US1844477A

US1844477A - Apparatus for dephlegmation

Info

Publication number: US1844477A
Application number: US204688A
Authority: US
Inventors: Neal S Olsen
Original assignee: Universal Oil Products Co
Current assignee: Universal Oil Products Co
Priority date: 1927-07-11
Filing date: 1927-07-11
Publication date: 1932-02-09
Anticipated expiration: 1949-02-09

Description

Feb. 9, 1932. N. s. OLSEN 1,344,477

APPARATUS FOR DEPHLEGNATION Filed July 11. 1927 Patented Feb, 9, 1932 ES PATENT OFFICE ldliiidllhl, or BROUKLYN, NEW YQJRK, ASSIGNOZR TO UNIVERSAL OIL PROD'UUTB @flMTBAlNY, DIE GSHICAGU, lLLfNtlIfi, A. @ORZPOBATIUN 01? SOUTH DAKOTA .erranarus son. nnrntnnomrron' itpplioati'on filed July it, 1927. Serial No, 204,888,

The present improvements relate more particularly to apparatus for the dephlegination. of vapors whereby those not of the desired characteristics are condensed and sep u arated from those "Which are of the desired characteristics,those not of the desired characteristics heing returned, if desired, for retreatment.

The present invention is applicable to the W dephleguiation of vapors of any sort, and in one specific embodiment it is particularly applicahle to the dephlegination of hvdrocar hon oil vapors produced in the cracking or distillation of hydrocarhon oil.

it in order to secure efhcient fractionation of crached h vdrocarhon oil vapors it has heen found advantageous to provide a process and p r in "Wlllfih, first, there is maximum nnate contact hetvveen vapors and liquid,

l second, the maintenance of a pool of stages in the dephlegmating y vvherehv light fractions enin the liquid have an opportunity in, released.

lee present; invention is particularly dened to provide for intimate contact he-- een liquid and vapors and the maintenance or pool or pools of liquid.

L. feature of the present invention, there ded horizontally disposed dephlegerein the vapors are successively ed 30 have a haclr and forth travel and l in the vapors huhhle through a pool liquid during said haclrand forth travel. ring the travel of the vapors through the uephlegmating instrumentalitv these vapors not having the desired characteristics will he condensed as reflux condensate, while those which have heen suiliciently converted will removed and collected as the desired product.

objects of the present inven-- tion is to provide a process wherein the va pors are forced to pass repeatedly through a the reflux condensate to any desired portion 50 of the body of liquid maintained in the dephlegmator. l also provide for the withdravval of reflux condensate at separated points longitudinally of the dephlegmating instrumentality whereby certain portions of the reflux condensate produced by the do phlegrnation may he Withdrawn and diverted from the process, for instance, such retina condensate may be diverted to storage.

The utility as Well as other ohjects and advantages of the invention Will he more particularlv hrought out in the following de scription.

ln the dravving, the single ligure is a diagranunatic elevational view Wltll parts in vettical section. of apparatus in which the in vention may he carried out in the cracking of hydrocarbon oils as practiced today, one of the essential features of a successful process resides in the efhcient dephlegination or fractionation of the cracked vapors so as to secure a separation of the sufficiently cracked fractions ("which are subsequently condensed and collected as the desired product) from those Which are insuficientlv cracked. 'lhese lighter vapors, during dephlegmation, are condensed and preferahly returned to the heating zone for retreatnaent combined, if desired, with charg ing stock.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, 1 designates a horiaontal shell type dephlegmater or reflux condenser inside of which may he placed a horizontal partition 2 so attached to the side Walls of the horizontal dephlegrnator 1 as to form a liquid seal and so perforated that short goosenecks 3 can he attached thereto in such a manner as to project upward therefrom. These goosenechs fill are attached to partition 2 at stated intervals W from one end to the other. Interposed between predetermined spaced goosenecks are overflow pipes at which are also attached to the partition 2 and which project upwardly therefrom for a height such as to regulate the depth of the liquid pool maintained on the partition.

The space below the partition 2 may be divided by u right or transverse partitions 5 into a num er of spaced and separated compartments. The lower portion of-the partitions 5 may be preferably provided with perforations or apertures 5, whereby liquid overflowing from the pool on partition 2 through the overflow pipe 4: may flow along the lower wall of dephlegmator 1 passing out through the last drawofi pipe 6.

The space above the partition 2 may be likewise divided into transverse sections or compartments by means of partitions 7 which extend from the top downwardly toward the partition 2, terminating at a point above the partition 2 where they form a liquid seal between sections. In other words, the lower extremity of each partition 7 terminates at a point below the top of each overflow pipe 4 whereby said extremity is below the liquid level of the pool of liquid maintained on partition 2. These partitions 7 may, if desired,

be so placed longitudinally as to form a liquid seal adjacent each overflow pipe 4, the partitions 5, on the other hand, being so'located as to extend downwardly on the opposite side of the overflow pipes 4 in a longitudinal line. The goosenecks 3 may fill the space in each section not occupied by the overflow pipe 4, said goosenecks extending upwardly to a point above the top of the overflow pipes 4:

and then downwardly to a point below the top of said overflow pipes 4, which point, when-the dephlegmator is in operation, will be below the surface of the body of liquidheld on the partition 2. It will be noted that the liquid held on the partition 2 will be one continuous body-and will not comprise separate pools in eachsection.

Vapors which may evolve in a concurrently operating or distilling process and which may comprise any kind of vapors, may be introduced through the vapor inlet line 8, which may be controlled by valve 8'. This vapor inlet line 8 may be disposed at one end of the shell 1 below the partition 2. From the top of the shell 1 above the last section from the inlet 8 a. dome 9 mayextend upwardly from the top of which may project the vapor line 10 controlled by valve 11, which vapor line may communicate with a final condenser (not shown).

The charging line 12 through which may be interposed any desired cooling medium, such as regulated portions of charging stock may communicate with a coil 16 disposed in the vapor space of the dome 9, functioning to interchange heat and regulate the temperature of the vapors exiting through the vapor line 10. Or by closing valve 15, the liquid introduced through line 12 may be introduced directly through the line 13 in which may be interposed a valve 14. When charging through the coil 16, the oil after circulating through the coil may continue through line 17, in which may be interposed valve 17 to the heating zone of a cracking process (not shown) if the dephlegmator is connected to the cracking process, or to any other medium desired. All or regulated portions may be withdrawn through the by-17 b if desired.

A he intake of pump 18 is connected to the reflux line 6, and may take the reflux condensate from the bottom of the dephlegmator 1 through line 6 director throu 11 lines 6' controlled by valves 20. The ischarge from the pump 18 through line 21 may be directed into the charging line 17 going to the cracking zone, or, if desired, the valve 22 may be closed and the valve 23 in line 24 opened whereby all or re ulated portions of the reflux condensate may be diverted from the line 21 into the line 24 ratherfthan passed through the line 17. The line 24 returns regulated portions of the reflux condensate to the upper portion of the horizontal shell 1 through the branch lines 25 in which may be interposed valves 26. It is to be noted that there is a branch 25 communicating with each of the compartments produced by the transverse partitions 7. I In some instances it may be desirable to withdraw certain portions of the reflux condensate directly from the shell 1, in which event the valves 27 in the drawoflf lines 28 may be manipulated in an obvious manner.

In one embodiment of the invention an operation may be described as follows:

Heated vapors. for instance, from a concurrently operating, distilling or cracking process may enter the dephlegmator through vapor inlet line 8. During the travel of the vapors in thedephlegmator, said vapors are caused to have an up and down travel, first through the first lower section, then up through the goosenecks 3 into the first upper section, thence downthrough the first overflow pipe 4 into the second lower section, thence up through the goosenecks 3 into the secondtop section and so on to the last top section where the vapors still remaining uncondensed pass out through the vapor line line 17 a controlled 1 10. The vapors which are condensed flow discharge below theliquid level of the pool maintained on the partition 2 whereby intimate contact between vapors and liquid 00- curs. At the same time vapors are prevented from channelling due to the\liquid seals formed at the hases of the partitions 7 In addition, the pool of liquid maintained on the partition 2 will be subjected to a certain amount of reboiling due to theheat of the vapors striking against thebottom of said. partition, thus relieving from the pool any light fractions which ina be entrained therein. The maintenance this pool also complies with one of the requirements of efficient dephleglnation, that maximum time be permitted for the liquid to be subjected to iractionating conditions.

lnstead of returning all of. the reflux condensate through the line 17, all or a portion of same may be intermittently diverted through the line 24 and introduced into any of the compartments formed by the transversely disposed partitions 7. This permits of a more closely controlled fractionation where such would he desirahle.

llli

By the present invention the known favorahle conditions for eilicient fractionation are provided for, and the temperature and characteristics of the vapors exiting through the vapor outlet pipe can he definitely contioned partition and projecting upwardly therefrom, the outlets from said vapor risers heing disposed below the plane of the upper ends or the liquid overflow pipes wherebya pool o fliquid is maintained on said first mentioned partition, means for withdrawing reilua condensate from the bottom of the shell, and means for diverting regulated portions oi the reflux condensate withdrawn from the hottom of the shell to said separated compartment-s in the upper section.

v Q3. Apparatus for dephlegmation, comprismg a horizontally disposed shell, a partition therein dividing said shell into upper and lower sections, means comprising partitions in the upper and lower sections dividing same into longitudinally separated compartments, upwardly projecting vapor risers talring the term oft gooseneclrs attached to the first mentioned partition, separate liquid overflow pipes also attached to said first mentioned partition and projecting upwardly therefrom, the outlets from said vapor risers losing disposed helow the plane of the upper ends of the liquid overflow pipes whereloy a pool of liquid is maintained on said first mentioned partition, means for withdrawing reflux condensate from the bottom of the shell, and means for selectively diverting regulated portions of the reflux condensate withdrawn from the bottom of the shell to said separated compartments in the upper section.

3. A dephlegmating apparatus comprising a horizontally disposed. shell, a partition dividing said shell into an upper section and a lower section, additional partitions dividing the upper and lower sections into lon tudinally separated compartments, means i l passing vapors through said compartments, means for withdrawing condensate from the compartments of said lower section, and means for introducing withdrawn condensate into any selected compartment of said upper section. 1

4. A dephlegmating apparatus comprising an elongated shell, a horizontal partition dividing said shell into a lower section and an upper section, additional partitions dividing said upper section into a plurality of upper compartment means for introducing vapors to said lower section and for passing the same through said upper compartments in series, means for collecting a pool of condensate in each of said upper compartments, means for causing the vapors passing through said upper compartments to percolate through said pools, means for overflowing condensate from said upper compartments into said lower section, means for withdrawing condensate from said lower section, and means for introducing withdrawn condensate into the last upper compartment through which the vapors pass.

5. A dephlegmating apparatus comprisin an elongated shell, a horizontal partition dividing said shell into a lower section and an upper section, additional partitions dividing said upper section into a plurality of upper compartments, means for introducing vapors to said lower section and for passing the same through said upper compartments in series, means for collecting a pool of condensate in each of said upper compartments, means for causing the vapors passing through said upper compartments to percolate through said pools, means foroverflowing condensate from said upper compartments: into said lower section, means for withdrawing condensate from said lower section, and means for introducing withdrawn condensate into any selected compartment of said upper section.-

6. A dephlegmating apparatus comprising an elongated shell, a horizontal partition dividing said shell into a lower section and an upper section, additional partitions dividing said upper section into a plurality of upper compartments, means for introducing vapors to'said lower section and for passing the same causing the vapors passing through said upper compartments to percolate through said pools, means for overflowing condensate from said upper compartments into said lower section, means for withdrawing condensate from said lower section, and means for introducing withdrawn condensate into the last upper compartment through which the Vapors pass, and additional means for introducing a second liquid cooling medium to said last compartment.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

NEAL S. OLSEN.