Patent GB-431074-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to the heating and fractionation of hydrocarbon oils
IPC: C10G7/00
Filed: 1934-01-12
Abstract: 431,074. Distilling oils. STRATFORD, C. W., 1, Rue Paul CÚzanne, Paris. Jan. 12, 1934, No. 1232. [Class 32] Oils are heated and distilled by passing them in indirect heat-exchange with a second stream of oil tapped from a main circulatory stream which is maintained at the requisite temperature by circulating it from a reservoir through heating means and back to the reservoir. Oil from the lower portion of a separator reservoir 1 is pumped by a pump 2 through the radiant heat section of a heater 6 and is returned through a pipe 8, tangentially disposed inlet 9, and spiral separator 10 to the upper portion of the separator. Crude oil to be distilled is pumped from a tank 16 through heat-exchangers 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, into the convection zone 23 of the heater 6 and thence through a pipe 24 into a fractionating tower' 25. The vapours evolved pass off through the heat-exchanger 18 and are condensed in a cooler 27 the condensate from which is separated from gases in a separator 28 and returned in part through the line 35 to the tower 25 as reflux. Gasoline, water and gases are removed from the separator through line 31, 29 and 30. The bottom of the tower 25 is maintained at the required temperature by circulating the reflux through a heatexchanger 36 in indirect contact with a stream of hot oil tapped off from the reservoir 1 by a pump 37 and circulated through pipes 38, 39, 49, 50. The residual liquid is pumped from the bottom of the tower 25 through heat-exchanger 45 into a second tower 53 in which the temperature of the liquid at the bottom of the tower is similarly maintained by circulating the liquid through a heatexchanger 54 also heated by oil pumped from the reservoir 1 through lines 38, 46, the returning oil streams from the exchangers 54 and 36 uniting in a pipe 51 through which they flow back to the reservoir 1. Light fractions are similarly recovered from the tower 53 and condensed and the gasoline condensate separated from water and gases in a separator 60. The bottoms from the tower 53, after treatment with steam from a line 67 if desired, are led through a line 70 to the pipe 8 to provide make-up for the circulatory oil stream. The circulation oil is maintained in the reservoir at about 600‹ F., with a flow through the heater of 3000 gallons per minute corresponding to a flow of 50 gallons per minute of the topped crude. Vapours formed in the reservoir 1 are withdrawn through a tower 75 from which light fractions pass off at the top to a cooler 91 and separator 92 while a gas oil fraction is withdrawn through lines 97, heat-exchanger 21, and cooler 98 to storage. Bottoms are sent to a flash tower 101 from which vapors are returned through a line 103 to the tower 75 while the stripped residue is sent through heat-exchanger 22 and cooler 106 to storage. The reservoir 1 is provided with swivel vanes 85 above which a constant level of liquid is maintained by a control chamber 84 acting in conjunction with a diaphragm valve 88. Oil from the reservoir 1 is supplied to the pumps through a cylinder 76 provided with openings 80 covered by coarse and fine screens 81, 82.