Improvements in the Treatment of the Gases from Coke Ovens for the Recovery of Bye-products therefrom, and in Apparatus for that Purpose.
Year: 1884

page_text: Improvements in the Treatment of the Gases from Coke Ovens
for the Recovery of Bye-products therefrom, and in Apparatus
for that Purpose.
I, HENRY SIMON of N° 20 Mount Street Manchester in the county of Lancaster,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for " IMPROVE⭑
MENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF THE GASES FROM COKE OVENS FOR THE RECOVERY
OF BYE-PRODUCTS THEREFROM, AND IN APPARATUS for tHẠT PURPOSE,” to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to coke ovens more particularly those known as the Simon-
Carves coke ovens, for which Letters Patent have been granted to me on the
28th June 1879, 1st February 1883 and 3rd September 1883, and provisional
protection dated 12th September 1884, wherein the combustible gases generated in
the coking chambers are first treated for the separation of tar and ammoniacal
liquor therefrom and are then used as gaseous fuel either for the coke ovens them-
selves or elsewhere.
According to the present invention, I subject the said gases before burning them
to a further treatment after removing the above mentioned bye products therefrom,
whereby I separate from them the light hydrocarbons which are still retained in a
gaseous form therein, and thus obtain these valuable bye-products in a commercial
form instead of allowing them to be burnt with the gases as heretofore.
For this purpose, I subject the gases to the intimate action of liquids that will
absorb or dissolve the said hydrocarbons therefrom, employing, by preference, for
this purpose, the heavy portions of the oils that are obtained from the distillation
of the tar, but I also employ any other suitable solvent or absorbent from which
the said hydrocarbons can be subsequently separated again by means of heat or
otherwise. The gases are, for this purpose, treated in any convenient form of
apparatus whereby they are brought into intimate contact with the liquid solvent
or absorbent, but by preference, I employ for this purpose, apparatus of the
following arrangement. The gas is first made to pass through scrubbers consisting
of upright cylinders of some height relatively to their diameter and which are
filled by preference with quartz pebbles or ganister of a very hard nature over

page_text: which the before inentioned heavy oils, entering at the top of the scrubber, are
made to flow in a downward direction, thus exposing very extended surfaces
moistened with the oils in intimate contact with which the coke oven gases,
entering at the bottom of the scrubber are made to flow in an upward direction.
I employ quartz-pebbles by preference because of their lasting qualities, not
possessed by coke or wood, and because, on account of their smooth surfaces, they
do not accumulate deposit, so as to require cleansing.
The oils are distributed over the top of the scrubber by means of spray pipes so
constructed as to be capable of removal when necessary and be cleaned out without
stopping the flow of the gas.
From the scrubber or scrubbers, the gas is caused to pass into one or more wash
boxes, consisting of a closed vessel divided by a partition into an upper and lower
compartment of which the former communicates with the gas pipe from the
scrubber, while the latter has an exit pipe or opening for the gas to issue to the
next wash box or other apparatus.
The lower compartment is charged with heavy oil and it communicates with the
upper one by means of a great number of small tubes passing down from the
partition and dipping into the oil, so that the gas entering the upper compartment
is caused by its pressure or by an exhaust at the exit of the lower compartment to
pass down the said tubes into the liquid of the lower compartment and in bubbling
up through the liquid it is made to give up a further quantity of the light hydro-
carbons to the same before escaping through the exit-pipe.
The wash-box is by preference made of cylindrical form and of two castings, the
upper compartment bring made in one casting with the partition and small tubes
and the inlet and outlet, and also having an opening in the top, through which n
supply pipe for the eavy oils passes down into the lower compartiment. This
latter. together with an overflow pipe or branch forms the second casting upon
which the upper one is bolted.
When two or more of these wash boxes are employed in combination, they are
so arranged that the heavy oils after having been cooled down are caused to enter
the first or highest wash box and to descend thence into the next lower one, and
so on, to the lowest or last one, while the gases coming from the scrubber are mado
first to enter the lowest or last wash box and to pass theuce successively through
the upper ones, to the highest.
The oil largely charged with the light hydrocarbons, flows from the last or
lowest wash box into a tank whence it is caused to flow into the before described
scrubber, so that by the above means, the gas richest in light hydrocarbons is
brought in contact with the oils that have already taken up most of the hydro-
carbons from the preceding quantities of gas, while the gas poorest in hydrocarbons
is brought into contact with oils that are entirely pure or that have taken up the
least quantity of hydrocarbons and thus I am enabled to effectually separate the
light hydrocarbons from the gases by means of a minimum quantity of oil, which
is very advantageous, as it consequently diminishes the expenditure of fuel for
subsequently separating the light hydrocarbons from the heavy oils by means of
hent.
In order to effect such separation, the oils charged with light hydrocarbons are
conveyed from a tank in which they are collected, into a boiler or still, where they
are subjected to such a heat as will volatilize the light hydrocarbons without
affecting the heavy oils.
This boiler or still consists by preference of a vertical cylinder heated either by
an internal steam coil or by an external fire or by the coke oven gases, and having
a pipe at top for leading off the hydrocarbon vapor and another pipe at bottom for
discharging the heavy oil when deprived of all the light hydrocarbon.
The hydrocarbon vapor, together with a certain quantity of watery vapor, which
is also disengaged, is led into a condensing worm, whence the condensed oil flows
through a glass pipe or funnel into a decantation tank having a vertical partition
with an opening at bottom and closed by a cover with hydraulic seal.

page_text: The oil flows in on one side of the partition and the condensed steam
accompanying it, being heavier, sinks to the bottom and passes through the
opening into the compartment on the other side of the partition, while the oil
reniains in the first compartment, whence it is caused to flow off into a storage
tank.
The water in the other compartment being to a certain extent charged with
ammonia liquor resulting from the first treatment of the coke oven gases. The
heavy oils from which the light hydrocarbons have been separated after being
cooled by being passed through a refrigerating apparatus of any convenient
arrangement, but by preference such as will be presently described, are then led
back to the first of tho before-mentioned wash boxes in order to take up a fresh
quantity of the light hydrocarbons from the gases.
The refrigerating apparatus consists by preference of a series of pipes arrangé:1
as a horizontal serpentine in pyramidal form over the top of which waterspray is
caused to flow, descending successively over the pipes below, while the oil is inade
to circulate through the pipes in an upward direction so that the coldest water is
in contact with the part of the serpentine containing the most cooled oil while the
water which has taken up most heat is made to act upon the hottest oil and thus
I effectually cool the oil with a minimum expenditure of water.
The heavy oils employed in the above described operation may be used over and
over again for a long time; they may from time to time be more completely purified
by any suitable distilling process.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant,
28, Southampton Buildings,
London, W.C.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, HENRY SIMON of No 20 Mount Street, Manchester in the county of Lancaster,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE TREATMENT OF GASES FROM COKE OVENS FOR THE RECOVERY OF BYE-
" and in what
PRODUCTS THEREFROM AND IN APPARATUS FOR THAT PURPOSE
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
.
My invention relates to coke ovens more particularly to those known as the
Simon-Carves Coke Ovens, for which Letters Patent have been granted to me on
28th June 1879, 1st February 1883, 3rd Septr 1883 and 12th Sept 1884, wherein
the combustible gases generated in the coking chambers are first treated for the
separation of tar and ammoniacal liquor therefrom and are then used us gaseous fuel
either for the coke ovens themselves or elsewhere.
According to the present invention, I subject the said gases, before burning them
to a further treatment after removing the above mentioned bye-products therefrom
whereby I separate from them the light hydrocarbons which are still retained in a
gaseous form therein, and thus obtain this supplement of valuable bye products
in a commercial form instead of allowing them to be burnt with the gases as
heretofore.
For this purpose, I subject the gases to the intimate action of liquids that will
absorb or dissolve the said hydrocarbons therefrom, employing for this purpose by
preference the heavy portions of the oils that are obtained from the distillation of
the tar; but I also employ any other suitable solvent or absorbent from which the
said hydrocarbons can be subsequently separated again by means of heat or
otherwise. The gases are for this purpose treated in any convenient form of
apparatus whereby they are brought into intimate contact with the liquid solvent
or absorbent, but by preference I employ for this object apparatus of the following
arrangement. The gas is first made to pass through scrubbers consisting of upright
cylinders of some height relatively to their diameter and which are filled by
preference with quartz pebbles or ganister of a very hard nature, or other suitable
materials over which the before mentioned heavy oils, entering at the top of the
scrubber, are made to flow in a downward direction, thus exposing very extended
surfaces moistened with the oils, in intimate contact with which the coke oven gases
entering at the bottom of the scrubber are made to flow in an upward direction.
I employ quartz pebbles by preference because of their lasting qualities, not
possessed by coke or wood, and because, on account of their smooth surfaces, they
do not accumulate deposit so as to require cleansing.
The oils are distributed over the top of the scrubber by means of spray pipes so
constructed as to be capable of removal when necessary and be cleaned out without
stopping the flow of the gas.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shews a vertical section of a scrubber
operating as above described. A is a cylindrical casing having a grid B a certain

page_text: distance from the bottom upon which rests the filling C of pebbles introduced
through the manhole D; E is the inlet for the gas to be treated, the outlet being
situated near the top on the opposite side of the casing. F are the perforated pipes
through which the heavy oil is distributed over the filling C, so that in trickling
down over the latter it is brought into intimate contact with the gas flowing
upward, so as to take up the light hydrocarbons therefrom, the oil being then led
away through the bent pipe G to the main H which conducts it to the next
apparatus. I is a manhole for removing the filling when requiring to be cleansed
from deposit.
From the scrubber or scrubbers, the gas is caused to pass into one or more
wash-boxes consisting of a closed vessel divided by a partition into an upper and
lower compartment, of which the former communicates with the gas pipe from the
scrubber, while the latter has an exit pipe or opening for the gas to issue to the
next wash box or other apparatus.
Fig. 2 shews a vertical section and fig. 3 a sectional plan on line X X of this
apparatus, consisting of the upper compartment J and the lower one K, separated
by the partition L.
The lower compartment is charged with heavy oil and it communicates with the
upper one by means of a great number of small tubes A passing down from the
partition L and dipping into the oil, so that the gas entering the upper compartment
at N is caused by its pressure or by an exhaust at the exit of the lower coinpart-
ment to pass down the said tubes into the liquid of the lower compartment and in
bubbling up through the liquid it is made to give up a further quantity of the light
hydrocarbons to the same before escaping through the exit pipe O.
The wash box is by preference made of cylindrical form and of two castings, the
upper compartment being made in one casting with the partition L and small
tubes M and the inlet N and outlet O, and also having an opening P in the top
through which a supply pipe Q for the heavy oils passes down into the lower
compartment. This latter, together with an overflow pipe or branch R and a
discharge pipe S, from the second casting upon which the upper one is bolted.
With this construction it will be seen that there is in the interior of the
apparatus no joint to be made nor any bolts, nor is there any part that can be out
of order, and that would require the working to be stopped to be put to rights
again, which is a great advantage.
When two or more of these wash-boxes are employed in combination, they are so
arranged that the beavy oils, after having been cooled down, are caused to enter
the first or highest wash-box and to descend thence into the next lower one, and
so on, to the lowest or last one, while the gases coming from the scrubber are made
first to enter the lowest or last wash-box and to pass thence successively through
the upper ones, to the highest.
The oil largely charged with the light hydrocarbons flows from the last or
lowest wash-box into a tank, whence it is caused to flow into the before described
scrubber, so that by the above means the gas richest in light hydrocarbons is
brought in contact with the oils that have already taken up most of the hydrocarbons
from the preceding quantities of gas, while the gas poorest in the hydrocarbons
is brought into contact with oils that are entirely pure or that have taken up the
least quantity of hydrocarbons and thus I am enabled to effectually separate the
light hydrocarbons from the gases by means of a minimum quantity of oil, which
is very advantageous as it consequently diminishes the expenditure of fuel and of
hand labour for subsequently separating the light hydrocarbons from the heavy oils
by means of heat.
In order to effect such separation, the oils charged with light hydrocarbons are
conveyed from a tank in which they are collected into a boiler or still, where they
are subjected to such a heat as will volatilize the light hydrocarbons without
affecting the heavy oils. This boiler or still consists by preference of a vertical
cylinder heated either by an internal steam coil or by an external fire or by the
coke oven gases, and having a pipe at top for leading off the hydrocarbon vapor

page_text: and another pipe at bottom for discharging the heavy oil when deprived of all the
light hydrocarbon. The arrangement of the tank, still and condensing worm is
shewn at Figs 7, 8 and 9, where is the tank and m the still.
When steam is employed, as is generally the case, for heating the still as described,
the generator for producing the steam may be heated either by an ordinary fire-
grate, or by the gas from the coke ovens or by the waste heat of the combustion
gases from the latter.
The hydrocarbon vapour together with a certain quantity of watery vapour,
which is also disengaged, is led into a condensing worin n, whence the condensed
hydrocarbons flow through a pipe, part of which is made of glass, into a decantation
tank shown to an enlarged scale in vertical section at Fig. 4 and plan at Fig. 5;
the tank T has a vertical partition T¹ with an opening at bottom and closed by a
cover T with hydraulic seal.
The hydrocarbons flow in through a pipe U on one side of the partition and the
condensed steam accompanying it, being heavier, sinks to the bottom and passes
through the opening into the compartiment on the other side of the partition, while
the hydrocarbons remain in the first compartment, whence they are caused to flow
off through the pipe U¹ into a storage tank. The water in the other compartment,
being to a certain extent charged with ammonia, is caused to pass through the
pipe U into the receptacle for ammoniacal liquor resulting from the first treatment
of the coke oven gases. The heavy oils from which the light hydrocarbons have
been separated, after being cooled by being passed through a refrigerating apparatus
of any convenient arrangement, but by preference such as will be presently
described, are then led back to the first of the before mentioned wash-boxes in
order to take up a fresh quantity of the light hydrocarbons from the gasos.
The refrigerating apparatus consists by preference of a series of pipes arranged
as a horizontal serpentine in pyramidal form over the top of which water spray is
caused to flow, descending successively over the pipes below, while the oil is made
to circulate through the pipes in an upward direction, so that the coldest water is
in contact with the part of the serpentine containing the most cooled oil, while the
water which has taken up most heat is made to act upon the hottest oil, and thus
I effectually cool the oil with a minimum expenditure of water.
The heavy oils employed in the above described operation may be used over and
over again for a long time; they may, from time to time, be more completely
purified by any suitable distilling process, if desired.
Figs. 6, 7 and 8 shew general elevations, and Fig. 9 a plan to a small scale of
the combined apparatus above described for extracting the light hydrocarbons from
the coke oven gases. The gases on passing from the water scrubbors and water
wasb-boxes, where the ammoniacal and other easily condensible constituents are
separated therefrom, first enter the bottom of the scrubbers a¹, of the before
described construction, from the top of which they pass through the pipes b, to the
bottom of a second scrubber a. From the top of this they pass through pipo e to
the oil wash-box d; thence through pipe e into a second oil wash box fat a higher
level, and from this through pipe g into a water-wash box h, from which they are
finally led away through the pipe i, to the ovens after having had the light hydro-
carbon constituents removed therefrom.
The heavy oils charged with light hydrocarbons proceeding from the wash-boxes f
are made to flow into the lower wash boxes d, and from these they are raised into
the tank that supplies the scrubbers a¹ and a³; on issuing from these, the oils are
allowed to flow into the storage tank, from which they are pumped into the
raised tank that supplies the stills m m. The light hydrocarbons given off from
these are condensed in the condensers n n and How thence into the separating
vessels T T from which they pass into the storage vessels o o.
The heavy oils from which the light hydrocarbons have been removed aro
conveyed from the stills to the tank p, from which they are conducted to the wash-
boxes f, in order to serve again for absorbing the light hydrocarbons, being however

page_text: in the first instance conducted through the coil of refrigerating pipes a cooled by
water spray in order to reduce them to the requisite low temperature.
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
1. The method herein described of separating the light hydrocarbon constituents
from coke oven gases wherein such gases, after purification from ammoniacal and
other easily condensible constituents, are subjected to the intimate action of heavy
oils or other liquids that will absorb or dissolve the light hydrocarbons therefrom,
such liquids being then heated or otherwise acted upon so as to separate from them
the light hydrocarbons.
2. In combination with the process for separating the light hydrocarbon
constituents from coke oven gases, the metho! of refrigerating the heavy oils after
distilling therefrom the light bydrocarbons, and then passing them back through
the wash boxes and scrubbers, whereby one and the same body of heavy oil is
nade to do duty repeatedly for separating the light hydrocarbons from the gases,
substantially as herein described.
3. The use of apparatus for separating the light hydrocarbon constituents from
coke oven gases, wherein the gas is first made to pass upward through scrubbers
having a filling of pebbles or ganister over which heavy hydrocarbon oil is made to
flow downwards, after which the gas is passed through wash boxes charged with
heavy oils, the oil employed for this purpose being first passed through the wash
boxes and then through the scrubbers, so that the oil which has taken up most of
the light hydrocarbons is brought in contact with the gas richest in light hydro-
carbons, while the gas poorest in light hydrocarbons is acted upon by oil which
has taken up least hydrocarbons substantially as herein described.
4. The use in combination with apparatus for taking up the light hydrocarbons
from coke oven gases referred to in the preceding claim, of a boiler or still for
separating the light hydrocarbons from the heavy oils, a condenser for liquifying
the light hydrocarbon vapours, a separator or decantation vossel for separating the
condensed hydrocarbons from the water accompanying them, and a refrigerating
coil for cooling the hot heavy oils before passing then back to the wash boxes and
scrubber for again serving to absorb the light hydrocarbons from the gases
substantially as herein described.
5. The construction of wash boxes combined and operating as herein described
with reference to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings.
Dated this 5th day of Mk. 100%