Dehydrator

July 6 , 1926.
A. DAHLSTRUM
DEHYDRATOR
1,591,286
Filed March 16. 1926
In van/tor;
A @fred Bah Zstrzz/rz,
746%
A ttorzz ey.
Patented July 6, 1926.
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_ 1,591,236
PATENT; OFFICE. 1 -
UNITED STATES
ALFRED DAHLSTRUI, OF TAFT, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF
‘ SIMON P. DUSGHAK, OF TAFT, CALIFORNIA. ‘
DEHYYDRA'I'OB.
Application ?led larch 16, 1926.v Serial No. 95,164.
In this speci?cation, and the accompany
ing drawing, I shall, describe and show a
preferred form of my invention, and spe
ci?cally mention certain of its more impor
been a di?lcult and relatively expensive op
eration but in [my improved dehydrating
apparatus it may be'accomplished as a con
tinuous process at small cost.
i tant ob'ects. I do not limit myself to the
The form of my invention selected for
forms isclosed, since various changes and illustrative purposes comprises a pre~heater
adaptations may be made therein‘without 11, a preliminary separator 12, and a ?nal
departing from the essence of my invention deh drator 13.
as hereinafter claimed; and objects and ad
e preliminary separatorclosely resem- -
10 vantages, other than those speci?cally men
bles a vertical ?re-tube boiler having a cylin
tioned, are included within its scope.
_
drical shell 14, an upper tube sheet 15, a
My invention relates to oil dehydrato'rs, lower crown sheet 16, and a water leg 17. A
and particularly to means for dehydrating
emulsions of oil in Water. Its principal ob
15 jects are; ?rst, to provide means whereby
water may be almost or completely removed
plurality of ?re tubes 18 extend through said
tube and crown sheets, and are expanded
therein in the usual manner. This construc 70
tion is mounted above a circular furnace 19
from oil emulsions; second, to furnish fa
provided with a suitable oil burner 20. Y
as a continuous process; and third, to sup
The pre-heater 11 is mounted abovesepa
rator 12 and is slightly spaced therefrom by
cilities for accomplishing the dehydrating.
20
ply a relativel simple and inexpensive de a ?anged ring 21. The pre-heater and sepa
vice adapted
or these purposes.
A
75
rator are somewhat similar in general con
My objects are attained in the manner struction, and both are adapted for with
illustrated in the accompanying drawing in standing internal pressure. The pre-heater
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25
which :—
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,.
,is shorter than the separator and is usually
Figure 1 is a central section of my com-_ provided with a larger number of smaller 80
plete device in elevation ;
diameter ?re tubes 22. The total cross-sec
Figure 2 is an enlarged central section in tional area of the tubes in the two devices
elevation of the portion of my apparatus is substantially equal. The spacing ring 21
provides a chamber in which the combustion
pleted;
‘
.
of the furnace gases is completed, and also
in which the dehydrating process is com
Figure 3 is a further enlarged cross sec serves to distribute these gases for equaliz
tion of the construction shown in Fig. 2, ing the ?ow through the preheater tubes 22.
taken on the line 3——-3;
OI O’
Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in eleva
tion of the dentated surface of one of the
inverted cones that I. employ for accom-.
Above the pro-heater is a smoke cone 23
and stack 24 for carrying 011' the products of
combustion.
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‘
90
’ Pre-heater 11 and separator 12 are in com~
plishing the preliminary step of my dehy 'munication through the centrally located
drating process;
4O
4
5
‘
pipe- 25 which extends nearly to the top of '
Figure 5 is a plan view of one of the plain the pre-heater' and to the lower portion of
open top cones used in said preliminary step, the separator. This‘ communicating pipe is
illustrating the means whereby it is mount intermediately ?anged at‘ 26, sothat the
ed; and
heater and separator may be‘ readily disas
Figure 6 is an elevation of one of the sembled when desired, and‘ a'ha'nd-holev 27
dehydrated sections employed in the ?nal is provided in ring 21 to make the ?ange
step of my dehydrating process.
bolts 28 accessible.
_
~ Similar reference numerals refer to simi- ' Beneath the lower end of pipe 25, and
lar parts throughout the several views.
spaced therefrom, is a circular de?ecting
It is well known in the oil industry ‘that bowl 29, supported on a pedestal 30. Above
crude oil frequently is accompanied by rath the bowl, on the intermediate portion of the
_er large percentages of water; and that a
considerable portion of ‘the yield often is
emulsi?ed. The value of the crude is low
ered by the presence of the emulsion and it
central pipe, are two upright truncated
cones 31 of plain sheet metal, and two invert
ed truncated cones 32 of'speeiaIIy perforated
sheet metal. These cones are positioned on
100
105
is of great’importance that the water should the pipe alternately as shown. '- The .plain
be extracted therefrom. Hitherto this has cones 31 have open upper endsand are sup~ 110
1,591,286
ported by spiders having radial arms 33 with amount of dissolved salts inthis water to
unobstructed ?ow passages 34 between them, make a weak electrolyte of relatively high
as shown in Fig. 5.. ‘The perforated inverted resistance. The oil with traces of emulsion
cones 32 have closed lower ends and are sup therein is thus subjected to an electrolytic
ported by rings 35 which ?t the pipe and are current as it passes longitudinally through 70
attached thereto. The base diameters of cylinder 47 between the zinc and copper
upright cones 31 are substantially larger strips. This current breaks up the emulsion
than the base diameters of inverted cones 32. and only dense oil and a small amount of
The perforations of cones ‘32 consist of unmixed water is discharged from the 75
' v10,
small V-shaped apertures 36, made by two dehydrator through pipe 48'.
edged triangular punches, and are partially The operation of my invention is as fol
obstructed by the integral V-?aps 37 that lows: Crude oil containing water and emul
are'pressed outwardly from the apertures sion is admitted to pro-heater 11 through
by the punches. This construction is shown [valve 51 and connection 52. The tempera-.
15
best in Fig. 4. The perforations are closely ture of the oil is raised to the desired point
arranged over the entire surfaces of in in the pro-heater and it then passes down
verted cones 32, and ?aps 37 constitute a wardly through pipes 25 to the lower part
multiplicity of sharply pointed and down of preliminary separator 12. The lower
wardly directed teeth on the exterior of two-thirds of the separator is filled with hot
20 these cones.
80.
water 53 maintained at a constant tempera
Preliminary separator 12 is provided with ture. 'The oil upon leaving pipe 25 im
a water'gage 38; a suitable thermostatic de pinges upon de?ecting bowl 29 and is broken
vice 39 having a connection 40 to burner. 20 up thereb into globules that ?oat upwardly
by means of which the burner may be auto through t e water to the lower inverted cone 90
26 matically regulated for maintaining a uni 32. The dense drops of oil pass through
form temperature in the separator; and a apertures 36 in this cone and continue to
30
suitable ?oat valve trap 41, by means of ?oat upward to the inner plain surface of
which the water level in the separator may lower cone 31. The very minute oil particles
be kept constant. This trap communicates in the emulsi?ed portion of the oil tend to
with the upper and. lower portions of the collect at the sharp points of teeth 37 and
separator through pipes 42 and 43 respec- gradually form themselves into drops of
tively. There is tendency for water to dense oil which in‘ turn pass‘ upwardly
collect ‘in the separator and this is over
through opertures 36.
The exact action of '
come by the trap, the surplus water being the teeth perhaps is not fully understood
discharged through pipe 44. The separator but it‘ would seem that they serve to break
is also provided with an outlet 45 and valve the surface tension of the minute oil par
40
45
46 bymeans of which it may be drained and ticles in the emlusion and permit them to
consolidate.
the sludge be drawn off.
The process of dehydrating and freeing Lower cone 31, being larger in diameter
the oil of emulsion is completed in dehydra than cone 32, collects the upwardly ?oating
tor 13. This consists of a cylinder 47, of oil globules, directs them toward the center,
substantial length, connected in the dis and discharges them through the passages
charge line 48. Within thisv cylinder is a 34 at its top. The globules then continue to
plurality of electrolytic dehydrating sec ?oat upward through the hot water to the
110
tions of which one is shown per se inside upper inverted cone 32 where the above de
elevation in Fig. 6. Each of these sections‘ scribed operation is repeated. Finally upper
comprises a pair of perforate plates 49 cone 31 collects the oil globules, directs them
for further consolidation, and dis
joined together by a plurality of parallel inwardly
zinc and copper strips 50. These strips are charges them through its passages 34 into
50
115
end-“welded to the inner surfaces of,the the body of oil 54 at the topv of the sepa
rator.
From
this
point
the
oil
passes
out,
plates between the perforations. The num
ber of zinc and copper strips in a section through the discharge connection 55 to de
should be about equal and they should be hydrator '13, and thence to discharge line 48.
so positioned that they alternate so far as
55
possible. Thus each zinc strip should be ad
Although the precise action of my inven
tion perhaps may not be fully understood,
jacent to a copper strip and vice versa.
It will be evident that the " dehydrating ever that it accomplishes its desired objects
‘ sections just described constitute closed cir most satisfactorily. I have found by actual
cuit electrolytic cells when immersed in elec test of my invention on crude 011 containing
60 trolyte, and that current will ?ow through 10% water and 24% emulsion, that the pre*
the electrolyte between the zinc and copper liminary separator reduced the water con
65
M 20
as indicated above, there is no quest-ion what
strips under such conditions. The oil and tent to 8% and the emulsion to 13%. That
the’ remaining emulsion therein that comes ‘is to say the oil passing into the dehydrator
from separator 12 contains a small amount 13 through connection 55 was 79% dense oil,
of water, and there always is a sufficient 13% emulsion, and 8% water. The dehydra
126
180
1,591,286
8
tor completely consolidated the emulsion in said pre-heater and extending to the lower 00'
this mixture and the discharge from pipe part of said tank; an inverted perforate
48 contained 92% dense oil and 8% water cone having a sharply dentated under sur
unmixed therewith and easily separable by face with downwardly directed teeth, inter
setting.
.
mediately mounted upon‘ said pipe within
I desire particularly ‘to point out that the tank; a larger truncated cone with an 65
strips do not necesarily have to be copper open. top immediately above said perforate
and zinc. Any two metals of different elec cone; thermostatically controlled heating
tric potential will serve, although I have means for maintaining the contents of said
10
found the zinc and copper most satisfactory. tank, at a constant temperature; and ?oat
Also alloys of copper and zinc might be valve means for maintaining the water level 70
utilized, and possibly a metal in coopera in said tank intermediate said outlet and the
tion with a non_metal of su?iciently different bottom of said second cone.
'
electric potential, such as carbon.
5. A device of the character described
The thermostatic control 39 and ?oat comprising; a pre-heater adapted for heat
valve trap 41 are not in themselves a part of ing a mixture of water and oil; a- tank con 75
my invention and are not claimed herein taining water, separably connected beneath
per se.
said pre-heater, having an outlet near its top
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I claim as my invention :—
20
and a vertical inlet pipe communicating with
1. A device of the character described said pre-heater and extending to the lower‘
comprising; a ?ow passsage; a pair of trans part of said tank; a de?ecting vbowl beneath .80
verse perforate spaced plates in said pas— the outlet of said pipe whereby the ?ow
sage; and longitudinal spaced members of therefrom vmay be directed outwardly; an
different electrical potential‘ joining said inverted perforate ‘cone, having sharply
plates and in electrical connection there pointed downwardly directed teeth pressed
with.
outwardly from its perforations, interme 845
2. A device of the characterv described diately mounted upon said pipe just above
comprising; a tank containing water hav
said bowl: a larger truncated cone with an
ing an outlet near the top and a central in open top immediately above said perforate
30' let near the lower part thereof; an invert
cone; thermostatically controlled heating
ed perforate cone, having a sharply dentated means for maintaining the contents of said
under surface, directly above said inlet; a tank at a constant temperature; and ?oat
larger truncated cone with an open top im valve means for maintaining the water level
90
mediately above said perforate cone; and vin said tank intermediate ‘said ‘outlet and they
means for maintaining the water level in
said tank intermediate said outlet'and the
bottom of said second cone.
3. A device of the character described
comprising; a pre-heater for a mixture of
, water and oil; a tank containing water hav
ing an outlet near ‘its top, and a vertical in-'
let pipe communicating with said pre-heater
bottom of said ‘second cone.
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~ 6. The constructlon set forth in claim 2 In 96
combination with means for subjecting the
‘discharge therefrom to the action of an elec
tric current for re-combining constituent par
holes of an emulslon contamed 1n said d1s~
char e.
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7. gI‘he construction set forth in ‘claim 2 in_
and extending to the lower part of said combination‘ with an electrolytic cell in the
45
tank; an inverted perforate cone having a discharge line therefrom, whereby the dis
sharply dentated under surface interme charge may be subjected to the action of an
diately mounted upon said pipe within the‘ electric current for re-combining constituent
105
tank; a larger truncated cone with an open particles of an emulsion contained in said
top immediately above said perforate cone;
discharge.
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.
.
means for maintaining the contents of said
60
8. The construction set forth in claim 2
tank at a constant temperature; and means in combination with spaced electrically con~
for maintaining the water level in said tank nected members of different electrical po
intermediate said ‘outlet and the bottom of tential in the discharge line of said con
said second cone.
55
.
110
struction, whereby the discharge constitut
4. A device of the character described ing an‘ electrolyte may be subjected to the
comprising; a pre-heater adapted for heating action of an electrolytic current for re-com
amixture of water and oil; a tank containing bining constituent particles of an emulsion
water, separably connected beneath said contained in said discharge.
pro-heater, having an outlet near its top and
a vertical inlet pipe communicating with
ALFRED 'DAHLSTRUM.
115

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