of treating oils such as in the manufacture of gasoline, in which the dis tillate is vaporized at a constant pressure and in which none of the vapors can come off at less than the pressure desired. Also my apparatus iscapable of a method in which the vapor space automatically increases to the desired maximum without increasing the pressure, thus allowing the vapors to be superheated without danger of explosion such as is presentwhere the oil or vapor is heated and the pressure governed by the temperature.

It will be noticed that the vertical extending pipes are the only portion of the apparatus which extend through the furnace, and

where high temperatures and pressures are employed, the danger of subjecting a large body oi oil directly to the action of the heat is avoided. Also the employment oi the vertical pipes in connection with the headers allows the apparatus to be cleaned and for this purpose l have shown a hand hole fitting for each header as indicated at 34: and 35. \Vhere extremely high temperatures and pressures are employed, the size of the headers might be reduced and asingle row of vertical tubes connected into a pipe at each end to be employed.

VVhile I have shown and described one form of apparatus capable of carrying out my method of treating oils, it is obvious that other apparatus could be employed such as a bell tanlr, similar to those used in commercial gas production, or various other forms of apparatus.

his application is a continuation of an application formerly filed by me, Serial No. 413,7 58 filed September 30th, 1920.

I claim as my invention:

1. An apparatus for treating oils, the combination with means for mechanically placing the oil, while in a liquid state under a predetermined pressure, means for heating the oil while in a liquid state, said first means being arranged to prevent the generation of vapors until after the oil has been heated in a liquid state under a pre-determined pressure and means thereatter for providing a vapor space adjacent the oil in the liquid state, to receive the vapors generated.

2. In an apparatus for treating oils, the combination with a still, of a pump-for supplying oil tothe still under pressure, a connection for the discharge of liquid and a loaded valve in said connection for preventing excessive pressure, a valve outlet for egress of vapors, and a float for controlling the egress oi vapors through said valve outlet when suliicient oil has been forced past the loaded valve to cover the float to a predetermined lcvel. V

. 3. In an oil-treating apparatus the combination with a still, of means for feeding oil thereto under pressure, a vapor outlet from the still, means acting automatically in re sponse to the level of oil in said still for pera valve controlling said discharge and automitting the escape of vapors from the still matically acting means responsivetothe level when the oil reaches a pre-determined level of the oil in the still for actuating said valve. 10 therein. to open and close the same during the conver- 5 4. The combination with an oil still, means sion of oil in the still.

for feeding oil therein under pressure, said still having a vapor space, a vapor discharge, CHARLES B. BELKNAP.

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