US53359A - Improvement in distilling apparatus - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT Ormea.,

AUGUSTUS H. TAIT AND JOSEPH W. AVIS, OF NEW' YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN DISTILLING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 53,359, dated March 20, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, AUGUSTUS H. TAIT and JOSEPH YV. Avis, ot' the city, county, and State of NewYork, have invented a new and Improved Distilling Apparatus 5 and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a plan or top view of this invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section ot' the same, the line .r w, Fig. l, indicating the plane of section. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section ot' the same, the plane ofsection being indicated by the line y y, Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate like part-s. i

This invention refers to a distilling apparatus which is particularly intended for the purpose of refining petroleum and for separating the various ingredients thereof according to their specific gravity, or to their different boilin g-points.

The invention consists in the use of a series of cast or wrought iron retorts set horizontally alongside of each other andacross the ue, and communicating with each other by zigzag tubes, in combination with a fire-grate the breadth of which is nearly equal to the length ot' the retorts, said tire-grate being at one end of the series and the chimney at the other end, in such a manner that the oil let into that retort next to the chimney on passing` through the several retorts is gradually heated and evaporated. The vapors rising from the oil in the several retorts are swept 0E by the mechanical force of a current of steam or compressed gas injected through a suitable pipe in that retort immediately over the furnace, the discharge-pipe emanating from the first retort or from that next the chimney. It is obvious that the vapors rising` in the different retorts are formed ol liquid of moreor less specific gravity, according to the greater or smaller heat existing in said retorts, and the heavy vapors of the hottest retorts on passing through the remaining retorts mingle with the lighter vapors contained in said retorts, and on being condensed yield a liquid tit for illuminating purposes. The heavy and light oils are separated during their passage through coils or serpentine pipes situated in condensers and tapped at different heights or at different distances from their commencelnent, and the lightest oil is pumped back into a suitable tank and passed again and again through the series ot retorts. The tar and pitch pass oft' into a second set of retorts placed over a separate furnace and somewhat lower than the tirst series. One ofthe second set of retorts is always in operation while the other may be cleaned, and the products of evaporation otl the contents of these retorts are carried back to the last retort in the first series and caused to mingle with the contents thereof, so as to be redistilled over and over until the same are completely divested of all parts capable of mixing with or forming burning oils.

Arepresents a tank which contains the crude oil, and which communicates by a pipe, fawit-h the rst one ot' a series ot retorts, Rl Ri'l Ri RX. These retorts are made of Acast-iron or any other suitable material in a cylindrical or any other desirable form or shape, and they are placed horizontally alongside otl each other over a iiue which is provided with a tire-grate, situated under the retort Rx,aud which extends from said grate to the chimney that rises in close proximity to the retort R.

The several retorts connect with each other by means of pipes r, which extend from the y opposite ends of the same, so as to cause the liquid or iiuid introduced into the retort at one end of the series to pass through the several retorts in a zigzag course. The crude oil flows ina continuous stream into the retort Rl, and thence through the first piper to the second retort, and so on until all the retorts are filled up about halt' or to the middle of the connecting-pipes r. At this stage heat is applied by lighting a fire on the grate under the retort l xii. The oil in the retorts is thus gradually heated, thatiu the retort Rx being hottest and that in the retort Iti remaining coolest, and consequently the lightest components ot the oil will be evaporated in the'iirst and the heaviest components in the last retort.

The vapors thus formed pass oftl through the connecting-pipes r from the retort RX to the retort R, Sto., to the retort Ri, and thence through the pipe c to the first condenser, C; and in order to drive oft' the vapors by mechanical force a stream of steam or heated compressed gas is passed in the last retort, Rxi, through the pipe b, which connects with a suitable generator, being provided with a stopcock, so as that the supply of steam or heated gas can be regulated at pleasure. Vhle passing through the retorts the heavy vapors of the retorts RX? R, Snc., mix intimately with the light vapors of the first retorts Ri R, Sac., and the product of condensation derived from the mixture of vapors is of the requisite density for burning oil.

The condenser C consists of a plain tank of sheet metal or any other suitable material, in which is situated a serpentine pipe, G. The several bends of this pipe are placed one above another, so that the same are situated in different levels, and consequently the products of condensation derived from the several bends will be ot' different specic gravity, since the water in the condenser is coolest at the bottom and hottest on top. By tapping said serpentine pipe at different levels, therefore, liquids of different specilic gravity will be obtained.

We do not wish to confine ourselves, however, to the precise forni of serpentine pipe shown in the drawings, since -an ordinary coil placed in a vertical or in a horizontal position will produce the same or a similar result; but we use said serpentine pipe by preference, as the products of distillation drawn from it at different levels can be readily distinguished according to their specific gravity.

The heavier oil, which has a high boilingpoint, is condensed in the upper bends, where the water is hottest, and can be drawn off through the trap and cock g, while the light oils are drawn oft' at the tail-pipe d. rlhe specific gravity of the oil drawn from said tailpipe can be regula-ted by drawing olf more or less of the heavy oil through t-he trap and cock g, and, if desired, by an additional supply ol" cold water to the condenser the quantity of light oils condensing in the serpentine pipe can be increased. if a heavier oil is required at the tail-pipe d the cock g must be checked or closed and the heavy oil allowed to pass on to the tail-pipe d, and the supply of cold water must be checked, so as to allow a greater portion ofthe light oil of the distillate to pass over into the second condenser, D, which connects with the first condenser, C by the pipe h. These light oils and heavy naph tha are again separated during their passage through the second condenser, which is furnished with a serpentine pipe, D', trap and cock e, and tail-pipe t'. By regulating the supply of cold water the light oil and naphtha of a density under 680 are drawn off at the trap and cock e, and collected in a separate receiver, whence it is pumped up into the -tank B for future use, while the gasoline or light naphtha is received at the tail-pipe t' and collected in a separate receiver, and the uncondensible gases pass off by the gas-pipej.

The lower part of the first condenser, C, be low the trap g, may be considered as a refrigerator to thoroughly cool the distillate.

The light oils and naphtha collecte/d in the tank B, as previously stated, may be run back to the retort Rx through the pipe f, and the vapors rising therefrom, by being mixed with the heavy vapors contained in the last retorts, produce a distillate of the desired specific gravity.

The heavy products, such as tar and pitch, remaining' in the retort Rxi are passed into one of the retorts Rxi or Rm, which are placed separate from but contiguous to the rst series, set lengthwise over a separate lire-place divided by a partition wall, so that they can be used alternately. They are set a little lower than the first series, so as to allow a fall for the tar and pitch to pass through the connecting-pipe m, which is provided with suitable branch pipes and cocks, so that either otl the retorts Rx or RXV can be brought in communication with the retort RX. The object of having two or more additional retorts is to enable the operator to clean out the coke from one retort while the other is working without stopping the process. By means ot' this apparatus all the available constituents of crude petroleum are saved, and the percentage ot' burning-oil obtained is considerably larger than that obtained by ordinary distilling apparatuses. Furthermore, by ourapparatus the distilling process can be carried on without interruption, and its operation requires a comparativel y small expenditure of fuel.

It is obvious that this apparatus maybe used for distilling other liquids besides petroleum, such as coal-oil or spiritnous liquors.

We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Paten t l. The arrangement of a series of retorts, Ri RX, set horizontally alongside of each other over and across the tire-flue, with the breadth of the tire-grate nearly equal to the length of the retorts, the furnace being placed at one and the chimney at the other end of the series, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The use of an impelled current of steam or suitable gas, in combination with the series of retorts Ri RX, substantially as specied, whereby the vapors are expelled from said retorts, and at the same time the heavy vapors of the last retorts are caused to mingle intimately with the light vapors of the rst retorts, forthe purposes described.

3. The condensers CD, provided with condensing-coils C D', and applied, in combination with each other and with the retorts Ri R Rm, substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

4t. Tapping the condensing-coils C or D at different levels, substantially as and for the purposes described. Y

5. The cokin g retorts Rx Rxi", (two or morc,) applied, in combination with the retorts Ri RRX, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

A. H. TAIT.

Vitnesses: JOSEPH W. AVIS.

M. M. LIVINGSTON, WM. F. MGNAMARA.

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