US2211171A

US2211171A - Separating tank

Info

Publication number: US2211171A
Application number: US162617A
Authority: US
Inventors: Randall W Self
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1937-09-07
Filing date: 1937-09-07
Publication date: 1940-08-13
Anticipated expiration: 1957-08-13

Description

Aug. 13, 1940. R. w. SELF I SEPARATING TANK Filed Sept. 7, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 13, 1940.

R. W. SELF v SEPARATING TANK Patented Aug. 13, 1940 UNITED STATES P OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a separating tank particularly designed for the purpose of separating water and foreign matter from oil.

The tank has been particularly designed for receiving crude oil as it comes from the well and for separating therefrom the water and other impurities and taking off the clean oil, and the water and impurities, separately from the tank.

It is another object of the invention to provide a separating tank of the character described that is compactly constructed so that it may be readily transported from place toplace.

A further object of the invention resides in a novel arrangement for heating the crude oil in the process of separation.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel arrangement for taking care of an excess flow of oil or gas, due to gas pressure in the well.

It is still another object of the invention to provide novel means for removing the sediment that may collect in the delivery tube.

With the above and other objects in View the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a vertical, sectional view of the tank.

Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 shows a side elevation of the complete tank, partly broken away.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numeral 1 designates the outer shell, which is preferably cylindrical in form and composed of sheet metal. The shell has the usual cover 2 and also has the spaced transverse upper and a

lower partitions

3 and 4 anchored therein and formed of foraminated material. The chamber of the shell and is connected into the top portion of the tank by the overflow pipe 9. The crude oil coming from the well enters the upper end of the delivery tube through the inlet line Ill. The lower end of the delivery tube is equipped with a discharge nozzle formed of the perforated nozzle pipe I l and the tubular side arms l2, l2, said side arms being connected into the nozzle pipe at one end and into the lower end of the tube 8 at their other ends. The discharge nozzle thus forms a loop, as more clearly shown in Figure 1.

Extended transversely through the tank and through said loop there is a U-shaped flue Ill. The side arms of this flue are anchored to the plate 14 which, in turn, is bolted to the laterally extending hood I5 into which the shell is formed. One end of the flue is equipped with any conventional type of fuel burner It, as shown in Figure 2. The other end of the flue is detachably connected to an elbow l! which leads inwardly through the wall of the shell above the plate M and is upwardly turned forming an outlet stack l8 which extends through the closure plate 811 and on up axially through the delivery tube 8 and terminates above said tubing and is provided with a protecting hood lBa. The upper end of the delivery tube has an inwardly turned flange 8b to which the stack 18 may be welded or otherwise secured. The heat from the stack l8 may be thus utilized in heating the crude oil flowing downwardly through the delivery tube 8.

The crude oil entering the tube 8 will flow downwardly therethrough by gravity and pass outwardly through the side arms [2 and will be in part broken up by the nozzle 1 I so as to cause a partial separation of the oil and water. The liquid will be additionally heated by contact with the flue l3 furthering the process of separation and the oil will rise passing up through the foraminated

partitions

3 and 4 and through the filtering material, the water condensing in said filtering material and dropping back and thus being separated from the oil. This water may be drained off through the drain pipes H9 or l9a, which may be suitably valve controlled if desired. The oil will'rise to the top of the tank and may be led off through the discharge pipe 20. The bottom of the tank is provided with a clean out opening 2| normally closed by the closure plate 22, and sediment may be drained off from the bottom of the delivery tube 8 through the drain line 23 whose outer end is equipped with a drain valve 24.

In case the well from which the crude oil is flowing is subject to gas pressure and an unusual surge occurs, the excess oil or gas delivered through the pipe ID will pass through the overflow pipe 9 into the top chamber of the tank and this chamber is vented with a suitable relief valve 25 for the relief of excess gas pressure.

The inlet line 26 to the burner is controlled by a suitable inlet valve 21 which in turn is controlled by a regulating mechanism 28. This regulating mechanism is operated by a suitable thermostat 29 in accordance with the heat of the liquid in the shell. A pilot line leads from the fuel line 26 into the outer end of the flue l3 adjacent the burner I6. Side arms of the flue I3 are welded or otherwise secured to the plate [4 so as to form tight joints therewith and the stack I8 is welded or otherwise secured to the plate 8a to form a fluid tight joint therewith. If it be desired to remove the flue I3, the bolts securing the flange M in place may be removed and the connection between the elbow l1 and the flue disconnected and the plate M and flue [3 may then be removed as a unit.

The delivery tube 8 is provided with an additional connection I Ga for the connection of an additional inlet line thereto, if desired. This connection Illa, when not in use, is closed by the plug 3!.

The drawings and description disclose what is now considered to be a preferred. form of the invention by way of illustration only, while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A separating tank comprising an outer shell, a delivery tube depending into said shell and whose upper end extends upwardly above the shell, a nozzle connected to the lower end of the tube, an inlet line entering the upper end of the delivery tube, a U-shaped flue extending transversely across the lower end of the shell and whose outer ends are exposed, a fuel burner at one end of the flue and an outlet pipe for the products of combustion leading upwardly through the delivery tube from the other end of the flue, a drain pipe leading out from the lower end of the shell and a discharge pipe leading out from the upper end of the shell.

2. A separating tank comprising an outer shell, a delivery tube depending into said shell and whose upper end extends upwardly above the shell, a nozzle connected to the lower end of the tube, an inlet line entering the upper end of the delivery tube, a U-shaped flue extending transversely across the lower end of the shell and whose outer ends are exposed, a fuel burner at one end of the flue and an outlet pipe for the products of combustion leading upwardly through the delivery tube from the other end of the flue. a drain pipe leading out from the lower end of the shell and a discharge pipe leading out from the upper end of the shell, an overflow pipe leading from the upper end of the delivery tube and connected into the top of the shell.

3. A separating tank comprising an outer shell, a delivery tube anchored to the top of the shell and depending downwardly into the shell, a discharge nozzle connected to the delivery tube, a delivery pipe for delivering crude oil into said tube, a valve controlled drain line leading out from the bottom of the delivery tube, a flue in the bottom of the shell, an outlet stack connected with the flue and leading upwardly through the delivery tube, and a burner associated with said flue.

4. A separating tank comprising an outer shell, a delivery tube anchored to the top of the shell and depending downwardly into the shell, a discharge nozzle connected to the delivery tube, a delivery pipe for delivering crude oil into said tube, a valve controlled drain line leading out from the bottom of the delivery tube, a flue in the bottom of the shell, an outlet stack connected with the flue and leading upwardly through the delivery tube, a burner associated with said flue, said shell having a discharge outlet at its lower end and a delivery outlet at its upper end.

5. A separating tank comprising an outer shell, a delivery tube anchored to the top of the shell and depending downwardly into the shell, 2. discharge nozzle connected to the delivery tube, a delivery pipe for delivering crude oil into said tube, a valve controlled drain line leading out from the bottom of the delivery tube, a flue in the bottom of the shell, an outlet stack connected with the flue and leading upwardly through the delivery tube, a burner associated with said flue, said shell having a relief outlet valve at its upper end and an overflow pipe leading from the top of the tube and terminating in the top of the shell.

6. A separating tank comprising an outer shell, a transverse flue, a vertical flue in the shell extending above the shell, said transverse flue terminating in the vertical flue, a delivery tube around the vertical flue extending above the shell, a discharge nozzle connected to the lower end of said delivery tube, an inlet connection to said delivery tube, an overflow connection from the delivery tube above the shell to the top of the shell, a discharge outlet connection at the upper portion of the shell and a drain connection to the bottom of the jacket.

7. In a separating tank, a shell, a removable plate connected thereto, a transverse flue connected to said removable plate, a burner connected to one end of the flue, a vertical flue in the shell, the other end of the transverse flue being connected to the vertical flue, a delivery tube around the vertical flue, an inlet connection to the delivery tube, said transverse flue being removable with the plate, and a discharge conduit and an inlet conduit connected to the shell.

8. In a separating tank comprising an outer shell having a closed chamber therein, a tube for the delivery of untreated fluid to the chamher, a heating flue in said chamber, an outlet flue leading from the heating flue and through the delivery tube, a burner associated with the heating flue, a discharge outlet conduit and a drain conduit connected to the shell.

RANDALL W. SELF.