24 BULLETIN 1010, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



but in the case of a small refinery, such as is here considered (fig. 7) , 

 this may be impracticable. Accordingly, the heater H is located 

 near the deodorizer G and is arranged to burn fuel oil. This not 

 only obviates the cost of handling coal and ashes but affords ready 

 control, a fairly constant temperature, and can be so regulated that 

 it does not require the undivided attention of the operator. The 

 two workmen of the refinery, previously referred to, should be able 

 to handle this equipment. A very decided advantage in using oil 

 instead of coal for fuel lies in the ease with which the fire can be ex- 

 tinguished in case the pumps stop. If coal costs $6 delivered and 

 fuel oil $2.50 a barrel, 10 the cost for heating is about the same, but 

 the oil has the advantage of better control, greater cleanliness, 

 absence of charges for handling ashes, and the saving in fireman's 

 wages. 



The steam, with its charge of volatile odorous vapors, passes into 

 the tank/, which functions both as a trap and as a preliminary con- 

 denser, and then passes into the jet condenser g, where a curtain 

 of water entering near the top condenses the steam and discharges 

 it into the hot well Ti. The condenser discharge pipe is longer than 

 that required to produce a Torricellian vacuum and therefore insures 

 a good working vacuum. However, certain noncondensible gases 

 accumulate in the peak of the condenser g, operating to lower the 

 vacuum. These gases are removed by the auxiliary dry-vacuum 

 pump through the line entering the condenser at the top. The water 

 for the condenser g is the same as that used in the preliminary 

 condenser/. 



After deodorization, the oil must be cooled to atmospheric temper- 

 ature under a high vacuum; otherwise the deodorized oil will dete- 

 riorate by oxidation. In some plants the oil is cooled by running it 

 through a series of jacketed pipes. In the plant here considered 

 the cooling is effected by turning a stream of water into the closed 

 steam coils in the deodorizer and circulating the oil by the regular 

 deodorizing pump. Sometimes a fine precipitate is found in the oil, 

 particles are taken up from the equipment, or other circumstances 

 develop which make it necessary to filter the oil through a clean 

 filter press before storing in tanks J. The oil is pumped from these 

 tanks through pipe K into cars. 



All floors drain into the hot well h, which overflows into 7i'. This 

 serves as a trap for any oil which may be spilled and that which is 

 carried over with the deodorization vapors. 



It must be recognized that although this treatment will give a 

 high-grade edible oil, it can not be expected that such oil can be used 

 for salad purposes without further treatment. Most vegetable oils 



10 This price is about an average of fuel-oil prices for 1919. Prices for 1920 are not included because of the 

 abnormal conditions which prevailed in the oil market during that yean 



