Patent ID: 7993435

Claim:
A vapor/liquid separation apparatus for treating a flow of vapor/liquid mixtures of hydrocarbons and steam, comprising: (a) a substantially cylindrical vertical drum having an upper cap section, a middle section comprising a circular wall, and a lower cap section; (b) an overhead vapor outlet extending upwardly from said upper cap section; (c) at least one inlet in the circular wall of said middle section for introducing said flow, wherein said at least one inlet in the circular wall of said middle section for introducing said flow is a substantially tangential inlet for introducing said flow along said wall; (d) a substantially concentrically positioned, substantially cylindrical boot extending downwardly from said lower cap section for receiving separated liquid, said boot being of less diameter than said middle section and communicating with said lower cap section, and further comprising a liquid outlet at its lower end; and further comprising at least one of (e) a means for introducing heat directly to said lower cap section and/or said boot to provide conditions to effect at least partial visbreaking of the separated liquid by maintaining the liquid at a temperature of at least about 427° C.; and (f) a means to regulate residence time of liquid present in said lower cap and/or said boot to provide conditions to effect at least partial visbreaking of the separated liquid; wherein said means to regulate said residence time comprises a control valve to regulate removal of said separated liquid from said boot and a means to provide a liquid level above said boot and within said lower cap; wherein said means for introducing heat is a heat-conducting coil mounted in said lower cap section and/or said boot which contains a heat carrying medium of at least about 510° C., so that liquid adjacent the outside of said coil is heated by heat exchange through a wall of said coil.