Patent US3880177A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3880177A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for transporting waxy hydrocarbon mixtures
Assignee: Marathon Oil Co
•
Filing: 1974-06-17
•
Granted: 1975-04-29
•
Expires: 1994-06-17
Abstract
Abstract ''''Waxy'''' hydrocarbon mixtures are transported, e.g., in a pipeline, by fractionating the mixture into at least a relatively low pour point fraction and a relatively high pour point fraction, congealing the high pour point fraction by introducing and dispersing it through nozzles into the bottom of a water column having a highly saline solution in the bottom thereof, the saline solution is 5*-50*F. below the temperature of the high pour point fraction, permitting the particles of the dispersed fraction to float up through the column where they come in contact with water at a sufficiently low temperature to substantially solidify the particles, and thereafter separating the congealed particles and slurrying them in at least a portion of the low pour point fraction and transporting the slurry. The hot saline solution, e.g., an aqueous potassium alum solution, is preferably at saturation conditions and the water above the hot saline solution is at least 80*F. less than the average temperature of the saline solution and less than the pour point of the high pour point fraction.
Inventors
- 👤 Keith M Kersch
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 22:40
CPC Classifications
F; F17; F17D; F17D1/00; F17D1/08; F17D1/088; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/0318; Y10T137/0391
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
145 words
AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF TRANSPORTING A "WAXY" HYDROCARBON MIXTURE COMPRISING FRACTIONATING THE MIXTURE INTO AT LEAST A HIGH POUR POINT FRACTION AND A LOW POUR POINT FRACTION, CONGEALING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE HIGH POUR POINT FRACTION BY DISPERSING IT AS MOLTEN WAX PARTICLES INTO THE BOTTOM OF A COLUMN HAVING A HOT DENSE LIQUID IN THE BOTTOM THEREOF AND A COLDER, LESS DENSE LIQUID IN THE TOP THEREOF, PERMITTING THE WAX PARTICLES TO MOVE TO THE TOP OF THE COLUMN, THE COLDER, LESS DENSE LIQUID BEING AT A SUFFICIENTLY LOW TEMPERATURE TO SUBSTANTIALLY SOLIDIFY THE WAX PARTICLES BY THE TIME THEY REACH THE TOP OF THE COLUMN, SEPARATING THE SOLIDIFIED WAX PARTICLES AND SLURRYING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE SOLIDIFIED PARTICLES IN A LIQQUID HYDROCARBON COMPRISED OF AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE LOW POUR POINT FRACTION AND THEREAFTER TRANSPORTING THE SLURRY.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
145 words
AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF TRANSPORTING A "WAXY" HYDROCARBON MIXTURE COMPRISING FRACTIONATING THE MIXTURE INTO AT LEAST A HIGH POUR POINT FRACTION AND A LOW POUR POINT FRACTION, CONGEALING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE HIGH POUR POINT FRACTION BY DISPERSING IT AS MOLTEN WAX PARTICLES INTO THE BOTTOM OF A COLUMN HAVING A HOT DENSE LIQUID IN THE BOTTOM THEREOF AND A COLDER, LESS DENSE LIQUID IN THE TOP THEREOF, PERMITTING THE WAX PARTICLES TO MOVE TO THE TOP OF THE COLUMN, THE COLDER, LESS DENSE LIQUID BEING AT A SUFFICIENTLY LOW TEMPERATURE TO SUBSTANTIALLY SOLIDIFY THE WAX PARTICLES BY THE TIME THEY REACH THE TOP OF THE COLUMN, SEPARATING THE SOLIDIFIED WAX PARTICLES AND SLURRYING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE SOLIDIFIED PARTICLES IN A LIQQUID HYDROCARBON COMPRISED OF AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE LOW POUR POINT FRACTION AND THEREAFTER TRANSPORTING THE SLURRY.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the hot dense liquid is at a temperature of at least 140*F.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the colder, less dense liquid is at a temperature less than about 90*F.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the coolants are water and the different densities of the hot dense water and the colder, less dense water are obtained by incorporating water soluble salt in the water.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 4 wherein the salt is potassium alum, potassium metaphosphate, aluminum acetate, strontium fluoride or mixtures thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the temperature of the molten wax as it is introduced into the column is about 0* to about 175*F. above its melting point.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the temperature of the molten wax is about 20* to about 150*F. above it melting point.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the temperature of the molten wax is about 50* to about 125*F. above its melting point.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the hot, dense liquid is at least about 5* to about 150*F. below the temperature of the molten wax as it is dispersed into the column.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the molten wax as it is introduced into the column is under laminar flow.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the density differential of the hot, dense liquid compared to the colder, less dense liquid is at least about 0.4 g/cc.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 11 wherein the density differential is at least about 0.2 to about 0.4 g/cc.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the concentration of solidified wax particles in the liquid hydrocarbon is within the range of about 20 to about 45 percent by weight.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 1 wherein at least a major portion of the wax particles is substantially solidified.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the ''''waxy'''' hydrocarbon mixture has an average pour point within the range of about 75* to about 150*F.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process of claim 1 wherein a diluent miscible with the liquid hydrocarbon is admixed with the slurry to facilitate transportation.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the diluent is a liquid crude oil containing less than 10 percent wax.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
146 words
An improved process of transporting a ''''waxy'''' hydrocarbon mixture comprising fractionating the mixture into at least a high pour point fraction and a low pour point fraction, congealing at least a portion of the high pour point fraction by dispersing it as molten wax particles into the bottom of a column having a hot dense, saline water in the bottom thereof and a colder, less dense water in the top thereof, permitting the wax particles to move to the top of the column, the colder, less dense water being at a sufficiently low temperature to substantially solidify the wax particles by the time they reach the top of the column, separating the solidified wax particles and slurrying at least a portion of the solidified particles in a liquid hydrocarbon comprised of at least a portion of the low pour point fraction and thereafter transporting the slurry.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
146 words
An improved process of transporting a ''''waxy'''' hydrocarbon mixture comprising fractionating the mixture into at least a high pour point fraction and a low pour point fraction, congealing at least a portion of the high pour point fraction by dispersing it as molten wax particles into the bottom of a column having a hot dense, saline water in the bottom thereof and a colder, less dense water in the top thereof, permitting the wax particles to move to the top of the column, the colder, less dense water being at a sufficiently low temperature to substantially solidify the wax particles by the time they reach the top of the column, separating the solidified wax particles and slurrying at least a portion of the solidified particles in a liquid hydrocarbon comprised of at least a portion of the low pour point fraction and thereafter transporting the slurry.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
32 words
The process of claim 18 wherein the hot dense, saline water is at about 5* to about 150*F. below the temperature of the molten wax as it is dispersed into the column.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
29 words
The process of claim 18 wherein the temperature of the molten wax as it is introduced into the column is about 0* to about 175*F. above its melting point.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3468986A
Cited
US3804752A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-04-28 | 1978-10-28 | 1979-04-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-04-28 | 1982-10-28 | 1983-04-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-04-28 | 1986-10-28 | 1987-04-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |