Process and Apparatus for Purifying Gases from Dust.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application. 21st Sept., 1899
Complete Specification Left. 20th June, 1900-Accepted, 21st July, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Process and Apparatus for Purifying Gases from Dust.
We, SIEMENS BROTHERS & CO. LIMITED, of 12, Queen Anne's Gate, West-
minster, S.W., Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion (as communicated to us from abroad by Siemens & Halske Aktien Gesells-
chaft, of Markgrafen Strasse 94, Berlin, S.W., Electrical Engineers,) to be as
follows:-
The application of blast furnace gases to the working of gas motor engines has
hitherto always been subject to the difficulty that it has not been possible to free
the gases to a sufficient extent from the fine dust held in suspension in them, so
that imperfect action has always resulted in the motor engines on account of the
fine dust which penetrates into the engine cylinder.
The present invention has reference to a process and apparatus for purifying
gases from such exceedingly fine particles of dust, the process being applicable
not only to blast furnace gases but also to other gases that are used for working
gas motor engines.
The process is carried out in the following manner:
The gases to be purified are subjected to the action of steam, or water to be
converted into steam, assuming that they do not already contain sufficient aqueous
vapour. The gases are then cooled down to the dew point.
In this way a mist is produced in such manner that a mist globule surrounds
each suspended particle of dust. Means are then adopted for separating all these
mist globules before the gases pass to the motor engine.
The gas can by this means be freed from all particles of dust even those of the
very finest kind. The technically useful effect attained by these means is of the
greatest consequence for working gas motor engines, in which heretofore these
very fine particles of dust could not be previously removed. In the more empy-
rical methods heretofore employed for purifying gas by means of steam conden-
sation the essential feature of the present invention, namely the separation of the
whole of the mist globules, has not been employed.
In blast furnace gases which pass in a hot condition from the blast furnace,
the evaporating heat for the water to be supplied is already entirely or in great
part provided, in addition such gases also themselves contain aqueous vapour.
The working expenses of the process are in that case comparatively, small as no
great installation of machinery is required. The acids and salts contained in the
blast furnace gases are in great part precipitated with the mist globules and can
be employed as by-products. The cooling of gases to below the dew point is
effected in a simple manner by storing the gases in a gas holder which is cooled,
or by allowing them to expand, or by causing them to pass through a cooled con-
duit such as a worm.
In such cooled pipes the mist globules would be in great part at once pre-t

page_text: cipitated. The deposit of the mist globules can of course be accelerated by means
of filtering surfaces which need not be very fine. The process may also be carried
out by employing in place of water any other suitable body such as benzole which
would be of particular advantage in those cases which frequently occur where the
combustible gas employed is so poor in combustible constituents that after mix-
ing steam therewith they would not explode with sufficient certainty in the motor
cylinder. The admixture of vapour of benzole or mineral oil would in such cases
have the effect of increasing the explosive nature of the gases.
In the practical application of the process it is found that the separation of the
whole of the mist particles offers certain difficulties, as the very finest particles
are only precipitated if large filters, scrubbers, or the like are used. The special
arrangement hereinafter described avoids this difficulty, in as much as by the
supplemental supply of steam or water to the mist and repeated cooling thereof
the very fine mist particles are converted into larger particles the separation of
which can be effected in smaller apparatus.
We will describe this arrangement with reference to the accompanying dia-
grammatic drawing.
.
w to wl, are peculiarly formed trays fitted one within the other. Each tray has
at its underside a downward projecting rim r which fits into the tray below in
such manner that when this is filled with water a perfect hermetic closure is
effected by the rim. These trays are supplied from the top with cooling water
in such manner that the water contained in an upper tray flows over the projecting
edge of an opening into the tray below and so on, the flow being regulated by
regulating the quantity of fresh water supplied through the pipe at the top.
The blast furnace gases to be purified enter this system of trays at the bottom
through the pipe, the mixing pipe and the opening b¹ in the bottom of the
lowest tray. If the gases to be purified do not contain sufficient aqueous vapour,
more is supplied to them through the nozzle d. The requisite mixture is effected
in the mixing pipe m. From the gases flow through the space a¹ between the
trays w¹ and w² and they issue through the opening 2 into the tray w² and so on.
The water contained in these trays effects the condensation of the aqueous vapour
contained in the gases and as the wall surface of the spaces a are comparatively
large they also effect the separation of the principal part of the mist particles
produced, so that when the gases leave the lower set of trays through the open-
ing they only contain the more difficultly separated finest mist particles. The
gases containing these fine mist particles are then again mixed with steam in the
middle pipe m³, the steam being admitted through the nozzle d. The fine mist
will thereby be converted into mist consisting of larger globules. On the further
passage of the gases through the trays w to 10 which are also filled with water
the mist particles will increase in size by the further condensation and at the
same time they will also be separated by the large amount of wall surface of the
spaces in particular those of the uppermost trays. From the space between the
trays 10 and will the gases pass through the tube 72 to a filter or scrubber in which
any of the mist particles are separated that may not have been already separated
on their passage through the trays wo to 10. An apparatus of this kind has such
an effective action that in many cases it is not necessary to pass the
the pipe through a filter or scrubber. The funnel shaped pieces and 2 placed
gases from
in the mixing tube m¹ and m2 have the effect, in combination with the steam jets
issuing from the nozzles d' of propelling forward and mixing the gases on
their passage through the apparatus. A very powerful condensation can be
effected in the lower part of the apparatus consisting of the trays w¹ to w even
if the cooling water in these trays does not possess a very low temperature. It
is therefore only necessary to cause a portion of the cooling water flowing through
the trays to well into this lower part.
In the drawing an arrangement for this purpose is shown. By means of the
closing device which can be adjusted by ineans of a crank handle k, on the
right hand side of the tray w³, the water issuing from this tray is divided into

page_text: two parts in which the one part is led away through the pipe 5 while the other
part passes from into the lower trays.
This arrangement is particularly advisable if in the bottom tray wol a very con- .
siderable production of steam is desired to be effected by means of the heat con-
tained in the entering gases. By this means a saving of a special steam supply
is effected. It will be evident that in place of a two-fold condensation and for-
mation of mist particles and separation thereof these operations can be multi-
plied any number of times.
Dated this 21st dor of Cantamba 1900.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Process and Apparatus for Purifying Gases from Dust.
We, SIEMENS BROTHERS & Co. LIMITED, of 12, Queen Anne's Gate, West-
minster, S.W., Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion (as communicated to us from abroad by Siemens & Halske Aktien Gesells-
chaft, of Markgrafen Strasse 94, Berlin, S.W., Electrical Engineers,) and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
The application of blast furnace gases to the working of gas motor engines has
hitherto alway's been subject to the difficulty that it has not been possible to free
the gases to a sufficient extent from the fine dust held in suspension in them, so
that imperfect action has always resulted in the motor engines on account of the
fine dust which penetrates into the engine cylinder.
The present invention has reference to a process and apparatus for purifying
gases from such exceedingly fine particles of dust, the process being applicable
not only to blast furnace gases but also to other gases that are used for working
gas motor engines.
The process is carried out in the following manner:
The gases to be purified are subjected to the action of steam, or water to be
converted into steam, assuming that they do not already contain sufficient aqueous
vapour. The gases are then cooled down to the dew point.
In this way a mist is produced in such manner that a mist globule surrounds
each suspended particle of dust. Means are then adopted for separating all these
mist globules before the gases pass to the motor engine.
The
gas can by this means be freed from all particles of dust, even those of the
very finest kind. The technically useful effect attained by these means is of the
greatest consequence for working gas motor engines, in which heretofore these
very fine particles of dust could not be previously removed. In the more empy-
rical methods heretofore employed for purifying gas by means of steam conden-
sation the essential feature of the present invention, namely the separation of the
whole of the mist globules, has not been employed.
In blast furnace gases which pass in a hot condition from the blast furnace.
the evaporating heat for the water to be supplied is already entirely or in great
part provided, in addition such gases also themselves contain aqueous vapour.
The working expenses of the process are in that case comparatively small as no
great installation of machinery is required. The acids and salts contained in the
blast furnace gases are in great part precipitated with the mist globules and can
be employed as by-products. The cooling of gases to below the dew point is
effected in a simple manner by storing the gases in a gas holder which is cooled,

page_text: orby allowing them to expand, or by causing them to pass through a cooled-con-
duit such as a worm.
In such cooled pipes the mist globules would be in great part at once pre-
cipitated. The deposit of the mist globules can of course be accelerated by means
of filtering surfaces which need not be very fine. The process may also be carried
out by employing in place of water any other suitable body such as benzole which
would be of particular advantage in those cases which frequently occur where the
combustible gas employed is so poor in combustible constituents that after mix-
ing steam therewith they would not explode with sufficient certainty in the motor
cylinder. The admixture of vapour of benzole or mineral oil would in such cases
have the effect of increasing the explosive nature of the gases.
In the practical application of the process it is found that the separation of the
whole of the mist particles offers certain difficulties, as the very finest particles
are only precipitated if large filters, scrubbers, or the like are used. The special
arrangement hereinafter described avoids this difficulty, inasmuch as by the
supplemental supply of steam or water to the mist and repeated cooling thereof
the very fine mist particles are converted into larger particles the separation of
which can be effected in smaller apparatus.
We will describe this arrangement with reference to the diagrammatic draw-
ing accompanying our Provisional Specification.
to e, are peculiarly formed trays fitted one within the other. Each tray has
at its underside a downward projecting rim which fits into the tray below in
such manner that when this is filled with water a perfect hermetic closure is
effected by the rim. These trays are supplied from the top with cooling water
in such manner that the water contained in an upper tray flows over the projecting
edge of an opening b into the tray below and so on, the flow being regulated by
regulating the quantity of fresh water supplied through the pipe at the top.
The blast furnace gases to be purified enter this system of trays at the bottom
through the pipe, the mixing pipe m' and the opening in the bottom of the
lowest tray. If the gases to be purified do not contain sufficient aqueous vapour.
more is supplied to them through the nozzle . The requisite mixture is effected
in the mixing pipe m'. From the gases flow through the space a¹ between the
trays and wand they issue through the opening into the tray w² and so on.
The water contained in these trays effects the condensation of the aqueous vapour
contained in the gases and as the wall surface of the spaces are comparatively
large they also effect the separation of the principal part of the mist particles
produced, so that when the gases leave the lower set of trays through the open-
ing 3 they only contain the more difficultiy separated finest mist particles. The
gases containing these fine mist particles are then again mixed with steam in the
middle pipe m2, the steam being admitted through the nozzle d. The fine mist
will thereby be converted into mist consisting of larger globules. On the further
passage of the gases through the trays 5 to 10 which are also filled with water
the mist particles will increase in size by the further condensation and at the
same time they will also be separated by the large amount of wall surface of the
spaces a, in particular those of the uppermost trays. From the space between the
trays wand, the gases pass through the tube 2 to a filter or scrubber in which
any of the mist particles are separated that may not have been already separated
on their passage through the trays to w¹. An apparatus of this kind has such
an effective action that in many cases it is not necessary to pass the gases from
the pipe through a filter or scrubber. The funnel shaped pieces t¹ and 2 placed
in the mixing tube m' and m² have the effect, in combination with the steam jets
issuing from the nozzles d' of propelling forward and mixing the gases on
their passage through the apparatus. A very powerful condensation can be
effected in the lower part of the apparatus consisting of the trays w¹ to w, even
if the cooling water in these trays does not possess a very low temperature. It
is therefore only necessary to cause a portion of the cooling water flowing through
the trays to wll to flow into this lower part.

page_text: In the drawing an arrangement for this purpose is shewn. By means of the
closing device which can be adjusted by means of a crank handle k, on the
right hand side of the tray w³, the water issuing from this tray is divided into
two parts in which the one part is led away through the pipe while the other
part passes from into the lower trays.
This arrangement is particularly advisable if in the bottom tray w¹ a very con-
siderable production of steam is desired to be effected by means of the heat con-
tained in the entering gases. By this means a saving of a special steam supply
is effected. It will be evident that in place of a two-fold condensation and for-
mation of mist particles and separation thereof these operations can be multi-
plied any number of times.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. The herein described process for clearing from fine dust blast furnace and
such like gases for use in gas motors, by mixing them with steam or water to be
vaporised by their heat, then cooling the mixture to the dew point, thus freeing
them from the mist particles containing the dust.
.
2. Apparatus for carrying out the process above referred to, consisting of a
number of superposed trays containing water over which the foul gases mixed
with steam from jets are caused to pass, substantially as described with reference
to the drawings.
Dated this 90th day of Funa 100A
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.