Improvements in or connected with Apparatus or Plant for the Manu- facture of Sulphate of Ammonia from Ammoniacal Liquors.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 12th Nov., 1898
Improvements in or connected with Apparatus or Plant for the Manu-
facture of Sulphate of Ammonia from Ammoniacal Liquors.
I ISAAC CARR, of Anne Street, East Widnes, in the County of Lancaster, Gas
Engineer, 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:-
This invention has reference more particularly to the apparatus or plant
employed in gas works, iron works, coke ovens, oil works, and the like, for the
manufacture of sulphate of ammonia from the ammoniacal liquors made therein;
and the type of such apparatus or plant to which the invention relates, is that
known as "the continuous system."
The invention has for its object, amongst other things hereafter referred to,
to utilize and apply to a fuller extent, in the process of the manufacture of sulphate
of ammonia, the heat of the hot waste gases from the saturator, that is, to utilize
such heat in the superheating of the ammoniacal liquor prior to its entrance to
the stills of the plant, and to economise fuel and plant.
According to this invention, the superheater of the plant is so arranged and con-
trived, that practically the whole of the heat of the waste gases may be practically
utilized in the superheating of the liquor, as well as obviating the necessity of the
use of large or additional condensing plant in order to cool the waste gases prior
to their treatment in the oxide purifiers, or sulphur recovery kilns; and the
improvements hereunder will be described with the aid of the accompanying
drawings, which shew a superheater of the type comprising a plurality of liquor
and gas chambers disposed in a pile, one above the other. In these drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation, shewing the uppermost couple of chambers in section;
Figure 2 is an end elevation; and Figure 3 a sectional plan at A A Figure 1.
In the drawings, a are the upper or liquid chambers of a pair of chambers;
and bare the lower waste gas chambers. care the pipes connecting the successive
chambers 6 together in the pile; and d are the pipes connecting the successive
chambers a. These pipes are of course common in superheaters of this type.
According to this invention, the number of chambers, and size of superheater
is considerably larger than commonly employed, and thus a large heating surface
and action is provided; and the gas is given off, not only in the uppermost liquor
chamber a, but also in the second, or second and third, or others, of these chambers,
and taken away from each of them by a separate take off pipe. For instance, in
the drawings, the superheater is so arranged, that gas which may be generated in
the upper four of the liquor chambers a of the pile is taken off; and this is effected
by providing the pipes e, f, g, and h, which lead into a common main pipe i lead-
ing to the stills. Hence, in action, any gas that may be given off in the fourth
liquor chamber a from the top, is freed from the liquor, and passes away by the
pipe e to the still without interfering in any way with the upflow of liquor through
the connecting branches d; and in the same way, the gas generated in the other
three chambers a above, is provided for and carried off.

page_text: The liquor is heated in pipes a¹ fixed in the diaphragm a² between the chambers a
and b, the ends of a¹ being closed by caps. With these pipes a¹, arranged as
shewn, a large surface is exposed to the action of the heating gases as they pass
through the chambers b.
It will be noted that the gas pipes for relieving the chambers a, and the liquor
flow pipes d are so arranged, as regards the levels at which they lead into and out
of the chambers, that the gas alone can pass off, while the liquor keeps in the
correct course of flow from tier to tier to the final outlet.
Access to the interior of the chambers, for the purposes of examination, clean-
ing etc., is provided by means of suitable openings fitted with doors in each
chamber.
The tarry matters should be separated from the liquor prior to its entering the
superheater, by suitable means.
It will now be seen that by employing a superheater, having a comparatively
large number of chambers or a large heating surface, the whole heat of the waste
gases from the saturator can be transferred to the liquor being supplied to the
stills; and that, thereby, a saving in fuel for volatilizing or distilling it, is effected;
and also that by reducing the temperature of the waste gases, the necessity of
employing additional condensing plant in a gas works, or other works, for cooling
the waste gases, in installing a sulphate plant, is obviated.
A further effect is obtained by this invention, namely, that by the long and
continuous heating effect afforded by the apparatus, it is specially suitable and
advantageous for the decomposition and conversion to ammonia of a portion of
the cyanides in ammoniacal liquor, when the latter has previously received an
admixture of alkaline solution.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In apparatus or plant for the manufacture of sulphate of ammonia, from
ammoniacal liquors, an apparatus of the type herein referred to for heating the
liquor to be distilled, prior to its delivery to the still, having gas take-off pipes
connected with two or more of the successive liquor chambers at the upper part
of the heater, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. In a heating apparatus of the kind herein referred to, for heating the liquor
to be distilled, prior to its delivery to the still, of a sulphate of ammonia manu-
facturing plant, the sets of chambers a and b, with connecting pipes c and d, and
a plurality of gas take off pipes from the chambers a (as e f, g, h); arranged, com-
bined, and adapted to act, as shewn in and set forth with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 6th day of August 1898.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
Applicant's Patent Agents, 15, Water Street, Liverpool.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
Applicant's Patent Agents, 15, Water Street, Liverpool.