IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF AMMONIA AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Feldmann Doctor of Philosophy of Bremen,
German Empire for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF AMMONIA AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR,'
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Feldmann at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st August 1882.
ALFRED FELDMANN doctor of philosophy, of Bremen German Empire,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF AMMONIA AND IN APPARATUS
THEREFOR
"
This invention relates to improvements in the distilling of ammoniacal liquors;
especially the the ammoniacal water from the manufacture of gas, and similar liquids:
The apparatus employed according to the same belongs to the class known as
"column stills" its action, based on the employment of vapours in tension, is
continuous and allows of the recovery of the whole of the ammonia contained in
the liquor. My invention is chiefly a simple application of the column-system to
the obtention both of volatile and of non-volatile combinations of ammonia.
The apparatus consists of a "column" being a cylindrical vessel divided into
several compartments, one above the other, each connected with the one above and
the one below by pipes as will be readily understood. This "column" is erected
over the decomposing vessel or "analyzer " also of cylindrical form, and these are
combined with another "column" placed preferably by their side
The liquid to be distilled passes from a tank or reservoir placed at a suitable
height above the rest of the apparatus into a smaller tank (a little below the larger
one) the two tanks being connected by a pipe. The small tank is fitted with a
ball valve, or the like, maintaining a uniform level of liquid therein.so that the
ammoniacal liquid will flow into the first "column" (through a pipe fitted with a stop
cock) at a uniform rate Before entering the "column" the liquor passes through
a feed heater working on the principle of currents flowing in contrary directions,
the liquor rising through a coil in said feed heater. The liquor then arrives into
the uppermost compartment of the "column" and after traversing all the com-
partments of the "column" arrives into the decomposing vessel into which a pump

page_text: forces milk of lime at suitable intervals Into the lowermost compartment of the
first column steam is supplied by a pipe from the second "column
"
To more effectually mix the ammoniacal liquor and the milk of lime I place into
the decomposing vessel a steam recoil wheel ("Barkers mill") to which steam is
supplied from above by a suitable pipe. The action of this device is based on the
well known utilization of the recoil caused by the issue of a fluid from bent nozzles
on a series of pipes capable of rotating round a common centre, and effects, by
causing a whirling motion of the liquids, their thorough intermingling.
The pivot on which the recoil wheel turns can be adjusted by a wedge in, the
step for the same its top working in an eye in a suitable bridge.
To facilitate settling of the lime in the top of the decomposing vessel a sieve.
is provided in the upper part of said vessel and moderates the motion of the
liquid
The steam supply to the recoil wheel is so regulated that the ammoniacal liquor
when flowing into the second "column," is clear. The liquor is completely distilled
in the second "column" and is drawn off from the bottom compartment of the
same by a cock, a level indicator serves to allow,the drawing off cock to be properly
adjusted. The first "column" and decomposing vessel may if desired, be mounted
on the top of the second "column '
"
A pipe leads from the upper part of the first "column" to a leaden tank con-
taining sulfuric acid, and when sulfate of ammonia is to be produced the products
of distillation pass through said pipe into a leaden gasometer bell which is partly
immersed in the sulfuric acid. The gases, mixed with steam, such as carbonic acid,
sulfuretted hydrogen & cetera, collect in the upper part of the bell and are led
into the top of the feed heater where they are freed from aqueous vapour,' and
thence, through the bottom of the feed heater, are led under the grate of a furnace
whilst the condensed water is drawn off through a syphon pipe in the lower part
of the tube which conducts said gases to the grate. As already stated the
ammoniacal water flows downwards in the feed heater
The leaden bell and the supply of vapors in tension allows the ill-smelling
gases of this manufacture effectively to be collected. The employment of the bell
moreover allows the contents of the leaden tank to be at all times readily examined
in all its parts, to collect the salts and to supply fresh acid without allowing any
escape of the ill-smelling gases
If however the apparatus is to serve for producing" concentrated gaswater" the
steam from the top of the first "column" is led directly to the feed heater, and in
this case the syphon-pipe may be dispensed with, and a cooling-vessel for the
produced ammoniacal liquor provided.
All the pipes connecting the various parts are fitted with cocks or valves as may
be necessary
"

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Feldmann in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th January
1883.
ALFRED FELDMANN Doctor of Philosophy of Bremen German Empire:
"IMPROVEMENTS
THEREFOR"
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF AMMONIA AND IN APPARATUS
The apparatus represented in the accompanying drawings serves for distilling
ammoniacal liquids, viz the ammoniacal water from gas factories, bone-charcoal
factories, of putrid urine and so forth.
It is a column still and is based upon the employment of vapours in tension, it
works continuously and allows the ammonia contained in the liquor to be completely
recovered. The column system is applied in a simple manner to the recovery of
the volatile and non volatile ammonia compounds.
The apparatus consists of the column A Fig 1, situated above the decomposing
vessel B, and of the column C arranged side by side with the latter. The
ammoniacal water to be distilled passes from a tank or reservoir H, placed at
suitable height, through the tube o¹ into the vessel I. In this there is a ball cock
by whose action the level of the liquor in I will be maintained at a constantly
uniform height, a constantly uniform introduction of the ammoniacal water into
the column being thereby attained. From the vessel I the ammoniacal water.
passes through the tube o into the feed heater G, constructed on the principle
of counter currents, in this it passes through a coiled pipe from below upwards and
then passes by tube a into the upper compartment of the column A. From here
the liquor passes through overflow pipes uu in the bottoms of the several compart-
ments of the column A, downwards through a longer overflow pipe into the
decomposing vessel B. Into this a force pump P pumps at suitable intervals
through the tube c, an appropriate quantity of milk of lime. The tube c opens
into the exhaust tube of the vessel B, the said tube being provided with a stop
cock . In the upper part of the decomposing vessel B underneath the lower
division of the column A a steam pipe Z opens which conducts steam from the
column C to the column A
To induce complete intermingling of the ammoniacal water with the lime and to.
cause decomposition of the former by the latter a steam-recoil wheel d Fig 2 is
provided in the lower part of the decomposing vessel B, into which, wheel steam
can be driven from the top by a special steam pipe r. The effect of this wheel,
separately represented in Fig 2 of the drawings, is based on the well known
principle of Segner's Waterwheel or Barkers mill
Similarly there are, as will be seen by reference to the separate representation on
an enlarged scale of the arrangement, a number of horizontal arms d' d³ bent to an
equal curve at their free ends, these arms being at the lower end of the vertical
tubular part of the wheel rotating on a pin or pivot so that, when a jet of steam
arrives from tuber into the wheel rapid rotation thereof takes place by reason of
the reacting force of the issuing steam. From this it results that the mixture of
ammoniacal water and milk of lime receives a whirling motion and the issuing.
steam is thoroughly divided and enables the mass to be completely mixed and
decomposed. The lower pivot u of the recoil wheel d turns in a pan or step
which is vertically adjustable in the base plate v by means of the wedge w, whilst
the upper pivot u can be pressed against the eye (which serves as a bearing) in a
bridge piece of the tuber by tightening the said wedge so that wedge w serves as

page_text: .
an adjustment for the pivot bearings of the steam-recoil wheel. To enable the lime
stirred up by the steam wheel to settle more easily in the upper part of the vessel B,
a sieve bottom is provided at about two thirds of its height so as to impede the
movement of the liquid in this part.
The admission of steam to this recoil wheel is so regulated that the decomposed
ammoniacal liquor flows off clear from the decomposing vessel B through the over-
flow tube e into the column c. By this means a more regular re-utilization of the
excess of lime is also rendered possible. The steam is admitted into the lower part
of the column c through the tube h. The supply is regulated by the adjustment
of the cock h' according to the quantity and the strength of the admitted ammoniacal
water so that a distillate of even strength may be obtained in all cases.
When the decomposed clear ammoniacal water has passed from top to bottom
through all the compartments of the column C by means of overflow pipes arranged
in the bottoms of the several compartments it arrives completely separated into the
lowest compartment D of the column C wherefrom it can flow off by a cock f.
This cock can be properly adjusted by means of a level indicator g placed in the
bottom compartment D. The, arrangement may be such that the decomposing
vessel B with the column A are placed on the column C in which case the steam
from the top.compartment of column C is led away sideways.
From the upper part of the column A a tube k leads to a leaden tank E con-
taining sulphuric acid. Through this tube the products of distillation pass, when
the apparatus is to be used for manufacturing sulphate of ammonia, under a
gasometer bell of lead F hung in the box or tank E and dipping half into the
sulphuric acid therein. The gases which are mixed with aqueous vapour and are
not absorbed, such as carbonic acid, sulphuret of hydrogen and so forth, collect in
the upper part of the bell and pass through the pipe 7 into feed-beater G and
thence, freed from aqueous vapor, through a tube m leading from the bottom of
the feed heater, under the grate of a fire whilst the condensed water is led away
through n. It has already been mentioned that the ammoniacal liquor passes
through the feed heater in the opposite direction viz from bottom to top: By the
leaden bell in combination with the adjustable supply of steam under pressure the
collecting and disposal of the ill smelling gases which occur in the manufacture is
rendered feasible in an effective manner.
The use of a gasometer bell admits of the examination of the contents of the
leaden tank at all times and from all sides, the removal of the salt and the pouring.
in of fresh acid without permitting the ill smelling gases under the gasometer bell
to escape.
With the leaden tanks heretofore in use which have their lids simply
laid on or closed hydraulically, this is not possible without an escape of ill-smelling
vapours and consequently the use of several leaden tanks is necessary for continuous
working, whilst with the use of the gasometer bell above described only one tank
has to be used.
.
If however the apparatus is to serve for producing so called concentrated gas
water, the steam discharge pipe k is directly connected with the feed heater Gas
indicated in dotted lines at ki
In this case the valve 8 communicating with the box E is closed and the valve s¹
provided in the branch tube k is opened; the tube n is then dispensed with.
The outlet mat the bottom of the ammoniacal liquor is then connected with a
small cooling device as with strong ammoniacal liquors the cooling effected by the
fresh supply of ammoniacal water is insufficient.
Having now described my invention and the method of performing the same
I wish it to be understood that what I claim and desire to protect under the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is ;
-
The column-still for distilling ammoniacal liquors constructed as hereinabove
described with a decomposing vessel B of such height that precipitation of the lime
introduced in excess is therein, effected so that the decomposed liquid passes into
the column C free from the lime in suspension, the bottom compartment of which

page_text: decomposing vessel B separated by a sieve bottom q, contains the recoil wheel with
the bent arms d¹ d' rotated by the reaction of the issuing steam whereby whirls
are formed in the mass enabling the same to be thoroughly mixed and decomposed
substantially as set-forth.
In witness whereof I the said Alfred Feldmann have hereunto set my hand
and seal this thirteenth day of January in the year of Our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three
ALFRED FELDMANN. (L.S.)