IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONDENSING LIQUEFIABLE GASES AND CONDENSABLE VAPORS, AND FOR COOLING LIQUIDS
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Clark at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 24th November 1877. A communication
from abroad by Alexandre Ckiandi and Prosper Bertrand, both of Paris,
France.
WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONDENSING LIQUEFIABLE GASES AND
CONDENSABLE VAPORS, AND FOR COOLING LIQUIDS." [A communication from
abroad by Alexandre Ckiandi and Prosper Bertrand, both of Paris, France.]
This Invention relates to improved apparatus for condensing liquefiable gases and
condensable vapors, and also applicable for refrigerating liquids generally.
The principle of the apparatus is based on the complete subdivision of the gaseous
or liquid matters (which are very poor conductors of heat) into a number of
streams of infinitesimal size, whereby they are brought to the best possible con-
dition for being cooled, and consequently liquefied or condensed, by direct contact
with metallic surfaces.
In the apparatus employed the condensable vapors and liquefiable gases are caused
to traverse the meshes of a series of excessively fine wire gauze diaphragms arranged
at intervals within a tube. The vapors and gases are thus subdivided into an
infinity of small streams, whose diameter may be even less than a fourth of a
millimetre, and as the result of this subdivision is to bring these minute streams
into immediate contact with metallic surfaces, which are excellent conductors of
heat, it will be readily seen how rapidly the heat of the vapors and gases will be
transmitted from the centre of the streams to the refrigerating surfaces.
The accompanying Drawings give two examples only of the condensing apparatus
of this Invention, it being understood that both the arrangement and details may be
varied. The fatty bodies and other matters which may be carried along mechani-
cally with the gases are intercepted by means of purifiers provided with wire gauze.
diaphragms before passing to the condensers. The condensers are surmounted by
spherical receivers in which the gases are expanded in order to reduce their rate of
motion, and thus facilitate the deposit of any extraneous matters contained in the
gases or vapors after being purified.

page_text: The condenser in its simplest form is composed principally of a tube of cylin-
drical, conical, or other form, having a series of metallic wings or feathers disposed
around its exterior to increase its cooling capacity. The interior of the tube is
furnished with a series of metallic rings, upon which are placed the wire gauze
diaphragms intended for cooling the liquefiable gases and condensable vapors. The
rings should fit against the internal surface of the tubes as perfectly as possible.
Two forms of rings are shown in the Drawings, as herein-after referred to, one
being a divided ring so as to admit of its expanding, and so pressing tightly against
the inner surface of the tube. The discs, when foul, are easily removed from the
cylinder for the purpose of cleansing by introducing a piston at one end and forcing
them out, their places being supplied by others. The same arrangement of con-
denser is also applicable for cooling liquids, whether the latter circulates in the
interior or on the exterior of the cylinder.
Figure 1 shows a sectional elevation of a purifying apparatus, with chambers of
conical form, provided with wire gauze diaphragins. I, K, inlet for liquefiable gases
or condensable vapors to a depositing vessel; L, L, N, N', cocks for cutting off the
connection between each cone and the condenser when disconnecting the cones at
the joints M. M¹, and at the upper end N, N', for cleaning.
Figure 2 is a horizontal section of a purifying cone taken on the line A, B,
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a part sectional elevation of a condenser composed of three cylindrical
condensing chambers, and provided with a spherical expansion chamber P, seen also
separately in section in Figure 6; o, o, inlet pipe for the purified gases; o, a, gas
pipe passing into sphere P; d, receptacle for foreign matters; Q, Q¹, wire gauze
diaphragm for intercepting any particles which may not have been arrested by the
purifiers before the gas passes to the condensing chambers T, T¹; S, S¹, water
jackets surrounding the condensers T, T¹, and provided with removable covers at
top; e, e, metallic wings helically disposed, as shown also in plan in Figures 8 and 9,
upon the exterior of the condensers for increasing the cooling surface.
Figures 4 and 5 show separate views of the rings with gauze diaphragms
attached, one ring being of cupped form, and the other an expanding ring. These
diaphragms are disposed at short distances apart in the condensers T, T', the
resistance being variable, as also the gauze of the wire cloth employed, according to
the cooling effect to be produced; U, U, cold water inlet cocks.
The hot water collects in the dome or chamber at the upper part of the several
casings, and flows out through pipes S¹¹, shown in Figure 7, which is a sectional
plan on line C, D, Figure 3; R, R¹, R¹¹, V, V, V, cocks for cutting off the communi-
cation with either of the condensers for repairs or cleaning, without interrupting the
working of the others; X, recipient for the liquefiable gases, such as anhydrous,
sulphurous acid, or ammonia gas, or condensable vapors, such as those of methylic
or sulphuric ether, sulphide of carbon, or alcohol (used in the manufacture of ice);
Y, discharge cock; Figures 8 and 9 are horizontal sections of the condensers taken
on lines E, F, and G, H, Figure 3, respectively.
In the following Figures the same letters of reference are used to designate the
same parts, and the latter perform the same functions as in the foregoing apparatus,
except that liquids are made to circulate in the wire gauze chambers instead of
gases or vapors. Figure 10 represents a part sectional elevation of a refrigerator,
fitted with wire gauze diaphragms, and vertical pipes 0, 0, 0, for the circulation
of the liquids to be cooled, each refrigerating cylinder T, T¹, being enclosed in a
jacket S, supplied with cold water at a cock U; V, V, cocks for drawing off the
cooled liquids; Y, discharge cock for the thoroughly cooled liquids. The liquids
before being cooled are introduced by a pipe I, K, fitted with a joint and cock L
into a purifying cone M.
Figures 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 represent refrigerators having horizontal or
inclined tubes, in which is maintained a continuous circulation of the liquids to be
cooled, and likewise of the refrigerating liquids in the reverse direction. Figure 11
is a plan of one arrangement, with horizontal tubes, and Figure 12 a vertical

page_text: section of same; Figure 13 is a vertical section of a refrigerator with horizontal
tubes placed at successively lower levels; Figure 14 is a side elevation of a refri-
gerator with horizontal pipes; Figure 15 is a similar elevation of the refrigerator,
with the pipes inclined in the direction of their length. The liquids entering at
cock U circulate through the casings S, and pass from one to the next by the
vertical channels a, b, b; the wings e, e, of the vertical chamber T are in the
horizontal refrigerators replaced by discs e, e, placed eccentrically on the tube T,
and having a single wing or feather placed vertically on the upper side of the tubes
by which the discs are connected together. The tubes T of the condensers for
liquefiable gases and condensable vapors, as well as those of the refrigerators having
vertical tubes, are filled at bottom with cylindrical supports to maintain the wire
gauge diaphragms at a sufficient distance from the exit orifice. for the gas, vapor, or
liquid.