Improvements in and Apparatus for Enriching Gases by Liquid Hydrocarbons.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Sept., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 22nd June, 1895-Accepted, 27th July, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Apparatus for Enriching Gases by Liquid
Hydrocarbons.
I, PAUL DVORKOVITZ of Devonshire Chambers, 16 Bishopsgate Street
Without, in the City of London, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention to be as follows: —
My invention has for its object to provide means whereby gases, such as
coal gas more especially, or other gases used for lighting and heating purposes,
can be very efficiently enriched by liquid hydrocarbons. According to my
invention the liquid hydrocarbon is caused to pass down through a vessel
in which it forms successive layers and the gas to be enriched, is caused
to pass through these layers in succession, the gas being, if necessary,
previously heated to a temperature necessary to allow it to efficiently take up the
enriching constituents from the liquid hydrocarbon as it passes therethrough, the
gas when enriched passing off from the enriching vessel at a temperature low
enough to prevent its subsequent deterioration. The apparatus for carrying my
invention into effect I prefer to arrange in the form of a tower, or cylinder,
divided, by a number of horizontal partitions, into a number of compartments,
in which are orifices, in which are inserted pipes perforated at their upper parts
and covered by caps. These pipes and caps are so arranged that they stand
up into the layer of liquid hydrocarbon which is supported upon each partition
the caps descending around the said pipes so that they leave but a small space
between their lower edges and the upper surface of the partition. The liquid
bydrocarbon flows into the upper compartment and descends, by overflow pipes
from compartment to compartment until it finally leaves the apparatus at the lower
part thereof.
The supply and overflow pipes are arranged to project to within such a distance
from the partitions at their lower ends and to such a distance bove the partitions
at their upper or inlet ends that the requisite depth of hydro-carbon (preferably
just sufficient to reach about the tops of the caps) is maintained upon the
partitions. In the lowermost compartment is the gas inlet the said lower compart-
ment being provided preferably with a steam coil, or other means, for heating the
incoming gas, which passes up the short pipes in the first partition then through
the perforations in the said pipes and down between the exterior of the pipes and
the interior of the caps and then up through the layer of hydrocarbon on the
partition. Thence the gas passes similarly through the next series of perforated
pipes and down between them and their caps and up through the layer of hydro-
carbon on the next partition and so on until the gas reaches the outlet efficiently
enriched and at a lowered temperature sufficient to ensure that it retains permanently
the enrichment which it has acquired.
Dated the 22nd day of September 1894.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C., Agents.

page_text: Improvements in and Apparatus for Enriching Gases by Liquid
Hydrocarbons.
I PAUL DVORKOVITZ of Devonshire Chambers. 16. Bishopsgate Street Without
in the City of London Chemist do hereby declare the nature of my invention and
in. what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described. and
ascertained in and by the following: statement:-
My invention has for its object, to provide means whereby gases such as coal gas,
more especially, or other gases used for lighting and heating purposes can be very
efficiently enriched by liquid hydrocarbons. According to my invention the liquid
hydrocarbon is caused to pass down through a vessel in which it forms successive
layers and the gas to be enriched is caused to pass through these layers in
succession the gas being if necessary previously heated to a temperature necessary
to allow it to efficiently take up the enriching constituents from the liquid hydro-
carbon as it passes therethrough, the gas when enriched passing off from the
enriching vessel at a temperature low enough to prevent its subsequent deterioration.
The apparatus. for carrying my invention into effect I prefer to arrange in the
form of a tower, or cylinder divided by a number of horizontal partitions, into a
number of compartments, in which are orifices in which are inserted pipes perforated
at their upper parts and covered by caps: These pipes and caps are so arranged
that they stand up into the layer of liquid hydrocarbon which is supported. upon
each partition, the caps descending around the said pipes so that they leave but a
small space between their lower edges and the upper surface of the partition.
The liquid hydrocarbon-flows into the upper compartment and descends by overflow
pipes from compartment to compartment until it finally leaves the apparatus at the
lower part thereof.
The supply and overflow pipes are arranged to project to within such a distance
from the partitions at their lower ends and to such a distance above the partitions
at their upper or inlet ends that the requisite depth of hydrocarbon (preferably
just sufficient to reach about the tops of the caps) is maintained upon the
partitions.
In the lowermost compartment is the gas inlet the said lower compartment
being provided preferably with a steam coil or other means for heating the
incoming: gas; which passes up the short pipes in the first partition then through
the perforations in the said pipes and down between the exterior of the pipes and
the interior of the caps- and thien up through the layer of hydrocarbon on the
partition:
Thenoe the gas passes similarly through the next series of perforated pipes and
down between them and their caps and up through the layer of Hydrocarbon on the
next partition and so on until the gas reaches the outlet efficiently enriched and at
a lowered temperature sufficient to ensure that it retains permanently the enrichment
which it has acquired:
Figure of the accompanying, drawing is a vertical" section of an apparatus.
constructed according to my invention for enriching gas.
Figure 2 is a half plan and half horizontal section of the same and
Figure 3 is a vertical section drawm to a larger scale, through one of the pipes
and covering caps through and beneath which the gas passes.
A is the: casing or shell of a tower containing trays B arranged at suitable
distances apart one above another: In the bottom of each tray are a number of
openings a each opening being surmounted by a tubular projection shewn clearly
in Figure 3 closed at its upper end by a cap C provided with two downwardly
projecting concentric rims ec² the inner rim c fitting the interior of the tubular

page_text: projection 6 whilst the outer rim c² is of sufficient diameter to form an annular
spaced between the interior thereof and the outer surface of the tubular pro-
jection b. The rim is of sufficient length to extend to within a short distance
from the bottom of the tray. Near the upper end of the tubular projection b are
holes or perforations d opening into the annular space d. Liquid hydrocarbon is
admitted by a pipe D onto the uppermost tray of the series and overflows onto the
next tray below by a pipe E the upper end of which pipe stands up above the
bottom of the tray to a beight equal to the depth of hydrocarbon liquid required
to be retained on the tray. In like manner the hydrocarbon flows in succession
from one tray to another any excess of liquid flowing from the bottom tray through
a pipe E. The depth of liquid retained on each tray should be such as to reach
to nearly the top of the caps on the tubular projections on the trays. The gas to
be enriched enters the space or chamber beneath the lowermost tray by the
passage G in which space or chamber there may be provided a steam coil as shewn
at F to beat the gas as it enters. The gas passes from this chamber into the
tubular projections 6 and through the perforations d therein into the annular
spaces d and thence beneath the lower edge of the rims c² into the space or chamber
between the said lowermost tray and the next tray above the gas having been
caused to pass through the liquid hydrocarbon contained on the said lowermost
tray. In like manner the gas passes upwards through each tray and liquid con-
tained therein in succession and finally passes from the apparatus through an
outlet G¹ enriched by the hydrocarbon liquid and at a temperature sufficiently low
to ensure its enrichment being retained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the apparatus for
effecting the enrichment by liquid hydrocarbons of coal gas, or other gases used
for lighting and heating purposes substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
2. In apparatus for enriching by liquid hydrocarbon coal gas or other gases
employed for lighting and heating purposes, a series of trays, each tray to contain
a layer or depth of liquid hydrocarbon, and the bottom of each tray having holes
therein each surmounted or surrounded by a tubular projection perforated near the
upper end and closed at top by a cap or cover having a rim dipping into the liquid
hydrocarbon contained in the tray so as to cause the gas to pass through the liquid
hydrocarbon substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
Dated this 22nd day of June 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOA,
Agents.