US68426A - Improvement in apparatus for distilling petroleum - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets- Sheet 1.

H. B. EVEREST.

APPARATUS FOR MANUP AGTURING OILS FROM PETROLEUM BY STEAM.

Patente'dS-eptfi, 18 67.:

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No 68,426. Patented Sept.3, 1867.

I I l I l I l I l L UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIOE.

HIRAM B. EVEREST, or ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, Assren'on TO THE VACUUM OIL COMPANY, on THE SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR Dl STlLLiNG PETROLEUM.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 68, 326, dated September 3, 1867.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, HIRAM B. EVEREST, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Distilling Petroleum; and I do hereby declare that the following is a'i'ull and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

detailed view of the pipes in the retorts'; Fig. 7, a vertical longitudinal section of the boiler in plane m a, Fig. 9; Fig. 8, a similar section of the snperheating-furnace in plane y 3,1, Fig. 9; Fig.9, a plan of the combined boiler and superheatiug furnace; Fig. 10, an end elevation of the same.

Like letters of referenceindieate corresponding parts in all the figures.

This apparatus is designed for manufacturing three distinct products from petroleum under vacuum by steam in an economical and efiective manner, whereby the naphtha is removed, as a distinct product, from the illuminating-oil, while the operation of distillation is made more continuous than it otherwise could be, and at the same time a valuable heavy oil obtained, thus rendering the products from petroleum, as a whole, more valuable than they otherwise would be.

My invention consists in combining two or more vacuuin petroleum-stills with each other in such a manner that while the lighter hydrocarbons are being distilled from the crude pe troleum in one of the stills the heavier portions are being distilled in the other, thus making the operation more continuous than it otherwise would be, the oil being fed from one retort into the other, as circumstances require, at the same time econognizing in the amount of steam used for distilling purposes by passing it, in a su1' erheate(l state, through the heating-pipes in the retort containing the least volatile portions of the petroleum, and afterward conducting it through the pipes in the second retort containing the lighter and more volatile portions of petroleum, thus making the latent heat of the steam eti'ective after the superheat has been extracted from it.

Also, in the construction of a horizontal elongated cylindrical or elliptical vacuum-retort for petroleinn-stills, as a cheaper andmore advantageous form than those heretofore known or used, for'containing straight heating-pipes and exposing alarger surface to the distilling action, and in furnishing attachment for several goose-necks instead of one, as in ordinary stills. I

Also, in combining with a vacuum retort for petroleum one or more capacious condensers connected with the retort by numerous necks, so that the vapors arising from the oil in the retort may pass cit freely and in a more direct line than they otherwise would do, and at the same time preventing the exhaust-pain p from drawing the oil fruin'theretort, as is apt tube the case where but onenecltisfused upon the retort, or where the ordinary condensing-coil is used.

Also, in the combination of a capacious condenser or condensers interposed between an ordinary condensing-coil and the retort, so that the direct action oi the exhaust-pump upon the oil in the retort is broken or diminished, at the same time the effective condensing power of the apparatus is increased.

Also, in the em ploynientot' suitable receiving vessels placed between the vacuum-pump and condensers in such a ,position that the dis tilled oil is depositedin them by itsown gravity, thus avoiding the delivery of the distilled oils through the pump.

Also, in surrounding the upperportion of either or both of the vacuum petroleum-retorts with a jacket for applying steam or heated air externally to the same, to obviate the condensation. of the oil-vapor as it rises against the upper surface of the retort;

Also, in the construction and use of an independent superheating-furnace for superheating steam, when used in combination with a steam-generator and a vacuum-still for petro leum, as hereinafter set forth.

Also, in constructing saidindependent super- I heater for steam alongside of a honor in such a manner that the same fire used in the superheating-fu'rnacc is conducted through a linespace at the rear of the boiler, and thence passing through the tubes of the boiler assists in generating steam, and thus economizing the use of fuel and increasing the effective capacity of the distilling apparatus.

Also, in the constructiouof said superheating-furnace for steam with numerous sections of small pipes connected with main, pipes for induct-ion and eduction'of the steam iusuch a manner as to use straight gas-pipe instead of coils, and to present a larger amount of heating-surface than-is ordinarily the case, thereby insuring a suitable degree of heat for disfilling petroleum, without so great danger fromexplosion of the superheater.

Also, in connecting the main eduction-pipe of the superheater with the numerous sections of small pipes in the interior of the retorts by means of a steam-chest bolted to the head of the retort, one portion or flue-space inv said I steam'chcst-admitting the steam to a den of smaller heating-pipes in the retort, while the other flue-space exhausts the same.

Also, in placin g in upright position and packin g the sections of small heating-pipes in. the retort through the head of the same in sucha manner as to be easily removed for repairs.

Also, in the application of an oil-gageto a vacuum-still for petroleum, similar invconstruction to the gage commonly used. upon Vacuumpans for sugar, and made available for observations of the quantity of oil in the retort, by placing the same at an unusual distance from the retort, and keeping the liquid in the gage at a'low temperature.

As-represcnted in the drawings, A'is. the primary, and A. the secondary,retorts, which are connected by a draw-pipe, a, with a stopcock, Fig. 1, by which the contents of A are drawn into A. These retorts, instead of being made upright, as usual, are horizontal and of considerablelength, being either cylindrical, as shown, or any other form that will answer the desired purpose. This form enables me to insert the straight heating-pipe, hereafter described, without difficulty, and to arrange the same so as to produce a large heating-surface, as welt-as toattach and detach easily for repairs, 850. It. also presents a larger. vaporizing-surface than the ordinary upright form, and gives room for the attachment of a series of goose-necks, by which. the vapor is carried off more readily. The primary retort A (and the other, i'f desired) has its top coveredor inclosed. by a jacket, 0, Figs. 1 and 4, by which steam or hot air is let on through pipe 7' and discharged through pipe j. By this means I. am enabled to prevent that condensationof the vapor that would occur if it came directly in contact with the top of the retort cooled bythe surrounding atmosphere.

The top being always hot as Well as the bottom, the vapor will-retain its form and pass off. In addition to this, the heated top of the- Fig. 5 may be employed.

the series of condensers connect two separate retort sen es to vaporize suchparticles as are carried up without being properly separated. From the tops of the retorts respectively passes a series of goose-necks, B B and B B, connecting with corresponding series of capacious condensers, G G and G O, submerged in a water-tank D. Instead of the upright for of the condensers indicated in Fig. 1, the horizontal elongated form indicated in With the bottom of condensin -coils of pipe, E E, resting in a water-tank, D, and these coils, passing out through the tank, connect respectively with receivers F F for retaining the distilled oil.

The position of these receivers is'lower than the condensers, so that the distillate will be deposited in them by their own gravitation.

. The receivers are provided at the bottom with draw-cocks b b, fordischarging the refined oil,,and with air-cocks c c, for admitting air to supply the vacuum in drawing the oil.

From the tops of the receivers extend branch exhaust-pipes G G uniting in a single exhaust-pipe, G, which connects with the pump, for exhausting air-from-the apparatus. VVhen the exhaust is applied it will be seen that it operates to produce avacuum from the re ceivers clear back to the retorts through the parts E E, G O, and'B'B. Y

1 In order to make the pump act, when desired,

upon onlyone of the retorts audits accompanying connections, the branch pipes G G have cocks d d, as shown. The retorts are provided each with jet-pipes H H, pierced with numerous small holes, for the in j ectiou of steam into-the body of the oil',:t-he said pipes passing out and connecting with the main pipe from the superheater, which will presently be described.

- The retorts'have each, also,instead of coils, a series of heating-pipes,I 1, made of straight pieces, ff, of gas-pipe, screwing into returns g, and'forming either single-bends, as in Fig. 4,

'.or double ones, as in Fig. 6,,as may, be desired,

though the latter are the most effective in large stills.- These pipes are placed side by side in ;the retorts, and rest in a vertical positiomand the free ends are inserted in the head of the retort, and are held in place and packed at the same time by lock-nuts which screw on the. pipe inside and out and clamp against ;the said head; or they may be fastened in by calkin g. The ends of the pipes thus arranged open into compartments 0; i of chests K'K,

"bolted to the head's-ofthe retorts. The main induction-pipe L from the superheater opens into the upper compartment, '5, of the steamchest K. The steam thus admitted is carried round through the pipes I into the lower compartment, i, and thence it is carried by pipe L into the lower compartment of steam-chest K, when it again makes a circuit through pipes I of the retort A, and finally escapes through the cxhaustrpipe L The stean'i-generator consists of a bQllGl",l\i[,

itself, and thus assist in generating the steam.

= The superheatingfurnace is made with the upward incline shown in Fig; 8. At a suitable position across this furnace are placed bars 1) p, which sustain the series of superheating-pipes l. These pipes are constructed of straight pieces, ff, of gaspipe, screwing into return bends g in the same manner. The free ends of the pipes are passed through the side of a chest, K and secured by lock-nuts in the same manner as inthe retorts. The chest K is likewise formed with two compartments, i i into which the opposite ends of'the superheating-pipe open. Into the upper compartment opens the induction steam-pipe P from the boiler, and from the lower coinpartme'nt extends the supply-pipe L, before mentioned, that conducts the steam to the retorts. A circuit of the steam from the boiler is thus made through the superheating-pipes l and discharged to the retorts. The superheating-pipes, in the position shown and described, are so situated as to receive the best action of the fire, and to be easily removed from place by simply slipping downendwise and passing out of the doorof the furnace. The height of theoil is indicated in the retort by an ordinary gage B, connected atthe top and bottom by means of pipes s s, with the top and bottom of the retort, as indicated in .Fig. 1. I prefer to run one or both of these pipes through a body of water, for the purpose of cooling the liquid that enters the gage. In the drawings they are shown as passing through the tanks 1) D. If desired, the other retort m; y be supplied with a gage in a similar manner. The operation of the apparatus before described is as follows: The air is exhausted by means of the air-pump, as before described. The primary retort A is now par..ially' say, about onehalf-fillcd with crude oil through supply-pipe Q, and the cock in pipea is closed to prevent passage toA. The steam'from the boiler is now let through the pipes gently, and the vapor soon begins to rise. The naphtha, which is the first product, is passed through the primary apparatus B G E and deposited in receiver F, from whence it is drawn by closing cock r in pipe E and opening the discharge and air cocks b c, as before described. A fire is now kindled in the superheating-ihrnace O, and a part of the remaining oil is drawn from A into A, which is accomplished by partially cutting on the exhaust from A by cock d and turning it on toA by cock (7.. The partiallydistilled oil is now kept at the proper level in A by feeding it from A, as described, and the distillation in A becomes very effective, and. for a time, continuous. Y The-distilled oil from said retorts is thus carried over at once into the receivers 1 F, where it is discharged at pleasure.

It will be seen that the retortA is used first forremoving the naphtha,.and afterward for distilling cit-the lighter gravitiesofbnrning oil bymeans vof the-leteet-lieat contained in the exhaust-steam after it passes from retort A, which latent heat would be otherwise lost. By this arrangement, also,'the heated oil in retort A is fed-into A as fast as required, so that the superheat is used upon and' for distilling the heavier gravities oi'petroleu-ni eonstantly, while the latent heat which still re mains in the steam after passing from retort A issuflicientto remove the lighter port-ions from the crude oil. By this duplication of the stillsl am enabled to remove the naphtha, while theoperation of distilling isimade more con tinnous than it otherwise could be; and in this respect alone there .is a very great advantage over a single-acting vacuum s till, in

.which,'by a continuousfeed, the-naphtha must necessarily be incorporated with the distilled oil, or else, as ordinarily, the oil deposited in charges, which is a sou-rceiof difliculty.

The employment of theseries of goose-necks B B instead of the ordinary single goosaneck insures amore effective discharge. of the vapor, and also, by presenting a larger surfuce, prcvent-s .the drawing over or" the contents of the retorts. The interposition of the capacious condenser or condensers (J Ojbetweeu' the coils E E and the retorts'is of much advantage in thisv respect, for it furnishes, so to speak, a break to the action of the exhaust of the pump between the saidcoils and goose-necks, which obviates the tendency to draw out the oil.

When the oil in retort -A has been reduced to the desired consistency it is discharged through pipe S, Fig. 2.

My object in this invent-ion is to afiord an easy and effective separation of petroleum into products more valuable, as a whole, than have been heretofore produced. from crude oil. These products, as, I use the apparatus, consist, where Pennsylvania .well oils are used, gravity 45 Baum, of naphtha, say ten to twelve per cent, pure hydrocarbon oil for illumination, say, forty-four to forty-eight per cent, heavy green oil, valuable for ,currying and oilingleather, say, thirty-six to th irty-eight per cent.

It has been the object heretofore to produce from petroleum the largest possible amount of,

kerosene or burning oil. Thisapparatus will not 'etfect that result; neither do I desire to prodnceseventy five, eighty, or ninety per cent, of illuminating distilled oil; but by long and diligent experiments I have discovered that the-separation of petrbleuin' into the constituent parts named, and into about the proportions named, results in greater profit to the manufacturer than otherwise, and the withindescribed apparatus is especially constructed to bring about the desired result.

Now, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of two or more vacuum petroleum-stills, so arranged that the oil is fed from one retort into the other asit increases in specific gravity during the distillation, and economizing the use of steam used in the vaporization of the oil in the retorts, by passing it first through the heating-pipes in the retort containing the heavier oils, and afterward conducting it through the heating-pipes in there tort or retorts containing the oils of lighter specific gravity, as herein set forth.

2. The construction of a l'lOl'lZOlltfll elongated cylindrical or elliptical vacuum-retort for pctroleum, arranged and operating in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. Connecting the retorts oi'a vacuum-still with the condenser or condensers by two or more goose-necks, so as todistribute the exhaust in the retort or retorts, and thus prevent drawing the oil over, at the same time facilitating the escape of the vapor, as herein set forth.

4. So combining the capacious' condenseror condensers with the retort or retorts and the condensing coil or coils that said capacious condenser or condensers will serve as acheek to diminish the direct action of the exhaustpump upon the oil in the retorts, as set forth.

5. Placing the re-ceivii'ig-vessels F F in such a position as to allow the distilled'oilto be discharged by its own gravity and without passing through the-pump, as set forth.

6. Surrounding the upper portion of the retort or retorts by ajacket, or its equivalent, for the reception of steam or hot air to prevent condensation, as described.

7. The use, in combination with a vacuum still or stills for petroleum and a steam-generator, of an independent supcrheating-furnace for heating the steam, as specified.

8. The construction of said superheatingfurnace, in combination with a steam-boiler, substantially as and for the purpose set forth, when and in connection with a vacuum petroleum-still.

9. The construction of a superheater for distilling purposes with numerous sections of small straight pipes for advantage of heatingsurface, with facility of building and repairs, as shown. I

1( Connecting the main induction and eduetion steam-pipes L L, leading from the superheater to the still, with the sections of small heatingpipes within the retorts by means of a steam-chest, K, bolted to the head of the still, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth. H

11. Placing the small sections of heatingpipes in the retort in upright position, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth. v

12. The application of an oil-gage to a "acuum petroleum-still, arranged and operating substantially as set forth.

13. The combination of a steam-geuerator, superheatiug-furnace, and vacuum apparatus, as a whole, constructed and operating substantially inthe manner set forth.

14. Thesenaration of petroleum into the constituent parts specified and about the proportions named by means of an apparatus as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses. v

HIRAM B. EVEREST.

Witnesses:

R. F. Oseoon,

JAY HYATT.

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