US1939410A

US1939410A - Process of cracking hydrocarbon gases and enriching with liquid hydrocarbons

Info

Publication number: US1939410A
Application number: US415162A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph A Perry
Original assignee: United Gas Improvement Co
Current assignee: United Gas Improvement Co
Priority date: 1929-12-19
Filing date: 1929-12-19
Publication date: 1933-12-12
Anticipated expiration: 1950-12-12

Description

Dec. 12, 1933. J. A. PERRY PROCESS OF CRACKING HYDROCARBON GASES AND ENRICHING WITH LIQUID HYDROCARBONS Filed Dec. 19. 1929 Patented Dec. 12, 1933 1,939,410 -rnociiss or CRACKING HYDROCARBON GASES AND ENRICHING HxpRooARBoNs WITH LIQUID Joseph A. Perry, Swarthmore, Pa., assignor to The United ,Gas Improvement Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application, December .19, 1929 Serial No. 415,162..

8 Claims. "(01. 196-1) The present invention relates to the production of hydrocarbon gas and water-gas, by cracking hydrocarbon gas in an ignited fuel bed, depositing excess carbon released by cracking within the a fuel bed, and utilizing the excess carbon together with other fuel, byair blasting to store sumcient heat in the fuel bed, to-providefor the cracking of further hydrocarbon gas and the utilization of the remaining-excesscarbon in the production'of #101 water gas, by steaming the fuel bed.

More particularly the present invention relates to the crackingin the fuel bed of hydrocarbon gases produced extraneous to the apparatus, as

for instance; by-product refinery oil gas or natural gas. i

I- havefound in the cracking of such gas that the production isbest carried on from astan'dpoint of ease of operation and. thermal efficiency,

if the fuel bed conditionaquantities of hydrocar- 201 bongas, air and steam, and cycle arrangementv are such, that the reformed hydrocarbon gastogether with thewater gas, form a mixed gas having a-caloriflc power ofbetween 400 and 500 B. t. u. per-cubic foot,-preferably about 460 B. t. u. per cubic foot. .-Such a mixed gas requires enrichment to bring it up to the standards of calorific power at present in force in most communities for distribution for domestic and industrial consumption.

It has been proposed to enrich such gas by adding to it a portion of the initial uncracked hydrocarbon gas, orlightly cracking a portion of the initial hydrocarbon-gas and adding the lightly cracked-gas to the water gas and hydrocarbon gas all. produced in the fuel bed. l I-havefound th'atthere are objections to th above procedures and have discovered an improved method of operation. In the'operation of crackin'gthe'hydrocarbon gas. in the fuel bed, an

M0. appreciable amount of stiil' pitch is produced and little fluid tar. A portion of this pitch is carried out of the fuel bed and deposits in accessory apparatus employed for cooling, purifying and transporting the gas, as for instance, the wash 5. boxes, condensera'drips, etc. This pitch is very stiff or viscous and is difllcult of removal. 7 When the initial uncracked hydrocarbon gas is used for enrichment, or when the initial hydro carbon gas is lightly crackedand used for enrichment this difiiculty'-exists,-'-the character ofthe pitchis not changed. The initial hydrocarbon gas imparts no fluidity to the pitch, and the light cracking of the initial hydrocarbon gas does not produce'sufilcient fluid tar to render the pitch fluid. i v

I have foundthat if'I- store the heat of the air blast gases from the fuel bed and utilize the heat, for the vaporization of liquid hydrocarbons-such as, for instance, gas oil, and the subsequent fixing of the'vapors, th'e quantity of oil required for enl richment will produce sufficient fluid tar-that when mixed withthe stiff pitch produced by the cracking operations in the fuel bed, renders the mixture'sufiiciently- 'fluid to be pumped without difficulty.

The invention will be further described in-connection with the attached drawingwhich forms apart of this specification, which shows in partial side elevationand partial verticalcross section, apparatus by means of which the invention may be performed. V

Referring. to the drawing,

1, 2, 3- and 4 are vessels similar to the water gas generator, carburetter, superheater and wash box, respectively, of a carburetted water gas set, .andfor convenience will be referred to as such.

9 The water gas generator 1 is provided with the ignited fuel bed 5 of coke, coal or like material.

It is also provided with air-blast supply means 6, for air blasting the fuel bed, steam supply means '7 and steam supply means 8,-for-up and for down steamingthe fuel bed. The generator is alsoprovided with the hydrocarbon gas supply means 9 and 10 for passing hydrocarbon gas up or down through the fuel bed.

1 The generator is'connected with the carburet- 'ter 2, by connection' llprovided with valve 12 and leading from above the fuel bed, and by connect'ion 13 provided with valve 14, leading from below the fuel bed. 15 is a supply of secondary air to the carburetter. a

The carburetter is provided with the heat. storage'material 16 such as checkerbricks or other refractory substance and with the oil spray 17. The carburetter is connected to the superheater' 3 by -the connection 18.

The superheater is provided with the heatv storage material 19, a such as checkerbricks 'or other refractory substance, with the stack valve 20 and with the connection 21 leadingto the wash box 4. 22 is the offtake from the wash box leading through valve 23 to-condenser 24.

- The wash box is provided with. theliquid inlet supply means generally indicated as 25, and with the liquid outlet 26 leading toseal pot 27. 28

is the liquid outlet of the seal pot 27.

The condenser 24 is provided with the gas outlet 29 leading to the'relief holder (not shown) and is also provided with the cooling liquid inlet 11.0

30 and the liquid outlet 31 leading to seal pot 32. 33 is the liquid outlet from the seal'pot.

There are numerous variations of operating cycles in which the present invention may be employed, and from which the following are chosen for illustration.

With valve 14 closed and

valves

12 and 20 open, the fuel bed is blasted with air supplied at 6. The resultant blast gases pass through'the carburetter 2 and the superheater 3, wherein they are burned with air supplied at 15, storing their heat in

vessels

2 and 3. The burned gases pass through valve 20 to atmosphere.

The air blast is terminated, and with

valves

14 and 20 closed and

valves

12 and 23 open, steam is admitted to the fuel bed through 7, the resultant water gas passes through the carburetter and.

superheater to the wash box. Simultaneously oil is admitted to the carburetter, vaporized therein, and the resultant oil vapors fixed in the carburetter and superheater. The carburetted water gas passes through the wash box and condenser to a place of storage (not shown). In its passage through the wash box and condenser, tar is condensed out of the gas. Further tar condenses out in therelief holder.

After the above water gas run, hydrocarbon gas is introduced to the fuel bed alternately at 9 and 10, and passed alternately up and down through the fuel bed, and cracked therein to reformed gas which passes to the carburetter and superheater,

valves

12 and 14 being appropriately operated. The reformed gas passes from the superheater through the wash box and condenser to storage. During its passage through the wash box and condenser, tarry products (largely pitch) are condensed out of the reformedgas. These mix with the fluid tar condensed out of the fixed oil gas, producing a mixture sufficiently fluid to be readily handled. Further pitch is condensed in the relief holder, tar extractor and pipes, but this also mixes with fluid tar and oil condensed out of the carburetted gas, producing readily handled material. I

The excess carbon released by the cracking of the hydrocarbon gases in the fuel bed, remains there for subsequent utilization in air blasting to store heat for the cracking of further hydrocarbon gas, and for the consumption of the remaining excess carbon in the production of water gas.

After a short uprun purgewith steam supplied at 7 the above cycle may be repeated.

Downruns with steam supplied at 8 may be made as desired to balance the fuel bed conditions, and the resultant water gas may be carburetted in the carburetter and superheater with oil supplied at 17. a V

. As an alternative, the reformed hydrocarbon gas may be carburetted in its passage through the carburetter and superheater.

Another alternative method of operation is as follows: 7 V

Blast the fuel bed with air supplied at 6, burning the resultant blastgases in the carburetter and superheater, to store their heat, with secondary air supplied at 15.

Simultaneously pass steam and hydrocarbon gases alternately up and down through the fuel bed, to produce mixed'water gas and reformed gas, passing the mixed water gas and reformed gas through the carburetter and superheater and carburetting them with oil supplied at 17.

Following an uprun steam. purge, this cycle may be repeated.

I claim:

1. A process for the manufacture of combustible hydrocarbon gas and hydrocarbon liquid including the following steps: passing hydrocarbon gas through an incandescent fuel bed, cracking the gas therein to reformed gas with a consequent deposition of carbon in the fuel bed and the production of stiff pitch; passing steam through the incandescent fuel bed, generating blue water gas, utilizing carbon equivalent in amount to a portion of the deposited carbon, carburetting the .blue water gas, utilizing the stored heat for the carburetting and for fixing the carburetted water gas, and producing fluid tar; mixing the stiff pitch and the fluid tar so that the consequent mixture may be more readily removed from the gas making apparatus; and air blasting the fuel bed storing heat therein and utilizing fuel equivalent in amount to the remaining portion of the deposited carbon.

2. A process for the manufacture of combustible hydrocarbon gas and hydrocarbon liquid including the following steps: passing hydrocarbon gas through an ignited fuel bed thereby producing reformed gas, and condensing stiff pitch from the reformed gas; another step being, carburetting gas with oil thereby producing carburetted gas, and condensing fluid tar from the carburetted gas in the same vessel with the stiff pitch, thereby mixing the stiff pitch and the fluid tar so. that the mixture can be readily handled.

3. A process for the manufacture of combustible hydrocarbon gas andhydrocarbon liquid including the following steps: air blasting an ignited fuel bed to incandescence; another step being, making a run with steam through the fuel bed and carburetting the resulting blue water gas with oil, thereby producing fluid tar, and condensing the fluid tar out of the carburetted water gas; another step being, passing hydrocarbon gas through the fuel bed, thereby producing reformed gas and stiff pitch, and condensing the stiff pitch out of the, same gas in the same vessel with the fluid tar, thereby mixing the stiff pitch and the fluid tar so that the mixture can be readily handled; and another step being, making an uprun purge with steam.

4. A process for the manufacture of combustible hydrocarbon gas and hydrocarbon liquid including the following-steps: air blasting an ignited fuel bed; another step being, makingan uprun with steam through fuel bed, carburetting the blue water gas so produced with oil, and condensing fluid tar out of the carburetted water gas; another step being, passing hydrocarbon gas through the fuel,bedproducing reformed gas and stiff pitch, condensing stiff pitch out of the reformed gas in the same vessel with the fluid tar, thereby mixing the stiff pitch and the fluid tar so that the mixture can be readily handled; and another step .being, making a backrun'with steam down through the fuel bed and carburetting the blue water gas so produced with oil.

-5. A process for the manufacture of combustible, hydrocarbon gas and hydrocarbon liquid including the following steps; air blasting an ignited fuel bed; another step being, making a run with steam through the fuel bed and carburetting the blue water gas so produced with oil, and condensing fluid tar out of the carburetted gas; another step being, passing hydrocarbon gas through the fuel bed, producing reformed gas and stiff pitch, carburetting the reformed gas with oil, condensing the stiff pitch out of the reformed gas in the same vessel with the fluid tar, thereby mixing the fluid tar and the stiff pitch so that the mixture can be readily handled; and another step being, making an uprun purge with steam.

6. A process for the manufacture of combustible hydrocarbon gas and hydrocarbon liquid including the following steps: air blasting an ignited fuel bed; and another step being, simultaneously passing steam and hydrocarbon gas through the fuel bed, thereby producing blue water gas and hydrocarbon gas and stiff pitch, carburetting the resulting gas with oil, and condensing the stiff pitch and the fluid tar resulting from the carburetting oil in the same vessel so that there results a mixture of stiff pitch and fluid tar which can be readily handled. 7. A process for the manufacture of combustible hydrocarbon gas and hydrocarbon liquid including the following steps: air blasting an ignited fuel bed; and another step being, simultaneously passing steam and hydrocarbon gas through the fuel bed, producing a mixed gas having a calorific power of from 400 to 500 B. t. u.-

per cubic foot, carburetting the mixed gas with oil, and condensing in the same vessel the stiff pitch from the hydrocarbon gas and the fluid tar from the carburetting oil so that a mixture of stiff pitch and fluid tar which can be readily handled results.

' 8. A process for the manufacture of combustible hydrocarbon gas and hydrocarbon liquid, which process includes the following steps: passing hydrocarbon gas through an incandescent fuel bed producing reformed gas and stiff pitch and depositing carbon in the fuel bed, and condensing the stiff pitch out of the reformed oil gas; another step being, air blasting said fuel bed consuming fuel and deposited carbon and producing blast gases, burning said blast gases with secondary air, and storing the heat resulting from said combustion; and another step being, passing steam through said fuel bed thereby generating blue water gas, carburetting said blue water gas withoil by means of said stored heat, and condensing fluid tar out of the carburetted water gas in the same vessel with said stiff pitch, thereby mixing the stiff pitch and the fluid tar so that the mixture can be more readily handled.

JOSEPH A. PERRY.