Improvements in Multiple Effect Apparatus for Evaporating or Concentrating Sugar Juice and other Liquids.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 11th July, 1892-Accepted, 13th Aug., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Multiple Effect Apparatus for Evaporating or
Concentrating Sugar Juice and other Liquids.
A communication from abroad by WILLIAM MAXWell, of Djokdja, Java,
Engineer.
I, RICHARD WILLIAM DEACON of Nile Street Foundry, Birmingham in the
County of Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows :—
My present invention has reference to multiple effect apparatus for evaporating
or concentrating sugar juice and other liquids, in which the liquid is evaporated' in
successive stages in a series of vessels at diminishing temperatures and pressures.
In such apparatus as usually constructed each vessel is divided into three chambers-
upper, middle and lower-by two horizontal tube plates, the upper and lower
chambers being in communication by a series of tubes which pass through the tube
plates and the middle chamber; the upper and lower chambers contain the liquid
to be evaporated which stands some little height above the upper tube plate; the
evaporation is effected by heat transmitted through the tubes from steam or vapour
which is admitted to the middle chamber.
It is necessary to provide for the removal of the water arising from the con-
densation of the steam or vapour in the middle chambers and also to transfer the
liquid undergoing evaporation from each vessel to the one next below it in the
series when it has arrived at the proper degree of concentration. The object of
my present invention is to effect both these objects automatically and at the same
time to prevent the passage of any steam or vapour along with the water or the
liquid.
I provide for the automatic transfer of the liquid under evaporation as
follows;-
From the upper chamber of each vessel I lead a pipe whose opening to the said
chamber is at the level at which it is desired to maintain the liquid. This pipe is
continued outside the vessel to a steam trap of ordinary construction which will
allow the liquid to pass but will not permit of the passage of vapour; beyond the
steam trap the pipe is led into the lower chamber of the next vessel.
The pressure in the first vessel being greater than that in the next one, the liquid
in the first vessel will always flow into the next vessel until its level falls below the
inlet of the connecting pipe; at the same time, the trap will prevent the passage
of any vapour.
In this way the excess of the feed to the first vessel beyond the
evaporation therein is automatically transferred to the next, and so on throughout
the series. In the case of the last evaporator of the series, the liquid is withdrawn
by a suitable withdrawing pump or montejus.
The connection of the inlet ends of the pipes to the respective upper chambers
may in each case be conveniently effected by means of an external casing or
pocket jointed to the side of the chamber and communicating therewith by a lateral
opening at the proper level; a stop cock is fitted in each pipe to close the
communication at will.
The arrangements for withdrawing the water of condensation resemble generally
those already described with reference to the liquid undergoing evaporation; that
is to say, I fit a pipe leading from the bottom of each middle chamber to a steam
trap of ordinary construction, adapted to pass water but not steam; beyond the
trap the pipe is led to the next middle chamber of the series and in the case of the
last vessel, to a withdrawing pump or a condenser. In this way as the water

page_text: accumulates in each middle chamber it is passed on to the next, giving up part of
its heat therein, until it is ultimately withdrawn from the apparatus.
Dated this 6th day of October 1891.
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, 26, Castle Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Multiple Effect Apparatus for Evaporating or
Concentrating Sugar Juice and other Liquids.
A communication from abroad by WILLIAM MAXWELL, of Djokdja, Java,
Engineer.
I, RICHARD WILLIAM DEACON of Nile Street Foundry, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, 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 :-
My present invention has reference to multiple effect apparatus for evaporating
or concentrating sugar juice and other liquids, in which the liquid is evaporated in
successive stages in a series of vessels at diminishing temperatures and pressures.
In such apparatus as usually constructed each vessel is divided into three chambers-
upper, middle and lower-by two horizontal tube plates, the upper and lower
chambers being in communication by a series of tubes which pass through the tube
plates and the middle chamber; the upper and lower chambers contain the liquid
to be evaporated which stands some little height above the upper tube plate; the
evaporation is effected by heat transmitted through the tubes from steam or vapour
which is admitted to the middle chamber.
It is necessary to provide for the removal of the water arising from the con-
densation of the steam or vapour in the middle chambers and also to transfer the
liquid undergoing evaporation from each vessel to the one next below it in the
series when it has arrived at the proper degree of concentration. The object of
my present invention is to effect both these objects automatically and at the same
time to prevent the passage of any steam or vapour along with the water or the
liquid.
In the accompanying drawings which serve to illustrate my invention
Fig. I is a diagrammatic sectional clevation of a triple effect apparatus showing
the connections for the automatic transfer of the liquid undergoing evaporation;
and
Fig. II is a similar elevation showing the connections for the automatic
withdrawal of the water of condensation.
For the sake of clearness the vessels are shown farther apart than is usual in
practice and for the same reason the ordinary details of construction, which are
common to most forms of triple effect apparatus, are omitted.
Throughout the drawings similar parts are indicated by the same reference
figures, and the directions of flow are indicated by arrows.
A, B and C are respectively the first, second and third vessels of the series;
each vessel is divided by the tube plates 1 and 2, into three chambers 3, 4 and 5,
being upper, middle and lower chambers respectively; the upper and lower
chambers communicate with each other by the tubes 6 which pass through the
middle chamber 4, and also by the external circulating tubes 7. The chambers 3
of A and B communicate respectively with the chambers 4 of B and C by means of
the vapour pipes 8, and the chamber 3 of C communicates with the condenser by
the pipe 9. The openings of the vapour pipes into the chambers 4, the arrangement
of the tubes 6 therein, and the construction of the circulating tubes 7 are the same
as set forth in the Specification of Letters Patent No. 12809 granted to my foreign
correspondent and dated 14th August 1889.

page_text: The liquid to be concentrated is contained in the chambers 3 and 5 and circulates
through the tubes 6 and 7. Steam enters the chamber 4 by the inlet 16 and the
liquid is evaporated by the heat transmitted through the tubes 6. The vapour
produced passes through the vapour pipe 8 to the middle chamber 4 of the second
vessel B and acts as the heating medium therein and so on, the vapour from the
last vessel C passing through 9 to a condenser. Vapour is condensed in the middle
chamber 4 of each vessel, the condensed water formed thereby, being withdrawn in
the manner subsequently described.
Referring to Fig. I, I will first describe the arrangement for transferring the
liquid undergoing evaporation.
From the upper chamber 3 of each vessel I lead a pipe 10 whose opening to the
said chamber is at the level at which it is desired to maintain the liquid. This
pipe 10 is continued outside the vessel to a steam trap 11 of ordinary construction
which will allow the liquid to pass but will not permit of the passage of vapour;
beyond the steam trap 11 the pipe 10' is led into the lower chamber 5 of the next
vessel, or in the case of the last trap, to a withdrawing pump.
The pressure in the first vessel being greater than that in the next one, the liquid
in the first vessel will always flow into the next vessel until its level falls below the
inlet of the connecting pipe 10; at the same time, the trap will prevent the passage
of any vapour. In this way the excess of the feed to the first vessel beyond the
evaporation therein is automatically transferred to the next, and so on throughout
the series. In the case of the last evaporator of the series, the liquid is withdrawn
by a suitable withdrawing pump or montejus, which as before mentioned is connected
to the outlet 10' of the last trap.
The connection of the inlet ends of the pipes 10 to the respective upper
chambers 3 may in each case be conveniently effected by means of an external
casing or pocket 12 jointed to the side of the chamber and communicating therewith
by a lateral opening at the proper level; a stop cock 13 is fitted in each pipe to
close the communication at will.
The lower chamber 5 of each vessel is connected to the trap 11 by a pipe 14
controlled by a stop valve 15, which is closed when the apparatus is working
automatically, the pipe being used as an outlet to completely empty the vessels
when required.
The arrangements for withdrawing the water of condensation resemble generally
those already described with reference to the liquid undergoing evaporation, and
are shown in Fig. II. I fit a pipe 17 leading from the bottom of each middle
chamber 4 to a steam trap 18 of ordinary construction adapted to pass water but
not steam; beyond the trap the pipe 17¹ is led to the next middle chamber 4 of the
series and, in the case of the last vessel, to a withdrawing pump or a condenser.
In this way as the water accumulates in each middle chamber it is passed on to the
next, giving up part of its heat therein until it is ultimately withdrawn from the
apparatus.
Vacuum pipes 19 and 20 are fitted to the traps 11 and 18 respectively, these
pipes pass through the covers of the traps and are led to the upper chambers 3 of
succeeding vessels or to the condenser or other suitable vessel in which there is a
vacuum, the object of the vacuum pipes being to facilitate the flow of the liquid
into the trap and to exhaust the vapour which would otherwise lodge therein.
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. In combination with multiple effect apparatus as herein described, a pipe
leading from the upper chamber of one of the vessels at or about the level at which
it is desired to maintain the liquid therein and connecting the said chamber, through
a trap adapted to pass liquid but not vapour, to the lower chamber of the succeeding
vessel of the series, the upper portion of the said trap being connected to the vapour

page_text: space of said succeeding vessel or to a vessel in which there is a vacuum, sub-
stantially as described and illustrated.
2. In combination with multiple effect apparatus as herein described a pipe
connecting the bottom of the middle chamber of one of the vessels with the middle
chamber of the succeeding vessel, through a trap adapted to pass liquid but not
vapour, the upper portion of said trap being connected to the vapour space of the
said succeeding vessel or to a vessel in which there is a vacuum, substantially as
described and illustrated.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved multiple
effect apparatus, substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 9th day of July 1892
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, 26, Castle Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicant.
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, 26, Castle Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicant.