US254176A - Apparatus for distilling petroleum - Google Patents

Description

(No Model?) 0. TAGLIABUE.

APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING PETROLEUM.

N0. 254,176., Patented Feb. 28,1882.

WITNESSES A, M M

' Y z% 4 l Affornte w v B I UNITED ST T-Es PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J TAGLIABUE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING PETROLEUM.

l SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 254,176, dated February 28, 1882.

' a Application filed January 4, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES J. TAGLIABUE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Distilling Petroleum-Oil'and its Products; and I do deolare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enaro ble others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and'figures ofreference marked thereon, whichiorm a part of this specification. My'invention effects the distillation of petroleum-oils without destroying the vaporized product by oxidation, or the product drawn from the .vaporchamber by carbonization. Directheatfapplied in 'the ordinary manner 2b produces both results here sought to be avoided. The avoidance of both or either of such results is'im'portant to the trade both in respect to the quality of the article produced and to itseconomical manufacture. a5 This invention is not specifically intended to be used in the continuous manufacture of burning-oils, although it may be so employed, but

l :is better'adapted to increase the fire-test of the distillate produced in the ordinary manner by destructive distillation. The fire-test oft-he ordinary refined or burning oil known to com merce cannot be raised without destroying the quality ofthe oil. This is due to the fact that in all refined oils there is more or less acid and 3 5 alkali remaining, which, by the action of -direct steam or intense heat, changes the color of the oil to a dark straw hue, with which appearance it is comparatively worthless as an I article of commerce, and l have found that in order to raise the fire-test of refined oil the operation must be conducted while it is distillate, or before it has been treated with acids or alkali.

The use of this invention will reduce paraf- 5 fine-oils to any desired specific gravity, which is an important improvement in the art. By methods'heretofore employed from 20 to 22 Bauin can only be produced within such cost which will enable the .manufacturer to place the oil in the market in competition with other lubricants. In fact, 20 Baume is about as low as the very best grades today on the market, whereas by lowering the gravity to, say, 16 or 18 by this process the oil will be far superior to lard-oil for all lubricating purposes.

'5 In addition to effecting the lowering of the gravity to any desired degree, this invention also improves the oil-with respect to fire-test, which is not only important, but is a point soughtafterby all manufacturers, and, further, leaves it perfectly sweet, which are matters of great importance in considering the article from a commercial point of view. :This class of oil is sold on gravity, fire-test,and color, and the lower the gravity the higher the fire-test, and sweeter the oil the greater is the value. This class of oil should be operated upon while in distillate shape to save the color; but when color is no objectfthe use of this invention will confer another-advantage in working such oils by freeing them from all traces of acids and alkalies-an important consideration when the oil is used for fine machinery.

For reducingheavy black oils this invention is well adapted, and is designed to supersede those requiring the use of vacuum-stills,

pumps, &c.

To carry out my invention the oil is first heatedin a manner to prevent carbonization. Thetmode in which I prefer to effect the heating is by passing or distributing the heat through whale oil, (or any other substance which will not vaporize under high temperature,). or placing the oil-tank in a whale-oil bath maintained at the requisite temperaturesay 800 Fahrenheit. At this temperature most petroleum-oils vaporize. The oil having been raised to this or the necessary degree of heat, a steam-atomizer is put in operation to break up the oil into fine particles in the vapor-chamber, the oil being lifted from the tank by the action of the atomizer in the ordinary manner, and the fine spray of oil produced at the intersection of the steam and oil pipes constituting the atomizer being readily vaporized within the vapor-chamber.

A chief advantage arising from thistreatment of the oil is that theoil is attacked in small particles by a comparatively low yet suitable degree of heat, whereas when the oil is maintained in a large-body or still, as in the present mode of destructive distillation, a very great or destructive heat is necessary to liberate the light products, which is not only wasteful in fuel, but destructive to the product. In connection with the operation thus far described, another atomizer is employed, one pipe of which is supplied with cold or hot water, and the other pipe leading from the vaporchamber and being brought into contact at its point or end with the water-pipe in the ordinary way. The function of the water-atomizer is to assist in the extraction of the oil already vaporized in the vapor-chamber and to condense it. To this end the water-atomizer leads into a condenser, in which the condensed vapors fall and from which they may be drawn as desired. The water-atomizer, in connection with the condenser, performs practically the action of a vacuum-pump. Thus the operation embraces, first,the subjecting of the oil to direct heat in a manner not permitting of carbonization, breaking it up by a steam-atomizer, and then extracting and condensing'the vapor by a water-atomizer, producing results of great advantage in distilling petroleum or its products.

The direct-heat, while carbonizing the whaleoil, will not carbonize-the petroleum, as 1,000

Fahrenheit can be obtained in the petroleum withoutcarbonizationbeingproduced. In fact, when black lubricating-oils are reduced by this invention they cannot be detected from a natural oil, it being entirely free from any appearance of carbonization. N either the use of steam nor superheated steam, nor even hydrogen gas, will effect thesame decided action on heavy oils. I have demonstrated that in treatin g heavy oils steam is inoperative as an agent for vaporizing the light portions. To improve such oils a high fire-test product must be eliminated. This requires an intense heat, which I attain by heating the oil to a very high temperature, according to the oil used and the result required, and by atomizing in such small atoms in the vapor-chamber, also heated to a temperature consequent upon its being placed directly over the heated whale-oil. When thus atomized. in this heated state and in a hot chamber the lightest products, or those that will boil at the working temperature, will be. instantly eliminated by vaporization, and will of their own gravity rise to the top of the vaporchamber; but to assist them in a mechanical manner I use the water-atomizer, which acts as avacuum-pump and draws these vapors over as fast as produced. The speed of the operation is thereby greatly increased. Where cold water is used the vapors are instantly condensed, thus stopping their oxidation.

When working benzine and in the production of the lighter products-such as gasoline of 86 or 90 Baum-I have found it necessary to use hot water with the atomizer connected with the condenser. By-such use only the heavy products of the vapor coming from the vapor-chamber will .be condensed. The lighter or uncondensed vapors should be allowed to pass on to another condenser constructed on the same principle as the first, and so on until the result desired is attained.

In connection with thecondenser or condensers, I employ a thermometer or thermometers,

whereby the heatmay be accurately observed. Thermometers are also used in connection with the whale-oil bath, the oil-tank, and the vaporchamber. These thermometers are necessary to insure uniform action in the different operations. I have demonstrated that without the use of a temperature-instrument in the different parts of the apparatus this process is inoperative. When working benzine the temperature should be low; but when working heavy or cylinder oils the temperature must be very high-say 100 Fahrenheit-in which case pyrometers must be used.

In the accompanying drawing, which shows the apparatus in elevation, A is a furnace, over which a bath or vessel, B, for the reception of Y whale-oil orother suitable substance, is placed. 0 is the tank designed to receive the oil to be treated. This tank is situated at the baseof the vapor-chamber D. The vapor-chamber is provided with a pipe or neck, a, which diminishes in diameter at its outer extremity and leads into the closed condenser E. Aventpipe, b, leads from the oil-tank O and passes into the neck or pipe on of the vapor-chamber D, terminating near its end, as shown.

The vent-pipe b is intended to allow for'the' the point d, where it is met by'the-end of the pipe or neck a of the vapor-chamber, said pipes d and a constituting what I have termed the water-atomizer.

An outlet and trap for unvaporized'oil and condense-water is shown by e in connection with the bottom of the vapor-chamber. This construction is intended to trap back or exclude atmospheric air in order to prevent oxidation. Asimilar trap and outlet, f, for condensed oil and water is shown inconnection with the bottom of the condenser E. Thermometers attached to the whale-oil receptacle, the oil-tank and vapor-chamber, and the condenser-are shown by g, g, g, and g, respect-, ively. v

"This apparatus maybe modified in its details, but as here described sets forth that preferred by me. I

Where hot water is used with the wateratomizer the supply of hot water can be obtained from a .tanksuitably heated or in any other suitable manner.

I am aware that it is not new to gradually heat crude oil and mix its vapors with super-- heated steam and carry the mixture to a condensing-chamber, where the vapors are condensed by jets of water; or to employ in an oilrefining apparatus the combination of steam and oil atomizers and a refining-chamber, or a combination of condenser and air or vacuum pumps; or to use a rose through which oil is forced in contact with a current of heated steam; or, further, to employ a body of oil through which heat is transmitted to the oil to be treated, and accordingly make no claim to such inventions or uses.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In an apparatus for distilling oils, the combination of a furnace, a liquid-receptacle abovethe same, an oil-tank and vapor-chamher, a condenser, a vapor-pipe leading from the vapor-chamber to the condenser, a vaporpipe-leading from the oil-tank also to said con denser, an oil-lifting pipe extending from the oil-tank into the vapor-chamber, and a steampipe uniting at its end with the end of the oil lifting pipe and forming therewith a steam-atomizer, vall substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

2. In an apparatus for distilling oils, the combination, with an oil-tank and a vaporchamber, of a steam-atomizer for spraying the oil and a water-atomizer for drawing over and condensing the vapor formed in the vaporchamber, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the furnace A, liquidreceptacle B, vapor-chamber D, oil-tank 0, condenser E, tank F, pipes at b b 0 c, and outlets e f, sulnstantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHAS. J. TAGLIABUE.

Witnesses:

JNo. S. PATTERSON, G. M. BOYD.

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