Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Sulphate of Ammonia and Liquid Ammonia.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 6th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 14th Oct., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Sulphate of
Ammonia and Liquid Ammonia.
I, ROBERT DEMPSTER, of the Firm of R. and J. Dempster, Gas Engineers,
Newton Heath, Manchester, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The improvements relate to the manufacture of sulphate of ammonia, and liquid
ammonia, and have for object a more effective means of separating ammonia from
the ammoniacal liquor than has hitherto been obtained.
In apparatus for this purpose, as at present for the most part employed, the
ammoniacal liquor, after passing through a heater, is caused to fall upon a series of
trays, placed one beneath another, and so arranged that, as the liquor in each
reaches a certain depth, it overflows into the tray below. The heated liquor is thus
enabled to offer a considerable evaporating area, so that the free ammonia therein
may escape.
Provision is made for the ammonia, and the steam which has been introduced
into the bottom of the still, to ascend through the whole series of trays, and, at the
top of the series, a pipe is provided to conduct such ammonia to the saturator.
As the liquor overflows from the last tray of the series, it is brought into contact
with hot lime, and, afterwards, the lime and liquor are passed through a second
series of trays; the effect of the lime being to release the fixed ammonia, which is
then passed into the saturator pipe, as before.
To render this process of ammonia separation more effective, and to accomplish
it
my improvements, I provide a casing divided into two compartments, or,
two casings, one above the other.
may be,
Within each of the compartments, I attach one or more vertical tubes, into the
lower end of which is introduced the nozzle of a steam pipe, the upper end of such
tube being formed with a perforated bell, or otherwise, so as to eject, in a thin
spray, any liquid forced through it; or, in lieu of the bell, a plate or plates may be
laterally mounted in connection with the top of the tube, so that the ejected liquor
may escape therefrom in a film or films.
The bottom of each of these tubes may be perforated, or otherwise formed with
passages, to allow the liquor to flow freely underneath, or it may be that a space is
left between the bottom of such tube and the floor of its casing, so that, when steam
is passed into the steam pipes, the vertical tubes act after the manner of an ordinary
steam ejector, and the liquor is discharged from the bell, or over the plate or plates,
in the form of a thin spray or film, which is most suitable for the ready evaporation,
or escape of the ammonia.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
The ammoniacal liquor, after leaving the heater, is conducted, by suitable means,
into the upper compartment or casing, where it is continuously sprayed, about the
upper part of such casing, by the ejector tube, the free ammonia escaping to the
saturator or saturators, by an outlet in the top of the apparatus.
When the liquor reaches a certain height in the upper casing, it overflows, by the
overflow pipe referred to, into the compartment beneath, where it is caused to
mingle with lime in a creamy condition, which is conducted into such lower
compartment by a separate pipe or pipes.
Here the liquor and milk of lime are drawn by the steam jet into the spray tube,
and discharged in a thin sheet, as in the former case; the action of the lime being
to set free the fixed ammonia in the liquor, and the spraying of the whole enabling

page_text: such ammonia to escape, by a tube, or otherwise, into the upper casing, whence it
may pass to the saturator or saturators as described.
Variations in detail may be made, such as in the form of the spray tube, which I
prefer to be such as not to eject the liquor in one unbroken sheet, but rather in a
number of sheets, between which the freed ammonia may readily rise and pass away
from the apparatus; and other variations may be made, without departing from the
- peculiar character of the invention.
Dated this 8th day of December 1892.
WILLIAM GADD, C.E.,
64, Barton Arcade, Manchester, Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Sulphate of
Ammonia and Liquid Ammonia.
1, ROBERT DEMPSTER, of the Firm of R. and J. Dempster, Gas Engineers,
Newton Heath, Manchester, 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 :-
The improvements relate to the manufacture of sulphate of ammonia, and liquid
ammonia, and have for object a more effective means of separating ammonia from
the ammoniacal liquor than has hitherto been obtained.
In apparatus for this purpose, as at present, for the most part, employed, the
ammoniacal liquor after passing through a heater, is caused to fall upon a series of
trays, placed one beneath another, and so arranged that, as the liquor in each
reaches a certain depth, it overflows into the tray below.
The heated liquor is thus enabled to offer a considerable evaporating area, so
that the free ammonia therein may escape. Provision is made for the ammonia
and the steam which has been introduced into the bottom of the still, to ascend
through the whole series of trays, and at the top of the series, a pipe is provided,
to conduct such ammonia to the saturator.
As the liquor overflows from the last tray of the series, it is brought into contact
with cream of lime, or other suitable alkaline solution, and afterwards the lime and
liquor are passed through a second series.of trays, the effect of the lime being to
release the fixed ammonia, which is then passed into the saturator pipe, as before.
To render this process of ammonia separation more effective, and to accomplish
my improvements, I provide a casing or vessel divided into two compartments, or it
may be two casings or vessels, one above the other.
Within each of the compartments, I attach one or more vertical tubes, into the
lower end of which is introduced the nozzle of a steam pipe, the upper end of such
tube being formed with a perforated bell, or otherwise, so as to eject, in a thin
spray, any liquid forced through it; or, in lieu of the bell, a plate or plates may be
laterally mounted in connection with the top of the tube, so that the ejected
liquor may escape therefrom in a film or films; or such plate or plates may be
perforated.
The bottom of each of these tubes may be perforated, or otherwise formed with
passages to allow the liquor to flow freely underneath, or it may be that a space is
left between the bottom of such tube and the floor of its casing, so that, when steam
is passed into the steam pipes, the vertical tubes act after the manner of an ordinary
steam ejector, and the liquor is discharged from the bell, or over the plate or plates,
in the form of a thin spray or film, which is most suitable for the ready evaporation
or escape of the ammonia.
The action of the apparatus
as follows:-
The ammoniacal liquor, after leaving the heater, is conducted, by suitable means,
into the upper compartment or vessel, where it is continuously spraved about the

page_text: upper part of such vessel, by the ejector tube, the free ammonia escaping to the
saturator or saturators, by an outlet in the top of the apparatus. When the liquor
reaches a certain height in the upper vessel, it overflows, by the overflow pipe into
the compartment beneath, where it is caused to mingle with lime in a creamy
condition, which is conducted into such lower compartment by a separate pipe or
pipes.
Here the liquor and milk of lime are drawn by the steam jet into the spray tube,
and discharged in a thin sheet, as in the former case, the action of the lime being
to set free the fixed ammonia in the liquor, and the spraying of the whole enabling
such ammonia to escape, by a tube, or otherwise, into the upper vessel, whence it
may pass to the saturator or saturators as described.
But that the improvements may be better understood, I will, with the aid of the
accompanying drawings, proceed more fully to describe means employed by me.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1, shows a vertical section of apparatus arranged in accordance with my
improvements, and Fig. 2, shows a sectional plan of the upper portion thereof,
while Fig. 3, shows a sectional plan of the lower part.
The same letters indicate corresponding parts wherever they occur.
a, b, are the two compartments or vessels, within which are attached the vertical
tubes c, and d, such tubes being formed or provided with perforations or openings
as at c, d, to allow of the free passage of the liquor therethrough; and alsɔ with
deflecting pieces, such as c³, d³, which spray out the liquid forced up the tubes, into
thin sheets.
e, f, are the steam nozzles, for forcing up the liquid, supplied with steam from the
pipes g, g, and h is a pipe which supplies the milk of lime to the lower compartment
or vessel.
The ammoniacal liquor enters the top compartment, by preference at a low level
thereof, through the pipe k, and being sprayed continuously, by means of the steam
jet, gives off its free ammonia, which passes, by means of the pipe l, to the saturator
or saturators.
When the liquor reaches a certain height within the upper compartment or
vessel a, it overflows, down the overflow pipe m, into the lower compartment or
vessel b, and is again sprayed, along with the milk of lime which is introduced
through the pipe h, and the fixed ammonia, thereby freed, is conveyed, through the
bent pipe o, into the upper vessel, and so through the pipe l, to the saturator or
saturators.
r, s, are connections to a secondary apparatus, where such is required, which may
be constructed of the ordinary character, or in accordance with the present
improvements; in which case, liquor in the compartment 6 overflows, at a certain
level, through the pipe r, into such secondary apparatus, and the further gas thereby
released, returns through the pipe s,, to escape to the saturator or saturators as
before described.
t, u, are baffle plates, provided, by preference, to prevent the spraying liquor from
unduly escaping into the overflow pipes r, and m; and is a sludge pipe for the
removal of refuse or sediment from the lower vessel b.
Suitable doors may be provided in the casings, if required, for cleaning the
apparatus.
Variations in detail may be made, such as in the form of the vessels a and b,
which may be square or polygonal, instead of round; also the form of the spray
tube, which I prefer to be such as not to eject the liquor in one unbroken sheet, but
rather in a number of sheets, between which the freed ammonia may readily rise
and pass away from the apparatus; likewise the arrangement of the pipes and
steam nozzles may be varied, and other variations may be made, without departing
from the peculiar character of the invention.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
In apparatus for the manufacture of sulphate of ammonia, and liquid ammonia,
the employment of one or more casings or vessels, or compartments of a casing or
vessel, each of which is provided with a spray tube and steain jet attachment; the
upper tube spraying ammoniacal liquor alone, and the lower spraying ammoniacal
liquor combined with milk of lime, caustic soda or other suitable alkalies, for the
purpose and in manner substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 5th day of September 1893.
WILLIAM GADD, C.E.
64, Barton Arcade, Manchester, Agent.