Process for removing ash-forming impurities from petroleum residual oils

Claim 2

A PROCESS FOR TREATING PETROLEUM RESIDUAL OIL WHICH CONTAINS AT LEAST ONE IMPURITY SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF SODIUM, VANADIUM, AND CALCIUM SALTS, WHICH PROCESS CONSISTS OF THE STEPS OF (1) WASHING SAID OIL WITH AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION HAVING A MAGNESIUM SALT DISSOLVED THEREIN IN SUFFICIENT CONCENTRATION TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION HAVING A SPECIFIC GRAVITY GREATER THAN THAT OF SAID OIL, WHEREBY MAGNESIUM IONS REPLACE A LARGE PORTION OF THE SODIUM AND CALCIUM IONS IN SAID OIL AND WHEREBY A TWOPHASE MIXTURE IS OBTAINED WITH SAID OIL AS THE LIGHTER PHASE AND WITH AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION AS THE HEAVIER PHASE AND (2) SEPARATING SAID LIGHTER PHASE FROM SAID HEAVIER PHASE.

Claim 3

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING METALLIC AND OTHER ASH FORMING CONSTITUENTS FROM PETROLEUM FUEL OILS COMPRISING A SORUCE OF OIL TO BE TREATED, A MIXING TANK CONNECTED TO RECIVE OIL FROM SAID SOURCE, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING TO THE OIL THE MIXING TANK AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF AN ALKALINE EARTH SALT HAVING A SPECIFIC GRAVITY GREATER THAN THAT OF THE OIL, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING TO THE OIL IN THE MIXING TANK AN EMULSION BREAKER, A FIRST CENTRIFUGE, FIRST CONDUIT MEANS FOR SUPPLYING THE OIL-WASH WATER MIXTURE FROM THE MIXTURE TANK TO THE FIRST CENTRIFUGE, A SECOND CENTRIFUGE, SECOND CONDUIT MEANS FOR SUPPLYING LIGHTER COMPONENTS OF THE MIXTURE FROM THE FIRST CENTRIFUGE TO THE SECOND CENTRIFUGE, A SETTLING TANK, A CHAMBER ADJACENT THE SETTLING TANK HAVING AN OUTLET AT THE TOP THEREOF FOR DECANTING OIL INTO THE CHAMBER, THIRD CONDUIT MEANS FOR RETURNING LIGHTER COMPONENTS OF THE MIXTURE FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CHAMBER TO THE FIRST CENTRIFUGE, FOURTH CONDUIT MEANS FOR REMOVING WASH SOLUTION AND IMPURITIES FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SETTLING TANK, REGULATING MEANS FOR MAINTAINING AT A PRESELECTED INTREMEDIATE LEVEL IN THE SETTLING TANK THE INTERFACE ZONE SEPARATING THE LIGHTER OIL-CONTAINING COMPONENTS OF THE MIXTURE IN THE UPPER PART OF THE SETTLING TANK FROM THE HEAVIER WASH SOLUTION IN THE LOWER PART OF THE SETTLING TANK, AND FIFTH CONDUIT MEANS FOR RECEIVING THE HEAVIER COMPONENTS OF THE MIXTURE SEPARATED IN BOTH SAID CENTRIFUGES AND INCLUDING MEANS FOR DISCHARGING SAID HEAVIER COMPONENTS INTO THE SETTLING TANK AT A LEVEL JUST BELOW SAID INTERFACE ZONE.

Claim 4

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING METALLIC AND OTHER ASH FORMING CONSTITUENTS FROM PETROLEUM FUEL OILS COMPRISING A SORUCE OF OIL TO BE TREATED, A MIXING TANK CONNECTED TO RECIVE OIL FROM SAID SOURCE, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING TO THE OIL THE MIXING TANK AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF AN ALKALINE EARTH SALT HAVING A SPECIFIC GRAVITY GREATER THAN THAT OF THE OIL, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING TO THE OIL IN THE MIXING TANK AN EMULSION BREAKER, A FIRST CENTRIFUGE, FIRST CONDUIT MEANS FOR SUPPLYING THE OIL-WASH WATER MIXTURE FROM THE MIXTURE TANK TO THE FIRST CENTRIFUGE, A SECOND CENTRIFUGE, SECOND CONDUIT MEANS FOR SUPPLYING LIGHTER COMPONENTS OF THE MIXTURE FROM THE FIRST CENTRIFUGE TO THE SECOND CENTRIFUGE, A SETTLING TANK, A CHAMBER ADJACENT THE SETTLING TANK HAVING AN OUTLET AT THE TOP THEREOF FOR DECANTING OIL INTO THE CHAMBER, THIRD CONDUIT MEANS FOR RETURNING LIGHTER COMPONENTS OF THE MIXTURE FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CHAMBER TO THE FIRST CENTRIFUGE, FOURTH CONDUIT MEANS FOR REMOVING WASH SOLUTION AND IMPURITIES FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SETTLING TANK, REGULATING MEANS FOR MAINTAINING AT A PRESELECTED INTREMEDIATE LEVEL IN THE SETTLING TANK THE INTERFACE ZONE SEPARATING THE LIGHTER OIL-CONTAINING COMPONENTS OF THE MIXTURE IN THE UPPER PART OF THE SETTLING TANK FROM THE HEAVIER WASH SOLUTION IN THE LOWER PART OF THE SETTLING TANK, AND FIFTH CONDUIT MEANS FOR RECEIVING THE HEAVIER COMPONENTS OF THE MIXTURE SEPARATED IN BOTH SAID CENTRIFUGES AND INCLUDING MEANS FOR DISCHARGING SAID HEAVIER COMPONENTS INTO THE SETTLING TANK AT A LEVEL JUST BELOW SAID INTERFACE ZONE.