Nitrogen Gases from Atmospheric Air.
Year: 1888

page_text: Nitrogen Gases from Atmospheric Air.
We EDWARD BAUDOUIN ELLICE-CLARK of Connaught Mansions Victoria Street in
the City of Westminster Civil Engineer and LEONARD CHAPMAN of Connaught
Mansions aforesaid Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object to provide an apparatus whereby the obtaining of
oxygen and nitrogen gases from atmospheric air is much facilitated and more
economically worked. It refers to such a process as that known as the Brin process
as described in the Specification of Letters Patent No. 157 of 1885. The apparatus
consists of a boiler or shell in which is situated an inner chamber constituting a
furnace or several such inner chambers.
For the purpose of obtaining the maximum of efficiency in the minimum of space
and with as little supervision as possible we generally prefer to use three such inner
chambers in one outer shell and we will describe the Invention in that connection but
it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to that number.
The space between the inner chambers or furnaces and the outer shell constitutes a
water space and at top and bottom are chambers which are in communication with
the furnaces. Tubes pass through the water space and communicate with the said top
and bottom chambers. The top chamber constitutes a smoke box and has outlets or
chimneys for the escape of products of combustion. In the top plates of the furnaces
are openings in which are suspended retorts for the baryta used in the said Brin
process the said retorts passing down through the furnaces and lower chamber and
having at top and bottom inlet and outlet pipes for the passage of the air and gases
the connections with the pipes being made so that they can readily be disconnected
and a retort be withdrawn for repair or renewal without disturbing the others or
interrupting the process. The tops of the retoris are preferably covered by lids
analogous to those used for closing gas retorts. The heating medium is preferably
gaseous or liquid fuel and air which may either or both be pre-heated by passing
through a nine or passage in the smoke box.

page_text: The jets of gas or liquid fuel and air can be admitted at the upper end of the
furnaces and the products of combustion pass downwards into the lower chamber and
in contact with the lower plate of the water space up the tubes into the smoke box
and thence to the chimney or chimneys. Extra flames may be employed in the lower
chamber to maintain the heat when necessary.
The aforesaid mode of arranging the retorts can be applied to furnaces for the
production of oxygen and nitrogen from atmospheric air whether made with a water
space as described or not.
The retorts may be provided with supports for the baryta consisting for instance
of perforated dises or trays which may be mounted on a support passing down the
retort.
The top of the furnace which supports the retorts may constitute the gas and air
chambers for supplying the burners the chambers being preferably double with tubes
passing from the one for supplying gas these tubes being surrounded by the outlets
for hot air from the other chamber.
Sleeves pass through both chambers to constitute the orifices through which the
retorts are introduced.
The air which is supplied to the retorts for the obtainment of the oxygen and
nitrogen gases may be preheated by passing it through pipes or passages exposed to a
high temperature.
Dated this 13th day of March 1888.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agents.

page_text: Nitrogen Gases from Atmospherio Air.
We, EDWARD BAUDOUIN ELLICE-CLARK, of Connaught Mansions, Victoria Street,
in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer, and LEONARD CHAPMAN, of Connaught
Mansions, aforesaid, 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 :-
This Invention has for its object to provide an apparatus whereby the obtaining of
oxygen and nitrogen gases from atmospheric air is much facilitated and more
economically worked. It refers to such a process as that known as the Brin process
as described in the Specification of Letters Patent No. 157 of 1885.
The apparatus consists of a boiler or shell in which is situated an inner chamber
constituting a furnace or several such inner chambers. For the purpose of obtaining
the maximum of efficiency in the minimum of space and with as little supervision as
possible we generally prefer to use three such inner chambers in one outer shell and
we will describe the Invention in that connection but it is to be understood that we
do not limit ourselves to that number.
The space between the inner chambers or furnaces and the outer shell constitutes a
water and steam space and at top and bottom are chambers which are in communication
with the furnaces. Tubes pass through the water space and communicate with the
said top and bottom chambers. The top chamber constitutes a smoke box and has
outlets or chimneys for the escape of products of combustion. In the top of the
furnaces are openings in which are suspended retorts for the barium oxide used in
the said Brin process the said retorts passing down through the furnaces and lower
chamber and having at top and bottom inlet and outlet pipes for the passage of the
air and gases the connections with the pipes being made so that they can readily be
disconnected and a retort be withdrawn for repair or renewal without disturbing the
others or interrupting the process. The tops of the retorts are preferably covered by
lids analogous to those used for closing gas retorts. The heating medium is preferably
a mixture of gaseous fuel and air which may either or both be pre-heated by passing.
through a pipe or passage in the smoke box. The jets of gaseous fuel and air can be
admitted at the upper end of the furnaces and the products of combustion pass
downwards into the lower chamber and in contact with the lower plate of the water
space up the tubes into the smoke box and thence to the chimney or chimneys.
Extra flames may be employed in the lower chamber to maintain the beat when
necessary.
The aforesaid mode of arranging the retorts can be applied to furnaces for the
production of oxygen and nitrogen from atmospheric air whether made with a water
space as described or not.

page_text: The retorts may be provided with supports for the barium oxide consisting for
instance of perforated discs or trays which may be mounted on a support passing
down the retort.
The top of the furnace which supports the retorts may constitute the gas and air
chambers for supplying the burners the chambers being preferably double with tubes
passing from the one for supplying gas these tubes being surrounded by the outlets
for hot air from the other chamber.
Sleeves pass through both chambers to constitute the orifices through which the
retorts are introduced.
The air which is supplied to the retorts for the obtainment of the oxygen and
nitrogen gases may be pre-heated by passing it through pipes or passages exposed to
a high temperature.
And in order that our said invention may be fully understood we shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall, refer to the several
figures on the annexed sheets of drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a vertical section. Figure 2 is a part plan and part section on the
line CC. Figure 1 and Figure 3 is a half section partly on the line A A and partly
on the line B B Figure 1.
The furnace 1 is lined with fire-brick and encircled by the water space 2 which
has at top a smoke box 3 from which lead the chimneys 4. At bottom is the
combustion chamber 5 which also is lined with fire-brick and from which lead tubes 6
through the water space to the smoke box. The top of the furnace is formed by a
chamber containing two compartments 7 and 8 one above the other with sleeves
passing through them for the reception of the retorts 10 which rest by the stirrups
screwed on to their upper ends on the top of the chamber. The retorts are covered at
top by lids cach preferably secured as shewn by one screw through the stirrups.
From these covers lead pipes 11 opening into a general pipe 12 through which the
nitrogen is during the per-oxidization of the barium oxide conveyed away to the relief
valve through which it is blown off and escapes or is collected as may be desired.
The oxygen is during the de-oxidization withdrawn from the barium oxide in the
retorts by the same pipe which is then put in communication with the pumps which
deliver the oxygen into a gasometer or elsewhere as may be desired. The air for
peroxidizing the barium oxide is admitted at the bottom of the retorts after having
first been heated to a suitable temperature on its way from the pumps by being passed
through an air heating stove a suitable form of which is shown in vertical and
horizontal sections respectively in Figures 4 and 5 consisting of a brick chamber 13
provided with gas and air burners at 14 and with a coil 15 heated thereby through
which the air for the retorts is passed.
The lower parts of the stirrups 16 screwed on to the tops of the retorts are in the
form of a conical ring which rests upon a conical seating in the plate 17. The retorts'
lower ends preferably pass through holes in the bottom plate outside which the
connections are made they being conveniently effected by the curved conical end of
the air pipe 18 seating in the straight conical orifice 19 at the bottom end of the
retort and secured by the screw collar 20; this arrangement being drawn to a larger
scale in Figure 6.
The retorts are suspended upon the upper plate and in order to keep the lower ends
bight where they pass through the plate 21 and still allow for contraction and expan-
sion in the retorts we provide a circular plate (see detail view Figure 6) 22 situated
a short distance beneath the plate 21 and we place loose on the retort a ring 23
between which and the circular plate 22 we place a spring t which presses the upper
side of the ring 23 up against the packing p received in a groove in the edge of the
hole in the plate 21 through which the retort passes. The same arrangement is used
for all the retorts. 24 is a nut screwed on the contracted end of the retorts and
bearing on the plate 22. Although at the commencement of an operation the furnace
and the retorts may have been sufficiently cooled down the barium oxide inside the
retorts may owing to its bad heat conducting properties have been but slightly reduced

page_text: in temperature, we therefore prefer at the beginning of the per-oxidization to admit.
air direct from the pumps without passing it through the air heating stove.
With regard to the supply of gaseous fuel to the furnace it will be seen that the
inner wall 25 of the water space 2 together with the plato rings 26 and 27 form
annuli 28 and 29 the latter of which closed at its upper end receives the gas supply
at 30 and communicates at its lower end with compartments 7 while the annulus 28
which is also closed at its upper end forms a communication between the atmosphere
and compartment 8 by way of the heater in the smoke box 3.
From compartment 7 descend tubes 30 which pass through holes 31 in the bottom
of the lower compartment the said holes being of greater diameter than the external
diameter of such tubes and through the annular spaces thus formed enters the air for
supporting combustion of the gaseous fuel such air having been previously heated by
passing through tubular air heaters 32 in the smoke box 3. These air heaters consist
of boxes 33 and 35 into one of which the air enters through an opening 34 controlled
by a sliding door adjustable from below then passes by the tubes 32 into the box 35
and thence through the outlet 36 into the space 28 and to the burners. The heated
gases from the burners pass down the furnace in contact with the retorts which they
heat then into the combustion chambers and then up the tubes 6 into the smoke box 3
assisting in heating the water for generating steam on their way to the smoke box
where before being drawn into the chimneys they circulate around the tubes 32 of the
air heater.
At a lower level than the tube plate 37 at the bottom of the water space of the
boiler are supplementary burners 38 to allow of the heating of the water in the jacket
or the generation of steam being carried on independently of the burners at the top of
the furnace proper. These burners are supplied with gas and air respectively from
the two annular chambers 39 and 40 gas passing from the chamber 39 by pipes 38
passing through the air chamber 40 from which the air (which is received thereinto
by any suitable openings) passes by openings surrounding the pipes 38 and so mixes
with the gaseous fuel to support its combustion.
In order to maintain the barium oxide in a favourable condition for the air to pass
in contact with it and to enable the oxygen to be readily drawn off and the barium
oxide to be readily removed when required we suspend a rod 41 down the centre of
each rotort the said rod having fixed to it at intervals perforated discs 42 or trays
upon which the barium oxide rests.
We have described the lower ends of the retorts as passing through the bottom
plate but if the retorts do not so pass through tho said plate the introduction of air
may be effected by a tube passed down through the cover to near the lower end of
the retort. The rod supporting the aforesaid discs if made tubular and attached to an
air inlet on the cover will answer for this purpose.
We have shown one furnace only in the water space but to economise space we
prefer to use three furnaces each constructed as above described arranged in one
water jacket as shown in the arrangement Figures 7 and 8.
Figures 7 and 8 show an arrangement which we prefer to use when operating on a
large scale in order to give only one water level and pressure indicator to attend to.
Along each side of a boiler 43 (here shown as being an elephant boiler) we arrango
the vessels 44 constituting the water jacketting for the retort furnace or furnaces 1,
pipes 15 lead from the upper part of the water space of the boiler to cach of the water
jacketting vessels and return pipes 46 lead from each such vessel back to the boiler.
The furnace of each set of retorts is put in communication with the heating space of
the boiler by the passages 47 so that the products of combustion pass thereinto on
their way to the chimney.
30, 30, are the pipes leading the gaseous fuel to the furnaces as in Figures 1, 2
and 3. Valves are arranged on these pipes and on the water pipes 45 and 46 and
dampers are arranged in the passages 47 so that any furnace or set of furnaces can be
thrown out of action when required. In the arrangement of vertical retorts described
any retort can be conveniently withdrawn by undoing the connections at top and
bottom and drawing the retort upwards.

page_text: 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. In apparatus for obtaining oxygen and nitrogen gases from atmospheric air
retorts for the barium oxide suspended or supported vertically in the furnace
substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
2. In apparatus for the production of oxygen and nitrogen gases from atmospheric
air retoris for the barium oxide suspended or supported vertically in the furnace and
having their lower ends passing through a plate or division below and with the
communications with the interior of the retorts made outside the plate or division
substantially as herein before described.
3. In apparatus for obtaining oxygen and nitrogen gases from atmospheric air a
vertical retort chamber with burners at top substantially as described.
4. In apparatus for obtaining oxygen and nitrogen gases from atmospheric air the
arrangement of air and gas chambers and burners forming a support for vertical
retorts substantially as herein before described.
5. In combination with retorts for obtaining oxygen and nitrogen gases from
atmospheric air the rods carrying discs for supporting the barium oxide substantially
as herein before described whether the said rods be used as air inlets or not.
6. In apparatus for producing oxygen and nitrogen gases from atmospheric air the
arrangement of a furnace or furnaces with burners at the upper part and enclosed in
a water space with a combustion chamber at bottom with tubes or a passage or
passages through or in proximity to the water space and with or without a smoke box
at top substantially as liereinbefore described.
7. In an arrangement such as is claimed by the last preceding claiming clause
auxiliary burners at a lower level than the water space substantially as and for the
purpose described.
8. In an apparatus such as is herein before described and claimed the construction
of air tight joint for the retorts where they pass through the bottom plate or division
of the furnace that is to say a packing pressed into or against counter sinks or
shoulders around the retorts by glands or compressing rings pressing against the
packing by springs re-acting against discs supported by nuts secured to the nozzles of
the retorts substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 6.
9. In apparatus for the production of oxygen and nitrogen gases from atmospheric
air the combination of a stove or appliance for pre-heating the air before its
admission to the retorts containing the barium oxide substantially as hereinbefore
described.
10. The arrangement.and combination of parts as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
11. The arrangement and combination of parts substantially as and for the purpose
hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying
drawings.
: no.
1
1
1000