IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF SEWAGE AND OTHER LIQUIDS AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREFOR
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Young of Kelly, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Doctor of Laws for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Young at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th January 1883.
JAMES YOUNG, of Kelly, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Doctor of
Laws, "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF SEWAGE AND OTHER LIQUIDS AND
IN APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREFOR,”
This Invention which relates to Improvements in the treatment of Sewage
and other liquids such as refuse from the Beet-Sugar Manufacture in order to
obtain ammonia therefrom and in the apparatus to be used therefor is a development
of the Invention for which Letters Patent were granted to the said James Young
N° 3562, dated 27th July, A.D. 1882.
In treating Sewage according to part of the improvements described in the
Provisional Specification accompanying the Petition for the aforesaid Letters Patent
a partial vacuum is formed for the purpose of enabling the sewage to be boiled at
a low temperature.
Under the present Improvements the existence of this vacuum is utilized together
with the pressure of the atmosphere, as a means of forcing through the apparatus
the sewage or other liquid being treated therein for the purpose of separating
therefrom the ammonia and other products. This is effected by allowing the
atmosphere to act upon the ingoing Sewage or other liquid pressing on one side
of a piston against the vacuum and utilizing the motive power. thereby obtained to
force or draw the Sewage or other liquid being treated through the apparatus.
The Motive power thus produced by the difference in pressure of the atmosphere
without and the vacuum or partial vacuum within the apparatus may not be
sufficient to cause the necessary motion or flow of the liquid in which case it is

page_text: necessary to supplement the motive power which may be effected by any
convenient or suitable means.
Another feature of these improvements consists in collecting or separating the
ammonia from the steam at any point, where the steam has become wholly or
partially charged with ammonia, in its passage through the series of vessels or
boilers wherein the liquid is treated according to the aforesaid invention, thereby
enabling the steam to continue the separation of the ammonia during its further
passage through the apparatus. This is effected by bringing the steam containing
the ammonia in contact with Sulphuric or other acid in a closed vessel whereby the
ammonia is separated from the steam and the steam left free to act upon further
quantities of tho ammoniacal liquid.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by The Right Honorable Lyon Playfair, Robert Angus Smith and James
Duncan Executors and Trustees of the said James Young, deceased, in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th July 1883.
The Right Honorable LYON PLAYFAIR, C.B. and M.P., ROBERT ANGUS SMITH
LLD. and F.R.S. residing in Manchester and JAMES DUNCAN of Benmore in
the County of Argyll, Executors and Trustees of JAMES YOUNG, late of Kelly,
in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Doctor of Laws, deceased " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF SEWAGE AND OTHER LIQUIDS AND IN APPARATUS TO
BE USED THEREFOR"
This Invention, which relates to Improvements in the treatment of sewage and
other liquids such as refuse from the Beet-sugar manufacture in order to obtain
ammonia therefrom and in the apparatus to be used therefor, is a development of
the Invention for which Letters Patent were granted to the said James Young
N° 3562, dated 27th July, A.D. 1882.
In treating sewage according to part of the improvements described in the
Provisional Specification accompanying the Petition for the aforesaid Letters Patent,
a partial vacuum is formed for the purpose of enabling the sewage to be boiled at a
low temperature.
Under the present Improvements the, existence of this vacuum is utilized
together with the pressure of the atmosphere, as a means of forcing through the
apparatus the sewage or other liquid being treated therein for the purpose of
separating therefrom the ammonia and other products. This is effected by allowing
the atmosphere to act upon the ingoing sewage or other liquid pressing on one side
of a piston against the vacuum and utilizing the motive power thereby obtained to
force or draw the sewage or other liquid being treated through the apparatus.-The
motive power thus produced by the difference in pressure of the atmosphere
without and the vacuum or partial vacuum within the apparatus may not be
sufficient to cause the necessary motion or flow of the liquid in which case it is
necessary to supplement the motive power which may be effected by any convenient
or suitable means.
Another feature of these improvements consists in collecting' or separating the
ammonia from the steam at any point where the steam has become wholly or
partially charged with ammonia in its passage through the series of vessels or
boilers wherein the liquid is treated according to the aforesaid invention thereby
enabling the steam to continue the separation of the ammonia during its further
passage through the apparatus.-This is effected by bringing the steam containing
the ammonia in contact with Sulphuric or other acid in a closed vessel whereby the
ammonia is separated from the steam and the steam left free to act upon further
quantities of the ammoniacal liquid.
And in order that this Invention may be properly understood we now proceed
more particularly to set forth the system, mode or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference being had to
the accompanying Drawings and to the letters and Figures marked thereon, that is
to say :-
Figure 1, is a section of one form of engine which may be used in the carrying
out of this Invention.
L
Figure 2, is a section of another form of engine which may be used in the
carrying out of this Invention.
Figure 3, is a horizontal section of a part of the mechanism represented at
Figure 2.

page_text: If a complete vacuum oxist in the vessel A, the liquid will be forced into it by
the atmospheric pressure of 15 lbs. per square inch (in addition to any pressure
arising from difference of level) and in withdrawing it from the vessel, an equal
atmospheric pressure has to be overcome. If the outflow pipe from the apparatus
contain a column of water of perpendicular height sufficient. to balance this
'atmospheric pressure (generally about 33 feet) the liquid will flow from the vessel
without assistance; but whore this condition does not exist, a pump or some
similar appliance will be necessary to effect its withdrawal, and a part of the
present Invention consists in the application of the mechanism for working this
pump by motive power generated by the pressure of the atmosphere upon the
liquid entering the vessel, this effective working pressure being equal to the
difference between the pressure inside and outside of the vessel A.
In carrying this Invention into practice the atmospheric pressure is first
converted into motive power by causing it to work a water engine or a turbine
and the motion thus obtained is communicated to the pump by which the liquid is
withdrawn from another part of the apparatus.
Two methods by which this may be effected are shown on the accompanying
Sheets of Drawing on Sheet 1, of which is represented a water-engine with the
cylinder a, and piston b, placed upon the top of the vessel A, and through which
engine the sewago or other ammoniacal liquid is adimitted to the vessel A,-This
engine is connected in any suitable manner with the pump B, which is provided
for the withdrawal of the sewage or other liquid at the bottom of the apparatus.-
While working, the sewage or other liquid is admitted by the feed pump c, to the
valve chest d. This valve-chest d, cominunicate with the lower and upper portions
of the cylinder a, by the ports c, and f, respectively, and also with the vessel A, by
the pipe g, which passes round the back of the cylinder a, and serves both as an
exhaust-pipe and as a water-way between the cylinder a, nnd the vessel A-Tho
connections between the valve-chest d, cylinder a, and exhaust g, are regulated by
a slide-valve h, operated by the eccentric i, on the main shaft j-The slide-valve h,
is arranged so that when the piston b, is rising from the bottom to the top of the
cylinder a,.the lower port e, is open only to the valve-cliest d, and. supply pipe o,
while the upper port f, is open to the exhaust g, and consequently to the vessel A.-
The piston b, is accordingly forced upwards with a pressure of 15 lbs: per square
inch together with any additional pressure due to the height of the water in the
supply pipe and the lower portion of the cylinder fills with the liquid to be treated
in the vessel A.-On the piston b, reaching the top of the stroke the process is
reversed, the upper port f, connecting with the supply pipe c, and the lower with
the vacuum formed in the vessel A. The piston b, consequently discends and the
liquid below it passes through the exhaust pipe g, into the vessel A-The
reciprocal motion thus obtained is either communicated directly by a horizontal
beam to the pump B, by which the liquid is withdrawn from the bottom of the
vessel A, or indirectly (as represented on the accompanying Drawings) by
converting it into a rotary motion by means of the crank ki, and shaft, and thence
to the pump B, by means of the eccentric and eccentric rod m, or by any other
suitable means.
-
With reference to Figuros 2 and 3, Sheet 2; of the accompanying Drawings, the
mechanism there shewn constitutes a turbine which may be used in the place of
the water-engine herein last described. It consists of an outer reservoir n, commu-
nicating, with a lower chamber o, containing a number of curved partitions p, (as
represented in horizontal section at Figure 3). This portion of the apparatus,
that is to say the chamber o, and with it the partitions p, is held in position by
any suitable means and the hollow wheel q, divided, by the partitions ; curved in
the opposite direction to that in which the partitions p, are curved, is keyed or
otherwise suitably secured to the vertical shaft a-This wheel q,is. supported. in
such a manner that it may rotate round the chamber. o, with its inner circumference
close to, but not touching the outer circumference of the chamber o.-A vacuum
being obtained in the vessel A, and the sowage or other liquid to be treated, intro-

page_text: º, and
duced into the reservoir n, it is forced by a pressure of 15 lbs. per square inch,
that is to say the pressure of the atmosphere (in addition to any pressure due to
the depth of the vessel) through the curved compartments of the chamber
the incoming sewage or other liquid is thereby projected with the same force
against the opposing curved partitions r, of the wheel -This causes the wheel q.
to revolve and the motion thus produced is transmitted by the vertical shaft s, and
by means of the bevel wheels t, to the horizontal shaft j, and thence to the pump B,
as herein before described with reference to the pump B, represented at Figure 1.-
It is to be understood that the two forms of apparatus herein described and shewn
on the accompanying Drawings are only illustrative of the manner in which the
Invention may be carried out.-Any other known form of water-engine, Barkers
Mill or Turbine, by means of which water pressure is converted into mechanical
motion, may be applied for the carrying out of these improvements.
It is also to be noted that unless there is on the whole a considerable fall which
can be taken advantage of in passing the liquid through the apparatus, the motive
power obtained in the way described will require to be supplemented from some
other source, owing to the unavoidable loss of power experienced in transmission.
Another Improvement upon the original process of treating sewage or other
aminoniacal liquid by steam in vacuo, and constituting another part of this inven-
tion, consists in extracting the ammonia from the steam at one or more points in
its course through the apparatus, when this latter consists of a series of separate
vessels through each of which the steam passes consecutively.
It is found by experiment that in a vacuum so complete that water will boil at
a temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit it is difficult to cause steam to take up
more than (one eighthundredth) of its weight of ammonia from sewage or
other liquid containing only three and a half grains of ammonia per gallon. It is
advisable therefore when the steam approaches this point of approximate saturation
(which will vary according to the temperature and strength in ammonia of the
liquid operated upon) to extract the ammonia from it, and return it to its original
state of efficiency, thereby largely reducing the actual quantity of steam required.―
This is effected by bringing the steam in contact with acid, or any body which will
absorb or combine with ammonia so as to render it non-volatile.-Sulphuric acid
being well suited to the purpose in the use of which Sulphate of Ammonia is
formed and the steam purified for further use.
This operation may be conducted in any of the forms of apparatus described in
the two previous Specifications of the said James Young, N° 3562, and Nº 4659,
A.D. 1882, for bringing sewage into contact with steam.-The acid may be placed
in a closed vessel similar to one of those shewn in the Drawing accompanying the
Specification N° 3562; A.D. 1882.—With a steam inlet pipe dipping below the
surface of the acid and a steam outlet pipe from the top of the vessel, thus causing
the steam to bubble through the acid. Or, as may be preferable, any of the forms
of shelf-tower or coke-tower represented on the drawings accompanying the
Specification No 4659, A.D. 1882, may be used. In this case the acid is introduced
continuously at the top of the tower and flows through it in a downward direction
while the steam is led in at the bottom and drawn off at the top of the tower
deprived of its ammonia.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and the system, mode or manner in or under which the same is or may
be used or practically carried into effect, it is to be observed in conclusion that the
carrying of it out is not limited to the precise form or detail herein before described
and shewn on the accompanying Drawings, as the same may be varied in many
ways without departure from the Invention, but what is considered to be novel
and original and therefore claimed as the Invention secured, by the hereinbefore in
part recited Letters Patent is :-
First. In the process for treating sewage and other liquids containing ammonia
as described in the hereinbefore mentioned Specifications, the application of the

page_text: motive power, produced by the pressure upon a liquid entering a vacuum, to
withdrawing the same liquid from the vacuum substantially as herein described.
Second. The use of apparatus substantially such as herein described for the
above purpose.
Third. In the above mentioned process of treating, sewage, the extraction of b
ammonia from the steam at one or more points in its passage through a series of
vessels substantially as herein described.
Fourth. The use of apparatus substantially such as herein described for the
above purpose.
In witness whereof I the said James Duncan have hereunto set my hand and 1
seal this' eighteenth day of July, in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.
1
JAMES DUNCAN (L.B.)