Improvements in and Apparatus for Distilling Tar or Oil or the like, and for Distilling or Concentrating other Liquid or Semi-liquid Matters.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd July, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Apr., 1899-Accepted, 27th May, 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Apparatus for Distilling Tar or Oil or the like,
and for Distilling or Concentrating other Liquid or Semi-liquid
Matters.
I, PAUL TACK, of Rue du Beau Site,, Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium,
Student, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its especial object to provide means whereby the distilla-
tion of tar, oil, or other liquid, or semi-liquid matter, can be effected more efficiently
and economically than hitherto and in a continuous manner the invention also
comprising apparatus in which the distillation can be performed by means of
heat applied as hereinafter described by steam. The more the matter to be dis-
tilled is divided, or reduced to the condition of fine spray or mist, the less heat is
necessary to vapourize it so as to obtain the various products from the vapours.
This is effected by gradually heating the matter to be distilled to the requisite
temperature and subjecting it to the action of a disperser which brings it into the
condition of fine spray, so that, it is spread over a wide area whilst undergoing
distillation. Distillation is facilitated by the employment of a fractionating
chamber or chambers in which the volatile products can be the better separated
and condensed and continuity of the process ensured.
I will now describe apparatus arranged in accordance with my invention and
adapted for the carrying out of the process according thereto.
The apparatus comprises a steam boiler serving to supply steam through a
superheater (if the steam is to be superheated) to a coil in a heater into the lower
end of which the matter to be distilled enters and passes upwards and then passes
successively into two digesters connected with fractionating chambers provided with
receivers.
The matter to be distilled (already heated if desired by the waste steam) is
pumped into the heater wherein it is further heated by contact with the steam
coil.
'
The matter to be distilled passes upwards in the heater (which is made with a
smaller upper part) and passes therefrom into the first digester wherein it is dis-
persed by a disperser so that it is in the condition of fine spray cr mist the result-
ing vapours escaping into the fractionating chamber in connection therewith
which divides the matter into as many fractions as may be desired the products
of such division passing off into coolers.
The matter which has been treated in the first digester, descends through a
funnel into a space at the bottom of the digester (which space is provided with
a steam coil) and overflows into the second digester in which another disperser
reduces it to fine spray, or mist, the volatilized portions passing through the
fractionator into the coolers in connection with this digester. The residual matter
descends to the bottom of the said digester, whence, it passes into a mixer, where

page_text: it is mixed with heavy oils and becomes revivified and in this condition is dis-
charged into a suitable receiver.
The steam is admitted to the heater at the part just before that at which the
matter to be distilled commences to be acted upon by the disperser in the first
digester; and fresh heat is imparted to the matter under treatment by the coil
in the space at the bottom of the first digester just as the said matter is about to
be dispersed by the disperser in the second digester.
I may use steam superheated or not and either directly or in coils. If the steam
be allowed to act direct, it can be utilized to carry away the vapours evolved in the
digesters. As dispersers I may use any suitable device such as turbines, roses or
perforated pipes. The apparatus may also be used for concentrating matters such
for example as sulphuric acid.
Dated this onl df T... 1000
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC., Agents.
Improvements in and Apparatus for Distilling Tar or Oil, or the like,
and for Distilling or Concentrating other Liquid or Semi-liquid
Matters.
I, PAUL TACK, of Rue du Beau Site, Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium,
Student, 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:-
This invention has for its especial object to provide means whereby the dis-
tillation of tar, oil, or other liquid, or semi-liquid, matter, can be effected more
efficiently and economically than hitherto and in a continuous manner, the inven-
tion also comprising apparatus. in which the distillation can be performed by means
of heat applied as hereinafter described by steam.
The more the matter to be distilled is divided, or reduced to the condition of
fine spray or mist, the less heat is necessary to vapourize it so as to obtain the
various products from the vapours. This is effected by gradually heating the
matter to be distilled to the requisite temperature and subjecting it to the action
of a disperser which brings it into the condition of fine spray, so that, it is spread
over a wide area whilst undergoing distillation. Distillation is facilitated by the
employment of a fractionating chamber or chambers in which the volatile products
can be the better separated and condensed, and continuity of the process ensured.
I will describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, pre-
mising that my invention is not limited to the precise details shown.
Figure 1 shews in sectional elevation a plant for carrying this invention into
effect. Figure 2 is an end elevation and Figure 3 is a plan of the same.
Figures 4 and 5 shew in vertical section and plan respectively details of the
heater or digester drawn to a larger scale.
Figure 6 shews in sectional elevation a fractionating distilling column or
chamber forming a portion of the plant and Figure 7 shews a modified form of
.plant.
The means for generating and superheating the steam for heating the tar or the
like, have not been illustrated, as such are generally known and they may vary
greatly in construction. In like manner, the tar reservoir and the means for the

page_text: preliminary heating of the tar in the reservoir or along its path from the same
to the apparatus, have not been shewn.
Referring first to Figures 1 to 6 the tar pre-heated by exhaust steam in its
reservoir or otherwise is forced from the tube a, Figures 1, 3, by means of a pump
or the like into a column b, which is traversed by a heater c formed by a pipe or
tube containing steam from the boiler, so that the tar surrounding this tube is
raised to a high temperature and thereby becomes more fluid and can be more
readily divided or converted into spray. The tar is forced through the apparatus
in a counter direction to that of the steam, which latter is admitted at the upper
end of the heater c through the tube 3 and is carried away at the bottom by the
tube 4, when in form of waste steam, it can be utilized to effect the preliminary
heating of the tar in the reservoir, as aforesaid.
The heated tar leaves the upper end of the column 6 through the tube e and then
passes into a digester or chamber where the tar is reduced to a fine spray or
mist by a disperser or turbine g over a comparatively large surface and through
a comparatively large space. In the form shewn in Figure 4. this surface is
formed by a curved plate p¹ which also serves as a cover for a receptacle traversed
by concentric channels p. The light vapours and gases formed in the chamber f
(such as phenic oils, naphtaline and ammoniacal liquor) leave by a tube h
(Figures 2 and 3) which is connected to a fractionating chamber or column i
Figures 2, 3 and 6, which may consist of two superposed chambers, Figure 6, the
lower one of which communicates by means of a tube with the upper one, while
from the upper chamber there is a curved neck k. The aforesaid vapours and
gases enter the said column by means of the junction piece ; and the gases and the
lighter vapours then pass into the upper chamber i and traversing the curved
neck k pass to a condenser or cooler o (Figures 2 and 3) the heavier vapours collect
at the part 7 and are discharged through the pipe m and subsequently likewise
condensed in another condenser while the heaviest vapours retained in the lower
chamber pass off through a pipe n into a third condenser.
A cock may be provided in the base of the column for withdrawing the heavier
vapours which may have condensed therein.
The tar which has now been freed in the digester f from a portion of those con-
stituents, which are capable of separating by evaporation being laterally dis-
charged from the above mentioned cover-like plate p₁ then flows in an alternately
ascending and descending direction, along between the concentric channels 22
formed by annular rings ? arranged below the said plate 21. The rings p form
steam conduits or a steam coil and are so connected with each other by alternating
tubular pieces 23, that the steam, entering at 1 Figure 4 will traverse all annular
channels, until again discharged at 2 Figure 4. Here also it will be observed that
the direction of the flow of steam is opposite to that of the tar the steam ultimately
flowing off along the periphery of the receptacle, whereas the tar finally reaches
a centrally located transmitting hopper q. On its way from the receiving plate pl
to this hopper the tar has again been highly heated by the steam and now arrives
from the said hopper q into the second digester or heater r similar to the first fi
already described wherein the disperser again produces a fine spray or mist. The
tar is bere separated from creosote and anthacine oil which latter vapours pass
into a fractionating column of the kind illustrated in Figure 6 where they further
divide and are condensed and collected in separate reservoirs.
The tar flowing from the receiving plate of the chamber r, which tar for the
sake of simplicity may still further be termed as such, although it already has lost
a large percentage of its constituents, then again traverses along an undulating
path a heating apparatus of the kind illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 and ultimately
passes by the tube s to a diffuser t (Figures 1 and 2) wherein for the third and
last time the tar is finely separated. The tar here loses the last portion of those
of its constituents which are separable by evaporation and these vapours are again
conveyed into a fractioning column of the kind shewn in Figure 6, this column
however no longer requires a neck such as k (Figure 6), as among the heavy

page_text: case
of
vapours, still present, gases no longer occur. The residue flows in thin layers
in alternating direction over horizontally superposed plates u (Figure 1), arranged
alternately, during which process this residue, which in the
treating pit coal tar, forms a kind of pit coal asphalt, is exposed
to the direct action of highly heated or superheated steam, which is admit-
ted through the pipe v. Any vapours that may still be present, are then conveyed
by the steam into the chamber t and are together with the other vapours discharged
from this chamber, as already described to the condenser o, whilst permanent
gases are forced through a heavy oil bath which absorbs all their soluble matters
the remaining permanent gases passing off. The hot liquid residue accumulating
below the plates u and which forms a kind of pit coal pitch, is carried over through
the tube into a mixing drum a, wherein the revival of the pitch is effected by
mixture with heavy tar oils or the like, whereupon the liquid mass is discharged
through the tube y.
The supply of steam, which as already stated flows in a contrary direction to
that of the tar starting from the boiler and superheater enters the plant by the
pipe 1 to the series of chambers formed by the annular rings in the heater r through
which it circulates; on leaving by the pipe 2 the steam enters the rings in the
heater and passing out by the pipe 3 it enters the heater c of the column 6 and
lastly passes by the pipe 4 through dehydrators to the pit or reservoir where it com-
mences the heating of the tar contained therein.
The modified form of the apparatus represented in Figure 7 is as follows:
The superheated steam coming from the boiler and superheater, passes through
the tube 5 into a system of inner heating tubes 6, the steam then passes through
the pipe 7 to an analogous system of heating tubes 8 and thence through the
tube 9, to a third system of tubes 10, whence it is discharged at 11. The tar enters
at 12 into the annular spaces formed between the outer tubes and the aforesaid
inner tubes of the third system of tubes and after circulating through the said
system, it is distributed in the chamber 14 by means of a disperser 13, preferably
formed with a perforated cross piece. The tar accumulating below flows down
through the pipe S* to the system of tubes S, wherein it is then again heated, in
order to ultimately pass through the pipe 22 to the disperser 24, in the chamber 23.
The gases and vapours, discharged from the top of the chamber 14 pass by the
pipe 15 to the condensers 16, 17 and 18, or through the coil 19 to the reservoir 20,
the sulphuretted hydrogen passing off by the pipe 21. In like manner the gases
and vapours are discharged from the chamber 23 through the tube 25 into the
condensers 26, 27, 28 and 29, the sulphuretted hydrogen still present being carried
away by the pipe 31.
A pipe 30 preferably passes into the chamber 23, by means of which steam can
be introduced into this chamber, so as to cause the vapours to more readily pass
over into the tube 25 and prevent this tube from becoming obstructed by the
solidification of any naphthalene or the like. The tar accumulating at the bottom
of the chamber 23, flows through the tube 32 into the first system of tubes 6,
whence it passes re-heated through the tube 33 into the third chamber 34, wherein
it is for the third time finely divided by means of the disperser 35. The anthracene
vapours and the like here generated pass through the tube 36 into the refrigerat-
ing coil 37, where a portion of these vapours are condensed and flow off to the
reservoir 38 the gaseous products still uncondensed traverse the vessels 39 and 40,
wherein the soluble constituents are retained, by heavy oils contained in the said
vessels, the remaining permanent gases passing off by the pipe 41.
The pit coal asphalt, collected in the chamber 34 flows off over the plates 42,
while being exposed to the action of the steam entering at 43, which drives off the
remaining volatile products, and then passes by the pipe 34 to the mixer 45 where
it becomes revivified by its mixture with oil and flows away by the pipe 46.
As dispersers I may use any suitable device such as turbines roses or perforated
plates.
I have described the apparatus for treating tar but it may be used for concen-

page_text: trating any other liquid or semi-liquid matters such for example as oil or sulphuric
acid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A process for distilling tar, oil or other liquid or semi-liquid matter, the
characteristic feature consisting in the minute separation or division of the heated
matter so that it is spread over a wide area in order to obtain a rapid and con-
tinuous supply of gases and vapours substantially as described.
2. In a process for distilling tar, oil or other liquid or semi-liquid matter the
successive collecting, re-heating and atomising of the said matter and the separa-
tion therefrom of the gases and vapours, obtained at each treatment, substantially
as described.
3. An apparatus for carrying out the process claimed in the first and second
claims comprising a column 6 with heater c for the tar or the like to be treated;
one or more vessels such as f or for with separating devices 9 and concentric
heaters p for treating the tar; a fractionating column i for each of the vessels
(for fr, respectively) for receiving and separating the gases and vapours; a
receptacle with a separating device, plates u, a steam feed pipe such as below
the said plates and mixer, and pipes which convey steam in a reverse direction
to that of the tar or the like to be heated substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.
4. A modified form of the apparatus described in the preceding claim comprising
a system of double pipes for heating and re-heating the tar by steam, receptacles
or digesters 14, 23, 34, and dispersers 13, 24, 35, for the heated or re-heated tar;
separate receiving or fractionating vessels for the separated or condensed products
of distillation and a mixing device for the revival of the residue, substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of April 1899.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.