US2543242A

US2543242A - Apparatus for treating crude petroleum and other liquids

Info

Publication number: US2543242A
Application number: US732108A
Authority: US
Inventors: Floyd A Kent; Clarence W Patrick
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1947-03-03
Filing date: 1947-03-03
Publication date: 1951-02-27
Anticipated expiration: 1968-02-27

Description

F A KENT ETAL 2,543,242

APPARATUS FOR TREATING CRUDE PETROLEUM AND OTHER LIQUIDS Sheet 1 INVENTORJ I /O 0 fl enf 2 Sheets- ATTORNEY k a 4 m m a 6 q.

Feb. 27 1951 Filed March 3, 1947 Feb. 27 1 1 F. A. KENT ET AL APPARATUS FOR TREATING CRUDE PETROLEUM AND OTHER LIQUIDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 5. 1947 INVENTORJ fliazlf ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 27, 1951 APPARATUS FOR TREATING CRUDE PETRO- LEUM AND OTHER LIQUIDS Floyd A. Kent and Clarence W. Patrick, Midland, Mich.

Application March 3, 1947, Serial No. 732,108

4 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for treating liquids such as crude petroleum as it is pumped from wells, and more particularly to an apparatus designed to separate liquids of different specific gravities such as oil from the brine, sludge and other impurities, and to separately drain 01f the oil and also the separated brine and impurities found therein, so that it does not interfere with or retard the cracking and final refining of the product.

One of the prime objects of the invention is to design an apparatus, including a tank or basin, into which the crude petroleum is pumped, and from which it is forced into a driven separator for agitating and separating the oil, brine, and other impurities which are taken oil at different levels or zones, as the apparatus is operated.

Another object is to provide a petroleum treating apparatus in which the crude petroleum is inserted at the lower end of the apparatus and is then rotated, so that centrifugal force causes the more volatile oil to rise and overflow, after it has reached a predetermined level, the brine, impurities, etc., due to the difference in specific gravities, being forced outwardly towards the outer wall of the shell and are then drained off in a similar manner.

A further object is to design simple, practical, and eflicient apparatus, including means for effectively separating the oil from the brine and impurities, together with means for driving said shell to force the crude petroleum into the shell as the apparatus is operated.

A further object still is to provide petroleum treating apparatus including a driven shell having scoops extending into the liquid to be treated, so that the pressure generated by the shell rotation forces the liquid upwardly into the shell, where it is separated by centrifugal action and then drawn off into separate tanks or containers.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention then consists of the means hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawings and following description setting forth, in detail, certain means and one mode of carrying out the invention, such disclosed means and mode illustrating, however, but one of various ways in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a part-sectional, side-elevational view of our petroleum treating apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, part-sectional top plan view thereof. the upper stays etc. being omitted.

Fig. 3 is a detail inverted plan view of the rota able shell.

Fig. 4 is a vertical, sectional view of the she Fig. 5 is an enlarged, plan view showing tl cover plate for the sludge sump.

The apparatus herein described is adapted f( treatment of various liquids, but for the purpo: of illustration, we will describe it as used in tl". treatment of crude petroleum.

Referring now to the drawings in which w have shown the preferred embodiment of our in vention. The apparatus comprises a ,tank 0 basin 8 into which the crude petroleum from well (not shown) is piped, through inlet pipe as usual.

A centrally disposed sludge sump S is provide( in said basin, and a perforated plate 8 forms 1 cover therefore, a sludge pipe 9 being connectei thereto and is provided with a valve I 0 to contro. the release of sludge therefrom when desired said pipe leading to any desired spot or receptacle (not shown).

A cylindrical shell 1 I is mounted in the basin 6, the ends of the shell being flanged as at l2, and top and bottom cover plates 3 and I4 respectively are connected thereto by means of bolts l5, gaskets l6 being interposed as usual to form a leak-proof connection thereat.

Hubs I! are provided on the top and bottom plates l3 and i4, and a centrally disposed sleeve I8 is mounted in said shell and extends into said hubs, a shaft 19 being mounted in the sleeve and is joumaled in bearings 20 and 2| respectively, the bearing 20 being carried by the side wall of the basin and the lower bearing 2| is mounted on a fabricated frame 22 disposed directly above the sump. The shaft and sleeve are secured to the hubs I1 for rotation with the shell, and a pulley 23 is provided on the upper end of the shaft I9 and is connected to any suitabl source of power (not shown) in any desired manner.

Circumferentially disposed, vertically spaced

outlet pipes

24, 25, and 26 open into the shell II at different zones or levels, these pipes discharging into

troughs

21, 28, and 29 supported from the wall of the tank 6 as the apparatus is operated, and pipes H lead to receptacles or tanks (not shown) in which the separated products are stored or otherwise disposed of.

A plurality of separating disks 30 are mounted on the sleeve I8 in vertically spaced relation, and radially disposed ribs 3| are provided on the upper face of each disk. Openings 32 ar provided in each disk between said ribs, so that liquid can flow therethrough, these disks being fixed on the sleeve [8, so that the openings 32 are in vertical alignment, and the outer periphery of each disk is spaced a predetermineddistance from the wall of the shell as shown.

A plate 33 divides the shell into individual compartments A and B, and is rigidly connected to the wall of the shell II, and it, too, is provided with openings R to admit liquid to the space above said plate, which space is designated as zone B.

Funnel-shaped scoop members 34 are connected to pipes 35 which open into the shell ll through the bottom plate H, these members being circumferentially spaced to scoop up the crude petroleum as the shell is driven to force it into the shell, and these scoops are vertically spaced with relation to each other so that the path of travel overlaps.

The separating disks aid in separating the brine and impurities from the oil, so that the oil is forced upwardly through the openings 32 provided in the disks 30; whereas, the brine and other impurities are thrown outwardly (due to differences in the specific gravities), and against the wall of the shell.

The operation of the apparatus is substantially as follows:

When power is applied to the pulley 23, the shell i i will be driven at a predetermined R. P. M.. the funnel-shaped scoops 34 scooping up the crude petroleum in the tank and forcing it into the interior of the shell, the centrifugal action tending to separate and break up the oil, brine and impurities, forcing the brine and impurities toward the outer wall of the shell, while the lighter, volatile oil remains in the center, rising upwardly through the openings 32 and thence through openings R into zone B, thence overflowing through outlet pipe 24 and into the circular trough 21 from which it fiows through pipe H to an oil receptacle (not shown) Likewise, the centrifugal action forces the brine and other impurities upwardly and outwardly in the shell, and this is discharged through outlet pipe 25 into the trough 28 from which it is again piped back for further treatment or otherwise disposed of. The outlet pipe 26 operates in substantially the same manner as the pipe 25, and this, too, leads to a trough 29 and thence is disposed of as desired.

All of the

discharge pipes

24, 25, and 25 are provided with valves 31 so that the flow can be regulated to suit the nature of the petroleum being processed, and it will of course, be obvious that it may be necessary to re-circulate some of the brine in which there remains sufficient oil to warrant recovery.

A suitable opening 38 is provided in the upper cover plate I3 to facilitate access to the interior of the shell for the purpose of adjustment or re pair, and this is closed by means of a plate 39 as usual.

It will of course be obvious that the petroleum may be introduced into the shell by other means than the funnel-shaped scoops, but this is, however, immaterial as any practical means may be employed.

Bafiles 40 are provided in the tank 6 to break up and retard the swirling of the tank contents when the apparatus is in operation, and this, of course, may be accomplished in any other manner.

From the foregoing description, it will be obvious that we have perfected a very simple, practical, economical, and efficient crude petroleum treating apparatus which separates the brine and other impurities from the oil, so that final cracking and refining can be easily accomplished.

What we claim is:

1. An apparatus for separating liquids of different specific gravities which comprises a driven shell having a centrally disposed shaft, a tank in which the shell is mounted, bearings in said tank and in which the shaft is journaled, a plurality of separating disks of uniform shape and diameter mounted on said shell in superimposed relation, radially disposed ribs on the upper face of said disks, and spaced-apart openings in said disks intermediate said ribs, a separator plate above said disks and dividing the shell into individual vertical zones, openings in said separator plate for connecting said zones, vertically spaced troughs 0n the inner wall of the tank, outlet pipes on said shell and discharging the separated liquids into said troughs, means connected to the lower end of the driven shell and opening into the lower end of said tank for forcing the liquid to be separated into said shell as the shell is driven, and means for retarding swirling action of the liquids in said tank.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the tank surrounds said shell and forms a liquid basin for the liquid to be separated, and vertically spaced, funnel-shaped scoops extending into the liquid in said tank for forcing liquid to be separated into the lower end of the shell as said shell is driven.

3. The combination as defined in claim 1 in which vertically spaced, downwardly projecting, funnel-shaped scoops are provided on the lower end of the shell, and the swirl-retarding means comprises a plurality of vertically disposed baffles on the wall of the tank for retarding the swirling action of the crude petroleum therein as the funnel-shaped scoops are driven.

4. The combination defined in claim 1 in which each separating disk bears on the ribs of the next lowest disk.

FLOYD A. KENT. CLARENCE W. PATRICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 454,408 Stanton June 16, 1891 523,105 Chapman July 17, 1894 703,630 Ten Winkel July 1, 1902 791,496 Ponten June 6, 1905 957,478 Simpson May 10, 1910 980,001 Ponten Dec. 27, 1910 1,003,118 McKellar Sept. 12, 1911 1,163,743 DOlier et a1. Dec. 14, 1915 1,344,055 Milliken June 22, 1920 2,173,580 Fawcett Sept. 19, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 125,594 Germany Nov. 25, 1901 198,387 Great Britain June 4, 1923 211,550 Italy Aug. 13, 1880

Claims

1. AN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING LIQUIDS OF DIFFERENT SPECIFIC GRAVITIES WHICH COMPRISES A DRIVEN SHELL HAVING A CENTRALLY DISPOSED SHAFT, A TANK IN WHICH THE SHELL IS MOUNTED, BEARINGS IN SAID TANK AND IN WHICH THE SHAFT IS JOURNALED, A PLURALITY OF SEPARATING DISKS OF UNIFORM SHAPE AND DIAMETER MOUNTED ON SAID SHELL IN SUPERIMPOSED RELATION, RADIALLY DISPOSED RIBS ON THE UPPER FACE OF SAID DISKS, AND SPACED-APART OPENINGS IN SAID DISKS INTERMEDIATE SAID RIBS, A SEPARATOR PLATE ABOVE SAID DISKS AND DIVIDING THE SHELL INTO INDIVIDUAL VERTICAL ZONES, OPENINGS IN SAID SEPARATOR PLATE FOR CONNECTING SAID ZONES, VERTICALLY SPACED TROUGHS ON THE INNER WALL OF THE TANK, OUTLET PIPES ON SAID SHELL AND DISCHARGING THE SEPARATED LIQUIDS INTO SAID TROUGHS, MEANS CONNECTED TO THE LOWER END OF THE DRIVEN SHELL AND THE OPENING INTO THE LOWER END OF SAID TANK FOR FORCING THE LIQUID TO BE SEPARATED INTO SAID SHELL AS THE SHELL IS DRIVEN, AND MEANS FOR RETARDING SWIRLING ACTION OF THE LIQUIDS IN SAID TANK.