Case 580 Super L Serial Numbers

During May and June, 1917, Behimer conducted in this experimental apparatus at Port Arthur, certain continuous operations, designated as Runs 6, 7, 8 and 9 of Experiment 8, Coil and Drum, which employed the general process and in each of which (according to plaintiff's evidence): a gas oil charging stock was fed to a heating coil where it was heated to a cracking temperature; the oil was discharged into an insulated drum where separation of vapors from residuum took place; the residuum was withdrawn from the drum and discharged from the system; the vapors were passed from the drum to a dephlegmator where they were partially cooled, forming reflux; the uncondensed vapors containing gasoline were passed to a condenser; and the reflux from the dephlegmator was returned to a jet pump at the inlet of the coil where it was mixed with the charge and forced under mechanical pressure through the coil; superatmospheric pressure was maintained upon the system. Gasoline was produced in each of these operations, which are recorded in various contemporary documents produced in evidence. The yield of gasoline, when determined on the basis of a comparatively low end point of 390 F. averaged 22%; *480 it was at least 16.66% in Run 6; 31% in Run 7; 21.71% in Run 8; and 18.54% in Run 9. In these runs, the unit was under cracking conditions for periods as long as 41 hours in Run 6 and 39 hours in Run 9; in no case was the operation halted because of carbon trouble; there were difficulties in operation, but these were due to deficiencies in equipment and not to the process. One problem which Behimer sought to overcome was that of the excess production and accumulation of light kerosene-like fractions in a cracking process for making gasoline from a gas oil charge; in these runs this was successfully accomplished. The master found that in these runs, there was conducted a unitary pressure cracking operation for the production of gasoline from gas oil which did not produce more of undesirable kerosene-like fractions than were consumed within the operation itself.

Case 580 Super L Serial Numbers