IMPROVEMENTS IN CONDENSING APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING COAL GAS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, WILLIAM THOMAS WALKER, of Bishopswood Road, Highgate, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CONDENSING APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING COAL GAS" to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates more especially to the condensing apparatus known as
Walker's Annular Condenser some improvements upon which are described in the
Specification of Letters Patent No 545 A.D. 1880 and my said Invention has for
its object to render these or other condensers to which my present Invention may
be applied more efficient and perfect in action than hitherto-My present Invention
consists as follows:-
The inner and outer condensing cylinders or columns are so made that the space
between them is conical the narrower part being upwards (instead of the said
cylinders being parallel) to prevent the formation of deposits of Napthaline or
congealed matter between the cylinders. By making the space between the
cylinders conical as described the Napthaline' or congealed matter cannot adhere
and falls down at once to the bottom. In place of taking the Tar outlets from the
side of the outer cylinders, I make large tar outlet passages direct through the
bottom closures of the spaces between the cylinders into the syphons beneath.
The bottom closures of the cylinders are inclined down to the tar outlet passages
instead of being flat as heretofore for the purpose of at once discharging any
congealed deposit directly it forms and before it has time to obtain any choking
consistency. Valves are provided to close the tops of the inner cylinders' with the
object of effectually controlling the draught or closing admittance for air at the top
of the cylinders. The opening and closing of these top valves may be effected by
any suitable means, for example, from below by a vertical rod passing up the
inside. The valves may have a lip or projecting ring which will seal into an oil
trough or the said lip or ring may be surfaced to close against a' surfaced plate.
The cooling of the cylinders by evaporation of water, which is necessary in warm
weather, has never been satisfactorily performed by the perforated water tubes
heretofore used as the distribution by separate jets is too unequal' and' imperfect.
The perforations in the tubes also eventually become choked and the water is
consequently then still more'unevenly distributed. To obviate this I employ annular

page_text: troughs at the upper part of the cylinders with a filling of thick felt (or equivalent
porous material) between these troughs and the surfaces of the cylinders and
through this felt or like material the water will percolate and be distributed evenly
over the whole surface of the cylinders.
In the last height or screening cylinder or column described in the Specification
of the aforesaid Patent No 545 A.D. 1880 I place a liquid washing apparatus of
any suitable construction for completing the operation of condensation and
extracting any particles of tar left in the gas after being cooled and screened.
An apparatus arranged as hereinbefore described will render the Condenser
easier to work and much more efficient in action than are those hitherto constructed.
.
T
I, WILLIAM THOMAS WALKER of Bishopswood Road Highgate in the County of
Middlesex Engineer do' hereby declare the nature of my invention for "-IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CONDENSING APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING COAL GAS and in what
manner the same is to be' performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement
i.
My Invention relates more especially to the condensing Apparatus known as
Walkers Annular Condenser, some improvements upon which are described in the
Specification of Letters Patent No 545 A.D. 1880 and my said Invention has for
its object to render these or other Condensers to which my present Invention may
be applied more efficient and perfect in action than hitherto
My present Invention consists as follows:-
"
The inner and outer condensing Cylinders; or Columns are so made that the
space between them is conical the narrower part being upwards (instead of the
said cylinders being parallel) to prevent the formation of deposits of napthaline or
congealed matter between the cylinders. By making the space between the
cylinders conical as described the napthaline or congealed matter cannot adhere and
falls down at once to the bottom.
In place of taking the Tar outlets from the side of the outer cylinders I make
large tar outlet passages direct through the bottom closures of the spaces between
the cylinders into the syphons beneath The bottom closures of the cylinders are
inclined down to the tar outlet passages instead of being flat as heretofore for the
purpose of at once discharging any congealed deposit directly it forms and before it
has time to obtain any choking consistency. Valves are provided to close the tops
of the inner cylinders with the object of effectually controlling the draught or
closing admittance for air at the top of the cylinders. The opening and closing of
these top valves may be effected by any suitable means for example from below by
a vertical rod passing up the inside The valves may have a lip or projecting ring
which will seal into an oil trough or the said lip or ring may be surfaced to close
against a surfaced plate.

page_text: The cooling of the cylinders by evaporation of water which is necessary in warm
weather has never been satisfactorily performed by the perforated water tubes
heretofore used as the distribution by separate jets is two unequal and imperfect,
The perforations in the tubes also eventually become choked and the water is
consequently then still more unevenly distributed. To obviate this I employ annular
troughs at the upper part of the cylinders with a filling of thick felt (or equivalent
porous material) between these troughs and the surfaces of the cylinders and
through this felt or like material the water will percolate and be distributed evenly
over the whole surface of the cylinders.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the annexed drawing whereon Figure 1 shews one condensing cylinder arranged or
constructed according to my Invention. There will of course be any suitable
number arranged in connection but they will each be made as shewn with regard
to the one illustrated.
The inner and outer condensing cylinders or columns are so made that the space
between them is conical the narrower part being upwards (instead of the said
cylinders being parallel) to prevent the formation of deposits of Napthaline or
congealed matter between the cylinders. In the drawing I have shewn the outer
cylinder H of equal diameter throughout, the inner cylinder I being conical with
its wider end upwards, but it is to be understood that the outer cylinder may be
conical, or both the inner and the outer cylinders may be conical, provided they
be so relatively arranged that the space between them is narrower at top than at
bottom. By making the space between the cylinders conical as described the
Napthaline or congealed matter cannot adhere and fails down at once to the bottom;
In place of taking the tar outlets from the side of the outer cylinders, I make large
tar outlet passages as shewn at J direct through the bottom closures K of the spaces
between the cylinders H. and I, the said outlet passages leading into the syphons L
beneath.
The bottom closures of the cylinders have their inner surfaces inclined down
towards the tar outlet passages J as at k (instead of being horizontal as heretofore)
for the purpose of causing any congealed deposit to be discharged directly it forms
and before it has time to obtain any choking consistency. Valves M. are provided
to close the tops of the inner cylinders with the object of effectually controlling
the draught or closing admittance for air at the tops of the said inner cylinders.
The opening and closing of these top valves may be effected by any suitable means
for example from below by a vertical rod passing up the inside or by means of an
external chain m as shewn. The valves may have a lip or projecting ring which
will seal into an oil trough or the said lip or ring may be surfaced to close against
a surfaced plate.
The cooling of the cylinders by evaporation of water which is necessary in warm
weather has never been satisfactorily performed by the perforated water tubes
heretofore used as the distribution by separate jets is too unequal and imperfect.
The perforations in the tubes also eventually become choked and the water is
consequently then still more unevenly distributed. To obviate this I employ an
annular trough or annular troughs (as at n) at or towards the upper part of the
outside of the outer cylinder or on the inner side of (or air space through) the inner
cylinder or on both inner and outer cylinders as shewn in the drawing, there being
a filling of thick felt (or equivalent porous material) between these troughs and the
surfaces of the cylinders, and through this felt or like material the water will
percolate and be distributed evenly over the whole surface of the cylinders. Figure 2
shews a section of a trough drawn to an enlarged scale, the felt being marked n²..
In the last height of the series, or tar extracting cylinder column, which may
be constructed as described in the Specification of the English Patent No 545
A.D. 1880 I may place a liquid washing apparatus for completing the operation of
condensation and extracting any particles of tar left in the Gas after being cooled
and screened. This washing apparatus may be of any suitable construction.

page_text: An apparatus arranged as hereinbefore described will render the condenser easier
to work and much more efficient in action than are those hitherto constructed.
Having now particularly described. and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1st Columns or cylinders for condensing Coal Gas formed so that the space
between them is conical or narrower at top than at bottom as herein before described
and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing.
2nd Providing condensers for Coal gas with tar outlets opening from the bottom
closure of the space between the cylinders, the interior surface of the said closure
sloping down towards the said outlets as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
the accompanying, drawing,
3rd In condensers for Coal Gas the combination with the inner cylinders of such
condensers, of valves arranged to be operated for closing or opening the upper end
of the inner cylinders as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawing.
4th In condensers for Coal Gas, the combination with the cylinders thereof of a
water trough or water troughs at or towards the upper parts with a filling of felt
or equivalent porous material, through which the water can percolate, substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
"