Tower bottoms coke catching device
AssigneeMarathon Petroleum Company LP
InventorsGregory A. Cantley, Ross Vail, Kathleen Yaden, Ray Brooks
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A coke catching apparatus for use in hydrocarbon cracking to assist in the removal of coke and the prevention of coke build up in high coking hydrocarbon processing units. The apparatus includes a grid device for preventing large pieces of coke from entering the outlet of the process refining equipment while allowing small pieces of coke to pass through and be disposed of The coke catching apparatus can be easily disassembled to be removed from the refining process equipment and cleaned.
Claims20
A coke catching apparatus to remove of coke in a liquid petroleum product when being processed in a petroleum product processing unit, prior to output of a refined liquid petroleum product, the coke catching apparatus comprising:
- a grid device having a bottom section, a grid portion having a first section positioned proximate the bottom section and a second section positioned proximate the first section of the grid portion, and a top section positioned proximate the second section of the grid portion, the grid portion including a plurality of openings, the grid device also being configured to be positioned within the petroleum product processing unit to catch coke in the liquid petroleum product when passing through the grid device and being positioned to have the bottom section proximate to an outlet of the petroleum product processing unit, the bottom section including a bottom plate of a substantially solid material and a plurality of drain holes to allow for refined liquid petroleum product to exit the outlet of the petroleum product processing unit, the plurality of openings of the grid portion of the grid device being sized to allow small pieces of coke contained in the liquid petroleum product when within the petroleum product processing unit to pass through the bottom section of the grid device to the outlet while preventing large pieces of coke contained in the liquid petroleum product from passing through when the liquid petroleum product flows into the grid device and to the outlet, prior to output of the refined liquid petroleum product.
A coke catching device to be positioned inside a petroleum product processing unit that refines a petroleum liquid, the coke catching device comprising:
- a bottom section having a plurality of apertures therein, the bottom section configured to be positioned inside the petroleum product processing unit adjacent an outlet thereof;
- a grid section connected to the bottom section and having a tubular grid including a plurality of openings therein, the plurality of openings being sized to retain large spalled coke pieces on an outer side of the grid section, the large spalled coke pieces defined as those spalled coke pieces that do not fit through the plurality of openings in the grid section, and
- a top section connected to the grid section, each of the top section, the grid section, and the bottom section in combination defining a liquid pathway through one or more of the plurality of openings of the grid section, into an inner portion of the grid section, through one or more of the plurality of apertures of the bottom section and into the outlet of the petroleum product processing unit, and allow small pieces of coke contained in the liquid petroleum product within the petroleum product processing unit to pass through to the outlet while preventing large pieces of coke contained in the liquid petroleum product from passing through when the petroleum liquid flows into the grid device and to the outlet prior to output of the refined petroleum liquid.
The coke catching device of claim 10, wherein the grid section includes a tubular grid, the tubular grid having the plurality of openings therein and being sized to permit at least some spalled coke pieces to pass therethrough and along the liquid pathway.
The coke catching device of claim 11, wherein the plurality of apertures in the bottom section are sized to permit the at least some spalled coke pieces to pass therethrough into the outlet of the petroleum product processing unit.
A method of catching spalled coke inside a petroleum product processing unit that refines a petroleum liquid, the method comprising:
- operating a petroleum product processing unit having a coke catching device positioned proximate an outlet of the petroleum product processing unit, the coke catching device including a bottom section disposed adjacent the outlet, a grid section connected to the bottom section and having a plurality of openings therein, and a top section connected to the grid section, the coke catching device also having a liquid fluid pathway through one or more of the plurality of openings in the grid section, into an inner portion of the grid section, through the bottom section, and into the outlet;
- flowing the petroleum liquid having spalled coke therein through at least a portion of the petroleum product processing unit and into the coke catching device through the plurality of openings in the grid section thereof;
- retaining large coke pieces on an outer side of the grid section, the large coke pieces defined as those coke pieces that do not fit through one or more of the plurality of openings of the grid section;
- and
- permitting coke pieces that fit through one or more of the plurality of openings of the grid section to flow with the petroleum fluid along the liquid fluid pathway.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.