US1580372A - Apparatus for distilling hydrocarbons - Google Patents

Description

April 13, 1926.

N. FQw. HAZELDINE APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING HYDROCARBONS Filed May 9, 3 Sheets-Sheet l llun ilnlmibl EN Nw.

M wn QW April 13 1926. 1,580,372

N. F. w. HAZELDINE APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING HYDROGARBONS Filed May 9, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 13 1926.

N. F. W. HAZELDINE APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING HYDROCARBONS Filed May 9, 1 922 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 13, 1926.

UNITED STATES NORTON F. W. HAZELDINE, F

Los ANGELES, camz-cnam. f

APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING HYDBOCARBONS.

Application filed lay 9 To all whom it may. concern:

Be it known that I, NORTON F. W. HA- zELnrNn, a subject of. the King of Great Britain, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Distilling Hydrocarbons, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to distilling apparatus adapted particularly to handle liquid hydrocarbons and to be used to produce gasoline and other oils from crude oil.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple, inexpensive and easily operated apparatus which will effectively and economically distill gasoline and other oils from crude oil. The apparatus is particularly adapted to be built 1n comparatively small units such as can be used to yhandle crude oil directly from the wells or to be used by individuals to produce gasoline an hydrocarbon oils for their own individu-.11

use.

The objects of the invention and features will be best and more fully understood from P the following detailed description of a typlcal embodiment of the invention throughout which reference is had, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the'complete apparatus;` Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view of, the still proper; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a plan section taken as indicated by line 4-4 on Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a plan section taken as indicated by line 5-f5 on Fig. 2.

In the drawings numeral 10 designates generally the still proper. It is a vertically disposed tank-like structure comprising a. lower heating chamber 11, and two condensing chambers 12 and 13, one above the other.

The heating chamber 11 has a downwardly extending conical bottom 14 leading to a drain opening controlled by a valve 15. A heating coil 1G, preferably a spirally wound pipe, is arranged in the heating chamber to heat the liquids which are supplied to it. y

The condensing chamber 12 is immediatelyabove the heating chamber 11, being separated tromthe heating' chamber only `1922. Serial N0. 559,511.

by a Hat plate partition 17. There is a central opening 18 Ain the partition 17 and there is a nipple or riser 19 extending upwardly from the opening 18 into the. condensing chamber 12. The nipple 419 directs a stream ot vapors from the heatingv chamber 11 into the condensing chamber .12, and prevents liquids which condense in the condensing chamber 12 andA accumulate in the bottom of the condensing chamber 12 from flowing back into the heating chamber through the opening 18. A drain pipe 20cont-rol1cd by -valve 22, is connected to the bottom of the condensing chamber 12 and is connected with a suitable storage tank 21.

The condensing chamber 13 is immediately above the condensing chamber 12 and is separated from the condensing chamber 12 b a partition y23. Partition 17 is provide with a central opening 24 and a nipple ing 24 into condensing chamber 13 to dlrect vapors from chamber 12 into chamber 13, and to prevent liquids in the bottom of chamber 13 from flowing out of the chamber 13 through the opening 24. A drain ipe 26, controlled by valve 28 is connected with the bottom of the chamber 13, and is connected with a storage tank 27. The `side walls 30 and bottom 23 of condensing chamber 13 are water jacketed at 31 by an inner wall or shell 29. The top of densing` chamber 13 is conical and extends upwardly and comprises an inner wall 32 and an outer wall a continuation of the water jacket. The chambers 11, 12 and 13 are provided with temperature gages 35, 36v and 37 respectively, and are provided with level gages 38, 39 and 40 respectively.

In the particular setting'A disclosed in the drawings the still 10 is mounted close to a well so that crude oil being received from the well casing 41, whether it flows naturally from the well or is-,pumped by pumping mechanism 42, is delivered to the heating chamber 11 ofthe still. The oil isconducted fromthe well casing 41 by a pipe 43 which connects with ipes14'4'and 45. Pipe tends directly rom the pi 43 into the upper part of heating cham er pipe 45 extends from the pipe age tank-or reservoir 46 supported in an ele-V vated position b 46, is ,independently 33 spaced apart to form' 11, while the.

or riser 25 extends upwardly from opencon-l 44 by a pipe 48. Control valves 49, 50 and 51 are proridedin the pipes 44, 45 and 48 respectively, so thatoil from pipe 43 can be directed into the heating chamber of the still or can be directed. into thereservoir 46 from which it may be allowed to flow into the heating chamber of the still, through the pipes 48 and 44. The oil is fed to the still through vreservoir 46 when it -is desired to preheat it; for which purpose a preheater 53 is provided in the pipe 48. rilhe preheater 53 may comprise a heating coil 54 arranged around a section of the pipe 48. Heating fluid may besupplied to the heating `coil 54 ofv the preheater and the heating coil 16 in the heatingr chamber 11 from any suitable source, say for instance from a boiler 60. In `the particular arrangement illustrated in the drawings steam from the boiler is conducted to coil by a pipe 61 and is conducted from the coil 54 ltosti-ll coil 16 by pipe 62 controlled by valve 63. The coil 16 drains into Ia'pipe 64 which extends to a barrel 65 from which the boiler 6() is fed.

In operation the apparatus is regulated so that ai suitab'le amount of crude oil is fed into the heating chamber 11 and so that the crude oil in the heating chamber is heated toa temperature which causes the more volatile hydrocarbons to be ra-porized.

The oils may be preheated to such a temperature as to partially vaporize when pressure is released by delivery at `the end of pipe 44; and the temperature of coil 16 may 1 be such as to cause immediate vaporization when the downwardly spraying oils strike it. The heating steam may be super-heated. Thus there may he little accumulation of liquid in chamber 11 except that liquid that forms the residuum of the process. Furthermore, the pressure in chamber 11 may be as low as atmospheric or sub-atmospheric. The vapors 'formed in the heating chamber How through the nipple 19 into the condensing chamber 12 and are thrown up against the water cooled wall 23. The temperature maintained in the condensing chamber 12 is considerably less than the temperature of heating chamber 11, causing the heavier parts of theyapor to condense into liquid and accumulate in the bottom of chamber 12 tobe drawn ott" through drain pipe 20. The lighter vapors which are not condensed in the chamber 12 pass into the chamber 13 through the nipple 25. The chamber 13 is maintained at a. low temperature by circulating cooling fluid through the jacket 31 so that the lighter hydrocarbons condense and accumulate in the bottom or the chamber so that they 'may he drawn ott through drain 'pipe 26; In practice. the liquids condensed or formed in. the chanriaer 13 are comparatively cool and have a .cooling effect upon the partition 23. Theresui. or" thin-is that the liquids condensed in a chamber 13 operate to keep the chamber 12 cool.

From the foregoing description it will be obvious how the apparatus may be regulated sothat it operates continuously and produces a lighter hydrocarbon liquid, say, for instance gasoline, in the chamber 13 and a heavier hydrocarbon liquid, say, for instance, oil, in chamber 12. The oil from chamber 12 may be drawn off and further treated or refined as may be desired. While the gasoline produced in the chamber 13 may be drawn oilU and used without further treatment. The gases pass 0H' through pipe 70 and may be suitably stored.

The whole apparatus may be so constructed that a sub-atmospheric pressure is maintained in chamber 13 and this sub-atmospheric pressure may be also communicated to chamber 12 and any rate, whether the pressure in chamber 11 is sub-atmospheric, it is at least maintained low; so that the immediate and free vaporization of the oils is greatly facilitated. Thus I obtain in chamber l1 a quick and free vaporization at a comparatively high and uniformly maintained temperature and pressure. These vapors How upwardly with some velocity through nipple 19, due to the difference in pressure between chambers l2 and 11;- that difference in pressure being maintained by the condensation in both chambers 12 and 13. Thus the vapors flowing through nipple 19 pass immediately into a zone of owered pressure. These vapors are mainly thrown up against the cooled wall 23 and are there very quickly condensed. The remaining vapors lthen pass on upwardly through nipple 25 where the condensing action is repeated at a greatly lowered temperature and also at a ksomewhat lowered pressure. The temperature maintained in chamber 13 may be normally atmospheric and even lower; so that a complete condensation is effected.

The rapid expansive upward flow of the vapors into quick and direct contact with the very cool wall 23 is one of the features of this process that causes a very high productivity. Very rapid and free condensation is induced; and there results a very high percentage productivity of both the heavy condensers and the lighter condensers 1n the two condensing chambers 12 and 13.

Having described only a preferred form of my invention 1 do not wish to hmit myself to the particular details hereinabove set forth but wish to reserve to myself any changes or variations that may appear to those skilled -in the art or that may fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described a preferred form of my invention, I cia-im:

1. in an oil distiiling apparatus a, tank and a substantially horizontal partition dalso to chamber 11. At

the outlet opening of the riser.

f through and above the bottom wall chambers, an inner shell within the upper chamber and spaced apart from the walls thereof to provide a jacket for cooling fluid, an opening in the partition, a riser extending upwardly from saidopening and projecting through and above the bottom/wall of said inner shell, and means for drawing liquid from said shell at a point beneath 2. In an oil distilling apparatus .a tank and a substantially horizontal partition dividing the tank into vertically adjacent chambers, an inner shell within the upper i' chamber and spaced apart from the side walls thereof, and spaced above said partition to provide a jacket for cooling fluid` an opening in the partition, a riser extending upwardly from-said opening and projecting vof said inner shell, and means for drawing liquid from said shell at a point beneath the outlet opening of the riser.

3. In an oil distilling apparatus, a closed end tank, a substantially horizontal partition in the tank and defining the top of a heating chamber, means for heating the chamber, means for introducing the material to be distilled to said chamber; a second horizontal partition in the tank and vertically spaced from the first partition, said second partition defining the top of a second chamber, a riser extending upwardly from said first partition and into said second i chamber; al third chamber vertically defined by the top ofl the tank and said second partition, a shell within said third chamber and spacedJapartfrom the defining walls thereof to form a jacket around the shell for a cooling medium, a second riser extending upwardly from said second partition and into said shell, said shell having a gas outlet near the top thereof, means for drawingA liquid from said shell at a point beneath the outlet opening of the second riser, and means for drawing liquid from the second chamber at a point beneath the outlet opening of said rst mentioned riser.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 22nd 50 day of April 1922.

NORTON F. W. HAZELDINE.

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