USRE9940E - Augustin i - Google Patents

Description

` LNI. AMBLER,

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' Reissued Nov.

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ATTORNEY.

^ UNITED STATES l PATENT QEEICEO' AUGUSTIN I. AlI llilllt, OIF \VASIIINGT()N, DISTRICT 0F COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR,

IIY MIISNI) ASSIGNMICI TES, T() TIIE INTERNATIONAL VAPQItQIf-UEIJ 'UAR- IiON IRON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 0F SAME PLACE.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR GEN-ERATING GAS FROM PETROLEUM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Reissued Letters Patent No. 9,940, dated November 22, 18,81.v Original No. 115,575, dated August 251, ISTl. Application for reissue tiled April 21, 1881.

To all `whom it muy concern:

Beit known that I, AUGUSTIN I. AMBLER, ot' Washington, in the ,District of Columbia,

have invented certain new and nset'ul Improvements in Apparatus and Process t'orGcncrating (las i'roni letrolenin and other Oleaginous Substances; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being` had to the accompanyingdrawings, and toletters ol'rel'erence marked thereon, which form a part ot'this specification.

My invention consists in subjecting petroleum and other liquid hydrocarbons in a receiver to the action ot'steam and retaining the steam and vapors generated thereby in such receiver under pressure untilan inflammable gas is formed, which may be drawn ott' for combustion through a pipe constructed with a stop, cock to maintain the required pressure.

It also consists in an improved apparatus for carrying out the foregoing process, involving many novel features of construction and new modes ot' operation, as will behereinat'ter fully described.

In Fignrel ofthe drawings, which illustrates, in section', a form of apparatus which may be used in carrying my improved process into operaton,A is the retort or generator containing thc liquid hydrocarbon from which the vapor is generated, and also constituting the receiver in which the combined hydrocarbon vapor and steam are held under pressure.

B designates the steam-pipe for conveying steam from the boiler or other Source of supply, which is provided with branch pipes C and ]),eonnnnnicating with thegenerator. Thetiow of steam through the pipe G entering the generator at any point above the liquid hydrocarbon is regulated b v the valve E, and the flow of steam through the pipe I) entering the generator at any point below the surface ot the liquid hydrocarbon is regulated by the valveF.

The liquid hydrocarbon may be supplied to the generator through a pipe entering the receiver at any desired point by means ot'a force-pum p, G, or other suitable appliance, arid a valve may be made use ot' for regulating` the tiow ot' Athe liquid hydrocarbon into the generator. When the process is so conducted that residnum re- DrvIsIoN A.

mains in thc receiver it may be drawn off 5o through thepipe II. The amountofthehydrocarbon liquid in the receiver is indicated by the gage d, unless the heat. ot' the steam is so great as to instantly vaporize it upon its entrance into the receiver, or entirely vaporizeit afterward.

The pressure in the generatoren1 retort, which is indicated by thesteam-gage X, is regulated by the valve 1 in the pipe K, through which the vapor tlowsfrom the generator to the burner L.V 6o This burner (a plan ot' which is shown inFig. 2) may he connected with another generator than that described by meansotthepipeM, so that both oreither may be u sed therewith. The burner may be supplied with hot or cold air from thechamber N by means of a forcepulnp,

and the ow of such air may be regulated by the valve O or het air may be introduced in to the receiver either above or below the oil. t

lThe operation of the apparatus is as follows: 7o 1t' the valve F is open and the valve Eelosed, the steam will enter the generator only below the surface ot' the hydrocarbon liquid and vaporize it in a manner and to a degree dependent upon the heat ot' the entering steam and 75 the nature of the hydrocarbon used. If the valve F is closed and the valve E open, the steam enters only above the hydrocarbon liquid, and the generation ot' the hydrocarbon va por will be effected by the action ofthe steam 8o l upon the surface thereof'. If'both the valves F and E are open, the steam passing through the pipe D will be discharged into the hydro carbon liquid, causing the vaporization of the sameand convection among the particlesl thereof, and consequently a ustantly-changingsurface will be presented to the action of the steam entering` through the pipe C. When steam has been allowed to fiow through the pipe D for n short time and aproper amount of pressure- 9o for instance, ten pounds-,is indicated by the steam-gage X, the valve in the pipe I connecting the gexicrator with the burner should be very slightly turned on, when the vapors will tlow to theburner,and thesamemay beignited. It' the steam hea-t should be of such a character that the oil in the generator becomes too thick and dense to vaporize fully, its specific gravity l e g iff l v 9,940

will be increased, so as to give it a higher market value as a lubricating-oil, and it maybe drawn ot into a suitable tank for the new uses to which it may. be adapted and its pla-ce supplied by oils of a lighter gravity.

Keepingin .view the fact that my improvement in the art of generating vapors or gas from liquid hydrocarbons con sists,prmarily, in passing steam through theliquid and retaining the products under pressure,it is'obvious that this result may be accom plished by the above apparatus in several different ways, depending upon the nature ot' the liquid used, the degree to which the entering steam is heated, and the manner in which the steam and oil is admitted into the generator or retort.

W'hen crude petroleum is treated with live steam it is to aeertain extent decomposedand vaporized, and the larger part ofthe vapors thus produced maybecondensed,yielding benzine, naphtha, &c.; but by this process there is a "ery slight production oi'indestructible gases. When, however, crude petroleum is submitted to the action ot' steam under pressureand rctained l'or a limited time under plessure, the product is materially different. It is true that the vapors mentioned are produced; but these vapors, while held under pressure in contact with steam, are themselves decomposed and form non-condensable and permanent gases. This result is due to the higher temperature resultingfrom pressure and the contin nous contact with steam. Y

Having thus described my invention, lclaim and desire to secure by Letters latent ot' the United States- 1. The improvement in the art of generating an inflammable gas from petroleum, which consists in first vaporizing the gas-producingmaterial by means ot'steam under regulated pressure, and then mixing` steam with the vapor, as herein described.

2. A: retort having a valve in the vapor outlet-pipe, by'which the liquid hydrocarbons are held u nder pressure, and provided with a steam pipe, which communicates with the interior of the retort below and above the surface ofthe liquid to be vaporized.

3. The combination ot' a retort, having means for holding the liquid hydrocarbons contained therein under pressure, with two steam-pipes, each ot' which is provided with valves, whereby the steam may be made to enter theretort either above or below the surface ofthe liquid hydrocarbons.

4. The combination ot' a generator eontain-,

ing oil,a steam-pipe entering below the surface ot' the oil, a steanrpipe entering` above the snrface of the oil, a pressnrc-regulating valve, and a steam-gage, as and t'or the purposes described.

In testiinony whereot'I allix my signature in presence ot' two witnesses.

A. l. AMISLER..

Witnesses:

F. NI. BURNHAM,

l. l. ARCHER.

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