초록 ▼

An apparatus for removing sulfur from a hydrocarbon liquid may comprise a tank with a chamber, a barrier in the chamber forming at least a partial barrier to liquid flow with a gap defined therein, a gas distribution manifold for introducing the gas into the liquid, and a gas conversion structure de

An apparatus for removing sulfur from a hydrocarbon liquid may comprise a tank with a chamber, a barrier in the chamber forming at least a partial barrier to liquid flow with a gap defined therein, a gas distribution manifold for introducing the gas into the liquid, and a gas conversion structure defining an interior in fluid communication with the chamber. The gas conversion structure may include a conversion tube defining a tube interior in fluid communication with the chamber, an air injection device configured to inject air into the tube interior and draw gas from the chamber, a water injection device configured to inject water into the tube interior to create a mist of water in the tube interior to contact the gas from the chamber of the tank, and a fluid drain configured to drain fluid from the tube interior.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An apparatus for removing sulfur from a hydrocarbon liquid, comprising: a tank having an interior defining a chamber configured to hold a liquid, the tank including an upper wall and a lower wall;a barrier in the chamber forming at least a partial barrier to liquid flow in the chamber, at least a

1. An apparatus for removing sulfur from a hydrocarbon liquid, comprising: a tank having an interior defining a chamber configured to hold a liquid, the tank including an upper wall and a lower wall;a barrier in the chamber forming at least a partial barrier to liquid flow in the chamber, at least a portion of the barrier extending substantially vertically in the chamber, a gap being defined between the lower wall of the tank and a lower portion of the barrier;a gas distribution manifold for introducing the gas into the liquid, the gas distribution manifold being positioned in the chamber for being submerged in liquid positioned in the chamber, at least a portion of the gas distribution manifold being perforated with holes to permit gas in an interior of the manifold to exit the manifold;a gas conversion structure in fluid communication with the chamber of the tank, the gas conversion structure including: a conversion tube defining a tube interior and having an inlet end and an outlet end, the tube interior being in fluid communication with the chamber of the tank;an air injection device configured to inject air into the tube interior of the conversion tube in a manner inducing a gas flow in the tube interior such that gas is drawn from the chamber of the tank;a water injection device configured to inject water into the tube interior of the injection tube to create a mist of water in the tube interior to contact the gas from the chamber of the tank; anda fluid drain configured to drain fluid from the tube interior. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the tube interior has a cross sectional area defined in a plane oriented substantially perpendicular to a direction of gas flow through the tube interior; and wherein the cross sectional area of the tube interior at the outlet end of the conversion tube is greater than a cross sectional area of the tube interior at the inlet end of the conversion tube. 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the air injection device has a port in fluid communication with the tube interior at a location relatively closer to the inlet end of the conversion tube and the water injection device injects water into the tube interior at a location relatively closer to the outlet end of the tube. 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the barrier comprises a duct positioned in the chamber of the tank, the duct having an upper end with an upper opening and a lower end with a lower opening. 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the lower end of the duct is positioned adjacent to but spaced from the lower wall of the tank by the gap. 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the barrier includes a first interior wall in the interior of the tank extending across a portion of the chamber of the tank to divide the chamber into a first chamber portion and a second chamber portion, the gas distribution manifold being located in the first chamber portion. 7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the first interior wall extends upwardly from the lower wall toward the upper wall, the gap being located between a portion of the first interior wall and the lower wall. 8. The apparatus of claim 6 additionally comprising a second interior wall in the interior of the tank and extending across a portion of the chamber of the tank, the second interior wall dividing the second chamber portion into a first subchamber and a second subchamber. 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the first subchamber is in fluid communication with the first chamber portion through the gap, the first subchamber being positioned between the second interior wall and the first interior wall. 10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the second interior wall extends upwardly from the lower wall of the tank toward the upper wall of the tank, a height of a top edge of the second interior wall above the lower wall being less than a height of a top edge of the first interior wall above the lower wall such that liquid moving from the first chamber to the second subchamber moves through the gap under the first interior wall and over the top edge of the second interior wall. 11. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the gas distribution manifold is positioned in the first chamber portion at a height above the lower wall that is less than a height of an upper edge of the first interior wall above the lower wall. 12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the gas distribution manifold comprises at least one gas diffusing pipe with the holes formed therein, the at least one gas diffusing pipe being oriented in a substantially horizontal direction. 13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the water injection device is configured to produce a stream of water in a downward direction into the tube interior of the conversion tube. 14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the air injection device and the water injection device are configured such that the air is injected into the tube interior by the air injection device separately of the water injected into the tube interior by the water injection device. 15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the air injection device and the water injection device are configured such that air is injected into gas flow in the tube interior by the air injection device before water is injected into gas flow in the tube interior by the water injection device. 16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the air injection device is configured to inject air into the tube interior in a same direction of movement as the gas flow from the chamber of the tank to effectively induce the gas flow in the tube interior. 17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the air injection device includes a conduit with a section positioned in the tube interior, the section being elongated along an axis oriented substantially parallel to a direction of gas flow through the tube interior, the tube terminating in a port through which the air is injected into the tube interior, the port being located downstream from the secion of the conduit such that air is injected in a same direction of movement as the gas flow. 18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the tube interior has an inlet portion located toward the inlet end of the conversion tube and an outlet portion located toward the outlet end of the conversion tube; wherein the tube interior has a cross sectional area defined in a plane oriented substantially perpendicular to a direction of gas flow through the tube interior;wherein the cross sectional area of the tube interior at the outlet portion of the conversion tube is greater than a cross sectional area of the tube interior at the inlet portion of the conversion tube;wherein the air injection device is configured to inject air into the tube interior in the inlet portion of the tube interior; andwherein the water injection device is configured to inject water into the tube interior in the outlet portion of the tube interior. 19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the air injection device includes a conduit with a section positioned in the tube interior, the section terminating in a port through which the air is injected into the tube interior, the port being located in the inlet portion of the tube interior. 20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the gas conversion structure is configured such that gas flow through the tube interior of the conversion tube moves along a substantially horizontal axis and air is injected into the gas flow in a substantially horizontal direction; and wherein the gas conversion structure is configured such that water injected by the water injection device moves downwardly in the tube interior of the conversion tube. 21. An apparatus for removing sulfur from a hydrocarbon liquid, comprising: a tank having an interior defining a chamber configured to receive a liquid, the tank including an upper wall and a lower wall, the tank having a liquid inlet closer to the upper wall than the lower wall to permit liquid entering the chamber through the liquid inlet to fall toward the lower wall, a liquid outlet being located closer to the lower wall than the upper wall to permit the liquid to exit the chamber;a gas distribution manifold for introducing a gas into the chamber, the gas distribution manifold being positioned toward the lower wall of the chamber such that the gas exiting the manifold contacts liquid having entered the chamber through the liquid inlet, at least a portion of the gas distribution manifold being perforated with holes to permit the gas in an interior of the manifold to exit the manifold, the tank having an upper opening for venting from the chamber the gas exiting the gas distribution manifold and moving upwardly through the liquid as a gas stream;a barrier in the chamber forming at least a partial barrier to movement of liquid through the chamber, at least a portion of the barrier being positioned between the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet to promote contact between the liquid moving between the liquid inlet and outlet and the gas exiting the gas distribution manifold, a gap being defined between the lower wall of the tank and a lower portion of the barrier; andwherein the liquid inlet of the tank is located at a vertical level higher than an uppermost extent of the barrier and the liquid outlet of the tank is located at a vertical level lower than the lowermost extent of the barrier.