Improvements in and relating to Multiple Effect Evaporators for Treating Sugar and other Liquids.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Aug., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 15th May, 1893-Accepted, 17th June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Multiple Effect Evaporators for
Treating Sugar and other Liquids.
I, ALFRED GEORGE BERRY, Managing Director of the firm of Blaikie
Brothers, Limited, Engineers, Footdee Iron Works, Aberdeen, do hereby declare
the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to and comprises special improvements in the
construction of, and of the arrangement or combination of the parts of the
evaporating vessels and their fittings, especially the vertical arrangement of these
used for double, triple, or multiple effect evaporators, for the concentration or
boiling and treating of sugar and other such liquids; which improvements will
give a better distributing action and effect of the heat of the steam and vapour
used in the "Calandria" and also a more efficient and better circulation of the
juices and liquids being treated in the evaporating chambers or parts of the vessels,
and other minor improvements over the construction of such evaporators as
heretofore used.
As applied to the vertical arrangement and class of evaporators the improvements
consist first, in constructing the "Calandria" or steam heating chamber with its
vertical tubes, in the form of a separate portable or removable vessel within the
lower case of the outer liquor evaporating vessel, which in this case would be made
larger in diameter than the upper part of the evaporating vessel to allow of an
annular space between the inner steam vessel and the said outer case for the
downward circulation of the juice from the upper part of the evaporating vessel
into the lower hollow end cover below the end tube plate of the heating vessel.
The upward circulating tubes would be expanded or otherwise secured in the end
plates of this steam heating vessel, and the vessel would be secured to or rest by its
lower circumferential edge plate on an annular flange or projections formed on the
lower part of the outer case with recesses for the liquor to circulate down through
and which might be made of cast iron or other metal as usual or lined with copper
or brass on the inside to prevent any corroding action with the circulating juices.
The steam would be admitted into the steam heating vessel through a shallow
wide segmental branch formed on or bolted to the upper or lower part of the
interior of the outer lower vessel, and by a flange joint to the inner steam heating
vessel, the bolts from which joint would be removed when the steam heating vessel
had to be reinoved for repairs or otherwise; and which might be effected by taking
off the upper or lower covers of the evaporating vessel.
By a further improvement the "Calandria" is fitted with one, two, or more
intermediate horizontal tube plates at equal distances apart carried on angle irons
round the inner side of the outer shell of the "Calandria" and having holes bored
in them to allow the tubes to pass freely through them, the upper or first one
extending from near the steam or vapour entering side to within some considerable
distance of the opposite side, while the next or second, when there are only two
intermediate plates, extend from that side back to within some distance of the
entrance side so as in this way to cause the heating steam or vapour to undulate
through the several divisions so formed in the "Calandria," that is, cause the
steam to pass across the whole upper space above the first intermediate tube plate
and down and back through the division between the two intermediate tube plates
down and into the lower division and thus undulate through and heat the whole
outer surface of the circulating tubes within the whole three divisions of the
"Calandria" in succession; or rice versa the steam might ascend in this manner
when admitted at the lower division; 'the condensed steam or vapour being drawn

page_text: off from above the lower tube plate into small close trap boxes fitted to each, and
by pipes from the first into the feed water box, and from the second into the
"Calandria" of the third vessel and so on, and from the last into the main
condenser.
"
A further improvement consists in fitting a flat horizontal segmental baffle plate
over the upper tube plate and upper ends of the hotter circulating tubes, on the
lower end of a rod or rods made to move vertically within the evaporating vessel.
above, the upper ends of the rods passing up through stuffing boxes in the top of
this vessel to be actuated or raised or lowered by a link and hand lever, or by a
screw and hand wheel or other equivalent, outside the evaporator, so as to cause
this baffle plate fitted preferably at that side of the "Calandria where the
heating steam or vapour enters, and cause the greater upward circulation of the
juice or liquid to control this circulation, the lowering of the baffle plate near to
the tubes retarding the upward circulation of the liquids through them while the
raising of it gives the freer circulation. Or otherwise the plate attached to
the lower end of the moving spindles might be made in the form of an open plate
or frame, and have long rods attached to its lower side with circular plates or
blocks on their lower ends made elastic or with slightly tapered ends to enter and
descend each tube to near the bottom. Thus in either case varying or regulating
the circulation up these tubes and the evaporation per square foot in each vessel of
the multiple effect and the quantity evaporated per day of the whole. The
downward circulation in the annular space between the inner heating vessel and
outer vessel into the lower end of the circulating vessel gives a very much greater
return circulation and as a consequence upward circulation, the outer circumference
of the inner heating vessel also heating the liquor in its downward circulation, and
when desired, this downward circulation may also be regulated by proportioning
the area of the outer annular space to be large enough to give a free circulation
upwards to the liquor in the tubes; or if the downward current was found to be
too great, this might be regulated by a moving annular plate fitted in the openings
below the flange carrying the inner steam tube heating vessel, actuated by rods
passing down through stuffing boxes in the bottom end of the evaporator. The
top of the evaporator would be fitted with a chamber and lateral branch with a
hollow domed disc or baffle plate on top supported by a stem or spindle to the close
top over a conoidal or dished up rim with central exit, which would form a trap to
throw back all the juice passing off with the vapour through holes in its lower part
down into the evaporating vessel. The lateral branch leads the vapour down a
bend and stand pipe into the inlet segmental duct of the "Calandria " to heat the
tubes of the next evaporator or from the last evaporating vessel of the set to the
condenser and vacuum pump; the condensed water in each "Calandria " being led
into its close trap and to the "Calandria" of the next vessel and thence to the air
pump.
Dated the 19th August 1802
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Multiple Effect Evaporators for
Treating Sugar and other Liquids.
I, ALFRED GEORGE BERRY, Managing Engineer, of the firm of Blaikie
Brothers, Limited, Engineers, Footdee Iron Works, Aberdeen, do hereby declare
the nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement in
writing, that is to say :-.
This invention has reference to and comprises special improvements in the
construction and arrangement and combination of the parts of evaporating vessels

page_text: and their fittings, especially the vertical arrangement of these used for double,
triple, or multiple effect evaporators, for the concentration or boiling and treating
of sugar and other such liquids; which improvements will give a better
distributing action and effect of the heat of the steam and vapour used in the
"Calandria" and also a more efficient and better circulation of the juices and
liquids being treated in the evaporating chambers or parts of the vessels, and
other minor improvements over the construction of such evaporators as heretofore
used.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto
appended two explanatory sheets of drawings in which the same reference letters
are used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure 1 on Sheet 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of three evaporating
vertical vessels working as triple effect and constructed in accordance with my
improvements.
Figure 2 is a plan view corresponding to Figure 1.
Figures 3 and 4 on Sheet 2 are a sectional elevation and corresponding plan of
a modified arrangement of one of the evaporating vessels. And
Figure 5 is a half horizontal section corresponding to Figure 3. And
Figure 6 is a sectional elevation showing my improved arrangement of baffle
plates D, D', for regulating the circulation of the liquor through the tubes
applied to an ordinary construction of "Calandria" and evaporating vessel.
"
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of these drawings:-The improvements consist,
first, in constructing the "Calandria" or steam heating chamber with its vertical
tubes, in the form of a separate portable or removable vessel a within the lower
case A of the outer liquor evaporating vessel A, which is made larger than the
"Calandria" a and may be made larger in diameter than the upper part A of the
evaporating vessel to allow of an annular space a' between the inner steam vessel
ог Calandria a and the said outer case A' for the downward circulation of the
juice from the upper part A of the evaporating vessel into the lower hollow end
cover A below the end tube plate a² of the heating vessel a: The upward
circulating tubes b, would be expanded or otherwise secured in a usual manner in
the lower end tube plate a' and in the upper tube plate a³, of this steam heating
vessel a, and the vessel would be secured to or rest by its lower circumferential
edge plate or angle iron at a on an annular flange or on projecting brackets A',
formed on the inside of the lower end cover A of the case A', with recesses for
the liquor to circulate down through, as indicated. by the arrows, and the lower
part A of the vessel would preferably be made of steel as also the "Calandria
but they may be made of cast iron or other metal. The steam would be admitted
through a valve e, into the steam heating vessel a of the first vessel A, through
one or it might be three branches c from a segmental jacketed case c¹ formed on.
or riveted to the upper or lower part of the interior of the outer lower vessel A',,
the branches being secured by a flange joint to the outer vessel A', and to the
inner steam heating vessel a, the bolts from which latter joint would be removed
when the steam heating vessel a had to be removed for repairs or otherwise; and
which might be effected by taking off the upper or lower covers of the evaporating.
vessel A.
23
a,
In this arrangement the "Calandria" a and its tubes are not shown deep, and
there is a segmental plate d shown as mounted over nearly one quarter of the
outer tubes 6 on opposite sides of the "Calandria," and each of these plates d has
two rods d' passed up through a guide bracket d' and stuffing boxes d' on the top
end or cover A³ of the evaporating vessel A, and attached to the opposite ends of
a beam or crosshead d³ carried by a swivel link in the centre to a chain d
passed over a pulley d*, carried on standards d' on the top of the evaporator and
counter-balanced by weights at the side of the evaporating vessel not shown in the.
drawings. These plates d have the upper end of rods e secured to them and these.
rods have on their lower ends circular plates or small pistons e¹ with conical points

page_text: each to enter tube b and pass down through it to near the bottom. All so as to
vary or regulate the circulation of the liquor up these tubes of the "Calandria " a,
that is those controlled by the spindles e, e¹, of either or both plates d, d', and
consequently vary the evaporation per square foot in each vessel of the multiple
effect and the quantity evaporated per day of the whole. The downward
circulation in the annular space a' between the inner heating vessel a and the
outer vessel A' into the lower end A' of the circulating vessel gives a very much
greater return circulation, and as a consequence upward circulation, the outer
circumference of the inner heating vessel a also heating the liquor in its downward
circulation; and when desired, this downward circulation may also be regulated
by proportioning the area of the outer annular space a¹ to be large enough only to
give free circulation upwards to the liquor in the tubes. The top A³, of the
evaporator A, would be fitted with a chamber vessel B, and lateral branch B¹ with
a hollow domed disc or baffle plate B' supported by a stem or spindle B" to the
close top B³ of the chamber B, over a conoidal or dished up rim B*,
with large central exit, and which would form a trap to throw back all
the juice passing off with the vapour, through holes B in its lower part
down into the evaporating vessel. The lateral branch B₁ leads the vapour
down a bend C and stand pipe (by a curved branch C2 into the inlet
segmental duct of the "Calandria" a, of the second vessel A, A', to heat the
tubes of it, all substantially as described in reference to the first vessel or from
the last evaporating vessel of the set to the condenser and vacuum pump. The
condensed water in each "Calandria a is led by a pipe F' into a close trap F in
connection with a pump, or may be led to the "Calandria" of the next vessel by
the pipes F and from the last trap F, be led to the condenser in a usual manner.
While the liquor may be fed to the first vessel by a branch f, into the one side of
the lower end chamber B of the first vessel A, A', and from this by another
branch ff, controlled by a tap or valve f' to the lower part of the second vessel;
and in like manner from the second vessel to the third, and from the latter is taken
by the liquor pump through the branch f³.
"
Referring to the modification shown in Figures 3 to 5 on Sheet 2, the "Calandria" a
is preferably made deeper than shown in Figures 1 and 2, and fitted with one, two
or more intermediate horizontal tube plates 9, y, at equal distances apart, carried
on angle iron hoops or brackets at 9", round the inner side of the outer shell of the
"Calandria" a, and having holes bored in both plates 9 9' to allow the tubes 6 to
pass freely through them; the upper or first plate g extending from near the steam
or vapour entering side to within some considerable distance of the opposite side,
while the next or second plate o' when there are only two intermediate plates,
extends from that side back to within some distance of the entrance side so as in
this way to cause the heating steam or vapour to undulate through the several
divisions g so formed in the "Calandria" a between these plates 9, 9', that is,
cause the steam to pass across the whole upper space above the first intermediate
tube plate g and down and back through the division between the two inter-
mediate tube plates 9 9' as indicated by the arrows in Figure 3 down and into the
lower division g' and thus undulate through and heat the whole outer surface of
the circulating tubes b, within the whole three divisions 92 of the "Calandria" a in
succession; or rice versa the steam might ascend in this manner when admitted at
the lower division g; the condensed steam or vapour being drawn off from above
the lower tube plate a³, into small close trap boxes, as F in the first arrangement
fitted to each "Calandria " a, and by pipes from the first into the feed water box,
and from the second into the "Calandria" of the third vessel and so on, and from
the last into the main condenser, all as in the former arrangement Figures 1 and 2.
A further improvement consists in fitting a flat horizontal segmental baffle plate D.
over a section of the upper tube plate a³, and corresponding portion of the upper
ends of the hotter circulating tubes b, as seen particularly in Figure 5, on the lower
end of a rod or rods d', made to move vertically within the evaporating vessel
above, and a corresponding similar sectional. plate D', fitted below the lower tube.

page_text: plate and same section of lower end of tubes ; and I connect the plate D₁ to
the lower end of two opposite diagonal rods d*, and these rods pass up through
stuffing boxes in the top A³ of this vessel as in the former arrangement, but the
rods d', d', are connected to the opposite diagonal sides or ends of two levers E, E;
while the other rods d*, d*, are connected to the opposite ends of these levers, that
is diagonally on each side of the fulcrum E" of the levers; and the outer free ends
of the levers E, E', are connected by swivel screw nuts to right and left handed
screws on a vertical spindle E, and carried in a journal bracket E³ near its lower
end, where it is fitted with a hand wheel E for turning the screw spindle E³.
When the screw spindle E² is turned in one direction it draws the free ends of the
levers E, E', towards each other, and so removes the plates D, D', from the upper
and lower ends of the tubes b, and when turned in the other direction removes the
free end of the levers E E¹ from each other and so closes the plates D, D', towards
the ends of the tubes b, to regulate the circulation through them or close them
altogether to stop the circulation in this section of the tubes. Or vice versa the
closing of the ends of the levers may be made to take the plates D, D¹ towards the
ends of the tubes and the separating of the levers withdraw the plates from
the tubes according as the rods d d¹, or d* d*, are connected to their opposite
levers E E¹.
In Figure 6 the lower vessel A', is shown as made as usual of cast iron, and
forms the "Calandria " a and has a wide annular space A" for conveying the
steam freely round the tubes from the inlet branches and downtake pipes; and the
tube plates a, a, of the "Calandria" are shown as fitted with the sectional baffle
plates D, D', with rods d', d*, and levers E', E', and screw spindle D' outside, all
substantially as described in reference to Figures 3 and 4.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The constructing of multiple effect evaporating vessels with a separate or
removable Calandria or heating chamber within the lower case of the outer liquor
evaporating vessel, an annular liquid downward circulating space being formed
between these vessels, substantially as herein described, in reference to and shown
in the accompanying drawings.
Second. In multiple effect ovaporating vessels, the arrangement and use of
segmental plates having rods with tapered heads which enter and pass down a
division of the tubes to regulate or shut off the circulation of the liquor through
these, substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the accom-
panying drawings.
Third. In multiple effect evaporating vessels, the arrangement and use of
horizontal segmental baffle plates over the tube plates and a division of the tubes
in the Calandria, and actuated by rods and levers, so as to regulate or shut off the
circulation of the liquor through these tubes, substantially as herein described in
reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
لبعد
1000
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.