Improvements in and connected with the Treatment of Producer Gases and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Sept., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 28th May, 1900-Accepted, 7th July, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with the Treatment of Producer
Gases and Apparatus therefor.
We, EDWARD JAMES DUFF, Engineer, and THE UNITED ALKALI COMPANY
LIMITED, both of 30, James Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to effect greater efficiency and economy in
the treatment of the gases generated in gas producers more especially with
regard to the cooling of the gases, and the utilization of otherwise waste heat
therefrom.
The tar is separated and the ammonia recovered which may be done in the
usual manner by passing the gases from the producer upward through an
absorption tower containing material down over which acid is caused to flow.
The gases so deprived of tar and ammonia leave the absorption tower at the
upper part or top and are ready to be cooled before burning, and it is chiefly
to the construction and arrangement of cooling apparatus for this purpose that
To effect this cooling the
the improvements according to this invention relate.
gases on leaving the ammonia tower are first caused to traverse a horizontal
pipe, of special construction, as hereinafter described, and pass to the top of a
cooling tower which consists of any convenient number of superposed chambers
and preferably of two sizes arranged alternately.
Running vertically through each of the larger chambers are pipes arranged
round a central space the free ends of these pipes opening into the smaller
chambers above and below. In each smaller chamber, and flush with the divid-
ing wall between the chambers there is concentrically arranged a pipe and,
opposed to the open ends, of this pipe but some short distance from it, there are
placed in each larger chamber plates of somewhat greater diameter than the
pipe.
The action of this tower is as follows. The gases entering hot at the top
pass downwards through the pipes in the larger chambers, the various streams
reuniting and mixing in each of the intervening smaller chambers. In this
downward passage the gases are cooled by water which enters at the bottom of
the tower by means of the central pipe in the lowest of the smaller chambers.
On entering the larger chamber the water is deflected, by the plate placed
opposite the pipe exit, and it passes upwards between the vertical tubes which
serve to convey the gases. A similar deflection of the water takes place in
each large compartment since the water always enters these through the con-
centric pipe of the smaller chambers.
The gases thus deprived of their heat and of much of their water vapour,
pass away at the bottom of the cooling tower and are led through pipes, or
passages, to be burnt as required.
The water used for cooling the gases, has attained a high temperature by the
time it reaches the top of the cooling tower, and is conducted directly to the

page_text: top of a second tower (suitably packed) through which air is forced, it meeting
in its upward passage the hot water coming down. The mixture of air and
water vapour, so obtained, is conducted to the gas producer and gives rise to
the production of a further quantity of gas which is treated as herein before
described.
The pipe connecting the ammonia recovery and cooling tower is provided
with a series of baffle plates fixed at the sides and alternately at the top and
bottom to the walls of the pipe. There is also a similar arrangement where the
gases enter the ammonia absorption tower. When these pipes contain no
liquid the gases pass freely round the plates, but on the admission of water,
an effective lute is formed which the gases will not pass at the ordinary working
pressure. The first lute box is a double one, and according to which portion
is luted, the gases from the producer pass either to the ammonia recovery tower,
or, without traversing this, directly to the cooling tower. This arrangement
allows the ammonia recovery tower to be shut off for repairs, or other purpose,
without interfering with the production of gas.
Dated this 14th day of Santambor 1800
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in and connected with the Treatment of Producer
Gases and Apparatus therefor.
We, EDWARD JAMES DUFF, Engineer, and THE UNITED ALKALI COMPANY
LIMITED, both of 30, James Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, 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 follow-
ing statement:-
―
This invention has for its object to effect greater efficiency and economy in
the treatment of the gases generated in gas producers, more especially with
regard to the cooling of the gases and the utilization of otherwise waste heat
therefrom.
over
The tar is separated and the ammonia recovered which may be done in the
usual manner by passing the gases from the producer through a scrubber and
then upwards through an absorption tower containing material down
which weak acid is caused to flow. The gases, so deprived of tar and ammonia,
leave the absorption tower at the upper part, or top, and are ready to be cooled
before burning, and it is chiefly to the construction and arrangement of cool-
ing apparatus for this purpose that the improvements according to this inven-
tion relate. In the following description the accompanying drawings are
referred to, Figs. 1 and 2 being respectively an elevation and a plan shewing
diagrammatically an arrangement of apparatus according to this invention.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the interchanger or cooler and Fig. 4 a horizontal
section of the same on the line 4-4 Fig. 3.
The absorption tower is indicated at A. The gases on leaving the said tower
traverse a pipe and lute box B and pass to the top of a cooling tower C, which
consists of any convenient number of superposed chambers and preferably
different in size and arranged alternately.
Passing vertically through each of the larger chambers c, are tubes d arranged
round a central space e, the open ends of these tubes opening into the smaller
chambers 2 above and below.

page_text: In each smaller chamber c², and flush with the dividing walls between adja-
cent chambers, there is, concentrically arranged, a pipe f, and opposed to the
open ends of this pipe, but at a short distance from it, are placed, in each larger
chamber c, plates g. of somewhat greater diameter than the pipes f. The hot
gases entering at the top pass downwards through the tubes in the larger
chambers c, the various streams reuniting and mixing in each of the inter-
vening smaller chambers c². In their downward passage, the gases are cooled
by water which enters at the bottom of the tower by means of the central pipe f
in the lowest of the smaller chambers 2. On entering the larger chambers e
the water is deflected by the plates opposite the pipe exit and it passes up-
wards between and around the vertical tubes through which the gases are
passing. A similar deflection of the water takes place in each of the larger
chambers since the water always enters these through the concentric pipes f
of the smaller chambers c².
The gases, thus deprived of their heat, and of much of their water-vapour,
pass away at h from the bottom of the cooling tower C, and are conducted to
the place at which they are to be consumed.
The water used for cooling the gases has attained a high temperature by the
time it reaches the top of the tower C, and is conducted by the pipe f2 directly
to the top of a second tower D (suitably packed) through which air is forced
at d, the said air in its upward passage meeting the descending hot water.
The mixture of air and water vapour, so obtained, is conducted from the out-
let to the gas producer and gives rise to the production of a further quantity
of gas which is treated as herein before described.
The lute B in the pipe connecting the ammonia recovery tower A and the
cooling tower C is provided with baffle plates fixed at the sides and alternately
at top and bottom to the walls of the pipe B. There are also similar luting
arrangements below. When these lute boxes contain no liquid the gases pass
freely through the spaces beneath the plates, but, on the admission of liquid,
an effective lute is formed (by the liquid closing the spaces beneath the plates)
which the gases will not pass at the ordinary working pressure.
The first
lute box is a double one consisting of the portions 132 133, and according to which
one is luted (by liquid admitted by the pipes and valves ) the gases from the
producer pass either to the ammonia recovery tower A or, without traversing
this, directly to the cooling tower C, through the lute box 1 or, when this latter
and the lute box B are closed, then through the lute box B³ direct to the point
of consumption as required.
When the lute box B2 is open (that is not luted with liquid) and the lute
box B is closed (luted with liquid) the gas passes through the lute box B2 into
the absorption tower A and afterwards passes through the pipe and lute box B,
down through the cooling tower C, and out through the then-open lute box Bº,
at the back of the baffle plate b in the closed lute box B, to the exit X.
To put the absorption tower A out of operation the lute boxes B, B² and B³
are closed by liquid and the lute boxes 13 13 and 136 are opened by the removal
of liquid so that the gas will then pass only through the cooling tower C.
When both the absorption tower A and the cooling tower C, are to be put
out of operation the lute boxes B2 B3+ and B36 are closed by liquid and the lute
boxes B and B are opened by withdrawing liquid so that the gas will pass
from the inlet and in front of the baffle plate in the lute box B², directly to
the exit X. This arrangement allows the ammonia recovery tower or the cool-
ing tower or both to be shut off for repairs, or other purpose, without interfer-
ing with the production of gas.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is:-
1. The combination with gas producers of an interchanger of heat through

page_text: which the gases from the producer are passed and through which water is also
passed so that the water abstracts heat from the gases, and means for bringing
the water, thus heated into contact with air to produce a mixture of air and
water vapour, and means for passing the said mixture to the gas producer;
substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In combination with gas producers of an interchanger for cooling the gases
therefrom consisting of alternately arranged chambers, the alternate ones of
which are provided with tubes in communication with intervening chambers
provided with a passage for water into, and from, the first named chambers, and
with deflectors to cause the water to pass around the tubes through which the
gases pass; substantially as herein before described.
3. The combination with gas producers of an interchanger for cooling the
gases from the producer and for heating water, and a tower through which the
heated water from the interchanger passes the said tower being provided with
an inlet for air and an outlet for the mixed air and water vapour to the producer;
substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. In combination with gas producers, an ammonia recovery tower and an
interchanger for cooling the gases from the producer and a passage from the
producer, and luting arrangements consisting of depending plates with passages
beneath and means for admitting liquid into and discharging it from either.
of the said luting arrangements so as to close and open the said passages as
required substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 28th day of May 1900.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.