provements in Refining Glycerine and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd July, 1899.
Complete Specification Left, 30th Mar,, 1900-Accepted, 5th May, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Im provements in Refining Glycerine and Apparatus therefor.
I, ERNEST GEORGE SCOTT, of Elton, St. Mary's Road, Huyton, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Chemical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for refining glycerine by
distillation.
In carrying out my improvements I employ a still (into which I put the glycerine
to be refined) of any suitable shape but preferably cylindrical, set, in brickwork and
adapted to be slightly heated by fire heat, but to be heated for effecting the main
process of distillation by the introduction of superheated steam, the whole process
being carried out under the influence of vacuum.
It is of the utmost importance that the superheated steam should be at the same
temperature throughout, and that it should be so introduced that each part of the
still is equally fed with it, as otherwise impure products are obtained. I therefore
attach to the still a surrounding belt of sufficient size to enable the temperature of
the steam to be thoroughly equalized before entering the still.
The inside of the still is fitted with several, preferably eight, steam delivery pipes
of small diameter, these pipes being perforated with small holes on the under side.
These inside pipes are connected to the superheated steam belt, and are thus fully
supplied thereby, every hole being equally operative, which in the ordinary long con-
tinuous coil is not the case with the result that much ebullition takes place at one or
more points and practically none at others.
To the top of the still I attach a device for arresting the passage of impurities
sometimes carried over in the vapours. This is a vessel of large diameter but small
height furnished with an internal baffle plate so constructed as to break up the flow
of the vapours and so cause the impurities to be deposited, leaving the purified
glycerine vapour to pass over into a cooling battery.
The cooling battery is constructed of a series or several series of bent columns
having connecting pipes and receivers so arranged as to allow of the ready removal
of the condensed glycerine from the influence of the vacuum.
mportance that the rate of flow of vapour through the series or each series should be
It is of the highest
s equal as possible, and I secure this by the introduction of a speed indicator and of
uitable adjustable baffles in the connecting pipes at the base of the columns.
The speed indicator is fixed in any suitable position but preferably in the pipes
hich connect the still to the cooling battery. It consists of a box with glass sides
which the passage of the vapours is partially obstructed by a light disc. This disc
deflected by the passage of the vapours and the extent of the deflection indicates
he rate of flow. When it is found that the rate of flow is uneven it is adjusted by
he movement of the bottom baffles which, being set across the pipes, can by adjust-
ent be made to allow the vapour to pass from one chamber of the series to
nother.
I thus secure perfectly even work with high efficiency of the cooling battery.
The glycerine distilled is mainly condensed in the cooling battery and the recid

page_text: vapours (principally steam) are then led into an arrangement of tubes where it is
further condensed before entering the vacuum pump.
I, however, arrange this condenser in such a way as to cause the residual vapours
to concentrate the weak glycerines which are always produced in distillation. This
is best done by causing the vapours to pass through a series of tubes contained in a
vessel of small depth but considerable area which may with advantage be under the
influence of the vacuum.
The weak glycerines are around these tubes and thus their concentration is effected
without cost.
Dated thin and d
T1 1000
Improvements in Refining Glycerine and Apparatus therefor.
I, ERNEST GEORGE SCOTT, formerly of Elton, St. Mary's Road, Huyton, Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, now of 2, Talbot Court, Gracechurch Street, in the City
of London, Chemical Engineer, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for refining glycerine by
distillation.
. According to the invention the apparatus comprises a still arranged to be heated
by fire heat and by superheated steam, and a cooling battery, a condenser and a
vacuum pump all in communication with the said still. Means are also provided for
effecting the uniform temperature of the superheated steam and for controlling the
flow of the vapours escaping from the still to the cooling battery.
In the accompanying drawing
--
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my apparatus for refining glycerine:
Figure 2 is a plan thereof; and
Figures 3 and 4 are a longitudinal and a transverse section respectively drawn to a
larger scale of a detail hereinafter described.
a is the still (into which I put the glycerine to be refined) the said still being of
any suitable shape but preferably cylindrical, as shewn, and adapted to be slightly
heated by fire heat from the furnace 6 but to be strongly heated for effecting the main
process of distillation by the introduction of superheated steam from the coil c which
is also heated by the furnace; the whole process being carried out under the influence
of vacuum..
It is of the utmost importance that the superheated steain should be at the same
temperature throughout, and that it should be so introduced that each part of the
still a is equally fed with it, as otherwise impure products are obtained. I therefore
attach to the bottom of the said still a a surrounding belt d of sufficient size to enable
the temperature of the steam to be thoroughly equalized before entering the still,
the inside of which is fitted with several, preferably eight, steam delivery pipes e, e
of small diameter, and perforated with small holes on the under side. These inside
pipes e, e are connected to the superheated steam belt d and are thus fully supplied
thereby every hole being equally operative, which in the ordinary long continuous
coil is not the case with the result that much ebullition takes place at one or more
points and practically none at others.
To the top of the still a. I attach a device for arresting the passage of impurities
sometimes carried over in the vapours. This device comprises a vessel f. of large

page_text: diameter but small height furnished with an internal baffle plate g so constructed as
to break up the flow of the vapours and cause the impurities to be deposited, leaving
the purified glycerine vapour to pass over through the pipes h into the cooling
battery.
The cooling battery is constructed of one or more series of bent columns having
connecting pipes and receivers so arranged as to allow of the ready removal of the
condensed glycerine from the influence of the vacuum; in the drawing I have shewn
three series of such bent columns lettered respectively i, i, i¹, and 2, 12. The bent
or U-shaped columns of each series are connected together by means of pipes j, j into
which their lower ends open, the said pipes j, j being so arranged that a continuous
zig-zag path is obtained for the vapours escaping from the still a, as will be clearly
seen by reference to Figure 2 of the drawings. Where several series of bent columns
are employed, as is the case with the plant illustrated, common pipes j, j are used for
all the series but as it is of the highest importance that the rate of flow of the vapour
through the different series should be as equal as possible I provide adjustable
baffles k, k in the first of the said pipes, the said baffles being arranged between the
contiguous series of columns and being adapted to be adjusted from the outside
through the medium of the hand wheels k¹, k¹.
To enable the attendant to ascertain how the flow of vapour is taking place through
the apparatus I provide each of the said series of columns i, i¹, 2 with what I term a
speed or flow indicator. This indicator is shewn in detail in Figures 3 and 4 and
comprises a box having flanged necks 11, 12 adapted to be secured respectively to the
bottom of the bent column and to the top of the pipe j into which the said column is
to open, the said box being provided upon either side with sight holes m, m which
are covered with glass m held in position by glands m², m² as clearly shewn in
Figure 4. Across the box there is fitted a disc 13 of a suitable light material, such
as mica, which partially obstructs the passage of the vapour therethrough so that the
rate of flow of the vapour through the different series can be observed by the extent
to which the said discs are deflected in the different columns. When it is found that
the rate of flow is uneven it is adjusted by mears of the baffles k, k which, being set
across the pipe j, can, by adjustment, be made to allow the vapour to pass from one
series of pipes to another until the vapour flows equally through all the series of
columns. I thus secure perfectly even work with high efficiency of the cooling
battery.
The glycerine distilled is mainly condensed in the above described cooling battery
and is collected in the inclined pipes n, n with which the pipes' j communicate and
from which it can be collected with facility. The residual vapours pass into a common
pipe o and thence into a pipe o¹ which conveys it to a system of tubes enclosed in a
vessel p, the said tubes being in communication by means of the pipe pl with a vacuum
pump q of suitable construction. A cooling liquid is caused to flow over the said
tubes so as to further condense the vapours flowing therethrough.
In practice I find it advantageous to arrange this condenser in such a manner as
to cause the residual vapours to concentrate the weak glycerines which are always
produced in distillation. This I effect by pumping the glycerine condensed in the
pipes into the space in the vessel p surrounding the said pipes through the medium of
the pump. The vessel p is, preferably, in communication through the pipes with
the vacuum pump q. By this arrangement the concentration of the glycerine pumped
into the vessel p is effected without cost.
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. In apparatus for refining glycerine of the kind having a still and a cooling battery
in communication with a condenser and a vacuum pump, the employment of a still
having a number of perforated steam delivery pipes passing into the still and extending
from a common supply pipe of larger diameter, substantially as, and for the purpose,
herein before described.

page_text: 2. In apparatus of the kind described in Claim 1 for refining glycerine, the com-
bination with the still and with the vacuum pump of a cooling battery comprising
one or more series of bent columns in communication at their lower ends with con
necting pipes, substantially as described and illustrated.
3. The employment in conjunction with a cooling battery of the kind described in
the preceding claiming clause, of a speed or flow indicator comprising a box having
sight holes and a light disc obstructing the passage through the said box, substantially
as herein before described and illustrated.
4. In the refining of glycerine the method of concentrating liquor, previously
obtained in a condenser, by means of the vapours passing through the said condenser,
substantially as herein before described.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the apparatus for refining
glycerine hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 30th day of March 1900
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
. 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.