US1753149A - Distillation of hydrocarbons - Google Patents

Description

April 1, 1930. H. H. HEWETSON DISTILLATION OF HYDROCARBONS Filed June 25.

Cinema,

Patented Apr. 1, 1930 UNITED *s'rATEs PATENT OFFICE HENRY H. HEWETSON, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD OIL DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION .OF DELAWARE DISTIDLATION OF I- IYDROCAR-BONS Application filed June 25,

Thisinvention relates to the art of tractiona1 distillation of hydrocarbons of the character of petroleum, and will be fully understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,

which represents a side elevation, somewhat the fractionating towers are of suitable construction to afford contact between vapors and.

liquid, containing transverse partitions 17 having openings for passage of vapors. Pref erably bell cap vapor distributors are located over the openings and overflow tubes pro-, vided, although in' simpler form stamped perforated plates or woven wire fabric may be used. From the bottom of each tower of the battery a pipe connects into the intermediate region of the next tower, this-being illustrated by pipe 18 from the tower ahead (not shown) to the tower 13, and the pipe 19 from the bot tom of tower 13 to the intermediate region of tower 14:. In each connecting pipe a pumping or lifting device is provided, preferably a steam lift 20, although in its broader aspects the invention conten'iplates any fluid. lift or jet. device or even a mechanical pump, although the latter is much less satisfactory for handling hot oil. From the bottom of the. tower 14 a connection 21 leads to a final fractionatopening into the intermediate zone and at the lowest plate, and valves being provided to direct the feed as desired. From the bottom of the tower 22 a discharge pipe 25 leads through acooler 26 to a tank 27, and from the top a vapor pipe 28 leads through a condenser 29 to a receiver '30. A vacuum pump 31 is COIIIIBCtBdSOjLS to apply a vacuum in the final fractionating tower 22.

From the bottom line of tower 14; avalved ranged in a series, the stills 11 and 12 repre-Q' ing tower 22, branches 23 and 24 respectively 1923. Serial N0. 647,515.

pipe 32 is arranged, to enable return of liquid "to the stills, when desired, and the flow lines 33 are provided to allow the residuum which is unvaporized to flow from still to still. A

pipeBI-B is provided to conduct residual oil from still 12 tothe tower 22, but if desired the residue maybe run "to storage (not shown) by branch pipe 33 Assuming the battery in operation, oil suitably preheated is introduced into the lowest temperature stills, the temperatures being maintained progressively higher from still to qstil-lfrom't'lie light end to the heavy end of the battery. Vapors correspondingly are taken off by the successive stills, the llquid condensed in the towers is forwarded by the steam lift to thetower next in the series, and

the heavy residuum flows from still to still in I A the usual manner. By the time tower 1 1 is reached the lighter constituents have been taken oil in succession as naphtha, water white. gas oil, parall'in distillate. etc and' the bottom temperature is now usually as high as is feasible short of crackingf The condensate from tower lat is then passed through pipe 21 to the final fractionating tower and by applying a vacuum a further yield of heavy lubrieating distillatecan be taken off as vapors I through pipe 28 and condenser 29, and the.

bottoms are run ofl? through pipe 25 and coolor 26. Residual liquid from still 12 may also be conducted to tower 22 by line 33*. I am thus able to secure very completeyields of lubricating stocks and all products without the operating difficulties of the old vacuum battery, and sharp separation of all products besides.

\Vhile I have set forth the invention by reference to certain specific details, it will be understood that this is for the purpose of illustration to make the invention clear, and that changes may be made which come within the spirit and scope of the invention.

lVhat I claim is: v 1. Apparatus ot' the character described,

which comprises stills in series, a fractionating tower for each still, pipes connecting in w succession from the bottom of one tower to necting pipe for transferring liquid from one tower to the next tower, additional final fractionating means comprising a tower-operating solely by the contained heat of the liquid flowing thereto, a pipe connecting from the bottom of the preceding fractionating tower to the intermediate region of the lower part of said final fractionating means, and means for communicating a vacuum to said final fractionating means.

2. Apparatus of the character described, which comprises stills in series, a fractionating tower for each still, pipes connecting in succession from tower to tower, a fluid lift in each connecting pipe, final fractionating uneans operating solely by the contained heat of the liquid therein, a connection from the bottom of the preceding fractionating tower to said final fractionating means, and means for communicating a vacuum to said final fractionating means.

3. Apparatus of the character described, which comprises stills in series, a fractionat- .ing tower for each still, pipes connecting in' succession from tower to tower, final fractionatmg means operating solely by the contained heat of the liquid therein and means by which the liquid condensed in the last tower and the residuum from the last still may be introduced separately into the said final fractionating means.

4. Apparatus of the character described, comprising stills in series, a fractionating tower for each still, and means for transmitting the liquid condensed in each tower to the intermediate region of the tower next in series unmixed with the still residuum.

5. Apparatus of the character described, comprising stills in series, a fractionating tower for each still, pipes connecting the bottom of each tower to the intermediate region of the next tower, fluid lift means in each connecting pipe and a flow line from each still to the next succeeding still.

6. Process for distillation of hydrocarbon oils, comprising flowing an oil through a series of distilling zones, passing vapor from each zone to a corresponding rectification zone wherein liquid and vapor fractions are produced, pasing the liquid fractions to the next rectification zone and rectifying the liquid therein.

7. Process according to claim 6, in which liquid from the final rectification zone as specified therein is further rectified in a final rectification zone under vacuum, solely by means of the contained heat.

8. Process according to claim .6, in which residual liquid'together with liquid from the final rectification zone as specified therein, is further rectified in a final rectification zone under vacuum, solely by self-contained heat.

HENRY H. HEVVETSON.

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