US2399140A - Method for reclaiming crankcase oil - Google Patents

Description

April 23, 1946. M. F. PETERS ETAL 93 9 METHOD FOR RECLAIM'ING CRANKCASE OIL Filed April 9, 194a 0/1 ATST/MT 33 INVENTORS 1%101716/5' Pei! 411d g BY A7222: A. Bea! Ae/k 4 r ram/E Y Patented Apr. 23, 1946 Y UNITED STATES .PATENT OFFICE" d 2,399,140 METHOD FOR RECLAIMING CRANKCASE OIL v Melville'E. Peters, Belts ville, Ma, and Anne is. Beal, Washington, ,-D. C., assignors to Fred I; McCarthy, Forest Hills, N. Y. I

Application April 9, 1943, Serial No. 482,448

mm. (or, 196-16) This invention relates to cleaning or reclaiming oil from crankcase draining, though it may be applied to other uses.

When new or virgin oil is placed in an engine, it soon becomes discolored due to heat in the presence of oxygen, and there is an accumulation of organic salts of iron, lead, copper, etc., which accelerates oxidation. Both physical and chemical contamination of the'oil proceed together in en'- gines at varying rates. The combination of ma terials thus formed in the crankcase is commonly known as sludge, which term includes compounds which differ'widely. The contaminants arez water, soot, lead salts, fuel ends, dust, metal, and oil decomposition products. I I l "There are generally two forms of reclaiming,

one the simpler but not entirely satisfactory though perhaps answering certain purposes, and the other, requiring a very elaborate and expensive installation; Neither utilize the invention about to be described. I

Thisinvention contemplates the treatment of such crankcase compounds by adding an alkali or other neutralizer and stirring the same-to obtain a thorough admixture, and then subjecting the same to centrifuging, to separate the solvent with the impurities from the oil. In certain cases, alkali may be omitted, but in all cases it is preferred to use a solvent for the soluble impurities.

The invention is for a process of reclaiming crankcase or similar oil, compounds, which consists in subjecting the oil compounds as they leave the crankcase and mixed with a solvent to dissolve impurities in the compounds and neutralize the acids of the compounds, to a centrifugal force and to a stirring force, both against the action of gravity, then subjecting the oil and the solvent in respective parallel surface area sheets to contact actions, moving said parallel spread out sheets over each other at varying velocities in respect to each other, and subjecting said so moving parallel spread out sheets to the action of centrifugal forces for forcing the solvent through the sheet of oil, while moving the oil sheet in surface area contact over the solvent sheet, whereby the Fig. 3 is a detail view of another form of device; Fig. 4 is a centralyertical form of centrifuge;

Fig. 5 is a similar section of another form, and Fig. 6 is a similar section of still another form,

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 being also diagrammatical, to

cleaned oil freed from the solvent is separated y from the solvent.

The invention will be further described with the aid of drawings showing various embodiments of apparatus practical in carrying out the invention, and the invention will be finally claimed.

In the accompanying drawing- Fig. 1 is a central vertical section of a, centrifuge apparatus, largely diagrammatic;

Fig. 2 is a detail view of one form of the device;

show the mode of operation embodied therein.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the various} views.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a motor l0, ro-

tates ac'entrifuge I 3 guided bya bearing l2,fthe

casing of the centrifuge-having an opening M. The inner surfaces Hare securedto l3'and rotate with the casing. A'feed screw or blade I5 is within the tube It of the the crankcase oil with additions thereto are forced thereby into the interiorof the centrifuge, The two liquids form onthe shaft or tube l6 and are carried to the rotating inner surface I I. This surface ll may be provided with grooves I! shown in Fig; 2, or drops ls shown in Fig, 3, to cause further mixing or re-mixi'ng. The crankcase oil and additions will be fed slow enough toform a film of each after having been centrifuged, thereby giving good contact between the two. If grooves are used as shown in Fig.2, a considerable amount of water as an addition is filtered out. The added water dissolves certain of the impurities of the oilwater contents of the crankcase. If projections 30 or drops are used asin Fig.3, the oil will be constantly washedby surface I 9 of the water, and by regulating the'rate atwhich the the amount ofwas-hing may be regulated. Hydroxides or other acid neutralizers may be added to the liquids. This may be sodium or potassium hydroxide 2 to 0 grams per liter of water.

The dotted line 20 shows where the water collects, and between the surface of the water 20 and the opening it, the clean oil collects. and this is discharged at the opening 14 as more oil and water is being introduced.

By adding water the oil is forced out at opening I l. The water will be brought close to M as indicated by Ma. The film of oil between l4 and Ma represents the loss of oil for any one run.

Referring to Fig. 4, a. motor I0, centrifuge l3a, opening I4 is again present, with a bearing 1!! for the shaft or tube l6 of the centrifuge.

Steam is now used in the place of or in addition to the added water, and this is forced by fan or turbine blade 15 with the oil upwardly of the shaft l5 into the centrifuge. A filter 23 is arranged on the surface of the centrifuge tube. The centrifugal force will cause the water and section of another centrifuge so that two liquids enter,

out at} the top. While a filter has been shown a and described, it may be omitted in certain cases of oil treatment.

Referring to Fig. 5, another form of centrifuge.

is shown, with a diagrammatic enlarged fragmentary view in Fig. 6. The same motor, casing, bearing, fan, is shown. The oil and added water are drawn intermixed into the tube or shaft by the fan as heretofore. At 30, projections 3| are provided which form a film of water of a thickness 33 over the inner surface of the metal and a film of oil of a thickness 34' overthe, water. As they pass over the projections'3l, they be come further mixed. Then by centrifugal action they are separated.

In each of the foregoing modes of operations, the insoluble compounds, such as gelatinous and gummy materials, varnish-like deposits, and granular carbon, are centrifuged out with the solvent. It is believed that the, compounds in crankcase oil which cause corrosion are soluble in water. Theother compounds which are not soluble are not harmful and arcpresent in such small amounts they will not interfere with lubrication. The heavier metal salts will be thrown out by centrifuging. The water of the crankcase oil is by' far the worst'impurity because it combines with impurities in'the' oil and causes corrosion. The water which is added serves to assist the water of the crankcase oil in being centrifuged. .A form of processing by centrifugal force by which the water is drawn out, is practical for many uses, and it wouldpay merely to remove the water from the oil. However, as the centrifuging can be carried out by. various forms of centrifugal machines, the cen-- trifugal forces can be so regulated to centrifuge out all foreign ingredients of the so-called virgin oil. Soluble materials as water, soot, lead salts, fuel ends, dust and metal may be readily centrifuged out, some with and some without the neutralizing agent, by selecting the. correct centrifugal force. A powdered acid neutralize! can be used.

A preliminary mixing may be carried out by shaking, stirring, supersonic vibration or the oil compounds as they appear in the crankcase, either with a solvent such as water, or with an alkali as a neutralizer, or with both.

It will have been noted that in each of the modes of operations described there was a mixing of a solvent or neutralizer with the crankcase or like oil, and the separation by centrifugal forc of the solvent or neutralizer with impurities from the oil, the impurities having a specific gravity greater than that of the oil. After purifying, additional oil can be added, to correct the viscosity.

It will have been seen that we have discovered the capability of centrifugal force and the susceptibility of the crankcase oil compounds to that force when treated with a solvent as water, or

neutralized by an alkali, and the availability of the mode of operation to that object, and to that force.

We have described several forms of the invention, but obviously various changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of the'invention as set out in the following claim.

.Reference is made to Why drain crankcases and'when, by G. A. Round, 8. A. E. Journal, vol. 43, N0. 1, page 301, and Is 011 reclaiming practicable? by Frederick R. Speed, in Bus Transportation, June 1942.

We claim: The process of reclaiming crankcase or similar oil compounds, which consists in subjecting the. oil compounds as they leave the crankcase andmixed with a solvent to dissolve impurities in the compounds and neutralize the acids of the compounds, to a centrifugal force and to a stirring force, both against the action of gravity, then subjecting the oil and the solvent in respective parallel surface area sheets to contact actions, moving said parallel spread out sheets over each other at varying velocities in respect t each other, and subjecting said so moving parallel spread out sheets to the action of centrifugal forces for forcing the solvent through the sheet of oil, while moving th oil sheet in surface area contact over the solvent sheet, whereby the cleaned. ojl freed from the solvent is separated m from the solvent.

MELvnm. F. PETERS. ANNE A. BEAL.

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