US2318131A - Coking process - Google Patents

Description

May 4, 1943. E. UTTERBAcK 2,318,131

COKIN@ PROCESS Filed July 25,r 1941 TORNEY P-atented May 4, t

UNITED STATESPATENT 'OFFICE j.'

COKING PROCESS Ernest Utterback, Upper. Darby, Pa., vassiirnor to Socony-Vacunin Oil Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y.; a corporation of New York Application July 25, 19.41, serial No. 403,989

(ci. H6)

s claims.

I'his invention is directed to spray coking processes for the reduction of heavy oils to coke and has particularly to do with the removal of parchamber, or, more usually, the exit o1 vapors therefrom, must be avoided. None of these devices has proven particularly satisfactory.V

This invention has for its object the provision of a method whereby the coke may be removed by means such as are usually appropriate for handling iiuids, and whereby the coking chamber may be continuously isolated from the atmosphere while coke is being continuously removed.

In order to understand this invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawing, the single gure of which shows, in diagram form, a set-up of apparatus whereby the process ,of my invention may be practiced.

In this drawing I is a chamber in which by some process of spray coking, a granular or particle form of coke, more or less dry, is being produced. This coke falls to the cone-like bottom o( I, and passes through duct 2 into vessel 3.

In vessel 3 there is maintained a pool of refracpable of handling a mixture of liquid and some solids, such as, 'for example, the Hydroseal pump developed and sold by the Worthington Pump and Machinery Corporation of New York.

The discharge from pump 6 passes through pipe 'I to either of separators 8 and 9, each oi Which is provided with a screen I0, and the coke remains thereon, the oil passing away through pipe H. The cil in pipe II is cooled by passage through heat exchanger I2 and delivered into pipe I3. As a usual' thing this oil is returned from pipe I3 through valve I4 to vessel 3, valve I4 being operated in response to liquid level control IV5 to maintain a predetermined level of oil in vessel 3. If more oil is delivered to pipe I3 'than the momentary demand in vessel 3 calls for, the surplus is delivered to tank I 6 through ,valve I1 which is arranged to be responsive to a predetermined pressure in pipe4 I3. Additional and auxiliary control over the amount of oil withdrawn from vessel 3 (and consequently of the level maintained in 3), is provided by pipe I8,

pump I9 and valve 20, valve 2|) being so interconnected with liquid level control I5 and valve I4 that when valve I4, wide open, fails to maintain level, valve 20 opens to provide additional oil from pipe I8. Thisoil is preferably led to discharge pipe 5 by pipe 2l, but may be introduced tovessel 3, if desired.

Returning now to coke separators 8 and 9, when either is full, the ilow of coke-carrying oil may be diverted to the other, the rst being isolated, after which steam pressure may be applied from pipe 22, to drain oil from the coke and at 20,

If desired, cooler 25 and water separator drum 2.6 may be installed in pipe 23. Also, pipe 23 may be utilized as an auxiliary pipe for return of oil from circulation to tank, under manual control, if desired.

This system 'of'operation has the advantage of maintaining complete isolation of the coking chamber, regardless of the pressure conditionsr obtaining therein, and completely avoids all of thosedimculties arising from attempting to operate mechanical devices, such as star wheels,"- for example, in the presence of highly abrasive coke. Further, since the oil used is refractory cracked stock, and is maintained relatively iso' lated from the heat of the coking chamber, it does not lend a disturbing factor to the coking operation, and is little eected thereby.

The process is applicable not only to straight prises, continuously subjecting the heavy oil to spray coking in a cokingzone. maintaining a pool of refractory oil, isolated from atmosphere, beneath and in restricted communication with said coking' zone, continuously collecting freshly formed coke granules in said pool, continuously withdrawing from said pool the mixture of oil and coke, and separating the oil and coke.

2. In a process of reducingheavy oils to relatively dry granular coke, the method which comprises, continuously subjecting the 'heavy oil to spray coking in a coking zone', maintaining a pool of refractory oil, isolated from atmosphere, beneath and in restricted communication with said coking zone, continuously collecting freshly formed coke granules in said pool, continuouslyl withdrawing from said pool the mixture of oil and coke, separating the oil and coke, returning the former to said pool, and cooling the same intermediate withdrawal from the pool and return to it.

3. In apparatus for reducing heavy oils to relatively dry granular coke, a coking chamber, means for continuously spraying oil therein under high temperature conditions for evaporation andthe formation of granular coke, means to remove vapors from said coking chamber, a container sealed to atmosphere and located beneath said coking chamber, means establishing restricted communication between the bottom of said coking chamber and the top of said container, and means for maintaining a pool of oil in said container, said last-named means including an oil circulation system having therein an oil-coke separator whereby the oil may be continuously withdrawn from and returned to said container while the coke withdrawn from the chamber in admixture with the oil may be continuously removed.

4. In apparatus as claimed in claim 3, a heat exchanger in said..circulation system for cooling the oil before its return to said container.

5. In apparatus for reducing heavy oils to relatively dry granular coke. a coking chamber,

means for continuously spraying oil therein under high temperature conditions for evaporation and the formation of dry granular coke, means to remove vapors from said coking Chamber, a container sealed to atmosphere and located beneath said coking chamber, means establishing restricted communication between the bottom of said coking chamber and the to'p of said con- ERNEST UT'IERBACK.

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