US1810700A - Apparatus and process for treating hydrocarbons - Google Patents

Description

June 16,1931. 3 EGLQFF APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR TREATING HYDRQCARBONS Original Filed Dec. 4, 1919 Patented June 16, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GUSTAV EGLOFF, OI CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBONS Application filed December 4, 1919, Serial No. 342,405. Renewed May 12, 1927.

My invention relates to a process for treat-- i'ng hydrocarbons and refers more particularly to a process for reheating and vaporizing the reflux condensate.

Among the salient objects of the invention are to provide a process in which the heat of the still is most economically and ef-. ficiently used in vaporizing the reflux condensate; to provide a process in which the heavier reflux condensate or that having a high boilingpoint is returned to the cracking tubes or a portion of the still where it will receive a greater amount of heat than the lighter or lower boiling point reflux which is returnedto the vapor or expansion chamher; to provide a process in which the heavier or higher boiling point hydrocarbons are returned to the charging pipe and are there mixed with the incoming oil charge and are subjected to more heat than the lighter refluxes which are returned to the vapor chamber; to provide a process which will more effectively crackthe reflux condensate thereby obviatinglto a great extent the difliculties caused by t e heavier refluxes collecting in the expansion or vapor chamber and retarding the cracking process; to provide a novel form of apparatus for carrying, out the process and in general to provide novel improvements of the character referred to.

In the drawing accompanying and illustrating my invention, is shown a side view, partly in section, of an oil still showing my method of returning the refluxes.

Referring to the drawing, the still 1, consisting of a furnace portion 2, heated by a burner 3, cracking tubes 4, situated above the furnace, and expansion tube or vapor chamber 5 mounted above the cracking tubes, receives the raw oil charge from any convenient source, through charging pipe 6, pump 7and pipe 6a. he oil, after passing the cracking zone enters the va or chamber 5 and the vapors therefrom rise t rough vapor pipe 3 to an aerial condenser or dephlegmatorQ from which the lighter. gases pass over to the water condenser'lO through gooseneck ill'and coil 12, thence to the receiver 13 wherethe pressure on the system may be regulated by the control valve 15 and valve 16' and the distillate drawn off from time to time through drawofl' 16. A pressure gauge 14 denotes the pressure on the system. A gauge 17 furnishes a means by which the amount'of distillate may be ascertained. The lighter refluxes are returned from the dephlegmator to the vapor chamber 5 by means of the pipe 18 which is controlled by valve 19 and check valve 19' The'heavier condensates which begin to come off as soon as the vapors leave the vapor chamber 5 are returned to the oil charging pipe 6a through the reflux pipe 20 which is regulated by valve 21. It will be understood that the pipe 20 is of sufficient length to afford a substantial head pressure. A residuum drawoff pipe 22 with a valve 23 therein, furnishes a means of drawing off the heavy sludge from time to time.

' The still is adapted to run continuously, the chargebeing forced into the still through charging pipe 6 and 6a, through the pump 7, and the residuum tapped off from time to time through the drawoflt' pipe 22.

This mode of distributing the reflux condensates is a marked improvement in the utilization of the heat of the furnace in their re-trea-tment. By this means, the high boiling point refluxes which begin to condense out as soon as the vapor leaves the vapor chamber, are returned to the charging pipe and enter the cracking tube with the raw oil charge. 7

The apparatus is shown with a single vapor chamber but it is understood that where large quantities of oil are to be handled, a plurality of units such as that shown in the drawings may be used or instead of one vapor chamber a plurality of chambers may be used to accommodate the increased, amount of charging stock which is to be handled.

The following illustrative run may be given: Gas oil of 32 Baum from the midcontinent field, such as the Kansas or Oklahoma field is heated to an oil temperature in the cracking zone to from 7 to 900 F. and is subjected to: a'vapor. pressure of from 100 to 150 lbs, From 30% to 40% of gas oil may thusbe converted into gasoline having an endpoint of 400 to 450 F.

An outlet pipe 9 in the lower portion of the dephlegmator, controlled by valve 9" serves as a drawofi for the reflux when it is desired to draw the reflux into a storage tank direct instead of returning it to the system hrough the return pipe 18. This valve 9" together with the pressure valve 15 in the receiver, the valve 23 in the residuum line and the valve 24 in the charging line control the pressure in the system.

I claim as my invention:

1. A process for treating hydrocarbons consisting in subjecting the oil in a tube and vapor chamber still to heat to crack the oil, passing the vapors into a dephlegmator, re- Iurnin heavier reflux condensates to that part 0 the still where the highest temperature prevails, the lighter refluxes to the vapor chamber and passing the lighter vapors to a water condenser and receiver for condensaion and collection, maintaining a vapor pressure upon thevoil during distillation and condensation.

2. A process for treating hydrocarbons consisting in subjecting the oil in a tube and rapor chamber still to heat to crack the oil, passing the vapors into a dephlegmator, returning the heavier reflux condensates to the cracking tubes in the still, the lighter reflux condensates to the expansion or vapor chamber and passing the lighter vapors to a water condenser and receiver for condensation and collection, maintaining a vapor pressure upon the oil during distillation and condensation.

3. In an apparatus for treatinghydrocar- Dons, the combination with a still, consisting of a heating means, cracking tubes and expansion chamber, of a dephlegmator, condenser, and receiver, means of returning the heavier condensates to the cracking tubes .LIld the lighter condensates to the expansion chamber, means for directing the lighter vapors to the condenser and receiver, and means of maintaining a regulated vapor pressure upon the system.

4. A process for treating hydrocarbons consisting in subjecting the oil in heating and vaporizing zones to cracking conditions, passing the cracked products through a vapor line to a refluxing stage, simultaneously re turning the heavier reflux to the heating zone I23nd the lighter reflux to the vaporizing cham- 5. A process for treatinghydrocarbons consisting in subjecting the oil in heating and vaporizing zones to cracking conditions, passing the cracked products through a vapor line to a refluxing sta e, simultaneously returning the heavier re 11x to the heating zone and the lighter reflux to the vaporizing chamber, removing the more refractory oils from the vapor chamber and maintaining a vapor pressure upon the oil during distillation. 1

6. A process for treating hydrocarbons consisting in subjecting the oil in heating sure during treatment.

GUSTAV EGLOFF.

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