IMPROVEMENTS IN MIXING GASES WITH LIQUID AND SEMI-LIQUID MATTERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF EVAPORATING AND PRESERVING OR DEODORIZING THE SAME, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Adalbert, Baron de Podewils, of Munich, in the Kingdom
of Bavaria, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MIXING GASES WITH
LIQUID AND SEMI-LIQUID MATTERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF EVAPORATING AND
PRESERVING OR DEODORIZING THE SAME, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN."
Sealed the 28th November 1879, and dated the 17th June 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION loft by the said Adalbert, Baron de Podewils,
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th June 1879.
ADALBERT, BARON DE PODEWILS, of Munich, in the Kingdom of Bavaria.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MIXING GASES WITH LIQUID AND SEMI-LIQUID MATTERS FOR
THE PURPOSE OF EVAPORATING AND PRESERVING OR DEODORIZING THE SAME,
AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
This Invention relates to a method of evaporation which consists in driving warm
or heated gases through the matters to be evaporated, whereby very large evapora-
tive surfaces are obtained, and therefore relatively considerable quantities of liquid
may be evaporated in small apparatus. If the boiling point of the liquid matters
under treatment be an especially high one the dry gases will saturate themselves
quickly with moisture, a rapid evaporation, or rather vaporization, taking place
without the phenomenon of boiling necessarily appearing.
The heat of the gases can therefore be utilized down to very low temperatures,
and evaporation also becomes possible for fluids which undergo chemical decomposi
tion at a boiling temperature. The kind of gases to be driven through the matters
to be evaporated depends upon the nature of the latter.
As a rule, hot air or the smoke of ordinary fuel, such as wood, peat, or coal, will
be employed. According to the more or less complete combustion setting in by the
mixing of smoke with the fluid a chemical effect besides mere mechanical evaporation
will be produced by the fluid absorbing constituents of the smoke having conserva-
tive properties. The most complete chemical effect will be obtained by the distilla-
tion (coking) of ordinary fuel. The employment of smoke, arising from the incom-
plete combustion or from the distillation (coking) of ordinary fuel is to be especially
recommended for materials liable to putrefaction and giving off noxious gases and
pernicious water of condensation during the evaporation.

page_text: For the conservation and eventual evaporization of foeces, sewage products, and
liquid refuse of all kinds from towns, including trades refuse, the mixture of smoke
with such matters is especially adapted. The treatment of fœces is rendered so
productive, the solid matter is dissolved so completely, and the preservation is so
uniform, that it is hardly possible to attain the same results with other methods of
preservation and other mechanical contrivances. The faces also lose their repugnant
form without the necessity of evaporating the whole of the watery contents, and the
fumigated mass possesses the appearance and smell of tar.
It may now be demonstrated for an important material, .e., the faces, how the
same may be preserved, evaporated, and completely dried according to the method
of this Invention.
The entire method of treatment has been compiled according to the following
points of view -
1. The foeces are preserved by being mixed with smoke, and are evaporated to
any desired degree of concentration, and are afterwards either preserved in this state
and utilized, or a slow vaporization is caused in drying apparatus through which
warm air passes.
2. For heating this air the gases and vapors proceeding from the evaporating
apparatus are used, which are condensed in an air heating apparatus.
The vapor absorbed by the warm air in the drying apparatus can be repeatedly
employed for heating the air, being capable of giving off its heat of evaporation by
being condensed.
3. All gases and vapors originating only from the mass already preserved are for
this cause nearly scentless, and especially also hygienically harmless, and are brought
together in one conduit, which removes thein entirely from the neighborhood by
means of high chimneys, so that it is rendered possible to establish such process
within cities.
The faces are, firstly, pumped through a pipe into a closed reservoir, where they
are subjected to a preliminary fumigating process by the action of a gas mixing
apparatus consisting of a number of horizontal radiating tubes revolved on a vertical
axis in the reservoir by mechanical power. The gases are conducted into the said
apparatus through the hollow axis, and issue by apertures in the radial tubes.
These apertures are not situated at the lowest edge of the horizontal radiating tubes,
but a little towards the rear side of the same. These tubes dip into the fluid in the
reservoir, and are turned in the direction opposed to that of the gases issuing from
the apertures, an exhausting effect being produced whereby the gases are enabled
to pass easily through the fluid. The smoke employed for this purpose may be
taken from the steam engine furnace, and passes by a pipe into the tubular axis of
the gas mixing apparatus. The escaping gases pass out with the exhaust vapors of
the main gas mixing apparatus. The fumigated mass passes from the said reservoir
into a tubular boiler, where it is warmed by the exhaust gases and vapors from the
main fumigating apparatus, into which it then enters. The latter consists of a
vertical boiler containing the fire box, the vapors and gases from which pass through
a gas mixing apparatus into the fluid mass contained in said boiler.
This gas mixing apparatus consists of a number of tubes dipping into the fluid
mass in the boiler, and pendant from a cap upon the chimney of the said fire box,
and capable of being rotated by mechanical power. The gases rise through the
chimney into the cap and then pass through these bent down tubes, and escape by
flattened orifices at their lower ends, which are bent backwards at right angles into
the mass subjected to the process of distillation.
By the revolution of the pendant tubes, first, the gases are thoroughly mixed with
the mass; secondly, the gases are uniformly distributed through the mass; thirdly,
the apparatus serves as a stirrer; and lastly, an exhausting effect is produced by
the revolution of the apparatus in a direction contrary to that of the air issuing from
the pipes, whereby, if a sufficiently high velocity be imparted to the apparatus, the
gases may alone be drawn in or forced through comparatively high columns of fluid
by means of fans without using any cylinder blowing engine.
8

page_text: With this mixing apparatus agitators are connected, causing a constant movement
in the mass. Air is supplied beneath the fire grate by means of a fan. By a suit-
able regulation of the air supply and construction of the fire grate all possible stages
of combustion are attainable from a mere coking, combined with the use of dry
products of distillation, for preserving to a nearly complete combustion. The gases
and vapors escaping from the mass pass off by a flue into the tubes of the boiler
above mentioned. The mass, after being inspissated to the desired degree and
fumigated, passes through a syphon into a refrigerator D, in which it falls upon a
series of inclined planes; air entering simultaneously near the lower part of the
refrigerator passes upwards through the same, and leaves by a pipe at top. In this
manner a further vaporization of the water and a partial refrigeration of the mass
is effected. The mass passes out of the refrigerator D through a pipe at bottom,
whereby it is conducted into a system of branch or distributing tubes provided with
stop valves, after which the mass is distributed alternately in drying chambers, in
order to be completely dried by hot air passing through the same.
The drying
apparatus consists of rectangular chambers containing a large number of horizontal
shelves, which, while fitting closely to the side walls, are joined alternately to the
front and back walls, thereby compelling the air passing through to follow a zig-zag
direction. The air circulating in these drying chambers enters the different com-
partments by branch tubes beneath, and after passing up in a zig-zag direction
through the chambers escapes and returns through tubes at top back into a portion
of the air heating apparatus. To these exhaust tubes the air exhaust pipe from the
refrigerator is also connected. The air circulation for the different drying chambers
is regulated by stop valves.
The air heating apparatus is divided into two portions, of which one may be
called the preliminary heater. The heating of the air takes place in this apparatus,
in the first place by the gases and vapors, leaving the first and second fumigating
apparatus eventually by the exhaust steam of the steam engine; and, secondly,
they are joined in the preliminary heater by the gases and vapors from the drying
chambers and the refrigerator, by which a preliminary heating of the air is effected.
The heated gases circulate through a series of coils or zig-zag tubes surrounded by
the air to be heated. In order to ensure a complete circulation of the air a great
number of partitions are provided in this apparatus.
The gases and vapors completely cooled are drawn off from the air heater by an
exhaust fan and discharged into a chimney. In this manner all gases and vapors
generated in the whole apparatus are collected in a completely closed system,
entirely cooled, and removed through the chimney.
The matters to be dried may be placed in horizontal cylinders instead of in
rectangular chambers, as above described, which cylinders may be rotated by
mechanical power. The cylinders should be rather less than half filled with the
matters, and the hot air or smoke is introduced through one hollow journal and
discharged at the other. The mass is kept constantly agitated by the rotation of
the cylinder, and as the interior remains constantly moist the heated gases passing
through become saturated with moisture. Other matters, such as soot, may also be
5 mixed with the faces in the cylinders, for which purpose pendant chains and balls
are provided in the cylinder to act as stirrers and ensure an intimate mixture of the
soot with the other matters.
Steam is used to heat the cylinders, which are steam jacketted for the purpose.
The arrangement when cylinders are employed instead of rectangular chambers
b would be as follows:-The cylinders are contained in a closed space, the gases and
vapors from the drying apparatus being passed between hollow casings of said
cylinders, whence they pass to a hot air apparatus composed of a series of pipes, in
which the heating gases circulate for heating the surrounding air. The air thus
heated is introduced into the space in which the revolving cylinders are enclosed,
5 and becomes still further heated by contact with the heated steam jackets of said
cylinders, after which it is caused to pass in at one of the hollow journals and out

page_text: at the other. The air thus saturated in its transit with vapors then unites
with the vapors circulating in the hot air apparatus, and serves for the preliminary
heating of new air, and therefore pass through this matter.
Lastly, it may be shortly demonstrated how the manufacture of poudrette may
be combined with the production of coal gas; the products of distillation arising 5
from heating the material serving for the gas manufacture are driven through the
foeces in a fuinigating apparatus by means of a gas mixing apparatus.
The really preservative elements of the gas mixture are thereby absorbed and
condensed, and the coal gas passes off together with the aqueous vapors generated
by the foeces. The aqueous vapors are afterwards condensed, the coal gas being 1
purified in the usual manner.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Adalbert, Baron de Podewils, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th December 1879.
ADALBERT, BARON DE PODEWILS, of Munich, in the Kingdom of Bavaria.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MIXING GASES WITH LIQUID AND SEMI-LIQUID MATTERS FOR
THE PURPOSE OF EVAPORATING AND PRESERVING OR DEODORIZING THE SAME,
AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN.'
"
My Invention relates to a method of passing warm or heated gases through liquid
or semi-liquid matters to be evaporated, whereby very large evaporative surfaces
aro obtained, and relatively large quantities of liquid may be evaporated in small
apparatus. If the boiling point of the liquid be especially high the dry gases will be
quickly saturated with moisture, a rapid evaporation, or rather vaporization, taking
place without the phenomenon of boiling necessarily occurring.
The heat of the gases can therefore be utilized down to a very low point, and I
am enabled to evaporate fluids which are chemically decomposed at a boiling tempera-
ture. The kind of gases used depends upon the nature of the matters to be evaporated.
As a rule hot air or the smoke of ordinary fuel, such as wood, peat, or coal will
be employed. According as the combustion of the fuel is more or less complete, a
chemical effect is produced by the mixing of smoke with the fluid, which absorbs
certain constituents of the smoke having disinfecting properties. The most
complete chemical effect will be obtained by the distillation (coking) of ordinary
fuel. The employment of smoke arising from the incomplete combustion or from
the distillation (coking) of ordinary fuel is to be especially recommended for
materials liable to putrefaction and giving off noxious gases, and pernicious water
of condensation after the evaporation.
For the disinfection and evaporation of faces, sewage products, and liquid refuse
of all kinds from towns, including trades' refuse, the mixture of smoke with
such matters is especially adapted. The treatment of foeces is rendered so
effective, the solid matter is dissolved so completely, and the disinfection is so
uniform, that it is hardly possible to attain the same results with other methods
and other mechanical contrivances. The faces also lose their repugnant form
without the necessity of evaporating the whole of the watery contents, and the
fumigated mass possesses the appearance and smell of tar.
I will now describe how foeces may be disinfected, evaporated, and completely
dried according to the method of this Invention.
(1.) The feces are disinfected by being mixed with smoke, and are evaporated to.
any desired degree of concentration, and are afterwards either preserved in this
state and utilized, or are subjected to a slow process of vaporization in drying appa-
ratus, through which warm air passes. (2.) This air is heated by the gases and
vapors from the evaporating apparatus, which are collected and condensed in an air
heating apparatus. The vapor absorbed by the warm air in the drying apparatus can
be also employed for heating the air, and by parting with its heat is condenseri.
(3). All gases and vapors emanating only from the already disinfected mass are
nearly inodorless and quite innoxious; they are brought together in one flue, and
entirely carried off by high chimneys, so that this process may be carried on in
towns without causing any nuisance.
In order that the Invention may be more readily understood, I will proceed to
describe it with reference to the annexed Drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical
longitudinal section, and Figure 2 a plan of part of the apparatus comprising the
fumigating and evaporating apparatus; Figure 3 is a cross section of Figure 1;
Figures 4 and 5 are details; Figures 6 and 7 are a sectional elevation and plan

page_text: of the entire apparatus; and Figure 8 is a section of a horizontal drying cylinder
to be used in lieu of the drying chambers in Figures 6 and 7. The fœces are
firstly pumped through a pipe a into a closed chamber A, and thero subjected
to a preliminary fumigation by means of an injecting apparatus M³, consisting
of a number of horizontal tubes radiating from a vertical tubular axis passing
through the top of the chamber, and rotated by mechanical power. The gases enter
from tube b through the hollow axis, and issue at apertures 21, 22, in the radial
tubes situated not quite at the underside but a little towards the rear side of the
radial tubes. These tubes dip into the liquid mass, and aro rotated in the opposite.
direction to that of the issuing gases, an aspirating or exhausting effect being pro-
duced, whereby the gases are enabled to pass easily through the liquid. The smoke
employed may be taken from the steam engine furnace. The escaping gases pass
out by a pipe c into a fluo b. The fumigated mass passes from chamber A through
a tubular boiler B into the principal fumigating apparatus C, being warmed in its
passage through the former by the gases and vapors passing out from the latter.
The apparatus C consists of a vertical boiler containing the fire box d, the pro-
ducts of combustion from which are injected into the fluid mass contained in said
boiler.
This injecting and mixing apparatus M' consists of a number of vertical tubes
x1, x2, dipping into the fluid mass in the boiler, and pendant from a hollow cap upon
the chimney of the fire box d capable of being rotated by mechanical power. The
gases rise through the chimney into the cap, then pass down through these
tubes x, x, and escape into the liquid mass by flattened orifices y¹, y, at the
lower ends of the tubes, which are directed horizontally backwards, as shown in
Figure 5.
By the revolution of the pendant tubes the gases are thoroughly mixed with and
uniformly distributed through the entire mass. The apparatus serves as a stirrer,
and an aspirating effect is produced on the gases by the revolution of the apparatus
in a direction contrary to that of the issuing gases, as indicated by the arrows,
Figure 5, whereby alone if the velocity be sufficiently high, or with the assistanco
of fans, the gases may be exhausted or forced through comparatively high columns
of liquid without using any cylinder blowing engine. The apparatus is also pro-
vided with agitators e, e, which cause a constant movement in the mass. Air is
supplied beneath the fire grate by means of a fan through the pipe m. By a suitable
regulation of the air supply and construction of the fire grate all possible stages of
combustion are attainable, from a mere coking or distillation to a nearly complete com-
bustion. The gases and vapors escaping from the mass pass off by a flue f through the
tubes g', g, g, of the boiler B into the flue t. The mass after being fumigated and
inspissated to the desired degree, passes through a syphon, Figure 3, into a.
refrigerator D, in which it falls upon a series of inclined surfaces i', k', i, l², air
entering at the same time through a pipe at bottom, passes upward through the
refrigerator, and leaves by a pipe n at top, whereby a further vaporization of the
water and a partial refrigeration of the mass are effected. The mass passes out
through a pipe o at bottom, and is conducted into a system of branch or distributing
tubes p', p, Figure 6, provided with stop valves s², 8, whereby it is distributed in
drying chambers E, E¹, alternately in order to be completely dried by hot air
passing through the same. The drying apparatus consists of rectangular chambers
E, E, containing a large number of horizontal shelves, which, while fitting closely
to the side walls, are joined alternately to the front and back walls, thereby
compelling the air passing through to follow a zig-zag direction. The air enters
the different compartments by branch tubes q', q, beneath, and after passing up in
a zig-zag direction escapes through tube at top and is returned to the portion G of
the air heating apparatus. The air exhaust pipe n from the refrigerator D is
connected to this tube r. The air circulation for the different drying chambers
is regulated by dampers V1, V2. The air heating apparatus is divided into two
portious F, G, the latter of which may be called the preliminary heater. The air

page_text: is heated in this apparatus by the gases and vapors leaving the apparatus A and C.
by the pipot and eventually by the exhaust steam of the engine, and also by the
gases and vapors from the drying chambers E, E, and the refrigerator D, by which
they are joined in G, where a preliminary heating of the air is effected.
The heated gases circulate through a series of coils or zig-zag tubes surrounded
by the air to be heated. In order to ensure a complete circulation of the air a
great number of partitions are provided in this apparatus. The gases and vapors
completely cooled are exhausted from the air heater by a fan H and discharged into
a chimney K. In this manner all gases and vapors generated in the whole appa-
ratus are collected in a completely closed system entirely cooled and removed
through the chimney.
Horizontal revolving cylinders may be employed instead of the rectangular
drying chambers E1, E³, before described, the cylinders being arranged and applied
as shown in Figure 8.
The matters to be dried are introduced into a horizontally mounted cylinder A,
to which a slow rotary motion is imparted by the worm.. gearing at a. The gases
of combustion from the furnace above which the cylinder is mounted first circulato
around the exterior, and aro then made to pass through the interior in the direction
indicated by the arrows. The cylinder is mounted on a horizontal shaft from
which are hung chains which sweep the bottom of the cylinder, and serve to stir
and pulverize the matters. Different kinds of stirrers, such as chains, balls, &c.,
are employed, according to the nature of the matters under treatment. Tho
contents of the cylinder are discharged through the doors b, b. The chief advantages
of this drying apparatus are, that owing to the surface of the cylinder being kept
moist by reason of its continual rotation a large evaporation is obtained.
The apparatus may also be employed directly for evaporating and fumigating
focal matters by substituting for the hot air fumigating gases which might either
be produced by the same or another furnace. The evaporating apparatus C may
also be used without employing a special furnace d. In this case either hot air
would be injected through the apparatus M' or the smoke drawn from another
furnace. If it be desired to disinfect only liquid refuse the preliminary injector M³
and another M³, Figure 4, are to be employed. The gases are in this case driven
by means of a fan through a nozzle w projecting obliquely into a pipe a' in which
the first mixture takes place, and through which the liquid matter is introduced
into the chamber A, a further mixture being effected by the gases issuing from the
nozzle being projected upon the surface and into the mass of the liquid.
The manufacture of poudrette may be combined with the production of coal gas by
injecting the products of distillation from the retort through the forces by means
of apparatus such as above described. The really disinfective elements of the gas
are thereby absorbed and condensed, and the coal gas passes off together with the
aqueous vapors generated by the faeces. The aqueous vapors are afterwards
condensed and the coal gas is purified in the usual manner.
Having described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention, to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,
1st. The method of nixing gases with liquids for the purpose of evaporating
and disinfecting the latter, as herein described.
2nd. The apparatus constructed, operated, and applied, substantially as herein
described, for injecting gases into liquid matters for the purposes specified, and also
the apparatus for drying, as shown in Figure 8.
3rd. The combination and arrangement of apparatus, substantially as herein
described and shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawings for the purposes
specified.
4th. The combination and arrangement of the entire system of apparatus,
substantially as herein described and shown in the Drawings, whereby sewage and
other liquid refuse is first disinfected and evaporated by being injected and mixed
with hot gases and smoke, and is then inspissated or completely dried by the heat

page_text: of the gases and vapors from the evaporating apparatus, all the gases and vapors
being united in one closed system, as set forth.
5th. The combined process of disinfecting, evaporating, and drying sewage and
other liquid refuse, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Adalbert, Baron de Podewils, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
ADALBERT DE PODEWILS. (L.S.)