Method and apparatus for deodorizing glyceride oils within a single vessel using counter current indirect heat exchange and direct superheated steam injection

Claim 2

The process of claim 1 including restricting the flow of oil in said low and high heat exchange sections.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 wherein said vessel is of generally rectangular cross section, open at its upper end and includes an intermediate section arranged between said low and high heat exchange sections, said process including passing the incoming oil longitudinally inwardly through said low heat exchange section in a horizontal circuitous zigzag path to the inner end of said high heat exchange section bypassing the outer end thereof, passing the outgoing oil longitudinally outwardly successively through said high heat exchange section, intermediate section and low heat exchange section in a horizontal circuitous zigzag path, heating the incoming oil and cooling the outgoing oil by counter flow heat exchange relation therebetween in said low heat exchange section, heating the outgoing oil to deodorizing temperature by passing a high temperature medium transversely through said high heat exchange section in heat exchange relation with the outgoing oil therein, superheating steam by passing steam transversely through said high heat exchange secton in heat exchange relation with tHe heated outgoing oil therein, and permeating both the incoming oil and outgoing oil with superheated steam bubbles by passing the superheated steam upwardly through the oil in said low and high heat exchange sections and in said intermediate section.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1 wherein said vessel is of generally annular cross section and open at its upper end, said process including passing the incoming oil radially inwardly through said low heat exchange section in a horizontal circuitous annular path to the inner end of said high heat exchange section bypassing the outer end thereof, passing the outgoing oil radially outwardly successively through said high and low heat exchange sections in a horizontal circuitous annular path, heating the incoming oil and cooling the outgoing oil by counter flow heat exchange relation therebetween in said low heat exchange section, heating the outgoing oil to deodorizing temperature by passing a high temperature medium annularly through said high heat exchange section in heat exchange relation with the outgoing oil therein, superheating steam by passing steam annularly through said high heat exchange section in heat exchange relation with the heated outgoing oil therein, and permeating both the incoming and outgoing oil with superheated steam bubbles by passing the superheated steam upwardly through the oil in said low and high heat exchange sections.

Claim 5

Apparatus for continuously deodorizing oil, such as glyceride oil, and comprising a vacuum chamber; a single vessel arranged in and open to discharge vapors from the oil into said vacuum chamber, said vessel including an outer low heat exchange section and an inner high heat exchange section, said low heat exchange section including means for passing the incoming oil inwardly through said low heat exchange section in a circuitous path to the inner end of said high heat exchange section, said high and low heat exchange sections including means for passing the outgoing oil outwardly successively through said high and low heat exchange sections in a circuitous path, said low heat exchange section including means for heating the incoming oil and cooling the outgoing oil by counter flow heat exchange relation therebetween in said low heat exchange section; means in said vacuum chamber and connected to said vessel for heating the outgoing oil to deodorizing temperature by passing a high-temperature medium through said high heat exchange section in heat exchange relation with the outgoing oil therein, means in said vacuum chamber and connected to said vessel for superheating steam by passing steam through said high heat exchange section in heat exchange relation with the heated outgoing oil therein, and means in said vacuum chamber and connected to said vessel and said steam superheating means for permeating both the incoming oil and outgoing oil with superheated steam bubbles by passing the superheated steam through the oil in said low and high heat exchange sections.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said vessel includes means for separating the vapors from the incoming oil from the vapors from the outgoing oil in said low heat exchange section.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said vessel includes means for restricting the flow of oil in said low and high heat exchange sections.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said vessel is of generally rectangular cross section, open at its upper end and includes an intermediate section arranged between said low and high heat exchange sections, said low heat exchange section including means for passing the incoming oil longitudinally inwardly through said low heat exchange section in a horizontal circuitous zigzag path to the inner end of said high heat exchange section bypassing the outer end thereof, said high heat exchange section, intermediate section and low heat exchange section including means for passing the outgoing oil longitudinally outwardly successively through said high heat exchange section, intermediate section and low heat exchange section in a horizontal circuitous zigzag path, said low heat exchange section including means for heating the incoming oil and cooling the outgoing oil by counter flow heat exchange relation therebetween inn said low heat exchange section; means in said vacuum chamber and connected to said vessel for heating the outgoing oil to deodorizing temperature by passing a high temperature medium transversely through said high heat exchange section in heat exchange relation with the outgoing oil therein, means in said vacuum chamber and connected to said vessel for superheating steam by passing steam transversely through said high heat exchange section in heat exchange relation with the heated outgoing oil therein, and means in said vacuum chamber and connected to said vessel and said steam superheating means for permeating both the incoming oil and outgoing oil with superheated steam bubbles by passing the superheated steam upwardly through the oil in said low and high heat exchange sections and in said intermediate section.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said vessel is of generally annular cross section and open at its upper end, said low heat section including means for passing the incoming oil radially inwardly through said low heat exchange section in a horizontal circuitous annular path to the inner end of said high heat exchange secton bypassing the outer end thereof, said high and low heat sections including means for passing the outgoing oil radially outwardly successively through said high and low heat exchange sections in a horizontal circuitous annular path, said low heat exchange section including means for heating the incoming oil and cooling the outgoing oil by counter flow heat exchange relation therebetween in said low heat exchange section; means in said vacuum chamber and connected to said vessel for heating the outgoing oil to deodorizing temperature by passing a high-temperature medium annularly through said high heat exchange section in heat exchange relation with the outgoing oil therein, means in said vacuum chamber and connected to said vessel for superheating steam by passing steam annularly through said high heat exchange section in heat exchange relation with the heated outgoing oil therein, and means in said vacuum chamber and connected to said vessel and said steam superheating means for permeating both the incoming oil and outgoing oil with superheated steam bubbles by passing the superheated steam upwardly through the oil in said low and high heat exchange sections.