improved Apparatus for Froducing Carbonic Acid and other Gases.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 4th May, 1895
improved Apparatus for Froducing Carbonic Acid and other Gases.
We, OTTO ALIUS, of 241 Linienstrasse and MORITZ TREITEL of 11 Roonstrasse,
both in Berlin in the Empire of Germany, Merchants, 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 an apparatus for producing carbonic acid on a
large scale from limestone. The latter is roasted in a kiln and the carbonic acid
obtained, which is mixed with other gases, is brought in contact with cold potash
lye or other suitable liquid. The potash lye combines completely with the carbonic
acid whilst the other gases mixed with it, such as carbonic oxide, nitrogen and the
like, are not absorbed and escape. The lye is then heated and thus again gives off
the carbonic acid absorbed; which is caught, cooled and conveyed to the gasometer.
The lye is also cooled, after any losses which have taken place have been replaced,
and is returned to the absorption vessel.
This well known process has hitherto been carried out by the carbonic acid being
mixed with the lye by means of an agitating apparatus. In such process however
a not inconsiderable fraction of the carbonic acid remained unabsorbed and was lost.
The apparatus which forms the subject of this invention removes this drawback by
means of a jet-pump, through which the lye is passed several times, which pump
draws up the gases from the kiln, whilst a part (the amount of which may be
regulated) of the lye branches off, gives off the combined carbonic acid and is then
reconveyed to the remainder of the lyc.
Alternate
In the accompanying drawing is shown a sectional elevation of the apparatus by
means of which the process may be carried out in the manner just described.
Carbonic acid is produced by roasting limestone in a shaft furnace a.
layers of fuel and limestone are inserted through the charging hopper arranged at
the top of the kiln and after the kiln has been brought to a state of incandescence
in the usual manner, it is again tightly closed. The air necessary for combustion
enters from below. The carbonic acid obtained, which is diluted with carbonic
oxide from the fuel, nitrogen and perhaps also oxygen from the air draught, and
sometimes with other gases as well as flue dust and other solid impurities, is drawn
off at the top of the furnace. The vacuum necessary for this is obtained by means
of a jet-pump 6 hereinafter more particularly described. The mixture first passes
through one or more washing devices c c in which the solid impurities are separateck
out.
These washing devices are preferably funnel shaped and have their bottom
inclined to the outlets d, so that the mud deposited may be easily, and if desired
continuously, removed therefrom whilst the washing water runs in at the top.
From the washers the gases reach the jet-pump b. A stream of lye flows into
this pump from the nozzle and carries the gases with it into a pipe g. Instead of
the single nozzle shown on the drawing, several nozzles may be employed. The
lye consists of a solution of 105 parts of potash or some other suitable substance
which absorbs carbonic acid in 100 parts of water.
The pipe g is preferably bent
several times in order to produce a thorough admixture of the gases, and the liquid,
and opens into a de-aërating chamber which lies in the upper part of a water-
containing cooling-chamber i. There the absorption of the carbonic acid is
completed whilst the gases which render it impure escape through an exit k. The
lye charged with carbonic acid flows from the de-aërating chamber through a
preferably bent pipe into a pump l.

page_text: A rotary pump is shown on the drawing but any other suitable pump may be
equally well employed. The pump
I forces the lye through the lifting tube m, so
that it is still further cooled. It then again descends, passes through a coil in the
lower part of the cooling vessel i and rises completely cooled into a reservoir n.
In the latter the current divides. One part passes through the pipe o back to the
jet-pump b, and again describes the circuit course herein before described
absorbing fresh carbonic acid. Part of the lye however, the amount of which may
be suitably regulated by the regulating valve p, (say about a quarter or a half)
flows away through the pipe g. The carbonic acid absorbed is removed from this
part of the lye. For this purpose it passes through a preliminary heater r and two
boilers s¹s in which the lye is heated by means of steam heating coils.
.or
The hot lye gives off here all the carbonic acid absorbed, and afterwards passes
into a regenerating vessel t, where any losses which may have taken place are made
good by the addition of fresh potash or the like, and then passes through a cooling
vat u where it is cooled by means of water. The cold lye then returns to the
de-aërating chamber completing its circuit and rendering the lye therein contained
capable of absorbing fresh carbonic acid. The carbonic acid obtained in the
boilers flows through the pipes, (which are surrounded by cooling water) of a
preliminary cooling apparatus v arranged in the upper part of the boilers s's and
In order
is then thoroughly cooled down in the spiral coils of a cooling vessel w.
to remove any water of condensation contained, the carbonic acid then passes into
a water well and thence flows through the pipe y to the gasometer.
The condensed water obtained runs preferably through a pipe a' back to the lye.
It is also of practical advantage to connect all the various necessary water pipes
from a receiver or vessel to a water tower z.
The carbonic acid may be obtained in another way, for instance, by means of
chemicals, and this apparatus may be utilized therefor without essential modification.
The apparatus may also be utilized for obtaining other gases, employing instead of
the potash solution, another suitable liquid, which absorbs when cold the gas which
is to be obtained, and gives it off again when heated, but allows other gases, which
render it impure, to escape uncombined.
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
1. An improved apparatus for obtaining pure carbonic acid, or other gases by
the absorption of such gas or gases by means of a liquid which when cold absorbs
the same and when heated gives it off again, but allows foreign gases to escape
uncombined; consisting of a jet-pump (b), from the nozzle (f) of which said liquid
is discharged in such a manner as to absorb the gas, and become thoroughly
saturated therewith, a de-aërating chamber (h) from which the foreign gases escape,
a pump (1) by means of which the liquid is again further combined with the carbonic
acid obtained from lime or in other suitable manner (or with the other gases with
which the liquid is to be combined), the lye charged with carbonic acid or other
gas being forced into pure lye constantly flowing from cooling apparatus (u u), aud
a series of pipes through which the liquid is afterwards forced and in which at a
given point (n) the current is divided, one part returning to the nozzle of the jet-
pump and entering again into the circuit (or cycle of operations), whilst the other,
the quantity of which may be suitably regulated by means of a valve (p) is conveyed
to boilers (2) where it is freed from the absorbed gas which passes into the
gasometer, the remaining liquid after any losses have been made good, being cooled
in vessels (u u), and returned to the remainder of the lye, substantially as described
and illustrated.
2. In the apparatus described in Claim 1, the use of a repeatedly bent pipe (9)
as discharge pipe from the radiating pump for the purpose of thoroughly mixing the
gas with the absorbent fluid, substantially as described.
3. In the apparatus described in Claim 1 the use of washing devices cc (for

page_text: separating the flue dust and other solid impurities) consisting of funnel shaped
vessels with sloping bottoms (d) off which the deposited matter is run substantially
as described.
4. The special form of construction of the apparatus for producing carbonic acid
described in Claim 1, in which the carbonic acid produced by roasting limestone in
a shaft-furnace (a) is drawn off at the top of the latter, and after having been freed
from flue dust and the like by means of washing devices (c c), is drawn into a jet-
pump (6), is there encountered by a jet of potash solution, and is conveyed by a
curved pipe (Claim 2) into a de-aerating chamber (h) (which lies in a cooling
chamber ()) where the carbonic acid is absorbed, whilst the foreign gases escape at
an exit (k), after which the lye is forced by means of a pump (1) through a series
of cooled pipes into a reservoir (n) in which a separation takes place, a portion of
the lye returning to the jet-pump, and the remainder flowing off through a pipe (7),
a regulating cock (p), a preliminary heater (r), boilers (s¹ s³), a regenerating
vessel (t) and finally cooling vessels (u u) back into the de-aërating chamber (h),
whilst the carbonic acid released in the boilers (ss) is cooled in preliminary cooling
vessels (vv) and cooling vessels (ww), freed from the water of condensation in a
water well (x) and conveyed to the gasometer substantially as described and
illustrated.
This 10th
1005
Dated s
ML 1005
www
LLEWELYN JONES,
Of 5, South Crescent Chambers, Liverpool, Agent for the Applicants.
LLEWELYN JONES,
Of 5, South Crescent Chambers, Liverpool, Agent for the Applicants.