Improvements in Apparatus for Subjecting Liquids or Matters in Suspension to the Action of Air or other Gases or Vapours.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 29th July, 1893-Accepted, 2nd Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Subjecting Liquids or Matters in
Suspension to the Action of Air or other Gases or Vapours.
I GEORGE BURDEKIN Junior, of 95 Prescot Road, St. Helens, in the County
of Lancaster Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as
follows:-
Hitherto when a gas had to be distributed under the surface of a liquid various
systems of perforated pipes or false bottoms have been employed. If the liquid
contained solids in suspension (such as manganese suspended in chloride of calcium
solution in the Weldon process. or bicarbonate of soda suspended in solution in the
ammonia-soda process or calcium sulphide suspended in water in the Chance
sulphur recovery process) the perforations are apt to become choked, and a certain
amount of the solid matter settles at the bottom of the containing vessel and
necessitates frequent cleaning. Moreover the small perforations cause a great
amount of friction and entail thus a waste of mechanical power in the propulsion of
the gases.
My invention consists in causing the gases to issue from orifices sufficiently large
to avoid objectionable friction and so arranged that a circular motion is imparted to
the liquid thus causing retarded ascent of the gases and consequently more efficient
absorption of any absorbable constituent of such gases (such as oxygen or carbonic
acid gas for example) and with the minimum of expenditure of mechanical work in
forcing in the gases and moreover owing to the motion so imparted to the liquid
the bottom of the vessel is kept clear so that the necessity for frequent digging out
precipitated matter hitherto existing is obviated.
According to my invention I provide a distributing chamber into which the gases
are conveyed and from the circumference of which the said gases issue. The
chamber is divided into compartments by partitions which may be straight, or
curved, for instance like the blades of a turbine and so arranged that the gases issue
in streams from the sides or circumference of the chamber in a direction more or
less tangential thereto.
Although I have mentioned gases. the apparatus can of course be used for
introducing vapours into liquids such as for example steam into liquids to be
heated:
Dated this 10th day of Nanamiben 1909
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Subjecting Liquids or Matters in
Suspension to the Action of Air or other Gases or Vapours.
I GEORGE BURDEKIN Junior of 95 Prescot Road, St. Helens in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
Hitherto when a gas had to be distributed under the surface of a liquid various
systems of perforated pipes or false bottoms have been employed. If the liquid
contained solid matters in suspension such for instance as manganese suspended in a
solution of calcium chloride in the Weldon process, or bicarbonate of soda suspended.

page_text: in a solution of ammonium chloride in the ammonia soda process, or calcium
sulphide suspended in water in the Chance sulphur recovery process the perforations
are apt to become choked and a certain amount of the solid matter settles at the
bottom of the containing vessel and necessitates frequent cleaning.
Moreover the small perforations even when clean cause a great amount of friction
and entail thus a waste of mechanical power in the proportion of the gases which
waste becomes still more serious when the perforations become choked.
My invention consists in providing apparatus by which the gases or vapours are
caused to issue from orifices sufficiently large to avoid objectionable friction and so
arranged that a circular motion is imparted to the liquid or matters under treatment
thus causing retarded ascent of the gases or vapours and a consequent breaking up
of the larger bubbles into smaller ones by the violent agitation of the liquid. By
these means I secure a more efficient absorption of any absorbable constituent of
such gases or vapours such as oxygen or carbonic acid for instance; the expenditure
of mechanical work in forcing the gases or vapours through the liquid is reduced
to a minimum and owing to the surging motion imparted to the liquid or matters
under treatment, the bottom of the containing vessel is kept clear of deposit, so that
the hitherto existing necessity for frequent cleaning or digging out of precipitated
matter is obviated.
The apparatus can be used generally for introducing air, or other gases or
vapours into liquids or matters to be treated thereby for example it can be used for
introducing ordinary steam into liquids to be heated.
According to my invention I provide a distributing chamber into which the gases
or vapours are conveyed and from the circumference or sides of which the said
gases or vapours issue. The chamber is divided into compartments by partitions
which may be straight or curved for instance like the blades of a turbine and so
arranged that the gases or vapours issue in streams from the sides or circumference
of the chamber in a direction more or less tangential thereto or so as to impart a
circular motion to the liquids or matters under treatment.
In order that my invention may be better understood I have annexed hereto a
sheet of drawings illustrating various modes of carrying out my invention. I wish
it to be understood however that I do not confine myself to the exact details shewn
in these drawings as they may be varied without departing from the nature of my
invention.
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 are an elevation, a sectional elevation, a sectional plan and a
plan respectively of one form of my apparatus for subjecting liquids or matters in
suspension to the action of gases or vapours.
Figures 5, 6, 7 shew another form of my apparatus respectively in elevation,
sectional elevation and sectional plan.
A is the distributing chamber from which radiate a number of partition-walls or
vanes B which are preferably curved like the vanes of a turbine (Figure 3) but
they may be straight as shewn in Figure 7.
The top and bottom of the distributor may be flat as shewn in Figure 2, or they
may be curved either upwards or downwards for instance as shewn in Figure 6 so
as to suit any form of the vessel containing the liquid or matter to be treated.
CC are the orifices from which the gases or vapours issue, the curvature and
direction of the partitions B B causes the gases or vapours to assume a more or
less tangential motion, which by degrees is also imparted to the liquid or matter
under treatment.
The gases or vapours are conveyed to the distributing chamber through ordinary
pipes attached to the flanged opening D provided for the purpose, and enter through
an opening either at the top or at the bottom of the chamber. In the drawings
the flanged opening is shewn at the top. The distributer is of course placed in the
vessel containing the liquid or matter to be treated and the gases or vapours issue
thereinto from the periphery of the distributor.
The dimensions of the distributor may be varied to suit the amount of gas or
vapour to be dealt with. In the case of easily condensible gases, such as ammonia,

page_text: or in the case of steam for heating purposes, it is advisable to make the diameter of
the distributing chamber amply large.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An apparatus for subjecting liquids or matters in suspension to the action of
air or other gases or vapours the said apparatus being arranged so that the gases or
vapours issue from the apparatus in such manner as to impart a circular motion to
the liquids or matters under treatment substantially as and for the purposes
hereinbefore described.
2. An apparatus for subjecting liquids or matters in suspension to the action of
air or other gases or vapours the said apparatus consisting of a distributing chamber
having an inlet for the gases or vapours and curved or straight partitions
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth and illustrated by the
examples shewn in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 28th day of July 1892
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C., Agents.