Improvements in Apparatus relating to the Manufacture of Chlorine.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 20th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 19th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 20th Apr., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus relating to the Manufacture of
Chlorine.
We, Jons BROCK, of Wellfield, Farnworth, Widnes, in the County of
Lancaster, Director of The United Alkali Company Limited, VERO CHARLES
DRIFFIELD, of Appleton, Widnes, aforesa'd, Engineer, ARTHUR CAREY, of
Gateacre, near Liverpool, in the said County, Chemist and GEORGE OGG, of
Albert Road, Widnes aforesaid, Clerk of Works, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
-
In the manufacture of chlorine by processes such as the Deacon process in which
mixtures of hydrochloric acid gas and air react upon each other in the presence of
what are known as catalytic or contact substances, hereinafter called the active
substance, the reaction is carried on in vessels or decomposers usually made of cast
iron, wrought iron or steel surrounded by brickwork, a flue space being left
between the brickwork and the metal shell of the decomposer for the circulation of
the fire gases used to heat up the apparatus and to maintain it at the required
temperature. As the hot gases from the fire rise in the surrounding flue, the
upper part thereof has a higher temperature than has the lower part, the vertical
column of active material will similarly vary in temperature and hence it is
impossible to maintain the entire mass of active material uniformly at that
temperature which yields the best results.
This difficulty is especially felt when the active material is gradually renewed,
as it becomes exhausted, fresh active material being put into the decomposer at
the top and an equal quantity of exhausted material being withdrawn from the
bottom.
The fresh active material is therefore subjected to the higher temperature at
the top of the decomposer and as it becomes older and less energetic it sinks down
to the cooler parts of the decomposer this is the opposite of that which is desirable
for efficient working as the older and less energetic material requires a higher
temperature than the fresh active material to produce the maximum effect.
This invention has for its object the better transfer of heat to and its distribution
throughout the column of active material and consists in the subdivision of the flue
space surrounding the decomposer shell into two or more divisions by means of a
horizontal partition or partitions. The flue spaces above and below the partition,
or in the case of using more than one partition, the space or spaces above below
and between the partitions are connected with the fire flue and the chimney flue in
such a way that either at the fire end or the chimney end each of the divisions of
the flue can be fitted with an independent damper so that a greater or lesser
quantity of the fire gases can at will be sent through either or any of the said
divisions.
The heating of the decomposer can thus be made much more uniform than
hitherto, and, if required, the lower part of the decomposer can be raised to a
higher temperature than the upper part.
Dated this 20th day of June 1901
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in Apparatus relating to the Manufacture of
Chlorine.
We, Jons BROCK of Wellfield Farnworth, Widnes, in the County of
Lancaster Director of The United Alkali Company Limited, VERO CHARLES
DRIFFIELD, of Appleton, Widnes aforesaid, Engineer, ARTHUR CAREY, of
Gateacre, near Liverpool, in the said County, Chemist, and GEORGE OGG, of
Albert Road, Widnes aforesaid, Clerk of Works, 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:-
In the manufacture of chlorine by processes such as the Deacon process in which
mixtures of hydrochloric acid gas and air react upon each other in the presence of
what are known as catalytic or contact substances, hereinafter called the active
substance, the reaction is carried on in vessels or decomposers usually made of east
iron, wrought iron or steel, surrounded by brickwork a flue space being left
between the brickwork and the metal shell of the decomposer for the circulation of
the fire gases used to heat up the apparatus and to maintain it at the required
temperature. As the hot gases from the fire rise in the surrounding flue, the
upper part thereof has a higher temperature than has the lower part and the
vertical column of active material will similarly vary in temperature and hence it
is impossible to maintain the entire mass of netive material uniformly at that
temperature which yields the best results.
This difficulty is more particularly felt when the active material as it becomes
exhausted is renewed gradually by charging periodically fresh active material into
the decomposer at the top and withdrawing an equal quantity of exhausted material
from the bottom of the decomposer.
The fresh active material is thus in the apparatus hitherto used subjected to the
highest temperature at the top of the decomposer and as it becomes older and less
energetic it sinks down to the cooler parts of the decomposer whereas it is desirable
for efficient working to have the older and less energetic material at a higher
temperature than the fresh active material.
This invention has for its object the better transfer of heat to, and its distribution
throughout the column of active material in the decomposer and consists in the
division of the flue space surrounding the decomposer shell into two or more
divisions or compartments by means of horizontal or approximately horizontal
partition or partitions. The Hue spaces above and below the partition (or in the
case of using more than one partition the space or spaces above below and between
the partitions) thus form separate compartments which are connected with the, fire
flue and the chimney flue in such a way that either at the fire end or the chimney
end each of these compartments can be fitted with an independent damper so that a
greater or lesser quantity of the fire gases can at will be sent through either or any
of the said compartments.
In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated in vertical section in Figure 1
and in horizontal section in Figure 2 an arrangement according to this invention
showing how it may be carried out in practice.
The lue space is here shown as being divided into two compartments but it may
be divided into more than two if desired. A. is the shell of the decomposur
and B is the brickwork enclosing the surrounding flue space as usual. C is a
horizontal mid-feather or partition dividing the flue space into two compart
ments X. Y. which respectively derive hot thue gases from the furnace through the
upper and lower flues marked D D'. By the dampers E the amount of heat
admitted to the respective compartiments X. Y. can be regulated. Fis the outlet
flue passing to the chimney, and c is an opening in the mid-feather to perinit

page_text: the waste gases from the upper partition reaching the chimney flue or each
compartment may have a separate passage to the chimney.
By means of these compartments the heating of the decomposer can be made
much more uniform than hitherto and, if required the lower part of the decomposer
can be raised to a higher temperature than the upper part.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :
In apparatus for use in the manufacture of chlorine by such processes as the
Dencon process, the division, by a partition, or partitions, of the flue space
surrounding the decomposer shell, into two, or more, separate compartments, or
spaces, each being in communication with the source of beat and with the chimney
by passages controllable by a damper, or dampers, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Dated this 18th day of March 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
Agents.