Prior Art A method is known for the production of bitumen (RU 2182922), where oil stock is subjected to air blow in a column apparatus divided into three zones-a mixing zone situated in the middle part of the apparatus and formed in the space between the layer oxidizing devices arranged along the height of the apparatus, a re-circulation zone situated above the mixing zone, and an additional oxidation zone disposed under the mixing zone.

The same document teaches also an installation for the production of bitumen, comprising a pump and a column apparatus with a bitumen discharge pipeline mounted in its bottom part and an air and oxidation gases discharge pipeline mounted in its top part. The installation comprises at least two layer oxidation devices spaced at a distance from each other along the height of the column apparatus. The column apparatus is divided into three zones along its height-a middle mixing zone, a re-circulation zone above and an additional oxidation zone under the mixing zone. The sprayer is situated in the top part of the re-circulation zone, and it serves to spray a mixture of bitumen and oil stock from the middle zone in a layer. There is an air feeder situated in the bottom part of the zone, while the mixing zone inlet is connected to an oil stock source. The mixing zone outlet is connected to the inlet of a pump, and the outlet of the latter is connected to the sprayer.

The disadvantages of the known method and installation consist in the impossibility to regulate the rate of the reactions in the zones, impossibility to regulate the chemical composition of both the stock and the end product, lack of a clear division of the column apparatus along the height thereof that increases the risk of a breakdown of the technological regime in the

apparatus, insufficient air dispersion throughout the volume of the apparatus, resulting in a higher speed of the gases in the top part of the apparatus and, respectively, a longer oxidation time and increased air consumption. Another disadvantage is the high turbulence of the currents, which renders it impossible to efficiently regulate the rate of the reactions taking place in the reactor as a whole or in each of its zones, as well as to regulate the chemical composition of the intermediate products.

Technical essence of the invention The task of the present invention is to devise a method and installation for obtaining of bitumen, allowing to regulate the rate of the reactions in the zones and the chemical composition of the stock, the intermediate products and the end product. The invention aims also at providing a stable technological regime in the column apparatus, reduction of the oxidation time and of the air consumption.

The task is solved by working out a method of obtaining bitumen, according to which the oil stock is introduced into a column apparatus and gets oxidized by an oxidizing fluid fed in the bottom part of the column apparatus. The method is characterized by the fact that the interior of the column apparatus is divided along its height into two zones by means of a system of fillings and dishes and, depending on the physical and chemical composition of the oil stock, a part of the intermediate products from those zones and/or of the end product gets mixed with the oil stock before it is fed to the column apparatus.

According to an embodiment of the method, a part of the intermediate products in the zones gets cooled, so that the temperature in the zones is kept within preset limits.

According to another embodiment of the method, a part of the intermediate product from one zone is transferred to the other zone so as to achieve the preset composition of the intermediate product in the other zone.

In a preferred embodiment of the method, the oxidizing fluid is fed also to the bottom part of the top zone of the column apparatus.

The task is solved also by an installation for obtaining of bitumen, comprising a stock tank connected to the middle part of a column apparatus with layer oxidation devices and a conic dish arranged along its height. An oxidizing fluid feeder is placed in the bottom part of the column apparatus.

The installation is characterized by that the column apparatus is divided into two oxidation zones formed by the system of fillings and dishes that are disposed along the height of the column apparatus. The inlets of two pumps are connected to the two zones by means of union nipples disposed respectively in the top zone and under the oxidizing device in the bottom zone, and the outlets thereof are connected to the stock tank.

According to an embodiment of the installation, the fillings are arranged in groups of two and spaced at a distance from each other, at least one sieve- grid dish being disposed above the top filling of each group.

In another embodiment of the installation, there are union nipples in the top and bottom oxidation zones for discharging a part of the intermediate product in the zone, the union nipples being connected to the inlets of pumps, whose outlets are connected by means of coolers to union nipples for feeding of intermediate product in the respective zone.

In still another embodiment of the installation, the latter comprises a sprinkling circuit, which is formed by a union nipple situated in the space between the top group of fillers and a union nipple situated in the bottom part of the top oxidation zone, the union nipples being connected through a cooler to the inlets of pumps, whose outlets are connected to a union nipple disposed above a sprayer, the latter being placed in the topmost part of the column apparatus.

It is advisable that union nipples for discharging of a part of the intermediate product be placed under the conic dish in the space between the fillings of the top group and under the lowest filling, such union nipples being connected through pumps to union nipples for feeding of intermediate product in the respective zone.

It is advisable also that a second oxidizing fluid feeder be placed in the bottom part of the top oxidation zone.

In a further embodiment of the installation, a separating device is situated above the second oxidizing fluid feeder.

The advantages of the method and the installation for obtaining of bitumen according to the invention consist in the possibility to regulate the rate of the reactions in the zones of the column apparatus, as well as to regulate the chemical composition of the stock, the intermediate products and the end product. All that allows the use of oil waste products and oil slime as feed stock for obtaining of bitumen. Besides, a stable technological regime is achieved in the column apparatus, as well as reduction of the stock oxidation time till obtaining of the finished bitumen. The specific arrangement of the fillings and dishes makes it possible to reduce the oxidizing fluid consumption, as well as to reduce the fluids turbulence, thus enabling the above-mentioned regulation of the chemical composition of the intermediate products and the finished bitumen and the stabilization of the regimes in the column apparatus.

Description of the drawings Figure 1 represents a flow diagram of the installation for obtaining of bitumen according to the invention.

Embodiments The installation for obtaining of bitumen comprises a feed stock tank 1 with an outlet connected through a pump 2 and a union nipple 3 to the bottom part of the top oxidation zone of a column apparatus 4. There are two oxidation zones in the apparatus 4-a top zone and a bottom zone. The installation comprises a circuit for regulation of the chemical composition of the stock, said circuit consisting of the pumps 5, the tank 1 and the union nipples 6, situated respectively in the space between the top zone fillings 7 and under the oxidizing device 8 in the bottom zone.

An oxidizing fluid feeder 8 is situated in the bottom part of the bottom oxidation zone. With a view to effecting faster oxidation of the oil stock, a similar oxidizing fluid feeder 9 may be placed in the bottom part of the top oxidation zone, under the place of feeding of the stock. Two groups of fillings 7 and dishes 10 are arranged along the height of the column apparatus 4.

Each of those groups comprises at least two fillings 7 spaced at a distance

from each other, and at least one sieve-grid dish 10 situated above the top filling. The conic dish 11 is placed in the topmost part of the column apparatus 4.

A separating device 12 is situated in the bottom part of the top zone, above the place of feeding of the stock.

The installation may comprise also a sprinkling circuit consisting of a heat exchanger 13, a sprayer 14 and pumps 15. The inlet of the heat exchanger 13 is connected to the oxidation zones through union nipples 16 and 17, which are situated respectively in the space between the fillings of the top group 7 and in the top part of the bottom oxidation zone above the additional oxidizing device 9, while the outlets of the pumps 15 are connected to the sprayer 14 through a nipple 18 situated in the topmost part of the column apparatus 4.

Besides, the installation may comprise a circuit for fine regulation of the bitumen chemical composition, said circuit consisting of pumps 19 and union nipples 20,21 arranged along the height of the reactor 2.

The oxidation rate control is performed by a cooling circuit of the top and the bottom circuits, which consists of the pumps 22, the heat exchangers 23 and the union nipples 24,25 placed in the space between the fillings 7.

The operation of the installation, which illustrates an embodiment of the method, is as follows : Before the start of the operation, the oil stock heated to a temperature of 170°-220°C is fed from the tank 1 into the reactor 2, the final chemical composition of the stock being determined through the circuit for regulation of the chemical composition, which consists of the pumps 5, the tank 1 and the union nipples 6. For example, if the resins or asphaltenes content in the stock is insufficient, the necessary quantity of intermediate product is taken from the top or bottom zone of the reactor 4 and is brought back to the tank 1 through the pump 5. Oxidizing fluid (e. g. air) is fed through the devices 8 and 9 and, passing through the system of fillings 7 and dishes 10, it performs foamy film oxidation of the stock up to obtaining bitumen. The stock moves gradually downwards, passes through the filling 7 in the bottom part of the reactor 4, and gets out of it in the form of a film*. A certain quantity of overoxidized

bitumen, which is oxidized in the manner as described above, is fed at the same time from the separating device 12 in the top part of the reactor 4 to the bottom part, the air passing through the system of fillings 7 and dishes 10.

The quantity of overoxidized bitumen fed through the separating device 12 is determined by the group chemical composition and the physical and chemical properties of the bitumen obtained, which is regulated through the sprinkling circuit consisting of the heat exchanger 13, the sprayer 14 and the pumps 15, the latter sucking the intermediate product through the union nipples 16,17 arranged along the height of the column apparatus 4 and feeding it to the sprayer 14 through union nipple 18. A fine regulation of the group chemical composition is effected through the pumps 19 and the union nipples 20,21 by transferring intermediate product from one zone to another. The chemical reaction intensity is determined by the cooling system of the top and the bottom circuits, said system consisting of the pumps 22, the heat exchangers 23 and the union nipples 24,25. Where the reaction rate needs to be raised, the temperature of a part of the intermediate product is made lower. This is done by taking the required quantity of intermediate product out through the union nipples 24, which is then fed to the heat exchangers 23 by the pumps 22, where it is cooled down to a preset temperature and brought back to the respective oxidation zone via union nipples 25. The change in the temperature of that part of the intermediate product causes an increase of the oxidation rate. The stock oxidation process is exothermic, so the highest degree of acceleration of the reaction would be achieved if the cooling circuit is switched off. The way of slowing of the oxidation rate is similar, but the part of the intermediate product fed into the heat exchangers 23 is cooled down to a preset lower temperature and then is brought back to the oxidation zone.

The temperature of the whole intermediate product in the respective oxidation zone gets lower, which leads to reducing the rate of oxidation.

The oxidation gases are lead through a union nipple 26 out for condensation.

The finished product is fed from the bottom of the reactor 4 through the pumps 27 into a storage tank 28.

The method and the installation according to the invention provide a possibility to switch over from one bitumen brand to another, which takes no

more than 5 or 6 hours. The practical tests of the installation show a column output of at least 45 tons/hour with an oxidizing agent (air) consumption of 2800 m3/hour. The installation can operate for 24 months without breaking the production process. It makes it possible to obtain bituminous putty with a wide application range, softening temperature of at least 115°C and penetration of over 50 units. The pressure required by the operating parameters of the installation is up to 0.2 atmospheres, and the temperatures range from 270°C to 370°C. It is possible to use raw materials with a composition as follows: aromatic hydrocarbons-17% to 49%, benzene spirit and benzene resin-5% to 26%, asphaltenes-3% to 21%. The basic characteristics of the bitumen obtained using the method and installation according to the present invention and the above raw materials are: circle and sphere temperature-43°C to 57°C, penetration-80 to 140 units, friability temperature-from-26°C to 45°C, the rest of the bitumen parameters being in conformity with the European standards.