Improvements in the Continuous Distillation of Hydrocarbon and other Oils and Liquids.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Jan., 1891--Accepted, 14th Mar., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Continuous Distillation of Hydrocarbon and
other Oils and Liquids.
in
I, CARL MARIA PIELSTICKER, of 43, Connaught Road, Harlesden, N.W.
the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :---
My invention relates to improvements in the distillation of hydrocarbon and
other oils and liquids by means of which the operation of distillation is conducted
in a continuous manner.
In the Specification to Letters Patent granted to me in Great Britain under
No. 1706 and dated April 10th 1882 I described a method in which the hydrocarbon
oil was forced under pressure by means of a force pump, or a steam injector into a
coil open at the other end, in which coil the oil was heated to its distilling point,
the heated oil entering from the coil into a heated retort in which it was vaporised
and again condensed in a cooler connected with the retort.
In employing this apparatus it was found difficult to so regulate the temperature
of the coil, that all the oil at once assumed vapour form on entering the retort,
while at other times the coil became so superheated that a portion of the oil became
converted into permanent gas.
Morcover the coil being directly exposed to the action of a high temperature
was burned through in a short time and finally it was found impossible to clean the
coil from the carbon deposited therein from the oil passing through it. These
defects have been obviated by improvements set forth in my Specification No. 6466
of 1890 and the object of the improved apparatus which I will now proceed to
describe by reference to the accompanying drawing is to obtain a yet more perfect
and continuous operation.
On the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is an elevation showing general arrangement of oil tank, pump, and
heating coil,
Figure 2 an elevation showing the arrangement of retort and condenser.
Figure 3 is an enlarged section through the dome and goose neck.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section through the retort showing arrangement of
battle plates.
Figure 5 is a transverse section through the same.
Figure 6 illustrates the methods of connecting the pipes by means of short bends.
Figure 7 is a detail of a tar outlet from retort fitted with steam ejector.
Figure 8 a sectional elevation of a column still, and
Figure 9 is an elevation showing the arrangement of a retort and second heating
coil.
A. the oil tank.

page_text: 1 cup mside dome.
U small vessel or condenser.
U second vessel or condenser.
V draw off cocks.
W column still.
X baffle plates in column still.
Y draw off cock for tar.
Z steam ejector.
The oil to be distilled is contained in a tank A, in which it is heated by means
of a steam coil B, or otherwise. From this tank the oil is forced by means of a
pump C, or otherwise, into a coil D which is formed of a number of iron pipes,
embedded or inserted into a solid block of iron or refractory material E closed by
covers F as described and claimed in my Specification No. 6466 of 1890.
Between the force pump C and the inlet of the coil D, a steam connection His
provided for the purpose of emptying the oil contained in the coil D at the end of
the operation by a steam blast into a retort I into which the other end of the coil D
leads otherwise when the pumping is stopped the oil remaining in the coil D
would speedily become carbonised and choke the coil.
Between the pump C and the coil D and between the coil D and retort I
expansion joints may be provided. The retort is provided with a number of
baffle plates K causing the oil vapours to take a lengthened passage through the
retort, before they can enter the condenser U.
A passage L is left in the lower part of the baffle plates in order to obtain the
flow of the tar or residuum to the draw off cock.
The end of the retort opposite to the inlet of the oil is closed by a removable
cover M.
Nearly at the lower end of the cover is fitted a valve N, for the removal of the
tar or residue during the operation of distilling, a steam inlet O being connected
with the tar outlet, in order to blow steam when the tar outlet is opened, which not
only assists in the removal of the thick tar or the residue but more particularly
prevents air from entering the retort, which air would form a dangerously explosive
mixture with the highly heated oil gases inside the retort.
It will be evident that since a constant supply of oil is thus fed into the retort I
and the residuum of this oil or other liquid entering the latter, by preference from
the highest point of the coil, being constantly removed during the distillation, this
distillation thus becomes continuous.
A dome P and goose neck Q connects the retort with a condenser. The dome P
may be enlarged at its base forming a sphere, and may be provided at its lower
end inside with a cup shaped projection T, into which any oil collects which may
condense in the dome P and from which it may be returned into the retort I or into
the supply tank A, through the pipe P. This dome may be provided with a
number of baffle plates S, which force the vapours to come in contact with the
inner surface of the dome P, where the heavier portion of them are caused to
condense and returning to the more heated surface of the retort, are reduced in
gravity and finally distill over and condense in the condenser.
The condenser may either be an ordinary coil or a surface condenser, the first
bend of which reaches into a vessel U nearly to the bottom of the latter, in which
part of the vapours condense; the uncondensed portion being led by the second
bend Q from the top of the first vessel U to the bottom of the second vessel U
and so on through a series of condensing vessels, which are all provided with draw off
cocks V, in which the vapours are successively condensed into oil of a number
of graduated specific gravities, heavier at the beginning of the series and lighter
towards the end of the series.
:

page_text: Or instead of this arrangement, the products of distillation as they pass over
from the retort I may be fractionally separated into a number of oils of graduated
specific gravities by connecting the heating coil with a column still W, which may
be similar to that used in the distillation of benzol, the body of which column still
I also divide by baffle plates X and a draw off cock Y for the tar or residue with
steam ejector Z.
When it is intended to produce still lighter gravity oils, a valve R may be placed
between the outlet of the retort I and the condenser U which may be kept open
only so far as to create a certain pressure of the gases inside the retort, or such
pressure may be created by means of a steam blast, introduced into the goose
neck Q, and blowing in the opposite direction to the flow of vapours which distill
over from the retort, or the goose neck Q may be contracted at some point to a
much smaller diameter by valve R or otherwise.
In case the crude oil contains a considerable quantity of water, the latter may be
separated from the oil by placing the baffle plates horizontally into the retort,
over which the oil and water flows, presenting in this manner a very extended
surface, which is most conducive to rapid evaporation. The coil D and the retort I
are kept at the temperature at which only the water distills off, while the oil
pumped through the coil and retort is drawn off at the tar cock Y free from water
and in a subsequent operation may be subjected to distillation.
If the manufacture of permanent gas or of very light oil is intended, the retort I
is directly connected with a second coil D' similar to the first one D; steam, which
may previously have been superheated, being in preference simultaneously admitted
with the oil vapours into the second coil D' by means of a steam injector H¹
provided for the purpose; the second coil may be kept under pressure by means of
a valve G or otherwise, and may be connected with expansion chamber or gasholder
and condenser of well known construction.
My apparatus may also be used for the distillation of other liquids besides hydro-
carbons, for instance for fats and oils in the separation of fatty acids and glycerine.
Also for the continuous production of distilled water from sea water or the
concentration of brine and alkaline solutions, the concentration of sugar solutions,
the salt water, alkaline, or other solution being in this case pumped through the
heating coil, the greater portion of the water distills over in the retort provided
with horizontal baffle plates and which in this case may be provided with an
exhauster or vacuum pump. The concentrated salt alkaline or other solution may
be drawn off at the draw off cock at the end of the retort.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An apparatus for the continuous distillation of hydrocarbon and other oils
and liquids consisting of a supply tank, means of heating the same, of forcing the
liquid into and through a heated coil connected with a steam jet or blast, from
thence into and through a retort provided with baffle plates, and draw off cock
fitted with steam ejector, to a condenser; the whole constructed, combined and
arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated on the
drawing.
2. An apparatus for continuous distillation of hydrocarbon and other oils and
liquids consisting of a supply tank, means of heating the same, of forcing the liquid
into and through a heated coil, connected with a steam jet or blast, from whence it
passes into and through a retort provided with baffle plates and draw off cock fitted
with steam ejector, thence into and through a second heating coil which may or
may not be provided with a steam inlet and the outlet of which may or may not be
provided with means of retarding the outflow and which may lead into an expansion
chamber and thence to a condenser in communication with a gasholder or other
receptacle, the whole substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. In apparatus for the continuous distillation of hydrocarbon and other oils and

page_text: liquids constructed as hereinbefore described and claimed, increasing the velocity
of the flow of the liquid through the heating coil from the inlet towards the
outlet by a contraction of the outlet as compared with the inlet substantially as and
for the purpose specified.
4. In apparatus for the continuous distillation. of hydrocarbon cils and other
liquids, the application of a steam ejector to the draw off cock for the residue
substantially as herein before described.
5. In apparatus for the continuous distillation of hydrocarbon and other oils and
liquids, means of forcing the oil out of the coil at the end of an operation whereby
the carbonisation of the oil contained in the coil is prevented substantially as
hereinbefore described.
6. In apparatus for the continuous distillation of hydrocarbon and other oils and
liquids, a dome, connecting a retort with the goose neck and condenser, provided
inside at its base with an annular cup, in which the heavier portions of the oil
vapours condensed in the dome collect, and from where they can be returned into
the supply tank, or into the heating coil, or into the retort, substantially as
described.
7. In apparatus for the continuous distillation of hydrocarbon and other oils and
liquids constructed as hereinbefore described and claimed, means of separating the
distillate fractionally, substantially as described.
Batad #lus 'F'wanty tourth dot
Luo I'V 1891
Untad Hus Twenty fourth day of Lama192 1891
For the Applicant,
W. E. GEDGE,
Agent.