Process and apparatus for in situ melting of sulphur from solid sulphur storage block
AssigneeHudson's Bay Oil and Gas Company Limited
InventorsRichard F. Jagodzinski, Edward L. Wahl
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Abstract
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for the in situ melting and removal of liquid sulphur from a solid sulphur storage block. The method comprises supplying heat to the storage block sufficient to melt the sulphur of the storage block to produce liquid sulphur, collecting the liquid sulphur and removing the liquid sulphur. The apparatus comprises heating means for heating and melting the sulphur storage block to produce liquid sulphur, means for collecting the liquid sulphur and means for removing the liquid sulphur from the collecting means.
Claims18
A method for the in situ melting and recovery of sulphur from a free standing solid block of stored sulphur having a generally horizontal base, which comprises drilling a series of generally horizontal bores adjacent the base of the block and inserting a series of elongated heat exchange elements into said bores to provide a generally horizontal array of said elements, providing a weir adjacent the base of the block in such position as to allow a layer of molten sulphur to be retained in contact with said elements, supplying heat to said elements to cause sulphur in contact therewith to melt and form said molten layer, and removing molten sulphur from said weir at a rate sufficient to maintain said molten layer in contact with said elements.
A method for storage and recovery of sulphur, comprising the steps of pouring molten sulphur onto a generally flat base area to form a free standing storage block, and recovering the sulphur in molten form by drilling a series of generally horizontal bores adjacent the base of the block and inserting a series of elongated heat exchange elements into said bores to provide a generally horizontal array of said elements, providing a weir adjacent the base of the block in such position as to allow a layer of molten sulphur to be retained in contact with said elements, supplying heat to said elements to cause sulphur in contact therewith to melt and form said molten layer, and removing molten sulphur from said weir at a rate sufficient to maintain said molten layer in contact with said elements.
Apparatus for the in situ melting of sulphur and removal of liquid sulphur from a solid sulphur storage block which comprises a horizontal array of heating elements arranged near the base of said block and means for supplying heat to said elements for heating and melting the sulphur in the storage block close to said elements to produce liquid sulphur, and a weir for collecting the liquid sulphur and means for removing the liquid sulphur from the weir, said weir and removal means being arranged so that sulphur melted by said heating elements forms a layer in contact with said heating elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.