Improvements in Apparatus for Extracting Ammonia, Sulphur, and other Impurities from Coal Gas.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 17th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 18th Jan, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Extracting Ammonia, Sulphur, and
other Impurities from Coal Gas.
J, DANIEL IRVING, of the Gas Works, Stapleton Road, Bristol, in the county of
Gloucester, Gas Works Engineer & Manager, and ALFRED COOKEY, Bitton, Bristol in
the county of Gloucester, Engineer, Surveyor, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Our said Invention consist of a number of cylindrical, or rectangular cast iron
compartments, placed one above the other. The Gas enters at the bottom, and passing
into the first chamber, is divided into minute bubbles, or particlos, in contact with
strong Ammoniacal Liquor, and continued contact is secured by means of baffling-
teeth, or perforated projections, radiating from the centro plate, and so on through
each chamber.
In the larger sizes, in order to insure complete contact, the Gas is divided into
four streams, and each of these four streams is again sub-divided into four, by means
of curtains fixed on the plate, upon which the perforated, or other arrangement is
fixed The Gas, thus divided into sixteen soparate streams, is forced through the teeth
arrangement, thus ensuring very fine sub-division with the water.
The four principal streams of Gas are maintained throughout the apparatus by
means of partitions fixed in the upper part of the chamber. Any number of
chambers may be employed, but not less than five are recommended for effective
working.
The pure water employed for washing the Gas enters at the top, and is
made to spray by impinging upon a bell, or distributed by radiating perforated pipes,
supplied by a tumbler, or by passing through a cup, and dip pipe, or by passing
through a coffee-still arrangement, fixed in the upper part of the top chamber,
through which the whole of the Gas is made to pass as it leaves the
apparatus.
The water passos through the top chamber by an overflow pipe, in the one
case by a pipe cast in the side of the Gas way pipe, the inlet of this overflow pipe
being near the bottom of the compartment, so that tar which may collect is removed,
at the same time presenting additional wetted surfaces to the ascending gas.
In the other case the liquid overflow is fixed on the outside. The inlet to the over-
flow in this case is also placed at the bottom of the compartment, in order to remove
any tar which might otherwise accumulate.
This overflow arrangement, also serves to adjust the level of the water, and con-
sequently the depth of scal, and the back-pressure given by each chamber, so as to
suit the varying production of Gas. The outlet of this overflow enters the bottom of
the chamber below, so that, when the side-cock is shut, and the cover removed, the
level of the liquid in the chamber may be adjusted, without in any way shutting off
the Gas. The Gas being connected with the side pipe, there is thus no possibility of
the chamber being emptied by syphoning.
In the other arrangement the water as already stated, is maintained at one constant
level, the dip or seal is regulated by raising or lowering, through a stuffing box, by
means of a screw arrangement, fixed at the top, or at the bottom of the apparatus,
the shaft to which the trays in each chamber are fixed-The screw may bo worked
by a spur wheel, or worm, or other suitable arrangement, geared to the side of the
apparatus.
Ammoniacal Liquor can be taken from the bottom chamber at any desired strength,
within certain limits, by regulating the supply of clean water entering the top
chamber. The Gas enters the apparatus at the bottom, and is brought into contact

page_text: in the first chamber with strong Ammoniacal Liquor, and with less strong in each
succeeding chamber, and finally in the top with pure water.
Draw off valves, or cocks, are fixed to the bottom, for the purpose of emptying
each chamber, or one chamber may be run into the other.
The sealed receiving trough, which is also part of the washer, is for the purpose
of obtaining samples, and also for observing that the apparatus is working properly-
Not only are the pipes leading into this trough sealed, but also the cover is sealed to
prevent loss of Ammonia.
Gas and Liquor test cocks are fixed to each chamber for testing purposes.
A manhole is provided for each chamber, to permit cleaning out, or repairs, when
necessary.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Extracting Ammonia, Sulphur, and
other Impurities from Coal Gas.
Wo DANIEL IRVING of the Gas Works Stapleton Road, Bristol, in the County
of Gloucester, Gas Works Manager, and ALFRED COOKEY, Bitton, Bristol in the
County of Gloucester, Engineer and Surveyor, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
--
The object of this invention is to construct apparatus known as gas washers in a
convenient, economical, and effective manner.
In order that the invention may be easily understood drawings are attached hereto,
Fig. 1 being a part side elevation of the lowor portion of the washer and Fig. 2 part
of an elevation at right angles to Fig. 1, while Fig. 3 shows in quarter section and
drawn to a larger scale the top of the washer, (the distributing apparatus being
omitted to avoid confusion) with the gas ways and bafting plates belonging to this
section, the other compartiments being only a repitition of the arrangement 'shown in
this Fig. 3. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional elevation of the top and bottom compartments
of the washor, the liquid distributing apparatus being also in this case omitted, and
shows the way in which the platos are raised or lowered, and the overflow pipes cast
in the side of the gas way pipes. Fig. 5 is a section of one of the overflow boxes, and
Fig. 6 is a sectional plan of the same.
For the purpose of carrying out this invention we make the apparatus of a circular
or rectangular form of cast iron, divided horizontally into a number of compart-
ments A, A, placed one above the other. Any convenient number of compartments in
height may be employed but we do not recommend less than five. These compart-
inents are again divided vertically by partitions B into four so that the gas from the
inlet C below enters in four streams through the gas way D, and these streams are
again subdivided by means of curtains fixed to the plate to which the perforated
projections G or baffling teeth H are attached.
The pure water employed for washing the gas enters at the top, and is made
to spray by impinging upon a bell, or distributed by radiating perforated pipes,
supplied by a tumbler, or by passing through a cup and dip-pipe, or by passing
through a Coffey's still arrangement fixed in the upper part of the top chamber,
through which the whole of the gas is made to pass as it loaves the apparatus. This
arrangement is not shown in the drawings, being well known.
The water passes through the top chamber by an overflow pipe, in the first case
by a pipe or channel P Fig. 4, cast in the side of the gas way pipe, the inlet of this
overflow pipe being near the bottom of the compartment, so that tar which may
collect is removed at the same time as the liquid flows down the gas way pipe D,
additional wetted surface thereby being presented to the ascending gas.

page_text: In the second case as shown in Fig. 1 the liquid overflow I is fixed on the
outside. The inlet J to the overflow in this case is also placed at the bottom
of the compartment in order to remove any tar which might otherwise accumulate.
This overflow arrangement which is shown in Fig. 1 is applied in like manner
to the compartments above. It also serves to adjust the level of the water, and
consequently the depth of seal and the back pressure given by each chamber, so as to
suit the varying production of gas. The outlet K of this overflow enters the bottom
of the chamber below so that when the side cock I is shut, and the cover removed,
the pipes may be cleaned. Without in any way shutting off the gas, but by
raising or depressing an adjustable socket M within a box N, into which the top of
both the water inlet and outlet pipes K and O enter the level of the liquid in the
chamber may be adjusted. Enlarged views of this chamber, socket and pipes are
shown in Figs. 5 and 6.
In the first case the gas being connected with the side pipes there is no possibility
of the chamber being emptied by syphoning.
In a further arrangement the water is maintained at one constant level, the dip or
soal being regulated by raising or lowering through a stuffing box Q Fig. 4 by
means of a screw R fixed at the top, or at the bottom of the apparatus, the
shaft S to which the trays in each chamber are fixed. The screw may be
worked by a spur wheel or worm, or other suitable arrangement geared to the sido
of the apparatus.
Ammoniacal liquor can be obtained from the bottom chamber of any desired
strength within certain limits by regulating the supply of clean water entering the top
chamber. The gas as before shown enters the apparatus at the bottom of the washer
and is brought into contact in the lowest chambers with the strong ammoniacal
liquor while in each succeeding chamber the liquor is weaker until the gas reaches
the top one when it will meet with pure water only. Draw off valves or cocks
are fixed to the bottom for the purpose of emptying each chamber, or one chamber
may be run into the other.
The sealed receiving trough which is also part of the washer is for the purpose of
obtaining samples and also for observing that the apparatus is working properly. Not
only are the pipes leading into this trough soaled, but also the cover is sealed to
prevent loss of ammonia.
Gas and liquor test cocks are fixed to each chamber for testing purposes.
A manhole is provided for each chamber to permit cleaning out, or repairs when
necessary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. The making of gas washers with overflow pipes arranged as herein described
and shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6.
2. The arrangement of perforated projections G or baffling teeth H ns herein
described and shown on the drawings.
3. The channel P cast in the side of the gas way pipe D, as herein described and
shown on the drawings, and
4. The screw R and shaft S for raising or lowering the plates Fas herein described
and shown on the drawings.
Dated this 17th day of December 1889
W.-H. BENNETT,
Agent for the Applicants.