AN IMPROVED METHOD OF CONDENSING AERIFORMED SUBSTANCES AND REFRIGERATING FLUIDS
Year: 1834

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, JOSHUA
BATES, of Bishopsgate Street, in the City of London, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the
Fourth, by His Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain,
bearing date at Westminster, the Thirteenth day of January, One thousand
eight hundred and thirty-four, and in the fourth year of His reign, did,
for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Joshua Bates, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Joshua Bates, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Joshua Bates, my executors, administrators, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, an Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF CONDENSING
AERIFORMED SUBSTANCES AND REFRIGERATING FLUIDS," being a communication
made to me from a Foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent
is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Joshua Bates, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, to cause a particular description of the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said

page_text: Joshun Bates, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thercon (that is to say):-
In this improved method of condensing aeriformed substances and refrige-
rating fluids, the refrigerating or cooling agents or mediums employed are a
current of atmospheric air and warm water of the same or nearly of the
samo temperature as that of the vapours which are to be operated upon.
This method of condensing and refrigerating may be applied to the condensa-
tion of the vapours arising from the boiling of saccharine juices of saline
liquors, of distilled vapours, and the exit steam from engines; also to tho
cooling of brewers' wort and to other purposes where condensation and refri-
geration is required. In describing this apparatus I shall, for the better
illustration of its principles, endeavour to explain the physical laws on which
it is founded. Without going into the minute details of an apparatus which
may be variously constructed as to forms and proportions, I shall describo
the general features of an apparatus to be applied to condensing of aqueous
vapours evolved from an alembic, boiler, or sugar-pan, and of refrigerating the
liquid produced from such condensation. The accompanying Drawings repre-
sents merely a sketch or diagram of the general features of an apparatus
constructed and combined upon the principles which are proposed to be
employed, which will serve to explain the nature of this improvement. Let
A be the source of the vapours, or the vessel, boiler, alembic, or closed pan,
that contains the liquid or syrup to be evaporated or concentrated. The pipe B,
through which the vapour passes as it rises in the boiler, is surrounded by
another tube C of larger diameter, closed at both ends.
A pump D draws
from the reservoir E warm water, which water has been heated by its previous
and continual passage through the apparatus in contact with the surface of the
vapour pipes. This pump forces the water by the pipe F into the annular
spaco or chamber between the pipes B and C, in which chamber, by its imme-
diate contact with the pipe B, it acquires the temperature of the vapours
intended to be refrigerated. The pipe G conveys the water from the pipe C
into the annular colander or sieve II, which has a multitude of small holes
pierced through its under part, and from whence the warm water descends in
the form of a continuous shower of rain. To the end of the pipe B, a distiller's
worm I, I, is connected, which is placed beneath the colander H. The entire
length of the worm pipe should be bound round with linen or cotton cloth, as
a conductor of the heat, which cloth will be continually moistened by the rain

page_text: in its descent from the colander. As this water has been heated in passing
along the tube C, the shower of rain descending from the colander will be at a
higher temperature than that of the atmosphere, and consequently by heating
the surrounding air as it descends, a considerable upward draft will be pro-
duced through the coils of the worm pipe. If the colander and the worm pipe
are inclosed within a chimney or upright tube, as K, K, open at top and
bottom, a current of ascending air will be produced within it by the descending
shower of hot water similar in effect to that which would be produced in a
chimney communicating with a furnace, or to that of the burner of an argand
lamp, consequently it will be perceived that in opposition to the descending
rain a strong upward current of air will flow through that part of the cylinder
K, K, which is beneath the colander. When the air first enters the lower
aperture of the chimney or tube K it is of the same temperature and mois-
ture as the external atmosphere, but in its passage up the tube it meets with
a warmer and damper atmosphere, caused by the heat given out from the hot
fluid continually passing through the pipe, and by the hot shower of rain, and
also by the steam evolved from the surfaces of the coils of the worm, which
are continually wetted by the descending rain, the evaporation being consi-
derably augmented by the cloth bound round the worm pipe retaining the
water as it descends in drops from coil to coil; the atmosphere within the tube
being of a higher temperature than without, a current of air will constantly
ascend and escape at the upper aperture, and its place be supplied by fresh air
from the surrounding atmosphere entering the tube below; the fresh air thus
admitted at the bottom of the tube, being cold and dry, will be suited to tako
up the heat and moisture within, because the water within the tube, being in a
state of dispersion as rain, presents to the air many points or a very extended
surface; and also because it is of a higher temperature than the
air, and because cold dry air is continually renewed, and a source of
warmth is furnished by the latent caloric to the steam as fast as it is evolved,
thus a portion of the descending rain or water is evaporated, and the effect of
this evaporation is to subtract caloric not only from the water held in contact
with the coils of the worm pipe to the cloth enveloping it, but also from the
hot vapours which pass through the worm. This process of evaporation has
therefore a cooling power, which is but slight in the lower part of tho chimney
or tube K, because the temperature of the water or rain and of the worm at
this part are of a lower temperature, but its refrigerating power increases as
it rises towards the colander, and there it acquires its maximum of intensity,
so that at any point between the lower aperture of the cylinder and the
colander the current of air is always a little cooler than the atinosphere of the

page_text: region through which it passes (that is at its maximum), and in passing this
region of higher temperature it is not only put in equilibrium of temperature.
but also made to take up ana dditional quantity of aqueous vapours, which
equalizes the new temperature it acquires with its capacity of saturation. The
cooling caused by the evaporation acts in an incessant and progressive manner
from the lower aperture of the cylinder to the under side of the colander; and
this cooling not only acts as an agent of the evaporation which the current of
air cools, but it refrigerates also, because it becomes warned in abstracting
caloric from the vapours or liquids passing through the worm, and this
refrigeration acts also incessantly and progressively from the lower part of the
tube or chimney to the colan:ler. The velocity or force of the current of air
that passes through the chimney or tube K can be accelerated by artificial
means, either by conducting the air and vapour passing from the upper
aperture of the cylinder into the chimney or flues of a furnace, or by means
of a revolving forcing or exhausting fan or ventilator, or any other contrivanco
which will produce an encreased current of air, but which it is not necessary
to be particularly described, as I only wish to explain the principles of a simple
apparatus constructed in any convenient form; and I would remark that the
area of the lower aperture through which the air is introduced into the
chimney or tube K, and also the area of the upper aperture, or that through
which it passes to the atmosphere, should be in accordance with the effect
intended to bo obtained. It is further to be remarked, that in order to obtain
from this apparatus the best effect, the velocity of the current of air must be
itself a maximum; and as the speed or velocity of the current of air is owing
to and determined by the excess of the temperature of the descending water
or rain, and of the coils of the worm to that of the exterior atmosphere, it
ensues that the temperature of the water or rain must be a maximum. But
this excess of temperature is a maximum only when the source of the rain is
at the same temperature as the vapours to be condensed; if less warm it would
attract less air, or if warmer it would augment the temperature of the vapours
intended to be condensed. Consequently, the shower of water employed in
the tube K, as the agent for cooling, bestows the maximum of effect when
it is as warm as the vapours to be condensed; therefore I may express this
proposition, that is to say "That in refrigerating with water less of it may be
expended when it is warm than when it is cold, and that the least quantity
of water will be evaporated when it is as warm as the aqueous or spirituous
vapours upon which it is to operate." This proposition may appear strange,
novertheless it is conformable to the laws of nature, and appears only strange
because until now warm water has not been employed with currents of air
"
"

page_text: for refrigerating. Hence it is necessary to raise the temperature of the water
in the colander to the temperature of the vapours to be condensed, therefore
I cause the lukewarm water, pumped from the reservoir E, to circulate in the
chamber C. In this circulation it also begins to act as a refrigerating medium,
taking up a portion of heat from the vapours that pass through the pipe B,
and afterwards it acts as a further condenser in the cylinder in the way
described; finally, the portion of this water that is still in the fluid state after
having fallen down from coil to coil arrives lukewarm on to the inclined
surface L, which conducts it into the reservoir E, from whence it is pumped
up into the chamber C, as before described. The tube or chimney K may have
more or less altitude, the higher it is the greater the current produced. The
force or velocity of the current of air can be governed by the areas of the
introduction and exit apertures. If the cylinder rises only to the height of
the colander the effect is much less than when it is prolonged beyond this
height. I would further remark, that if the cylinder was removed a slight
effect might be produced, provided that a current of air be preserved in the
cylindrical space limited by the coils of the worm, and also if the current was
produced between the coils, or a central passage might be formed in an
apparatus of another shape than that above described. I have only shewn the
application of the worm because intending only to explain the principles of
this method of condensing and refrigerating. The small quantity of water
wasted in this manner of condensation (that is, that portion passed off to the
atmosphere in the form of vapours at the upper aperture of the cylinder K)
may be replaced by a small stream of cold water, which may be brought to
the apparatus and perhaps most conveniently introduced into the reservoir E,
or into the chamber between the pipes B and C. When operating upon
aqueous vapours the waste of water is always less in weight than that of tho
vapours liquified. When this apparatus is applied to the purposes of distil-
lation the end of the worm I should terminate in a vessel M, which is to
receive the produce of the condensation. It will be seen that this improved
process is applicable to various purposes where condensation or refrigeration is
required; for instance, in the boiling or concentration of sugar or saline liquids,
either in vacuum or not; to condensing and refrigerating distilled vapours or
steam; to cooling brewer's worts; and to the refrigeration of other liquors, or
other processes where it may be required.
any
In witness whereof, I, the said Joshua Bates, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-four.
JOSHUA (L.S.) BATES.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twelfth day of July, in the
fifth year of the reign of His Majesty King William the Fourth, the
said Joshua Bates came before our said Lord the King in His Chancery,
and acknowledged the Instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein
contained and specified, in form above written. And also the Instrument
aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the fifty-
fifth year of the reign of His late Majesty King Georgo the Third.
Inrolled the Twelfth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and
thirty-four.