Refining process and apparatus

Abstract

A process of producing high octane hydrocarbons includes the steps of preparing a mixture of substantially ethanol and butane or natural gasoline, or low octane gasoline, the mixture having room temperature and atmospheric pressure, adjusting the pressure of the mixture to a magnitude within the range of 10 to 50 pounds per square inch, adjusting the temperature of the mixture to a magnitude within the range of 100 to 460 degrees Fahrenheit, adjusting the pressure of the mixture to a pressure within the range of 500 to 1000 <DEL-S DATE="20010313" ID="DEL-S-00001">hydrocarbons<DEL-E ID="DEL-S-00001"> pounds per square inch, catalyzing the mixture with a platinum catalyst, lowering the temperature of the mixture to a magnitude within a range of 90 to 190 degrees Fahrenheit, and separating out liquid product and gas from the mixture. An apparatus for producing high octane alcohols includes a starting tank for retaining a mixture of substantially ethanol and butane or natural gasoline, or low octane gasoline, a heat exchanger for raising the temperature of the mixture, a first high pressure conduit extending from the starting tank to the heat exchanger, a catalyzing chamber, second and third high pressure conduits extending from the heat exchanger to the catalyzing chamber, a nozzle interconnecting the second and third high pressure conduits, high pressure pumps for extracting the heated mixture from the heat exchanger and delivering the mixture to the catalyzing chamber through the second and third high pressure conduits, and a separator for precipitating liquid product out of the mixture.

We claim:  
     
       1. A process of producing a high octane alcohols  alcohol composition, comprising the steps of: 
       preparing a mixture of ethanol and low octane hydrocarbon material, having an octane rating in the vicinity of 65 and 70, said mixture having room temperature and atmospheric pressure,  
       adjusting said pressure of said mixture to magnitude within the range of 10 to 50 pounds per square inch,  
       adjusting said temperature of said mixture to a magnitude within the range of 100 to 460 degrees Fahrenheit,  
       adjusting the pressure of said mixture to a pressure within the range of 500 to 1000 pounds per square inch  said hydrocarbon material being selected from the group consisting of butane, natural gasoline, straight run gasoline, light gasoline, pentane, iso- pentane and a mixture of two or more of the foregoing ,  
       catalyzing said mixture with a platinum catalyst by conducting said mixture through a catalyst bed at an elevated pressure and elevated temperature which are sufficient to produce a catalyzed mixture containing the high octane alcohol composition,  
       lowering the temperature of said catalyzed mixture to a magnitude  temperature within a range of from about 90 to about 190 degrees Fahrenheit,  
       separating out liquid product and  gas from said catalyzed mixture to provide the high octane alcohol composition.  
     
     
       2. A process according to claim  1 , comprising the additional step of: 
       delivering a quantity of said gas separated from said liquid product  catalyzed mixture into furnace means to supply heat required for said process.  
     
     
       3. A process according to claim  1 , comprising the additional steps of: 
       delivering a quantity of said gas separated from said liquid product  catalyzed mixture into said mixture at the initial step of said process  before the catalyzing step of said process.  
     
     
       4. A process according to claim  1 , wherein said separating step comprises a plurality of separation steps of separating said catalyzed mixture into liquid product and gas. 
     
     
       5. A method  process according to claim  1 , wherein said hydrocarbons comprise  hydrocarbon material comprises butane. 
     
     
       6. A method  process according to claim  1 , wherein said hydrocarbons comprise  hydrocarbon material comprises natural gasoline. 
     
     
       7. A method  process according to claim  1 , wherein said hydrocarbons comprise  hydrocarbon material comprises straight run gasoline. 
     
     
       8. A process according to claim  1 , wherein said mixture comprises from about  5  to about  50 %  ethanol and from about  50  to about  95   %  said low octane hydrocarbon material.   
     
     
       9. A process according to claim  8 , wherein said hydrocarbon material comprises natural gasoline. 
     
     
       10. A process according to claim  9 , wherein said hydrocarbon material further comprises from about  3  to about  40 %  butane.   
     
     
       11. A process according to claim  1 , wherein said mixture comprises about one third ethanol and about two thirds natural gasoline. 
     
     
       12. A process according to claim  1 , wherein said mixture comprises about  10 %  ethanol and  90   %  natural gasoline.   
     
     
       13. A process according to claim  1 , wherein said catalyzing step is conducted at a temperature ranging from about  100 ° to about  460 ° F. 
     
     
       14. A process according to claim  13 , wherein said catalyzing step is conducted at a pressure ranging from about  500  to about  1000  pounds per square inch. 
     
     
       15. A process according to claim  1 , further comprising injecting hydrogen into said catalyst bed during said catalyzing step. 
     
     
       16. A process according to claim  1 , wherein said high octane alcohol composition has a research octane rating ranging from about  108  to about  160  and a vapor pressure ranging from about  1 . 5  to about  8  psi. 
     
     
       17. A high octane fuel composition comprising a mixture of relatively low octane fuel and relatively high octane alcohol composition, said relatively high octane alcohol composition being made by a process comprising the steps of: 
         mixing ethanol and a hydrocarbon material selected from the group consisting of butane, natural gasoline, straight run gasoline, light gasoline, pentane, iso - pentane and a mixture of two or more of the foregoing,    
       
         catalyzing said mixture at a temperature of at least about  100 ° F. and a pressure of at least about  500  pounds per square inch to produce a catalyzed mixture containing a relatively high octane alcohol composition,  
       
       
         lowering the temperature of said catalyzed mixture to a temperature within a range of from about  90 ° to about  190 ° F.,  
       
       
         separating gas from said catalyzed mixture to provide the high octane fuel composition. 
       
     
     
       18. The fuel composition of claim  17 , wherein said hydrocarbon material comprises butane. 
     
     
       19. The fuel composition of claim  17 , wherein said hydrocarbon material comprises natural gasoline. 
     
     
       20. The fuel composition of claim  17 , wherein said hydrocarbon material comprises straight run gasoline. 
     
     
       21. The fuel composition of claim  17 , wherein said mixture comprises from about  5  to about  50 %  ethanol and from about  50  to about  95   %  hydrocarbon material.   
     
     
       22. The fuel composition of claim  17 , wherein said catalyzing step is conducted at a temperature ranging from about  100 ° to about  460 ° F.  
     
     
       23. The fuel composition of claim  17 , wherein said catalyzing step is conducted at a pressure ranging from about  500  to about  1000  pounds per square inch. 
     
     
       24. The fuel composition of claim  17  wherein hydrogen is injected into said catalyst bed during said catalyzing step. 
     
     
       25. The fuel composition of claim  17  wherein said fuel composition has a vapor pressure ranging from about  4  to about  19  psi. 
     
     
       26. The fuel composition of claim  17  wherein said high octane alcohol composition has a research octane rating ranging from about  108  to about  160  and a vapor pressure ranging from about  1 . 5  to about  8  psi.