US1771684A

US1771684A - Apparatus for reclaiming oil

Info

Publication number: US1771684A
Application number: US17123?A
Authority: US
Inventors: Miller James Roys
Original assignee: MILLER OIL PURIFIER Co
Current assignee: MILLER OIL PURIFIER Co
Priority date: 1927-02-26
Filing date: 1927-02-26
Publication date: 1930-07-29
Anticipated expiration: 1947-07-29

Description

July 29, 1930. .1. R. MILLER I APPARATUS FOR RECLAIMING OIL Filed Feb. 26, 1927 Patented July 29, 1930 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE JAMES ROYS MILLER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO MILLER OIL PURIFIER COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA APPARATUS FOR RECLAIMING OIL Application filed February 26, 1927. Serial No. 171,239.

My invention relates to apparatus for reclaiming oil, of the kind shown in my prior Patent No. 1,359,614 of Nov. 23, 1920.

The object in view is to provide an apparatus by which lubricating oil, such as that drained from the crank cases of internal combustion engines, may be reclaimed and renewed for further use.

Features of improvement and novelty in the present invention consist in improved means'for collectin and returning the disintegrated or spraye oil by partially arrested or retarded gravitating flow.

Also in means for concentrating the spray ing action; means providing a limited Water supply to the oil circulation in transit; means for heating the oil in transit, and various other features as shall be more fully hereinafter described.

. In the drawings showing a preferred embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through V the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line II-II of Fig. 1.

The main vessel or container for the oil to be reclaimed is in any suitable form of reservoir, as a cylindrical tank 2, preferably having double insulated walls, a sloping bottom 3 having a delivery conduit 4 with a controlling valve 5, and an upper removable cover or top 6 having a vapor outlet vent pipe 7.

The tank is heated in any desirable way by suitably controlled heating means, as electrical heaters 8 located at intervals around the outer lower side portion, and provided with the outlet 4, and a similar controlling valve 16. Said pipes are connected by a common.

centrifugal pump 19, connected by a pipe 20 with the base of tank 2, with an intervening controlling valve 21. The oil is drawn off by the pump through such connection and forced upwardly by pipe 22, through a heating reservoir or tank 23 and delivered by pipe 24 and its downwardly turned terminal 25, within the upper interior portion of the tank, above basin 11. Heating tank 23 is provided with an inserted electric heating unit 26 of any suitable construction provided with the customary connection-s, switch control, etc., for regulating the supply and temperature. The delivery pipe 24 is provided with a regulating valve 27. v v

A water supply tank 28 is connected with pipe 20 beyond valve 21 by a feed pipe 29, provided with a controlling valve 30 and a sight feed indicator 31, by which the rate of supply of water to the oil supply may be regulated and observed. p I A splash plate or disk 32 is supported by a suitable bracket 33 above the basin 11 and pipe terminal 25, and is provided with a series of depending spray collectors 34. The latter may be of any suitable strand form, as linked chains, wire mesh, or of other form, adapted to collect spray and to deliver it downwardly by gravity with a retarded flow. As shown, the chains 34 are arranged annularly around the middle portion of the tank and are sufficiently numerous to provide frequent obstructions for collection of the sprayed contentsrof thetank. A thermometer 35 is inserted at any suitable point throu h the wall of the tank, for observation 0 the temperature.

The construction and operation of the apparatus will be readily understood from the foregoing description.

Oil for reclamation being charged into the .tank to any suitable level, as the line a, a,

water issuing from pipe terminal 25.

It is not, however, essential that the upwardly circulating column of oil and air shall meet the downcomingvolume of oil and water issuing from pipe 24, and it may discharge at some other point. It will be observed that conduit 12 is considerably larger than pipe 24, and that the principal circulation and active treatment is through conduit 12. The air jet from pipe 13 primarily acts as an injector, carrying'the contained oil upwardly through and out of the conduit, in the form of a geyser-like spray.

The air bubbles thoroughly mm with the oil and break it up into thin films and spray by their rising and expanding action. The lower portion of the body of oil, with any precipitated deposits of solid matter, may be disturbed and agitated from time to time by the admission of air from pipe 15 under control of valve 16.

As observed, chains 34 depend from splash plate 32 through the full intervening distance to the oil level, and to a considerable extent into the body of oil. By such immersion the chains are maintained heated and maintain the heat of the oil, while also retarding gradualflow downwardly thereover. The upwardlymoving currents of air from pipe 13 eflects a thorough breaking up of the oil in the form of a spray, with incidental carrying oil. of ;the lighter hydrocarbons with which it is diluted. The oil adhering to the chains is in continued exposure to such act-ion of the air during its retarded descent, efifecting complete elimination of all more or less volatile matter, as the operation continues.

The particular advantage of the arresting chains is that the oil is maintained in suspension for a greatly-increased time as compared to mere air suspension.

' The, temperature of the contained oil is gradually increased until it is heated to above 212 -F. by the heaters -8,-whereupon valve 30 is partially opened to supply water, at the rate of ten totwenty drops per minute to the oil [passing-through line 20. The purpose of such water application-is to prevent a possibleflash of the oil in-thetank; to assist in discharge of'the lighter hydrocarbons with which the crank case oil isinvested, and to assist in-deodorizingsuch oil, by the water admixture, in connection with the spraying treatment. 4

Due to the temperature within the tank, the Water vaporizes and forms a steam or water vapor blanket over the surface of the oil in the oil reservoir, thus preventing, by grounding, any accumulated static charge of electricity in the oil vapor above the surface of the oil.

The water forms steam which in turn reduces the vapor tension or boiling pomt of the oil under treatment, thus permitting the vaporization of the product which we w sh to vaporize at a temperature below that which would be required to vaporize the product if'water was not used.

The steam formed from the added water preventsthe cracking or breaking down of the oil or hydrocarbon as it passes the electric heating unit.

As the temperature of the oil under treatment rises, the supply of water from tank 28 is gradually increased by operation of valve 30, within the judgment of the operator.

-After such water application is continued for a suitable period, the temperatureof the oil is further increased. to from 300 to 350 F. and there maintained for several hours. A

sample of the oil may then be taken from the tank by one of'several external w1thdrawal cocks or valves, located at different levels around the tank, as in 'my previous patent, and the flash and fire tests may be then made.

Whenthe oil has been subjected to the treatment above described, until it is restored to a condition equivalent to that of new oil, as shown by such tests, the operation is then discontinued by shutting off the heat, and the blower and pump, with closing of

valves

27, 21', 30 and 14. The oil in the tank is then allowed to cool to a temperature of from 180 to 200 F. At such approximate temperature, cover 6 is removed and a soap solution of any suitable kind and proportion is poured into the tank as described in my former patent.

After the addition of such emulsifying soap solution, blower 18 is again started and valve 16 is opened, producing a violent agitation of the entire body of oil and thorough admixture with it of the soap solution. During such agitation an addition of water 15 made substantially equal in quantity to the amount of the solution added.

Action of blower 18 is then discontinued and valve 16 is closed. Current is again supplied to heaters 8 and the tank is reheated to a suitable temperature, efi'ecting settlement downwardly of all foreign matter in coagulation or brought out of the colloidal state resulting from the emulsion treatment. 7

The impurities which settle to the bottom of the container 2 are drawn ofi through pipe .4 by opening valve 5. For the purpose of I plurality of suitable connections 36 at various hei hts, by which the oil may be withdrawn 510m time to time. It will be understood, of course, that suitable filtering and collecting means may be utilized in storing the oil, as is generally understood and practiced in the art.

It will be understood also that the construction of the apparatus may be variously changed or modified in difierent details, proportions, size, design or otherwise by the skilled mechanic, to adapt it to the conditions of use, but that all such changes are within 'the province of the skilled mechanic and the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for reclaiming used lubricating oil, a container having at its upper end a splash plate, a vertically arranged open ended conduit below the splash plate and adapted to have its lower end submerged in the contents of the container, means for furnishing a compressed air supply, a valvecontrolled pipe connected therewith leading upwardly within the lower endof the conduit, and a supplemental similar valve-controlled pipe with its terminal disposed towards the bottom of the container.

2. In an apparatus for reclaiming used lubricating oil, the combination with a vessel provided withan outlet and a cover. 0

means for circulating the contents of the tank from its bottom to its upper portion, means for heating and introducing water into the oil in transit, means for supplying the mixed oil and water in the upper'portion of the tank, and a series of depending spray collecting strand devices.

3. In an apparatus for reclaiming used lubricating oil, the combination with a vessel provided with an outlet and a cover having an opening'therein, of means for circulating the contents of the tank from. itsbottom to its upper portion, means for heating and introducing water into the oil during its flow from the bottom to the upper portion of the tank, means for spraying the mixed oil and water inthe upper portion of the tank, a splash plate in theupper open portion of the tank, and means depending from the splash plate for collecting the spray and retarding itsv return toward the lower portion of the tank.

4. In an apparatus for reclaiming used lubricating oil, the combination with a vessel provided with a bottom outlet and a cover, of means for circulating the contents of the tank from its bottom to its upper portion, means for heating and introducing water into the oil during its flow from the bottom to the top of the tank, means for spraying the mixed oil and water in the upper portion of the tank, means for collecting the spray and retarding its return to the bottom of the tank, and means at the bottom of the tank for agitating the contents thereof.

5. In apparatus for reclaimingused lubricating oil, the combination with a container having a valve controlled bottom outlet and a vented cover, of an interior splash plate having a plurality of depending collecting devices, means for withdrawing the oil from the bottom of the tank and returning the same to the upper portion of the tank below the splash plate, means for heating the oil and adding water thereto during its flow from the bottom to the top of the tank, and

means for spraying the returned mixture of oil and water against the splash plate and collecting devices.

- 6. In apparatus for reclaiming used lubricating oil, the combination with a container having a valve controlled bottom outlet and a vented cover, of an interior splash plate having a plurality of depending collecting chains, means for withdrawing the oil from the bottom of the tank, means for adding water thereto, means for heating the mixture of oil and water withdrawn from the bottom of the tank, and means for returning the mixture to the upper portion of the tank below the s lash plate, an upwardly directed blow pipe or spraying the returned oil and water against the splash late and collectportion of the blow ipe, said conduit hav ing an upper collecting basin.

7. In apparatus for reclaiming used lubricating oil, the combination with a container having a valve controlled bottom outlet and a vented cover, of an interior splash plate having a plurality of depending collecting devices, means for transferring the oil from the bottom of the tank to its upper portion, means for heating the oil and adding water thereto during its flow from the bottom to the top of the tank, and means for spraying the heated mixture of oil and water against the splash plate and collecting devices.

8. In apparatus for reclaiming used lubricating oil,the combination with a container having a valve controlled bottom outlet and -a vented cover, of an interior splash plate having a plurality of depending collecting devices, a conduit for circulating oil from the bottom to the top of the container, means for heating and spraying a limited supply of water to the oil during its flow from the bottom to the top of the container, and means for spraying the mixture of oil. and water against the splash plate and collecting devices.

9. In apparatus for reclaiming used lubricating oil, a container provided with a bottom valve controlled outlet and an upper vented cover, means for heating the container, a splash plate in the upper part of the container, .a collecting basin having a ce'ntral .dependin conduit below the splash plate, a series 0 collecting chains depending from the s lash late, a blow pipe extending upwar 1y wit in the basin conduit, an agitating blow pipe directed toward the outlet conduit, means or efiecting circulation of the contents of the container from the bottomto a point between the splash late and the collecting basin, and means for eating and adding water to the oil during its flow from the bottom to the top of the tank. In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

JAMES ROYS MILLER.