US1841363A - Process and apparatus for treating petroleum oil - Google Patents

Description

I R. cRoss 1,841,363 7 PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING PETROLEUM O IL Jan. 19, 1932.

Filed July 22, 1922 Y IM W.

Patented" Jan, 19,; 1932 UNITED STATES PA-TENTOFFICE ROY CROSS, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI,

ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

GASOLINE PRODUCTS COMRANX, ING., OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORA- TION OF DELAWARE PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING PETROLEUM OIL Application filed July 22,

tion prevented. To provide a process in which the charging stock is subjected to a preheating action before being introduced to the heating zone and conversion in the reacting chamber promoted subsequent to heating by the raising of the temperature of the oil during digestion by internal heating of the oil bodies. To provide a process in which subsequentto heating, the oil is collected and permitted to accumulate in a rel- I atively enlarged body where additional heat a is added to promote the conversion reaction,

substantially the-same pressure being held upon both the heating and reacting stages.

To provide a process in which a yield of high quality distillate may be obtained and one in which there is a substantial saving in the fuel necessary to produce conversion of the oil, and a process which may be operated continuously over a considerable period of time, and one in which a large quantity of oil may be treated, and to provide a particular type of apparatus for carrying out the process.

The single figure isadiagrammatic side elevational view of the apparatus with parts in section. a Referring to the drawing, the oil to be treated is introduced through the line 1 controlled by the valve 2 and may be either charged to the tank 3 in which the preheating coil 4 is positioned, 01 by-passed through the line 5 controlled by the valve 6 and charged directly to the draw-off line 7 which leads from the tank 3 and connects with the suction side of the pump 8. The oil after being in a liquid phase and substantial vaporiza- 1922. Serial No. 576,660.

either circulated through the preheating tank or charged directly to the pump is fed to the heating coil '9 mounted in the furnace 10. The oil which is circulated through" the furnace 10 is raised to a conversion temperature under pressure, and is thence passed through the transfer line 11 in which is interposed the valve 12 to the reactingchamber 13, which is equipped with a thermometer 14 and a pressure gauge 15. Here the 'oil is permitted to collect in an enlarged body and the conversion which'takes place under high pressure is caused to progress while the oil is maintained in substantially a liquid phase. The oil travel through the heatin chamber time to assume an equilibrium or a sta le rearrangement of the therein. I

This rearrangement produces what may be termed as a synthetic crude containing an increased percentage of low boiling point oils which may be easily extracted by redistillation. To promote and enhance the conversion and reaction which takes place in the oil body in the reaction chamber, there is positioned thereina conductor 16 connected to the wire terminals 17 and 18. The conductoris of resistance material which when an electric current is passed therethrough is raised to high temperature, thus the temperature of p 1 the oil body in the reactingchamber may be carefully regulated to the most advantageous temperatures for cracking. The oil after conversion is drawn off through the-line 19 which is regulated by the .valve 20, and after passing through the preheating coil 4 it is directed to the transfer line 21 in which is interposed a throttle valve 22, and is thence passed to a cooling coil 23 mounted 'in the tank 24.

The oil after being cooled is passed through the line 25 controlled by the valve 26 to the gas separator 27 from which the gas is drawn off through the valve 28 and the liquid synthetic crude through the line 29 regulated by the valve 30. -From the gas separator the liquid is passed to the storage tank 31 from which it is withdrawn to be redistilled or retreated in order to extract the low boiling. point oils therefrom molecular bodies 65 is relatively slow, and it has there ore ,am le In operating the process gas oil, kerosene bottoms or other cracking stock is charged to the heating zone and there raised to a conversion temperature, which will vary according to the oils treated. Temperatures from 600 to 900 F. are usual.

The oil in the heated stage is passed to the reacting chamber 13, where it is permitted to collect, and digest.

At this time the addition of heat supplied by'the conductor 16 serves to promote materially the conversion or digestion which takes place in the reacting chamber.

The chamber is insulated against loss of heat, and substantially the same pressure is maintained upon both the heating coil and the reactingchamber. The pressure necessary to maintain the oil in substantial liquid phase during conversion will range 750 pounds and upward.

It will be noted that there is no vaporization or distillation permitted, that is the separation of the oil vapors from the liquid oil, and what vapors are formed, are to a considerable extent in the form of incondensable gas which is employed in maintaining the high pressures upon the system. The liquid oil and vaporous constituents are passed through the single drawofi line 19 and sufficient pressure held on the oil during the circulation of the oils through the preheating coil to maintain the oil in substantially liquid phase. r

This permits of a better heat transfer to the .incoming charging stock which is circulated about the coil. The pressures maintained in the preheating coil are regulated by means of valves 20 and 22. On being withdrawn from the preheating coil, the pressure is released 2. A process for treating oil, consisting in raising the oil to a cracking temperature in a heating coil, passing the heated oil to an enlarged reaction stage without distillation, maintaining aosubstantial pressure upon the heating and reaction stages and adding heat internally of the "oil body undergoing conversion in the reaction stage by electrical heating elements to promote decomposition thereof and the formation of lighter products, discharging the converted products at a reduced pressure.

3. A process for treating oil comprising raising the oil to a cracking temperature in a heating coil, passing the heated oil to an enlarged reaction chamber from which no substantial distillation takes place, maintaining substantially the same pressure on the heating and reaction stages, and electrically adding heat internally of the oil body in the reaction chamber to promote cracking thereof.

4. A process for converting oil comprising raising the oil to a cracln'ng temperature in a heating coil, passing the heated oil to an enlarged reaction chamber, imposing a pressure on the coil-and chamber suflicient to maintain the oil in substantially liquid phase, electrically adding heat internally of the oil body in the chamber to promote cracking, discharging oil from the chamber into a cooling stage and utilizing the heat of the discharged oil in the cooling stage to preheat oil introduced to the heating coil.

ROY CROSS.

and the oil permitted to pass through the cooling coil at substantially atmospheric pressure or slightly difierent.

After being. subjected to the cooling action,

the synthetic crude is passed through the gas separator where the incondensable gas is removed, and the liquid passed to the storage tank 31. From the storage tank it may be withdrawn, and redistilled to remove the low boiling point oils.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus for treating oil the combination with a continuous coil for raising the oil to a conversion temperature, of an enlarged reacting chamber connected therewith, a single draw-ofi' line therefrom, cooling means, including means for preheating the charging stock, connected to the reacting chamber by said single drawofi' line, a

pressure control means posterior to the cooling means for controlling the pressure on the system and an electrical heating element in the reacting chamber adapted to maintain the oil undergoing conversion therein ata predetermined temperature at or above that to which the oil was raised in the heating means.

Images