IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF GASES ARISING FROM THE MANUFACTURE OF SALTS OF AMMONIA FROM GAS-LIQUOR
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Spence at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th March 1882.
PETER SPENCE of Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturing
Chemist "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF GASES ARISING FROM THE
MANUFACTURE OF SALTS OF AMMONIA FROM GAS-LIQUOR."
In the manufacture of salts of ammonia from gas liquor there is as is well
known a large evolution of sulphuretted hydrogen which if allowed to escape is
productive of a great nuisance, this gas has hitherto been difficult to deal with, not
only from its own character but also from being largely mixed with steam and
carbonic acid gas when so produced.
My invention consists in a method for preventing the nuisance above referred to
and also for utilizing the sulphuretted bydrogen. For this object I conduct the
distillation of the gas liquor in such manner by any of the processes now in use
so that it shall be continuous. The distillate is then passed through sulphuric
acid contained in a blower or absorbing vessel, the ammonia will be taken up by
the sulphuric acid aforesaid, and the volume of steam, carbonic acid and sul-
phuretted hydrogen flowing from the said blower or vessel, is now passed through
large iron pipes which have streams of cold water passing over their outer surfaces,
by which means the steam is condensed and the mixture of carbonic acid and
sulphuretted hydrogen is then passed into smaller pipes. I then effect the com-
bustion of the sulphuretted hydrogen contained in the mixed gases aforesaid by
bringing them into contact with the sulphuretted oxide of the gas works when
used for the manufacture of sulphuric acid, and I use any of the furnaces ordinarily

page_text: employed for the combustion of this oxide, and for this purpose I conduct the gases
above referred to along the length of the oxide furnace by means of the smaller
pipe previously referred to, which I connect to still smaller pipes by which I
conduct the sulphuretted hydrogen and carbonic acid to the several beds of such
furnaces aforesaid and immediately behind the doors by which the said furnaces
are charged. The gases aforesaid being ignited pass over the hot oxide and are
completely burned, and mixing with the sulphurous acid from the spent oxide go
to the vitrol chamber and are converted into sulphuric acid.
When charging the oxide into, or discharging it from any of the beds of the
aforesaid furnace, the supply of gas thereto may be cut off by means of taps with
which the gas supply pipes are provided, the remaining beds continuing to be
supplied with gas.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Peter Spence in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th September 1882.
61
PETER SPENCE of Manchester in the County of Lancaster Manufacturing
Chemist IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF GASES ARISING FROM THE
MANUFACTURE OF SALTS OF AMMONIA FROM GAS LIQUOR"
In the manufacture of salts of ammonia from gas liquor there is as well known:
a large evolution of sulphuretted hydrogen which if allowed to escape is productive
of a great nuisance, this gas has hitherto been difficult to deal with not only from
its own character but also from being largely mixed with steam and carbonic acid
gas when so produced
My invention consists in a method for preventing the nuisance above referred to
and also for utilizing the sulphuretted hydrogen-For this object I conduct the
distillation of the gas liquor in such manner by any of the processes now in use.
so that it shall be continuous-The distillate is then passed through sulphuric acid..
contained in a blower or absorbing vessel, the ammonia will be taken up by the
sulphuric acid aforesaid and the volume of steam, carbonic acid and sulphuretted
hydrogen flowing from the said blower or vessel is now passed through large iron
pipes which have streams of cold water passing over their outer surfaces by which
means the steam is condensed and the mixture of carbonic acid and sulphuretted
hydrogen is then passed into smaller pipes I then effect the combustion of the
sulphuretted hydrogen contained in the mixed gases aforesaid by bringing them
into contact with the sulphuretted oxide of the gas works when used for the
manufacture of sulphuric acid and I use any of the furnaces ordinarily employed
for the combustion of this oxide and for this purpose I conduct the gases above.
referred to along the length of the oxide furnace by means of the smaller pipe
previously referred to which I connect to still smaller pipes by which I conduct :
the sulphuretted hydrogen and carbonic acid to the several beds of such furnaces
aforesaid and immediately behind the doors by which the said furnaces are
charged The gases aforesaid being ignited pass over the hot oxide and are com-
pletely burned and mixing with the sulphurous acid from the spent oxide go to
the vitriol chamber and are converted into sulphuric acid.
When charging the oxide into or discharging it from any of the beds of the
aforesaid furnace the supply of gas thereto may be cut off by means of taps with
which the gas supply pipes are provided, the remaining beds continuing to be
supplied with gas,
In order that my invention may be better understood and more readily carried
into effect I will now proceed to more fully describe the same.
-
In carrying out my invention I employ any of the processes now in use for
the distillation of gas liquor, but conduct such distillation so that the process shall
be continuous.
The distillate is then passed through sulphuric acid contained in a blower or
absorbing vessel of any ordinary construction so that the ammonia will be taken up
by the sulphuric acid and the volume of steam carbonic acid and sulphuretted
hydrogen from the said blower or other absorbing vessel now passes onward.
through large iron pipes which have streams of cold water passing over their outer
surfaces by which the steam previously referred to is condensed, thereby leaving
the said gases in a comparatively dry state as will be readily understood by persons
conversant with apparatus for cooling gases and the remaining mixture of carbonic
acid and sulphuretted hydrogen is then conducted into smaller pipes. I then effect
the combustion of the sulphuretted hydrogen contained in the mixed gases
aforesaid by bringing them into contact with the sulphuretted oxide of the gas
works when used for the manufacture of sulphuric acid, in the manner illustrated
by the drawing hereunto annexed.-Fig: 1 being a front elevation of a portion of a
furnace for the combustion of the sulphuretted oxide of the gas works—Fig: 2 is

page_text: a vertical section taken on the line A. B of Fig. 1 and Fig: 3 is a plan part thereof
being a section taken on the line C. D of Fig: 1, similar letters of referonco being.
applied to corresponding parts throughout the whole series of figures.
At a. a. a, b. b. 62, c. c. c. are doors capable of being slidden between grooved
bars d. through which doors the oxide of the gas works is fed to the several
beds e ee of the furnace. As the several tiers E. F. G of furnace beds are
similar I shall confine my.description to the tier F the gas from the oxide upon the
lower bed e. passes along in the direction of the arrows H to the back end of the
lower bed e. of the furnace then through an opening f and traverses along to the
front end of the next higher furnace bed e¹ from which it passes by means of an
opening g. into the highest furnace bed e. from which it escapes by an opening h.
formed at the back end of the furnace bed e². into the chamber j and is conducted
by the usual flue k to the vitriol chamber as usual-The gas from the oxido upon
the lower bed e of the furnace mingling with that from the oxide upon the
beds e'. e². passes along therewith into the flue k and mingles with the gas from the
oxide upon the other tiers E. G. of furnace beds which enters by the flue / which
extends along the oxide furnace
Along the upper part of the front of the oxide furnace extends a pipe in which
is a continuation of that previously referred to, to the outside of which water was
applied for the condensation of the steam contained in the distillato before
named The pipe m is supported at intervals by brackets n secured to the frame
work o of the oxide furnace.
From the pipe m descend smaller pipes p the lower ends pl. p. p. of which
terminate within the furnace beds e. The sulphuretted hydrogen and, carbonic
acid gases passing along the pipe m are conducted by the pipes p to the furnace
beds e and there arriving in contact with the highly heated gas from the
sulphuretted oxide contained within the said furnace the sulphuretted hydrogen
from the gas liquor before referred to becomes ignited and completely burned and
mixing with the sulphurous acid from the spent oxide goes to the vitriol chamber
and is converted into sulphuric acid the Carbonic acid gas remaining unchanged
and acting only as a diluent.
The pipes p are provided with taps q by means of which the supply of gas from
the pipe m to any of the tiers E. F. G of furnace beds e, el. e. may be cut off while
any of the furnace beds are being charged with oxide or having the oxide removed.
therefrom, and when such furnace beds have been again charged with oxide the
tap q may be again opened to allow the mixed gases to flow from the pipe m down
the pipe p into the furnace bed e
:
I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the use of an oxido
furnace as above described as other forms of furnace may be employed
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be understood that I
claim as secured to me under the above in part recited Letters patent.
Utilizing the sulphuretted hydrogen arising from the manufacture of salts of
ammonia from gas liquor for the production of sulphuric acid by bringing such
sulphurretted bydrogen into contact with the sulphuretted oxide of the gas works
when being burned for the manufacture of sulphuric acid substantially in the
manner hereinbefore described and shown.
In witness whereof I the said Peter Spence have hereunto set my hand and
seal this twenty seventh day of September in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.