Method of and Appliances for the Collection and Utilisation of the Carbonic Acid Gas and other Products given off during the Process of all Fermentations.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 13th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 13th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 9th May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Method of and Appliances for the Collection and Utilisation of the
Carbonic Acid Gas and other Products given off during the
Process of all Fermentations.
We, CHARLES ROBERT CLARKE TICHBORNE, Ph. D. F.I.C. 15 North Great
Georges Street, Dublin, ALFRED EDWARD DARLEY, Andes Street Brewery,
Dublin, Brewer, MARMADUKE FRANCIS PURCELL, B.L. F.C.S. Assoc.
Inst. C.E.I. 71 Harcourt Street, Dublin, and SAMUEL GEOGHEGAN, of St. James
Brewery, Dublin, C.E. do hereby declare the nature of our invention to be as
follows:-
Our present invention relates to improvements in the method of, and appliances
for collecting and utilising the carbonic acid gas, and other gaseous products which
are generated during the process of all fermentations.
Letters Patent have been already obtained by us under No. 3707, and dated the
2nd March 1889 for the general process under the title as above.
In order to make our appliances more perfect for the collection &c. of CO, in as
pure a condition as possible from an ordinary, or from an open fermentation vessel
or tun, we have devised the following improvements: :-
Where we desire to collect the carbonic acid gas &c. from the ordinary, or from
an open tun we use a collecting bell, or funnel, so arranged that its lower edge may
be either above the fermenting head or else dipped into or touching the surface of
the fermenting liquor, as may be found most convenient in working, and which can
be adjusted by suitable means, so that its upper edge may be kept sufficiently above
the surface of the level of the liquid undergoing fermentation to prevent the head
of the fermenting liquor entering therein, and over this funnel is suspended a
diaphragm the object of this diaphragm is to prevent a vortex in the upper
atmosphere of the tun being formed during the withdrawal of the carbonic acid
gas from the said tun by means of the said funnel, which vortex would otherwise
cause atmospheric air to follow and become mixed with the carbonic acid gas.
:
The said carbonic acid gas, and other gaseous products may also be drawn off by
means of an inverted adjustable funnel, or by means of pipes passed through the
side of the fermenting vessel at various levels, which, with suitable and moveable
bends and joints, will enable the gases to be taken off at any desired level according
to the rise and fall of the head on the fermenting liquor.
The said pipes may be either connected with a funnel, or may be open at the end,
or else said pipes may be perforated or slit throughout the length that said pipe or
pipes enter into the gaseous layer in said fermenting vessel.
As it may be desirable in some cases to free the said CO, from all yeast or other
germs before using it, we propose to pass the gas through a filter of cotton wool,
or other filtering medium, or else through a chamber or pipe heated to the requisite
temperature necessary to de-vitalize any germs that may be in the gas, this may be
lone before the gas passes to the wash-tower or before liquefaction, as may be found
most convenient in working, or an antiseptic may be mixed with the liquefied, or
solidified CO..
In order to separate the CO, from the accompanying gases, we treat the with-
drawn gases in a wash tower in the following specific manner
It is found that a percentage of oxygen is frequently mixed with the carbonic
cid gas, and to remove this, we place some easily oxidizable substance in the tower,
or we may wash the gases of fermentation with water previously de-oxygenated by
chemical or physical means.
This water will remove rapidly the free oxygen

page_text: present, and the CO, will consequently pass out of the tower deprived of any
oxygen that may have been mixed with it."
Further to remove all alcoholic or etherial vapours, with which the CO, may be
charged, or be in combination, we may pass a spray of sulphuric acid through
the tower to wash the passing vapours, and to produce sulphovinic acid and
pure CO₂ as a resultant. The CO, thus purified may then be drawn off from the
tower, and compressed to liquefaction, or otherwise prepared, for convenient
transport and sale, as already described and set forth in the aforesaid prior
Specification.
Dated this 13th day of June 1890.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, E.C., Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Method of and Appliances for the Collection and Utilisation of the
Carbonic Acid Gas and other Products given off during the
Process of all Fermentations.
We, CHARLES ROBERT CLARKE TICHBORNE Ph. D. F.1.C., 15 North Great
Georges Street, Dublin, ALFRED Edward DarRLEY, Andes Street Brewery,
Dublin, Brewer, MARMADUKE FRANCIS PURCELL, B.L. F.C.S. Assoc. Inst.
C.E.1. 71 Harcourt Street, Dublin, and SAMUEL GEOGHEGAN of St. James
Brewery, Dublin, C.E. do hereby declare the nature of our invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
Our present invention relates to improvements.in the method of, and appliances
for, collecting and utilizing the carbonic acid gas and other gaseous products which
are generated during the process of all fermentations.
Letters Patent have been already obtained by us under, No. 3707 and dated the
2nd March 1889 for the general process under the title as above.
In order to make our appliances more perfect for the collection etc. of CO₂ in as
pure a condition as possible from an ordinary or from an open fermentation vessel
or tun, we have devised the following improvements
:―
Where we desire to collect the carbonic acid gas etc. from the ordinary, or from
an open tun, we use a collecting bell or funnel so arranged that its lower edge may
be either above the fermenting head or else dipped into or touching the surface of
the fermenting liquor as may be found most convenient in working, and which can
be adjusted by suitable means so that its upper edge may be kept sufficiently above
the surface of the level of the liquid undergoing fermentation. Over this funnel a
diaphragm is suspended. The object of this diaphragm is to prevent a vortex in
the upper atmosphere of the tum being formed during the withdrawal of the
carbonic acid gas from the said tun by means of the said funnel, or other collecting
appliances which vortex would otherwise cause atmospheric air to follow and become
mixed with the carbonic acid gas.
The said carbonic acid gas and other gaseous products may also be drawn off by
means of an inverted adjustable funnel or bell, or by means of pipes passed through
the side of the fermenting vessel at various levels, or over the edge of the same,
and which with suitable and moveable bends and joints will enable the gases to be
taken off at any desired level according to the rise and fall of the head on the
fermenting liquor. The said pipes may be either connected with a funnel or may
be open at the end, or else said pipes may be perforated or slit throughout the
length that said pipe or pipes enter into the gaseous layer of CO₂ in the said
fermenting vessel.
We, also, after such collection, use special treatment to effect the removal of
yeast or germs from the products of fermentation, and finally to separate oxygen
or alcoholic and ethereal vapours from the said gaseous products of fermentation, so

page_text: as to obtain a liquefied product of pure CO,, suitable for use in the arts and
manufactures.
Figure 1 is a general sectional elevation of the apparatus or appliances we find
it convenient to use for carrying out our improved process, the main part of which
are included in our forner Patent No. 3707, of the 2nd March 1889, but part of
which are added and modified herein, to suit the special process hercinafter
described.
To the ordinary or open fermentation tun A we apply the following collecting
devices, which, whilst preventing the admixture of atmospheric air with the gaseous
products of fermentation during collection, permits the latter to be carried on in an
open tun and thus always under atmospheric pressure.
This collecting apparatus consists of a bell or funnel B supported adjustably by
ball and socket joints b, or other equivalent means, such as chains or rods, just
above the surface of the fermenting liquor, or dipping therein and extending over
a considerable surface of the said liquor so as to collect the gaseous products of
fermentation and particularly the CO, where it accumulates close to the surface
of the said liquor. Alternatively we may employ a funnel with open mouth
upwards, passing adjustably through the tun or alternatively we may employ open
In the upper
or perforated pipes as before described and shown in dotted lines.
part of the tun is suspended a diaphragm D extending almost to the walls of the
fermenting tun so as to prevent any whirlpool or downward current being formed
in the upper atmosphere during the withdrawal of the gases of fermentation through
the said collecting exits.
In order to indicate the actual level of the heavy gaseous layer of CO₂ within
the tun, a small balloon C filled with air, and constructed of goldbeater's skin or
other suitable light material, is attached to a balance lever and may be floated on
the surface of the carbonic acid to indicate the same, and rises and falls with the
level of the gas.
The CO, thus collected through any of the above described alternative
appliances within the tun is conducted by suitable pipes E for the following
treatment :-
In order to free the said CO, from all yeast or other germs, before using it, we
pass the gas through a filter G containing cotton wool H or other filtering medium,
or equivalently through a chamber or pipe heated to the requisite temperature
necessary to devitalize any germs that may be in the gas. This devitalization may
be effected before the gas passes to a wash tower For at a later stage in the process
as may be found most convenient in working. An antiseptic if desired may be
mixed eventually with the liquefied or solidified CO..
It is found that a percentage of oxygen is frequently mixed with the carbonic
acid gas, and that a small percentage accompanying the CO₂ materially interferes
with the after compression and liquefaction of the said CO₂. To remove this
oxygen we place some easily oxidizable substance in a wash tower, such as water
previously deoxygenated by chemical or physical means.
To effect thorough washing of the rising gases we arrange in the tower a series of
trays provided with vertical tubes protecting the orifices in the trays, the washing
liquid being placed to a suitable depth in the bottom of the trays. Over each of
the said tubes is supported a cap dipping with its lower edge into the washing
liquid, so that the gas passing through the tubes is forced to return and pass through
the washing liquid. This water will rapidly remove the free oxygen present and
the serious difficulty experienced to the compression of the CO₂ will be
eliminated.
Further to remove all alcoholic or ethereal vapours with which the CO, may be
charged or be in combination, we pass a spray of sulphuric acid through the tower
to wash the passing vapours, or apply a series of perforated trays as hereinbefore
described, carrying sulphuric acid, and producing liquid sulphovinic acid as a
deposit in the tower which may be then readily removed. The CO, thus purified
and separated from other accompanying gaseous products may be drawn off from

page_text: the tower by a pipe d by the suction action of a series of stage compressing
pumps K K and be therein compressed, and refrigerated in the condensing coils LL
as a pure commercial product, to be bottled in suitable vessels for commercial sale
as described in our aforesaid previous Patent.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare, that what we
claim is
1st. An improved process of:-the collection of gaseous products of fermentation
from an open but protected fermentation tun, so that atmospheric air shall not be
mixed and collected therewith:-the treatment of the said gaseous products with
an easily oxydisable substance, the removal of germs or yeast from the said gaseous
products by filtration, heat, or antiseptic treatment: a separation of alcoholic or
ethereal odorus vapours by washing with sulphuric acid ;-and a final step by step
compression of the purified carbonic acid gas to liquefaction.
2nd. In the process of collection of the gaseous products of fermentation
the removal of free oxygen by treatment or washing with an easily oxydisable
substance.
3rd. In the process of collection of the gascous products of fermentation, the
removal therefrom of yeast or vital germs by filtration through cotton wool or other
filtering medium, or by heating in suitable chambers or pipes, or by admixture of an
antiseptic substance in a liquid or solid condition.
4th. In the process of collection of the gaseous products of fermentation, the
separation therefrom of alcoholic or ethereal odorous vapours by washing with
sulphuric acid, thereby forming sulphovinic acid and other products.
5th. In a process of collection of the gaseous products of fermentation the
appliances for preventing the admixture of air, consisting of the combination with
an ordinary or open fermenting tun of a funnel, or bell suspended adjustably close
to or on the surface of the fermenting liquor, or perforated or open collecting pipes,
through or over the edges of the tun, and a protecting diaphragm suspended in the
upper part of the fermenting tun to prevent the formation therein of a current or
whirlpool of atmospheric air tending to follow or mix with the withdrawn gases of
fermentation, when they are being drawn off by means of a perforated or open pipe
either through the tun or over the edge thereof.
Dated this 13th day of March 1891.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicants.