Improvements in or relating to Condensing Towers.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 28th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 22nd June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Condensing Towers.
1, EUGENE JEAN BARBIER of 19 Rue Louis le Grand, Paris, France, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus having for object, (a) the simple condensation,
or condensation by reactions, of vapors such as the vapors of sulphurous, sulphuric,
nitric, hydrochloric and other acids and (b) the condensation and collection of
metallurgical fumes, such as the fumes of lead, antimony, arsenic, mercury,
and zinc.
The apparatus comprises one or more towers which may be provided or not, with
one or more internal vertical cooling shafts or chimneys for the circulation there-
through of cold air. The remaining space in each tower is filled with bells or cells
having perforated bottoms, and preferably of cylindrical or truncated conical shape,
which form a number of chambers in which condensation is effected by cooling and
also at the same time, by multiplied eddying currents and frictional actions of the
gases or moist surfaces. This agitated motion also considerably facilitates the
reactions which are sometimes necessary in the case of mixed gases or vapours, in
order to bring about their condensation.
In order to still further multiply the surfaces in contact, the bells are formed with
a number of walls, and their perforated bottoms are made concave and of the shape
of a basin with the object of retaining the solid particles that have been carried
over. Internally they are divided by suitable partitions into a greater or less
number of cells through which the gases or liquids are compelled to pass before
escaping through the holes in the bottoms.
When it is necessary to dissolve or to wash gases, the liquid suitable for the
purpose is caused to fall from the top of the towers above the superposed cells.
The liquid circulates in the towers in the reverse direction to that of the gases which
are then constantly moving against moist walls.
The accompanying drawings illustrate condensing apparatus according to this
invention, in which two towers are used.
Fig. illustrates the general arrangement partly in elevation and partly in
vertical section on the line E F of Fig. 2.
Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line A B C D of Fig. 1.
Figs. 3 and 4 each show in plan and vertical section a cell having a perforated
bottom, Fig. 3 showing a cell with double walls and Fig. 4 a cell with a
single wall.
The gases arrive by the pipe G, and enter the first tower T through which
a central vertical shaft H extends. The supply of cold air for this shaft is taken
in at the central lower part of the supporting masonry M. The gases after passing
through the cellular filling of the tower, pass by the pipe N into the second
tower T¹ which is also provided with a cooling shaft h'; and from the top of which
the gases not condensed escape by a pipe O into another similar tower or towers or
into any suitable place such as a suction shaft or chimney.
The condensed liquids produced in the towers are run off by means of pipes L
and Land collected in suitable receptacles. The bells or condensing devices are

page_text: made of resisting material capable of withstanding the action of the gas or vapours
to be treated..
Dated this 20th day of: July 1894.
I, EUGENE JEAN BARBIER of 19 Rue Louis le Grand, Paris, France, 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 relates to apparatus having for object, (a) the simple condensation,
and the condensation by reactions, of vapors such as the vapors of sulphurous,
sulphuric, nitric, hydrochloric and other acids; and (b) the condensation and
collection of metallurgical fumes, such as the fumes of lead, antimony, arsenic,
mercury, zinc and sulphurous ores.
The apparatus comprises one or more towers which may be provided, or not, with
one or more internal vertical cooling shafts or chimneys for the passage or
circulation therethrough of cold air. The remaining space in each tower is filled
with bells or cells having perforated, bottoms, and preferably of cylindrical or
truncated conical shape, which form a number of chambers in which condensation is
effected by cooling and also at the same time by multiplied eddying currents and
frictional action of the gases ou moist surfaces. This agitated motion 'also
considerably facilitates the reactions which are sometimes necessary in the case of
mixed gases or vapours, in order to bring about their condensation.
In order to still further multiply the surfaces in contact, the bells are preferably
formed with a number of walls, and their perforated ends are made concave and of
basin shape with the object of retaining the solid particles that have been carried
over.
Interually they are advantageously divided by suitable partitions into a greater
or less number of cells; through which the gases or liquids are compelled to pass
before escaping through the holes in the ends.
When it is necessary to dissolve or to wash gases, the liquid suitable for the
purpose is caused to fall from the top of the towers above the surperposed cells.
The liquid circulates in the towers in the reverse direction to that of the gases
which then constantly move against moist walls.
The drawings filed with my Provisional Specification illustrate condensing
apparatus according to this invention, in which two towers are used.
In these drawings,
Fig. 1 illustrates the general arrangement partly in elevation and partly in
vertical section on the line E F of Fig. 2.
Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line A B C D of Fig. 1.
Figs. 3 and 4 each show in plan and vertical section a cell having a perforated
bottom Fig. 3 showing a cell with double walls and Fig. 4 a cell with a single wall.
The gases arrive by the pipe G, and enter the first tower T through which
a central vertical shaft H extends. The supply of cold air for this shaft is taken
in at the central lower part of the supporting masonry M. "The gases after
passing through the cellular filling in the annular space of the tower surrounding
the shaft H, pass by the pipe N-into the second tower T¹ which is also provided
with a cooling shaft H, and from the top of which the gases not condensed escape:
by a pipe into another similar tower or towers or into any suitable place such as

page_text: a suction shaft or chimney. The condensed liquids produced in the towers are run
off by means of pipes L and L' and collected in suitable receptacles. The bells or
condensing devices are made of resisting material capable of withstanding the action
of the gas or vapour to be treated. The lowermost bells or cells of each tower are
supported by a perforated annular plate or support as shown.
When the apparatus is used for treating metallurgical fumes the bells or
condensing devices are removed from the tower or towers from time to time
for the purpose of recovering the metallurgical fumes that have become condensed
therein.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. Apparatus for condensing vapors or treating gases comprising a tower
charged with a number of superposed bells or inverted cells formed with perforated
ends, and made of resisting material capable of withstanding the action of the
vapour or gas to be treated, whether or not the tower is provided with a cooling
shaft or shafts, and whether or not the bells or cells are each provided internally
with a partition or partitions in such a manner that each hole or group of holes in
the end thereof has corresponding thereto an inner independent cell, substantially
as described.
2. Condensing towers substantially as shewn in and described with reference to
the drawings.
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.