Refining process and apparatus

Abstract

A process of producing high octane alcohols includes the steps of preparing a first mixture of substantially ethanol and butane or natural gasoline, the mixture having a certain temperature and a certain pressure, adjusting the certain 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 350 degrees Fahrenheit, adjusting the pressure of the mixture to a pressure within the range of 500 to 1000 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. Then a second mixture of said liquid product and methanol is prepared and the process steps are repeated on this second mixture to produce a second product plus gas.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

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

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

A still further embodiment uses a first mixture consisting of 2/3 ethanol and 1/3 butane and the process is initially carried out as described in connection with the first embodiment using the same apparatus. The resulting first product has an octane rating of 160. Then another batch consisting of 1/3 of the first product and 2/3 methanol is run through the same process and apparatus and the resulting second product has an octane rating of 162.8.

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 refining process comprising the steps of:

(1) preparing a first mixture of mixing alcohol ethanol and butane to provide a first mixture;

(2) adjusting said pressure of said mixture to a magnitude within the range of 10 to 50 pounds per square inch;

(3) adjusting said temperature of said mixture to a magnitude within the range of 100 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit;

(4) adjusting the pressure of said mixture to a pressure within the range of 500 to 1000 pounds per square inch;

(5 2) 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;

(6 3) lowering the temperature of said catalyzed mixture to a magnitude temperature within the range of from about 90 to about 190 degrees Fahrenheit;

(7 4) separating out liquid and gas from said catalyzed mixture to provide a first liquid product;

(8 5) preparing mixing the first liquid product with methanol to provide a second mixture of said product and methanol , and

(9 6) repeating steps (2) through 7 4 above on said second mixture to produce a second liquid product plus gas.

2. The refining process of claim 1 in which said first mixture is substantially 2/3 ethanol and 1/3 butane.

3. The refining process of claim 2 in which said second mixture is substantially 1/3 of said first product and 2/3 methanol.

4. The refining process of claim 1, wherein said catalyzing step is conducted at a temperature ranging from about 100° to about 350° F.

5. The refining process of claim 4, wherein said catalyzing step is conducted at a pressure ranging from about 500 to about 1000 pounds per square inch.

6. The refining process of claim 1, wherein the first liquid product 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.

7. The refining process of claim 1, wherein the first mixture further comprises natural gasoline.

8. The refining process of claim 1, wherein the first mixture comprises from about 5 to about 50% ethanol, from about 50 to about 95% natural gasoline and from about 3 to about 40% butane.

9. The refining process of claim 1, wherein the second liquid product has a research octane rating of about 162.8.

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

(1) mixing ethanol and a hydrocarbon material selected from the group consisting of butane, natural gasoline, pentane, iso-pentane and mixtures of two or more of the foregoing to provide a first mixture;

(2) raising the temperature of the mixture to an elevated temperature of at least about 500 pounds per square inch,

(3) catalyzing the mixture with a platinum catalyst in a catalyst bed at the elevated pressure and elevated temperature which are sufficient to produce a catalyzed mixture,

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

(5) separating gas from said catalyzed mixture to provide a first liquid product comprising a high octane alcohol composition,

(6) mixing the first liquid product with methanol to provide a second mixture, and

(7) repeating steps (2) through (5) above on said mixture to produce a second liquid product plus gas.

11. The fuel composition of claim 10, wherein the first mixture comprises 2/3 ethanol and 1/3 butane.

12. The fuel composition of claim 10, wherein said catalyzing step is conducted at a temperature ranging from about 100° to about 350° F.

13. The fuel composition of claim 10, wherein said catalyzing step is conducted at a pressure ranging from about 500 to about 1000 pounds per square inch.

14. The fuel composition of claim 10 wherein said fuel composition has a vapor pressure ranging from about 4 to about 19 psi.

15. The fuel composition of claim 10 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.

16. A refining process comprising the steps of:

(1) mixing ethanol and a hydrocarbon material selected from butane, natural gasoline, pentane, iso-pentane and mixtures of two or more of the foregoing to provide a first mixture;

(2) 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;

(3) lowering the temperature of said catalyzed mixture to a temperature within the range of from about 90 to about 190° F.;

(4) separating gas from said catalyzed mixture to provide a first liquid product;

(5) mixing said first liquid product with methanol to provide a second mixture, and

(6) repeating steps (2) through (4) above on said second mixture to produce a second liquid product plus gas.

17. The refining process of claim 16, wherein said catalyzing step is conducted at a temperature ranging from about 100° to about 350° F.

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

19. The refining process of claim 16, wherein the first liquid product 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.

20. The refining process of claim 16, wherein the first mixture further comprises natural gasoline and ethanol.

21. The refining process of claim 16, wherein the first mixture comprises from about 5 to about 50% ethanol, from about 50 to about 95% natural gasoline.

22. The refining process of claim 21, wherein the first mixture further comprises from about 3 to about 40% butane or iso-pentane.

23. The refining process of claim 16, wherein the second liquid product has a research octane rating of about 162.8.

24. The refining process of claim 16, wherein the first mixture comprises from about 5 to about 50% ethanol and from about 50 to about 95% hydrocarbon material.

25. The refining process of claim 16, wherein the hydrocarbon material further comprises from about 3 to about 40% butane.

26. The refining process of claim 16, wherein the first mixture comprises about one third ethanol and about two thirds natural gasoline.

27. The refining process of claim 16, wherein the first mixture comprises about 10% ethanol and 90% natural gasoline.

28. The refining process of claim 16, wherein said catalyzing step is conducted at a pressure ranging from about 500 to about 1000 pounds per square inch.