Claims
- 1. An apparatus comprising a vertical, elongated tower having a feed inlet at the top and liquid and vapor outlets in a lower section, said apparatus containing a plurality of vertically spaced, horizontally disposed stages therein, means for mechanically agitating a liquid or vapor introduced into each of said stages with liquid present in said stages by means of agitator means mounted to a single shaft driven by a single driver means, and means for separating said stages one from the other while defining fluid communication channels between said stages, said stages comprising (a) liquid tray means horizontally attached to the interior walls of the elongated, vertical tower; (b) weir means attached vertically to the liquid tray means along the interior perimeter of the tray means at some distance from the interior walls of the tower thereby defining (1) a liquid-vapor stage comprising a liquid space and a vapor space over said liquid space, which maintains a predetermined amount of liquid on said liquid tray means in said liquid space between the weir and the tower wall and (2) a fluid communication channel; (c) a first liquid downcomer means communicating with said stage separation means to define a liquid communication channel in the fluid communication channel leading from the liquid space of the liquid-vapor stage immediately above the recited liquid-vapor stage to the recited liquid-vapor stage; (d) a second liquid downcomer means defining a second liquid communication channel leading from the liquid space of the recited liquid-vapor stage to the liquid space of a liquid stage immediately below the recited liquid-vapor stage; (e) a first vapor communication channel in the fluid communication channel defined by said first liquid downcomer means leading from the vapor space immediately above the liquid space of the liquid-vapor stage immediately above the recited liquid-vapor stage to the vapor space immediately above the recited liquid-vapor stage; (f) vapor downcomer means defining a second vapor communication channel leading from the vapor space immediately above the liquid space of the recited liquid-vapor stage to the vapor space immediately above the liquid space of the liquid-vapor stage immediately below the recited liquid-vapor stage, wherein the liquid downcomers and vapor downcomer maintain the liquids and vapors as separated distinct streams forced to flow downwardly in parallel flow by the absence of vapor outlet means at the top of the tower and wherein the vapor stream does not pass through any liquid in any successive lower stage; (g) means for introducing a liquid or a vapor from a source external to said apparatus into the liquid space of the liquid-vapor stage at a point below the liquid level in the liquid-vapor stage, or if only liquid is introduced, at a point above the liquid level of the liquid-vapor stage.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said vapor and liquid downcomer means comprise conduits formed by concentric, cylindrical baffles.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said stage separation means comprises a cone-shaped baffle with a hole in the middle thereof so that said separator has an outer and an inner perimeter.
- 4. An apparatus operating at a constant pressure ranging from about 0 to 50 psig for continuously solvent dewaxing waxy hydrocarbon oils comprising a vertical, elongated tower having a feed inlet at the top and liquid and vapor outlets in a lower section, said apparatus containing a plurality of vertically spaced, horizontally disposed stages therein, means for mechanically agitating a liquid or vapor introduced into each of said stages with liquid present in said stages by means of agitator means mounted to a single shaft driven by a single driver means, and means for separating said stages one from the other while defining fluid communication channels between said stages, said stages comprising: (a) oil or slurry tray means horizontally attached to the interior walls of the elongated vertical tower; (b) weir means attached vertically to the oil or slurry tray means along the interior circumference of the tray means at some distance from the interior walls of the tower thereby defining (1) a liquid-vapor stage comprising an oil or slurry space and a vapor space over said liquid space, which maintains a predetermined amount of oil or slurry on said oil or slurry tray means in said liquid space between the weir and the tower wall and (2) a fluid communication channel; (c) a first liquid downcomer means communicating with said stage separation means to define an oil or slurry communication channel in the fluid communication channel leading from the oil or slurry space of the liquid-vapor stage immediately above the recited liquid-vapor stage to the recited liquid-vapor stage; (d) a second liquid downcomer means defining a second oil or slurry communication channel leading from the oil or slurry space of the recited liquid-vapor stage to the oil or slurry space of the liquid-vapor stage immediately below the recited liquid-vapor stage; (e) means for introducing cold, liquid autorefrigerative or non-autorefrigerative dewaxing solvent from a source external to said apparatus into the oil or slurry space of the liquid vapor stage at a point above or below the oil or slurry level in the liquid-vapor stage; (f) a first vapor communication channel in the fluid communication channel defined by said first liquid downcomer means, said first vapor communication channel leading from the vapor space immediately above the oil or slurry space of the liquid-vapor stage which is immediately above the recited liquid-vapor stage to the vapor space immediately above the recited liquid-vapor stage; (g) vapor downcomer means defining a second vapor communication channel leading from the vapor space immediately above the oil or slurry space of the recited liquid-vapor stage to the vapor space immediately above the oil or slurry space of the liquid-vapor stage which is immediately below the recited liquid-vapor stage, wherein the liquid downcomers of (c) and (d) and the vapor downcomer of (g) maintain the liquids and vapors as separate, distinct streams forced to flow downwardly in parallel flow by the absence of vapor outlet means at the top of the tower and the vapor stream does not pass through any liquid in any successive lower stage.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 974,071 filed Dec. 28, 1978 and now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
974071 |
Dec 1978 |
|