US1891645A - Method of insulating high voltages in electrical precipitators - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 20, 1932. HQWES 1,891,645

METHOD OF INSULATING HIGH VOLTAGES IN ELECTRICAL PRECIPITATORS Filed Jan. 29. 1930 l ill llihli In vm for Raymond Zlbwfl A Home):

Patented Dec. 20, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAYMOND T. HOWES, 01 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-THIRD TO A. A. ANDERSON, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, AND (ENE-THIRD TO L. A. SNYDER, OF

WILMINGTON, CALIFORNIA METHOD OF INSULATING HIGH 'VOLTAGES IN ELECTRICAL PRECIPITATORS Application filed January 29, 1930. "Serial No. 424,218.

This invention relates to a means and method of insulating electrodes in oil dehydrators and the like.

A method of dehydrating oil has been develo ed which is comprised essentially of pro ucing an electrical discharge between an electrode immersed in oil and the surrounding shell. The voltage employed for this purpose is usually in a range between 18,000 and 100,000 volts, When such a discharge takes place the minute water particles in t e oil coalesce and drop out of suspension in the oil. Also other particles of foreign matter are frequentl brou ht down with the water.

Because 0 the iigh voltages employed some difficulty has been present in keepirg the electrode insulated from the ground shell. In the conventional construction the electrode is extended into the shell through the roof thereof and attempts have. been made to provide an insulating bushin which keeps the electrode insulated from the shell. However, it has been found that in a relatively short time a carbon deposit will take place on the surface of the bushing or there will be other deposits such as water thereon which will form a short circuit between the electrode and the shell.

It is an object of this invention to prov de an improved means and method of maintaining the electrode insulated from the grounded shell and preventing any deposits forming on the insulating bushing which enable such short circuiting.

With the fore 0mg and other ob]ects in view, which will e made manifest in the followingdetailed description, and specifically ointed out in the appended claims, reference 15 had to the accompanying drawing for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

The fi re is a vertical section throu h an oil dehydi ator illustrating the improve construction wherein the electrode is kept 1nsulated from the shell.

Referring to the accompanying drawlng, wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throu hout, the improved dehydrator comprises a s ell 10having a con-- ical bottom 11 in which there is an outlet 12 for water and other foreign matter. An inlet for oil, from any'suitable source of supply, is indicated at 13 which supplies oil to an annular pipe 14 arranged on the interior of the shell. Ihis pipe has a perforated bottom so that the oil flows downwardly therefrom between thej hell 10 and a skirt 15 suspended from the pipe in spaced relation to the shell. The roof or top of the shell is indicated at 16, through which the electrode 17 extends. This electrode extends downwardly to a point below the bottom of skirt 15 and it is intended that the electrical discharge take lace between the electrode 17 and the wal s of the shell 10, causing the water particles to coalesce and dro out of suspension.

The electro e is surrounded by a bushing 18 of insulating material, such as porcelain or the like. A shield 19 is secured to the roof 16 and extends downwardly about the bushing 18 in spaced relation thereto, forming a chamber 20. A valve controlled pipe 21 referabl communicates with the interior 0 this cham er. As clearly shown upon the drawing, the shield 19 is frusto-conical in form, having a closed top and an open bottom. Also in the preferred form of construction the bushing 18 preferably increases in cross sec tional area from bottom to top. The outlet for oil from the deh drator is indicated at 22 and a suitable oil evel indicator is indicated at 23.

The operation and advanta es of the improved construction are as f0 ows. Oil enters the dehydrator through pi e 13 and is subjected to the electrical disc arge which causes the water articles to coalesce and drop out of'the oil. h drator and passes out through outlet 23.

e chamber 20 confines an insulating fluid. The particular insulatin fluid is immaterial as natural gas, carbon ioxide, nitrogen, or any other gas, may be used for this purpose. This as may be su plied to the interior of cham er 20 throug pipe 21 and kept at sufiicient pressure to maintain the level of oil within chamber 20 near the bottom of shield 19. The-oil which enters the dehydrator is preferably preheated to maintain the temperature within chamber 20 above the he oil then rises in the dedew point of the gas employed so that the gas will not condense on the surface of the ushing 18 and possibly produce a short circuit between the electrode 17 and the roof of 5 the shell. As the shield 19 is disposed wholly within the shell it is surrounded by an annulus of oil having the highest temperature of the oil within the shell. This high temperature oil surrounding the shield mamtains the temperature of the gas within the shield, or within chamber 20, at the same temperature. Consequently there is no tendency for condensation to take place within chamber 20 on either the shield or on the bushing. By thus maintaining an annulus of insulatin gas around the bushing 18 it will be readily appreciated that no deposits will be formed on the exterior of the bushing 18 and it will be impossible for a short circuit to be formed between the electrode and the roof of the shell. The shell 19, while it might be cylindrical, is preferably frustoconical as shown, and likewise the bushing 18 referably increases in cross sectional area roin bottom to top. This arrangement causes chamber 20 to decrease volumetrically from bottom to to so that the level of oil in chamber 20 will e kept relatively low although the pressure within the shell may increase fairly materially. In other words increases in pressure of oil within the shell will not be so readily perceptible by rises of li uid within the shield 19. It will be readi y appreciated, however, that this advantage is not essential and that a cylindrical shield could be employed and likewise a bushing 18 which is of uniform size from top to bottom could be used.

It is not essential that a gas be used for an insulating fluid in chamber 20. Instead a dry oil or other liquid, having insulating properties, could be used. This could be introduced into chamber 20 through pipe 21 or the entire shell could be completely filled with dry oil originally, the air being allowed to escape from chamber 20 through pipe 21. Having thus been filled with dry oil, the flow of wet oil undergoing treatment within the dehydrator will not disturb it or carry it from within shield 19.

From the above described apparatus it will be appreciated that'a novel means and method is provided which will effectively maintain the electrode 17 insulated from the shell so that no short circuits will be established between the electrode and the roof of the shell.

Various changes may be made in the de tails of construction without departin from the spirit or sco e of the invention as efined by the appends claims.

I-clarm: 1. An electrical'dehydrator for oil and the like comprising a shell, an electrode extending into the shell, a bushing ofinsulating material surroundin the shell, and a shield 1n the shell having a closed top and an 0 en bottom surrounding the bushing, said shield serving to confine an insulating gas about the bushing to prevent short circuiting between the electrode and the shield.

2. An electrical dehydrator for oil and the like comprisin a shell, an electrode extending into the siell, a bushing of insulating material surrounding the electrode adjacent the shell, and a shield disposed wholly within the shell havin a closed top and an open bottom surrounding the bushing, said shield serving to confine an insulating gas about the bushin to preventshort circuiting betweenthe e ectrode and the shield, said bushing hein characterized by increasing in cross sectional area from bottom to top.

3. An electrical dehydrator for oil and the like comprising a shell, an electrode extending into the shell, a bushing insulating the electrode from the shell, and means providing an annular wall about the bushin in spaced relation to the bushing, said Will being disposed wholly within the shell, and serving to confine a gas about the bushing to prevent short circuitin 4. An electrical dehydrator for oil and the like comprisin a shell, an electrode extending into the shell, a bushing insulating the electrode from the shell means providin an annular wall about the bushing in space relation to the bushing, said wall being disposed wholly within the shell, and serving to'confine a gas about the bushing to revent short circuiting, and a supply pipe or su plying the space between the wall and t e bushing with gas.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name-t0 this specification.

R. T. HOVVES.

the electrode adjacent disposed wholly with-- DISOLAI MER 1,891,645.Ray:-n0nd T. Howes, Los Angeles, Calif. METHOD OF INSULATING Hron VOLTAGES IN ELECTRICAL PRECIPITATORS. Patent dated December 20, 1932. Disclaimer filed May 28, 1934, by the assignee, Petroleum Rectifying Company of California.

Hereby enters this disclaimer in the said Raymond T. Howes patent to said claims 1, 2, 3, and 4 therein, reading as follows:

1. An electrical dehydrator for oil and the like corn rising a shell, an electrode extending into the shell, a bushing of insulating material surrounding the electrode adjacent the shell, and a shield disposed wholly within the shell having a closed top and an open bottom. surrounding the bushing, said shield serving to confine an insulzliltin git; about the bushing to prevent short cirouiting between the electrode and t e s e 2. An electrical dehydrator for oil and the like corn rising a shell, an electrode extending into the shell, a bushing of insulating materiaFsurrounding the electrode adjacent the shell, ands shield disposed wholly within the shell having a closed top and an open bottom surrounding the bushing, said shield serving to confine an insulatin gas about the bushing to prevent short circuiting between the electrode and the s 'eld, said bushing being characterized by in creasing in cross section n1 area from bottom to top.

3. An electrical dehydrator for oil and the like comprising a shell, an electrode extending into the shell, a b shing insulating the electrode from the shell, and means providing an annular well about the bushing in spaced relation to the bushing, said wall being disposed wholly within the shell, and serving to confine a gas about the bushing to prevent short circuiting.- 4. An electrical dehydrator for oil and the like compnslng a shell, an electrode extending into the shell, a bushing insulating the electrode from the shell, means providing an annular well about the bushing-1n spaced relation to the bushing, said wall being disposed wholly within the shell, and serving to confine a gas about the bushin to prevent short cirouiting, and a supply pipe for supplymg the space between the wal and the bushing with gas.

[Ofiicial Gazette June 19. 1934.]

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