Re-refining used petroleum based fluids
AssigneeAgc Refining & Filtration, LLC
InventorsJerome Nichols, Tyler Humphreys
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for separating a lubrication oil from a waste fluid includes separating water from the waste fluid by heating the waste fluid while sealed in a first vacuum chamber to a first temperature and first pressure. Fuel oil is separated from a fluid received from the first vacuum chamber by heating the fluid while sealed in a second vacuum chamber to a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature and at a second pressure. Finally, the lubrication oil is separated from a fluid received from the second vacuum chamber by heating the fluid received from the second vacuum chamber while sealed in a third vacuum chamber to a third temperature that is higher than the second temperature and at a third pressure.
Claims15
A method comprising:
- separating water from a waste fluid comprising a lubrication oil by sealing the waste fluid in a first vacuum chamber by closing all inlet and outlet valves to and from the first vacuum chamber, and heating the waste fluid sealed in the first vacuum chamber to a first maximum specified temperature;
- separating fuel oil from a fluid received from the first vacuum chamber by sealing the fluid received from the first vacuum chamber in a second vacuum chamber by closing all inlet and outlet valves to and from the second vacuum chamber, and heating the fluid received from the first vacuum chamber while sealed in the second vacuum chamber to a second maximum specified temperature that is higher than the first maximum specified temperature;
- and
- separating the lubrication oil from a fluid received from the second vacuum chamber by sealing the fluid received from the second vacuum chamber in a third vacuum chamber by closing all inlet and outlet valves to and from the third vacuum chamber, and heating the fluid received from the second vacuum chamber while sealed in the third vacuum chamber to a third maximum specified temperature that is higher than the second maximum specified temperature.
A method comprising:
- (a) heating a fluid comprising waste fluid comprising lubrication oil in a vacuum in a vessel pressure-sealed by closing all inlet and outlet valves to and from the vessel to a maximum temperature less than a critical temperature of vaporization of the lubrication oil to separate a first component from the fluid;
- and
- (b) heating the remaining fluid from step (a) in a vacuum of a vessel pressure-sealed by closing all inlet and outlet valves to and from the vessel to a temperature above the critical temperature of vaporization of the lubrication oil, but not higher than the cracking temperature of the lubrication oil to separate the lubrication oil from the remaining fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.