Refining process and apparatus

Abstract

A process of producing high octane hydrocarbons includes the steps of preparing a mixture of substantially ethanol and butane or natural gasoline, or low octane gasoline, the mixture having room temperature and atmospheric pressure, adjusting the pressure of the mixture to a magnitude within the range of 10 to 50 pounds per square inch, adjusting the temperature of the mixture to a magnitude within the range of 100 to 460 degrees Fahrenheit, adjusting the pressure of the mixture to a pressure within the range of 500 to 1000 hydrocarbons pounds per square inch, catalyzing the mixture with a platinum catalyst, lowering the temperature of the mixture to a magnitude within a range of 90 to 190 degrees Fahrenheit, and separating out liquid product and gas from the mixture. An apparatus for producing high octane alcohols includes a starting tank for retaining a mixture of substantially ethanol and butane or natural gasoline, or low octane gasoline, a heat exchanger for raising the temperature of the mixture, a first high pressure conduit extending from the starting tank to the heat exchanger, a catalyzing chamber, second and third high pressure conduits extending from the heat exchanger to the catalyzing chamber, a nozzle interconnecting the second and third high pressure conduits, high pressure pumps for extracting the heated mixture from the heat exchanger and delivering the mixture to the catalyzing chamber through the second and third high pressure conduits, and a separator for precipitating liquid product out of the mixture.

Description

The present invention is a R and M (R+M)/2. Other final product 60 test data are as follows:

TBL Oxygenates I. V. % 42.75 MTBE I. V. % <0.1 TAME I. V. % <0.1 Alcohols (Ethanols) I. V. % 42.75 G. C. Breakdown Wt % Vol % N. Butane 45.60 53.03 ISO Pentane 1.42 1.55 N. Pentane 1.02 1.10 Toluene 2.02 1.57 Ethanol 49.94 42.75 PONA Vol % Paraffins 55.68 Olefins 0.01 Naphthenes <0.01 Aromatics 1.57

To produce high octane gasoline, add 20% by volume of the new product to 80 octane gasoline. The resulting mixture is 92.8 octane, with a vapor pressure in the range of 4 to 19 pounds per square inch.

Preferred Embodiments of Apparatus

Referring to FIG. 1, a preferred apparatus is disclosed for practicing the above-described process of producing high octane alcohols. This apparatus is merely exemplary and other forms of apparatus are contemplated.

Starting tank 12 is a vertical cylindrical drum. Heat exchanger 20 and pumps 14 and 22 are of any suitable conventional design. Nozzle 26 is preferably about three eights inches diameter. Catalyzing chamber 30 includes three elongate, upright tubular segments 28, each containing platinum catalyst 34. Segments 28 are interconnected by interconnection conduits 110, across the tops of the first and second segments 28 and across the bottoms of second and third segments 28. A baffle plate 120 having a plurality of ports 122 is positioned across the top and bottom of each segment 28. See FIG. 2. Cooler 40 preferably includes a substantially horizontal tray 130 elevated on legs 132. Separator tanks 50, 70 and 80 are vertical cylindrical drums. Tank 70 is preferably of substantially larger diameter than tanks 50 and 80.

Another embodiment of the invention uses as a starting material approximately one third ethanol mixed with two thirds natural gasoline. The process and apparatus for treating this mixture is the same as that previously described and this explanation will not be repeated herin. Natural gasoline is essentially a mixture of butanes and pentanes plus other hydrocarbon materials. Natural gasoline is derived from wet gas by stripping it. An example of natural gasoline is as follows:

C6+ . . . 53.871% by liquid volume

Butane . . . 3.03% by liquid volume

Neo-pentane . . . 0.697% of liquid volume

Iso-pentane . . . 26.046% by liquid volume

Normal pentane . . . 16.349% by liquid volume.

The resulting product is substantially one half natural gasoline and one half ethanol. It has a vapor pressure of 1.5 to 8.0 psi and an octane rating of 108 to 160.

A further embodiment uses as a starting material a mixture of 10% ethanol and 90% natural gasoline. The process steps and apparatus remain the same. The resulting product showed an increase in octane rating from 72 to 80-100.

It has been found that the starting material may contain 5% to 50% ethanol, and 50% to 95% natural gasoline. It is possible to add to the mixture 3% to 40% butane. The resulting product contains 5-50% ethanol, 50-90% natural gasoline including 3% to 50% hydrocarbons, and a trace of aromatics. The resulting product has a higher octane rating than the starting material. The product has an acceptable vapor pressure. This product appears to be a gasoline grade product. The ethanol can be removed without harming the product.

In the first embodiment, pentane, including iso-pentane, may be substituted for butane in the starting material. In another embodiment, the starting hydrocarbon material is contains a low octane hydrocarbon material known as light gasoline or straight run gasoline having an octane rating in the vicinity of 65 to 70. This material is processed through the apparatus described above and in the same way as described in connection with the first and further embodiments. One additional option is to inject a small amount of hydrogen in the catalyst bed. It has been found that the process increases the octane rating of the hydrocarbon material to a level in the vicinity of 87, such that the final product is pump gasoline. The final product has a vapor pressure in the range from 6 to 8 psi which is an acceptable range.

While the invention has been described, disclosed, illustrated and shown in various terms or certain embodiments or modifications which it has assumed in practice, the scope of the invention is not intended to be, nor should it be deemed to be, limited thereby and such other modifications or embodiments as may be suggested by the teachings herein are particularly reserved especially as they fall within the breadth and scope of the claims here appended.

Claims

1. A process of producing a high octane alcohols alcohol composition, comprising the steps of:

preparing a mixture of ethanol and low octane hydrocarbon material, having an octane rating in the vicinity of 65 and 70, said mixture having room temperature and atmospheric pressure,

adjusting said pressure of said mixture to magnitude within the range of 10 to 50 pounds per square inch,

adjusting said temperature of said mixture to a magnitude within the range of 100 to 460 degrees Fahrenheit,

adjusting the pressure of said mixture to a pressure within the range of 500 to 1000 pounds per square inch said hydrocarbon material being selected from the group consisting of butane, natural gasoline, straight run gasoline, light gasoline, pentane, iso-pentane and a mixture of two or more of the foregoing,

catalyzing said mixture with a platinum catalyst by conducting said mixture through a catalyst bed at an elevated pressure and elevated temperature which are sufficient to produce a catalyzed mixture containing the high octane alcohol composition,

lowering the temperature of said catalyzed mixture to a magnitude temperature within a range of from about 90 to about 190 degrees Fahrenheit,

separating out liquid product and gas from said catalyzed mixture to provide the high octane alcohol composition.

2. A process according to claim 1, comprising the additional step of:

delivering a quantity of said gas separated from said liquid product catalyzed mixture into furnace means to supply heat required for said process.

3. A process according to claim 1, comprising the additional steps of:

delivering a quantity of said gas separated from said liquid product catalyzed mixture into said mixture at the initial step of said process before the catalyzing step of said process.

4. A process according to claim 1, wherein said separating step comprises a plurality of separation steps of separating said catalyzed mixture into liquid product and gas.

5. A method process according to claim 1, wherein said hydrocarbons comprise hydrocarbon material comprises butane.

6. A method process according to claim 1, wherein said hydrocarbons comprise hydrocarbon material comprises natural gasoline.

7. A method process according to claim 1, wherein said hydrocarbons comprise hydrocarbon material comprises straight run gasoline.

8. A process according to claim 1, wherein said mixture comprises from about 5 to about 50% ethanol and from about 50 to about 95% said low octane hydrocarbon material.

9. A process according to claim 8, wherein said hydrocarbon material comprises natural gasoline.

10. A process according to claim 9, wherein said hydrocarbon material further comprises from about 3 to about 40% butane.

11. A process according to claim 1, wherein said mixture comprises about one third ethanol and about two thirds natural gasoline.

12. A process according to claim 1, wherein said mixture comprises about 10% ethanol and 90% natural gasoline.

13. A process according to claim 1, wherein said catalyzing step is conducted at a temperature ranging from about 100° to about 460° F.

14. A process according to claim 13, wherein said catalyzing step is conducted at a pressure ranging from about 500 to about 1000 pounds per square inch.

15. A process according to claim 1, further comprising injecting hydrogen into said catalyst bed during said catalyzing step.

16. A process according to claim 1, wherein said high octane alcohol composition has a research octane rating ranging from about 108 to about 160 and a vapor pressure ranging from about 1.5 to about 8 psi.

17. A high octane fuel composition comprising a mixture of relatively low octane fuel and relatively high octane alcohol composition, said relatively high octane alcohol composition being made by a process comprising the steps of:

mixing ethanol and a hydrocarbon material selected from the group consisting of butane, natural gasoline, straight run gasoline, light gasoline, pentane, iso-pentane and a mixture of two or more of the foregoing,

catalyzing said mixture at a temperature of at least about 100° F. and a pressure of at least about 500 pounds per square inch to produce a catalyzed mixture containing a relatively high octane alcohol composition,

lowering the temperature of said catalyzed mixture to a temperature within a range of from about 90° to about 190° F.,

separating gas from said catalyzed mixture to provide the high octane fuel composition.

18. The fuel composition of claim 17, wherein said hydrocarbon material comprises butane.

19. The fuel composition of claim 17, wherein said hydrocarbon material comprises natural gasoline.

20. The fuel composition of claim 17, wherein said hydrocarbon material comprises straight run gasoline.

21. The fuel composition of claim 17, wherein said mixture comprises from about 5 to about 50% ethanol and from about 50 to about 95% hydrocarbon material.

22. The fuel composition of claim 17, wherein said catalyzing step is conducted at a temperature ranging from about 100° to about 460° F.

23. The fuel composition of claim 17, wherein said catalyzing step is conducted at a pressure ranging from about 500 to about 1000 pounds per square inch.

24. The fuel composition of claim 17 wherein hydrogen is injected into said catalyst bed during said catalyzing step.

25. The fuel composition of claim 17 wherein said fuel composition has a vapor pressure ranging from about 4 to about 19 psi.

26. The fuel composition of claim 17 wherein said high octane alcohol composition has a research octane rating ranging from about 108 to about 160 and a vapor pressure ranging from about 1.5 to about 8 psi.