Distillation

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF TOPPING CRUDE OIL CONTAINING SUBSTANTIAL PORTIONS OF GAS AND GASOLINE TO PRODUCE MAXIMUM GASOLINE BOILING RANGE PRODUCT WHICH COMPRISES, PREHEATING THE CRUDE OIL AND PASSING THE HEATED OIL TO FIRST STAGE DISTILLATION CARRIED OUT AT A PRESSURE ABOVE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AT WHICH ABOUT ONE HALF OF THE TOTAL GAS AND GASOLINE CONTACT OF THE CRUDE OIL WILL BE VAPORIZED IN FLASHING AND RECTIFICATION OPERATIONS CARRIED OUT IN THE FIRST STAGE DISTILLATION, WITHDRAWING AS OVERHEAD GAS AND GASOLINE VAPORS FROM THE FIRST STAGE DISTILLATION, AND CONDENSING SAID VAPORS TO PRODUCE A CONDENSATE, REFLUXING FIRST STAGE DISTILLATION WITH A PORTION OF SAID CONDENSATE AND WITHDRAWING THE REMAINDER OF SAID CONDENSATE AS A PART OF THE TOTAL GASOLINE BOILING RANGE PRODUCT, WITHDRAWING A BOTTOMS PRODUCT FROM FIRST STAGE DISTILLATION, HEATING SAID BOTTOMS PRODUCT TO A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE TEMPERATURE AT WHICH THE FIRST STAGE DISTILLATION WAS CARRIED OUT, PASSING SAID HOT BOTTOMS TO A SECOND STAGE DISTILLATION CARRIED OUT AT A PRESSURE BELOW THE PRESSUREE OF THE FIRST STAGE DISTILLATION, WITHDRAWING GASOLINE AS OVERHEAD FROM SECOND STAGE DISTILLATION AND CONDENSING SAID GASOLINE TO PRODUCE A LIQUID GASOLINE CONDENSATE, REFLUXING SAID SECOND STAGE DISTILLATION WITH A PORTION OF GASOLINE CONDENSATE, COMBINING A SECOND PORTION OF GASOLINE CONDENSATE WITH THE REFLUX STREAM OF CONDENSED OVERHEAD FROM THE FIRST STAGE DISTILLATION USED IN REFLUXING SAID FIRST STAGE DISTILLATION, COMBINING A THIRD PORTION OF GASOLINE CONDENSATE WITH THE OVERHEAD OF SAID FIRST STAGE DISTILLATION TO EFFECT SIMULTANEOUS PRELIMINARY CONDENSATION OF SAID OVERHEAD AND TO ABSORB THE NORMALLY GASEOUS PORTION OF THE FIRST STAGE DISTILLATION OVERHEAD AND WITHDRAWING THE CONDENSED GAS AND GASOLINE AS TOTAL GASOLINE BOILING RANGE PRODUCT.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF TOPPING CRUDE OIL CONTAINING SUBSTANTIAL PORTIONS OF GAS AND GASOLINE TO PRODUCE MAXIMUM GASOLINE BOILING RANGE PRODUCT WHICH COMPRISES, PREHEATING THE CRUDE OIL AND PASSING THE HEATED OIL TO FIRST STAGE DISTILLATION CARRIED OUT AT A PRESSURE ABOVE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AT WHICH ABOUT ONE HALF OF THE TOTAL GAS AND GASOLINE CONTACT OF THE CRUDE OIL WILL BE VAPORIZED IN FLASHING AND RECTIFICATION OPERATIONS CARRIED OUT IN THE FIRST STAGE DISTILLATION, WITHDRAWING AS OVERHEAD GAS AND GASOLINE VAPORS FROM THE FIRST STAGE DISTILLATION, AND CONDENSING SAID VAPORS TO PRODUCE A CONDENSATE, REFLUXING FIRST STAGE DISTILLATION WITH A PORTION OF SAID CONDENSATE AND WITHDRAWING THE REMAINDER OF SAID CONDENSATE AS A PART OF THE TOTAL GASOLINE BOILING RANGE PRODUCT, WITHDRAWING A BOTTOMS PRODUCT FROM FIRST STAGE DISTILLATION, HEATING SAID BOTTOMS PRODUCT TO A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE TEMPERATURE AT WHICH THE FIRST STAGE DISTILLATION WAS CARRIED OUT, PASSING SAID HOT BOTTOMS TO A SECOND STAGE DISTILLATION CARRIED OUT AT A PRESSURE BELOW THE PRESSUREE OF THE FIRST STAGE DISTILLATION, WITHDRAWING GASOLINE AS OVERHEAD FROM SECOND STAGE DISTILLATION AND CONDENSING SAID GASOLINE TO PRODUCE A LIQUID GASOLINE CONDENSATE, REFLUXING SAID SECOND STAGE DISTILLATION WITH A PORTION OF GASOLINE CONDENSATE, COMBINING A SECOND PORTION OF GASOLINE CONDENSATE WITH THE REFLUX STREAM OF CONDENSED OVERHEAD FROM THE FIRST STAGE DISTILLATION USED IN REFLUXING SAID FIRST STAGE DISTILLATION, COMBINING A THIRD PORTION OF GASOLINE CONDENSATE WITH THE OVERHEAD OF SAID FIRST STAGE DISTILLATION TO EFFECT SIMULTANEOUS PRELIMINARY CONDENSATION OF SAID OVERHEAD AND TO ABSORB THE NORMALLY GASEOUS PORTION OF THE FIRST STAGE DISTILLATION OVERHEAD AND WITHDRAWING THE CONDENSED GAS AND GASOLINE AS TOTAL GASOLINE BOILING RANGE PRODUCT.