Improved Apparatus for Obtaining Products of Distillation or Separating Volatile Liquids.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Obtaining Products of Distillation or
Separating Volatile Liquids.
I, LEON JULES PIERRE PONTALLIE, of St. Malo in the Republic of France
Manufacturer 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 obtain the separation of volatile liquids from a
mixture of vapours obtained by distillation or otherwise and it consists essentially
in an improved apparatus in which such liquids may condense, this apparatus or
"analyser" being dependent upon the principle that by passing a mixture of
vapours through a vertical flattened tube or narrow space those which are less
volatile condense at a lower level than the more volatile, that is to say the liquids
are separated by condensing at different heights according to their relative
volatility, this separation being the more thorough, the narrower the space through
which the vapours pass.
In applying this principle to the analyser the latter is
made with vertical walls approached to each other as closely as the nature of the
liquids condensing allow, so that the vapour not condensing may ascend while the
condensed liquid descends. The distance of the walls must therefore be ultimately
governed by the viscosity of the condensing liquid.
The narrow spaces may be obtained by various constructions, for instance, by a
number of concentric pipes (two or more) or by a sheet of metal rolled in a volute-
like form, or by placing close together a number of thin plates. The distance
between the adjacent opposed walls should be at all points the same in any
particular plane of cross section. The analyser is composed of a number of such
pipes or thin plates or of a roll of metal of indefinite length.
An analyser of this description may be used to separate the liquids by the method
consisting in two successive phases. 1st. The action of heat on the mixed liquid
fed thereto in a finely divided state by any suitable but continuously acting means,
and 2nd The analysing action proper on the vapour so produced.
Thus a complete installation by which the resulting liquids may be obtained
from the original mixture may consist of
1st. A heater A. for producing or admitting the vapour necessary for heating the
analyser which latter receives the liquid in the form of rain or spray, the used
liquid passing out at the syphon or draw off pipe B.
2nd. The capillary analyser C with vertical walls heated by the vapour at a
determined temperature and acting on the liquid in the form of spray.
3rd. The spray producer D or suitable device for admitting the liquid to be
acted upon.
4th. A regulator E by which the temperature may be kept constant.
5th. A condenser for the liquid which distills over.
The employment of the spray producer appears to be permissible in that one
horse power of steam pressure is sufficient to spray seventy five cubic metres of
water in ten hours. As this spraying action sends the liquid to a certain height,
one analyser alone is sufficient, the regulator is at a height on the plates Cat
which the space between the plates is double that at the upper end of the analyser.
The heavier liquid condensing on the walls of the analyser falls and is drawn off' by
the pipe B, the lighter liquid passes upward in the form of vapour and distills
The
over. Fig. 1 shows this arrangement as suitable for manufacturing use.
column or shaft is square, at the base the syphon B carries off the residual heavy
liquid. The spray producer D feeds the steam and mixed liquid. The analyser is
formed of plates C of any suitable material placed as close as possible but at ..
greater distance apart at the base where the analyser acts on the spray than at the

page_text: top where the vapour issues. Fig. 5 shows the cross section of this analyser C C
being plates, and a central chamber the walls of which are formed by plates, this
chamber is filled with liquid and acts as the regulator by which the temperature is
kept uniform throughout the process. The liquid in the chamber expanding acts
on a flexible metallic tube è rolled in a spiral form and thus according to its
temperature produces a corresponding position of the tube by which an electric
current is caused to control a throttle valve which governs the admission of steam
to the spray producer. The pipe a carries the vapour distilling over, to the con-
denser F. In this pipe a thermometer is inserted at the upper end of the
analyser. The vat o contains the liquid to be distilled, the vat T receives the
liquid used and issuing from the pipe B. By passing the liquid to be distilled
through a coil of pipe d in the vat T the heat of the used liquid is utilized to heat
the liquid to be distilled.
To set the apparatus in action, the vat o is filled with the liquid to be distilled
and the vat T with hot water or any other liquid at the temperature which the
residual liquid will possess. Steam is first blown into the analyser alone to heat
it up to about two thirds of its height. The cock e of the regulator E is closed so
that the temperature gained may be maintained. The cocks d and are then
opened and the liquid to be distilled is thus sprayed or "atomized" as it is blown
into the analyser. The cock is then regulated until the thermometer findicates
the boiling point of the distillate, thenceforward the regulation become automatic.
The spray producer is in principle sufficient to produce the amount of heat
necessary for the process, but nevertheless if desired a second inlet for steam may
be provided to the mix at low pressure with the vapour atomized.
Usually one metre of surface in the analyser is equivalent to the distillation of
twenty litres per hour, the distillate being about a third or six litres.
Alcohol, benzine, toluine, etc., can be separated very readily and exactly, alcohol
received marking 95° to 96° from liquids marking 4° to 5° on the alcometer.
This method of separating volatile liquids is much more rapid and economical
than existing processes. It enables the size of the apparatus to be greatly reduced,
and it is suitable for industrial as well as laboratory use.
Fig. 3 shows in side elevation one of the plates of the analyser with the
regulator E.
Fig. 4 is a view of the end of the regulator.
Fig. 5 is a cross section of the analyser.
Fig. 2 is a modified form of apparatus of which Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views.
Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are alternative constructions of analyser previously referred to.
The apparatus shown in Fig. 2 differs from that previously described in having
two analysers C2 C3 one over the other. The liquid to be distilled arriving by the
pipe a is atomized by the injector and issues from the nozzle c¹ to expand in the
walls y, which carry it to form inclined planes which divide the atomized liquid
equally between the plates of the analyser C. Here it is vaporized and the gas
rising heats the spiral tube b which here forms the regulator in place of the hollow
chamber (Fig. 1) thence the gas passes into the second analyser which thus only
acts in vapours.
The heavier vapours condense and fall back along the walls of the analyser C³
which terminates in points whence the liquid falls in the cup o emptying into the
cup where it again comes under the influence of the injector or atomizer.c. The
thermometer gives the temperature of the first vapour. In Figs. 1 and 2 V is
the steam pipe. s the water inlet and t the water outlet of the condenser.
outlet for the condensed distillate.
u the
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 separating volatile liquids, comprising an analyser of the
principle herein described.

page_text: 2) The constructions of analyser herein described.
3) The distilling apparatus comprising an atomizer and analyser arranged
substantially as herein set forth.
4) The combination of the analyser with the regulator E herein described.
5) The combination of the spray producer, the analyser, and the regulator
substantially as herein described.
D
10 of December 1801
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to
Applicant.