US1892764A - Distilling system - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 3, 1933. P, R, GRAY mamm- DISTILLING SYSTEM Filed June 8. A1927 2 Sheets-$21661I l k s N 2 8 gums/:45507,

2 sheets-super 2 P. R. GRAY DISTILLING SYSTEM Filed June 8, 1927 MHV: Ixo

Jam 3, 1933.

Patented Jan. 3, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT-orales e PHILANDER R. GRAY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY; ALANSON MCD. GRAY, ADMINIS- TRATOR OF SAID PHILANDER R. `GRAY, DECEASED, ASSIGNOR TY THE GRAY PROC- ESSES CORPORATION, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OFDELAWARE DISTILLING SYSTEMl Application led June 8, 1927. Serial No. 197,268.

This invention relates to improvements in the art of distillation.

electrical generator so t Heretoforethe energy represented by the heat of hydrocarbon vapors under pressure during the process of distillation has been 1n effect wasted inasmuch as no attempt has been made to convert such energy into useful work.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide means for and methods of converting the energy represented by the heat of hydrocarbon vapors under pressure during a distillin `process into useful work.

The invention 1s especially applicable to the process of destructive distillation under pressure, known in the art as cracking and to processes of distillation under pressure. To accomplish the purposes of the invention, the vapors in a system of the character mentioned above, havin a relatively high temperature and under igh pressure, are passed through a prime mover or motor of the steam engine type. Such motor may be a steam turbine, a steam engine or any other prime mover of this character. The motor in turn may be connected directly1 or indirectly to an at the passage of vapor through the motor will result in the production of electric current which may be utilized in operating suitable parts of the distilling system or for any other purpose desired. However, the prime mover may be any mover dependent'upon the expansion of an elastic vapor, such as a pump of the steam engine type.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the followin detailed description read in the li ht of t e accompanying drawings wherein igure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a pressure distilling or cracking system embodying the present invention, and

Figure 2 is a similar view of a modified arran ement.

Re erring now to the drawings, 10 illustrates a cracking coil which ma be of any desired type, the heat necessary or the operation of which is furnished by the burner 11. Hydrocarbons are forced into and through the cracking coil under pressure from any suitable outside source and by any suitable i means through a pipe line 12 indirect connection with the coil.` The heat from the burner 11 is imparted "to the hydrocarbons during their passage through the coil, with the result that the hydrocarbons are raised to cracking temperature. After being forced through and from the cracking coil, the mixture of liquid and vapor is led into the reaction chamber 13 wherein the vapors are sepw. arated from the liquid. Vapors leaving the reaction chamber pass into the bottom of a dephlegmator 14 wherein the well-known step of dephlegmation is carried out. The` vapors leaving the dephlegmator pass therefrom through a conduit 15 having a" branch line 16 and in which is inserted a relief valve 17 and a by-pass arrangement, the function of which will hereafter be explained in detail. The conduit 15 leads directly into the bottom of a fractionator 18 wherein the further step of fractional distillation is carried out. The vapors resulting from the ste of fractional distillation pass from the ractionator 18 into a condenser box 19 through a pipe line 20.

In order that the heat of the vapors leaving the dephlegmator may be utilized, the

branch line 16 controlled by valves 21 and 22 is connected with the inlet of a prime mover or motor of the steam engine type 23. As i1- lustrated, such prime mover is a vapor turbine which may be either directly connected to or geared to an electrical generator 24. A trap 25 in communication with the line 16 Vprovides means for draining any condensate means of pump 29 into the fractionator through the line 30, or into dephlegmator through line 50`V as may be desired while vapors pass therefrom through the line 31 into the bottom of the fractionator as shown.

Suitable valves 51 and 52 are provided in lines 30 and 50 for controlling the flow of liquid from vessel 28 into the fractionator and dephlegmator respectively.

The vapors leaving the fractionator 18, as before explained, pass through the pipe line 20 into the condenser box 19. "Suitable connections are made from the bottom of each,- the reaction chamber, the dephlegmator and the fractionator,by which the condensate formed in the respective units may be returned to the cracking coil for further processing. A pump 32 is utilized for draining the fractionator and for forcing the condensate therefrom through the line 33 into the cracking coil 10 along with fresh material from the source of supply or into the dephlegmator as may be desired, the various parts of the system being connected in the usual manner.

The operation of the system illustrated is as follows: Petroleum hydrocarbons are pumped into the cracking coil where they are raised to cracking temperature and pass therefrom into the reaction chamber wherein the vapors and coke are se arated from the liquid. The vapors are t en led into the dephlegmator as a result of which a art thereof becomes condensate which is led ack into the cracking coil, but the uncondensed vapor passes from the dephlegmator by means of the conduit 15.

It is to be noted at this point that either the relief valve 17, preferably an automatically operated valve or the by-pass arrangement preferably manuall operated, may be utilized for governing the pressure of the system to this point and also for maintaining a constant pressure of vapor passing through the turbine 23. The by-pass arrangement comprises a conduit having a manually operated valve 60 shunted around the valve 17. Valves 61 and 62 are provided for preventin vapor from reaching the valve 17. Ordinar1- ly the valve 60 is kept closed and the valves 61 and 62 opened whereby the valve 17 is free to operate. Should the pressure in the system rise above the predetermined maximum, the valve 17 will be opened automatically to permit the passage directly into the fractionator of an amount of va or suicient to reduce the pressure to the esired normal. In this manner, a constant pressure, both in the distilling cycle and in the turbine is maintained with the result that any inequality in pressure will not affect the operation of the turbine and will have no effect upon the distilling operation as a whole. In the event of failure of the valve 17 to operate or at any time desired this valve may be cut out of the system by valves 61 and 62 and the valve 60 may be manually operated to control the pressure in the system. The vapor and condensate leaving the turbine pass into the separator 28 from which the vapor passes into the fractionator while the combined liquids are forced into either the fractionator or the de hlegmator.

ince the vapors are diverted from the distillin system at a point of high pressure, name y, the outlet of the dephlegmator,-and returned to the cycle at a oint of relatively lower ressure,-namely, t e fractionator,- the re uction in pressure caused by the turbine will have Ano harmful effect upon the distilling operation, and in some instances will enhance the operation.

The modification illustrated in Fig. 2 comprises a similar pressure-distilling apparatus with one variation; that is, the turbine 23 is connected in the c cle at the outlet of the fractionator 18 which is a point of relatively higher pressure than -the condenser 19 into which the exhaust of the turbine is introduced. In this figure, similar parts are given the same reference characters as their corresponding parts in Fig. 1 with the addition of a prime for each numeral. The operation of this arrangement is the same as that described in Fig. 1 up to the oint of the outlet of the dephlegmator 14. apors leaving the dephlegmator pass directly into the bottom of the fractionator 18 wherein the process of fractional distillation is carried out and the vapors from the fractionator are introduced into the turbine 23", the exhaust of which passes to separator 28 from which the vapor passes throu h line 31 into the condenser andfrom w ich the condensate along with the liquid from trap 25 is pumped into the condenser 19'. A. relief valve 17 is also provided for keeping the pressure in the system and in the turbine constant in the manner illustrated in connection with Fig. 1. The operation of the remaining apparatus is identical.

From the foregoing description of the two embodiments of the invention illustrated, it will be seen that the present invention provides a new and useful means whereby the previously wasted energy represented by the eat contained in vapors under pressure in a destructive distilling system or cracking system and in any pressure-distilling systems may be utilized and converted into useful work. The system is adaptable to any distilling arrangement wherein vapors may be diverted from a point of high pressure into an arrangement of the present type and returned to the system at a point of relatively lower pressure without impairing the distilling operation. It will be evident to those skilled in the art that other apparatus for further processing may be included in the system whereby the final product may be fully prepared for the commercial market.

It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments but only by the scope of the following claim.

I ciaim; In a hydrocarbon cracking system comprising a sull, reaction chamber, dephlegmator, and fractionator, means for converting the heat of the vapor under pressure in the system into mechanical work comprising a prime mover of the vapor engine type, means for introducing a part of said vapor from the dephlegmator into said prime mover at high pressure, means for byassing the remainder of the vapor into said) fractionator, means for directmg the exhaust vapor from the rime mover into said fractionator and means or returning the condensate from said prime mover to said system for retreatment.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

PHILANDER R. GRAY.

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