Method and apparatus for distillation

Claim 2

IN A PROCESS FOR DISTILLING A HYDROCARBON MIXTURE AT SUB-ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE WHEREIN THE HYDROCARBON MIXTURE TO BE DISTILLED IS PASSED AS A FEED STREAM TANGENTIALLY INTO A CONFINED VORTEX ZONE AND SEPARATED THEREIN BY CENTRIFUGAL ACTION INTO A VAPOROUS FRACTION AND A LIQUID FRACTION, THE VAPOROUS FRACTION IS DISCHARGED FROM SAID VORTEX ZONE AND RECTIFIED, AND THE LIQUID FRACTION IS STRIPPED WITH STEAM, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES WITHDRAWING THE SAID LIQUID FRACTION FROM THE VORTEX ZONE, STEAMSTRIPPING THE WITHDRAWN LIQUID FRACTION IN A STRIPPING ZONE WHICH IS ISOLATED FROM SAID VORTEX ZONE BY INTRODUCING STEAM INTO THE STRIPPING ZONE AND PRODUCING AN OVERHEAD TOP PRODUCT AND A RESIDUE, WITHDRAWING SAID TOP PRODUCT FROM THE STRIPPING ZONE, AND INTRODUCING THE WITHDRAWN TOP PRODUCT TANGENTIALLY INTO SAID VORTEX ZONE.

Claim 3

APPARATUS FOR THE DISTILLATION OF A MIXTURE COMPRIING: WALLS ENCLOSING A VORTEX CHAMBER, SAID CHAMBER HAVING A TANGENTIAL SIDE INLET FOR THE ADMISSION OF A HEATED FEED STREAM TO BE DISTILLED, A VAPOR OVERFLOW OUTLET AND A LIQUID UNDERFLOW OUTLET AT THE BOTTOM; A RECTIFYING COLUMN CONNECTED TO SAID OVERFLOW OUTLET TO RECEIVE VAPOR THEREFROM; A STRIPPING COLUMN HAVING A FEED INLET CONNECTED TO SAID UNDERFLOW OUTLET TO RECEIVE LIQUID FROM THE SAID CHAMBER, SAID STRIPPING COLUMN HAVING A TOP-PRODUCT OUTLET AND A RESIDUE OUTLET; AND RECYCLE CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING SAID TOP-PRODUCT OUTLET TO THE VORTEX CHAMBER DISPOSED TO INTRODUCE THE TOP PRODUCT FROM THE STRIPPING COLUMN TANGENTIALLY INTO THE VORTEX CHAMBER, SAID STRIPPING COLUMN BEING ISOLATED FROM THE VORTEX CHAMBER AGAINST THE PASSAGE OF FLUID INTO THE LATTER EXCEPT THROUGH SAID RECYCLE CONDUIT MEANS.

Claim 4

APPARATUS FOR THE DISTILLATION OF A MIXTURE COMPRIING: WALLS ENCLOSING A VORTEX CHAMBER, SAID CHAMBER HAVING A TANGENTIAL SIDE INLET FOR THE ADMISSION OF A HEATED FEED STREAM TO BE DISTILLED, A VAPOR OVERFLOW OUTLET AND A LIQUID UNDERFLOW OUTLET AT THE BOTTOM; A RECTIFYING COLUMN CONNECTED TO SAID OVERFLOW OUTLET TO RECEIVE VAPOR THEREFROM; A STRIPPING COLUMN HAVING A FEED INLET CONNECTED TO SAID UNDERFLOW OUTLET TO RECEIVE LIQUID FROM THE SAID CHAMBER, SAID STRIPPING COLUMN HAVING A TOP-PRODUCT OUTLET AND A RESIDUE OUTLET; AND RECYCLE CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING SAID TOP-PRODUCT OUTLET TO THE VORTEX CHAMBER DISPOSED TO INTRODUCE THE TOP PRODUCT FROM THE STRIPPING COLUMN TANGENTIALLY INTO THE VORTEX CHAMBER, SAID STRIPPING COLUMN BEING ISOLATED FROM THE VORTEX CHAMBER AGAINST THE PASSAGE OF FLUID INTO THE LATTER EXCEPT THROUGH SAID RECYCLE CONDUIT MEANS.