Coal processing system for reducing the amount of insoluble coal products in a light fraction stream
AssigneeKerr-McGee Corporation
InventorRobert E. Leonard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved system for processing coal wherein a feed mixture (comprising a dissolving solvent, insoluble coal products and soluble coal products) is separated in a first separation zone, provided with a coalescing section, into a first heavy fraction and a first light fraction (comprising soluble coal products, the dissolving solvent and some insoluble coal products), and a portion of the insoluble coal products is separated from the first light fraction by contacting at least the first light fraction with the coalescing section. Such contacting reduces the amount of insoluble coal products in the first light fraction withdrawn from the first separation zone.
Claims17
A process for reducing the amount of insoluble coal products in a light fraction stream portion of a feed mixture comprising:
- providing a feed mixture comprising a dissolving solvent, insoluble coal products and soluble coal products;
- introducing the feed mixture into a first separation zone provided with a coalescing section;
- maintaining the temperature level in the first separation zone in a range of from about 525.degree. F. to about 630.degree. F.;
- maintaining the pressure level in the first separation zone in a range of from about 700 psig to about 1000 psig;
- separating the feed mixture in the first separation zone into a first heavy fraction comprising the insoluble coal products and a first light fraction comprising the soluble coal products, the dissolving solvent and some insoluble coal products entrained in small liquid droplets;
- contacting at least the first light fraction in the first separtion zone with the coalescing section to coalesce the small liquid droplets containing entrained insoluble coal products present in the first light fraction into larger liquid droplets which separate from the first light fraction in the first separation zone for reducing the amount of insoluble coal products in the first light fraction to be withdrawn from the first separation zone;
- withdrawing the first light fraction from the first separation zone;
- and
- withdrawing the first heavy fraction from the first separation zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.