Improvements in Apparatus for Purifying Gases by Washing or Scrubbing.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 27th July, 1897
Complete Specification Left 26th Apr 1898-Accented 25th June 1808
Date of Application, 27th July, 1897
Complete Specification Left 26th Apr 1898 Accepted 25th June 1898
[Communicated from abroad by FELLNER & ZIEGLER, of Bockenheim, near
Frankfort-on-the-Main, in the Empire of Germany.]
Improvements in Apparatus for Purifying Gases by Washing or
Scrubbing.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for purifying gases by
washing or scrubbing and is designed to enable currents of gas to be freed from any
dust which they may carry along with them, or, in the case of mixed gases to
enable any particular gas or gases to be absorbed by water or other
liquid. In order to completely fulfil the above objects, the apparatus
is arranged to repeat the washing or scrubbing operation several times over
in the same liquid,-and means are provided whereby, when the pressure
employed for forcing the gas or gases through the washing or scrubbing liquid
ceases to act, the liquid is prevented from being drawn back by suction through
the gas-inlet orifice.
One form of apparatus constructed according to the said invention comprises
a chamber divided into a number of spaces or compartments by partitions extend-
ing from the roof of the chamber. This latter contains the washing or scrubbing
liquid and the partitions are of gradually increasing length and are so arranged
that when the gas pressure is turned on, the liquid assumes different levels on
opposite sides of each of the said partitions, its surface taking a cascade or steplike
form. The gas bubbles up under the edges of the partitions, commencing with the
longest, and passes in this way from compartment to compartment. Between
each pair of the aforesaid partitions are arranged subsidiary partitions the purpose
of which is to assist the liquid to assume the different levels referred to and from
each of the main partitions extends a horizontal grid or perforated plate for the
gas to bubble through.
The gas or gases, together with the dust wherewith they may be charged, are
admitted to the end compartment adjacent to the longest partition and are dis-
charged from the other end compartment of the chamber. The aforesaid grids
may consist of perforated sheets of metal which serve for breaking up the gas
bubbles and afford a maximum surface for the purifying or scrubbing operation,
which, accordingly, takes place within the limits set by the level of the water
through which the said gas bubbles pass. The subsidiary partitions are arranged
vertically at different levels in relation to each other, and extend through the
whole width of the apparatus, while they are in all cases situated at such a
distance from the top or lid of the chamber as to leave ample space for the passage
of the gases.
When the gas pressure begins to act, the liquid will be forced up to different

page_text: levels in the several compartments, and the gases will pass through
the perforated metal sheets and through the water covering such sheets, after
which they will pass over the subsidiary partitions and escape under
the next of the main partitions. Any dust which may have been
brought along with the gases will then become precipitated to the
bottom of the chamber of the washer or scrubber whence it is collected and
removed at stated intervals through an aperture or manhole kept closed by a
suitable door or trap. Should the pressure of the gas. at the inlet to the chamber
for any reason happen to become lower than that prevailing at the outlet, whether
exerted by the atmosphere, or supplied from a compressed gas chamber,—the
arrangement of the different water levels will at once be reversed, that is to say,
the water will rise higher on the opposite side of the main partitions to what it
was formerly and atmospheric air or the gases answering the same purpose will
enter through the former outlet opening and, upon passing through the perforated
plates and through the layers of liquid in the chamber will continue escaping
through the former inlet opening until the pressure becomes balanced, or in other
words, until there is again a higher pressure in advance of the outlet, than at
the outlet.
In order to prevent any increase in the volume or quantity of the liquid within
the washing or scrubbing chamber, as might happen in special cases, an overflow
arrangement is combined with the apparatus. This arrangement comprises a
dip pipe connected to the said chamber and leading into a tube of such a height
that it will suffice to hold a column of fluid corresponding to the highest pressure
that is to be expected. Owing to this arrangement, whenever the fluid shows a
tendency to rise beyond the proper level in the last compartment, an overflow
takes place through the dip pipe and the liquid in the tube will be forced upward
to the extent corresponding to the pressure prevailing at the outlet. The dis-
charge of the surplus liquid from the tube takes place through a suitable pipe or
nozzle leading into a vessel provided to receive such discharge, the quantity of
liquid passing over into such vessel being at all times equal to the quantity added
to the contents of the main receiver.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Apparatus for Purifying Gases by Washing or
Scrubbing.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 relates to apparatus for purifying gases by washing and scrubbing
and is designed to enable currents of gas to be freed from any dust which they may
carry along with them, or, in the case of mixed gases to enable any particular
gas or gases to be absorbed by water or other fluids.
In order to completely fulfil the above objects the apparatus is arranged to
repeat the washing or scrubbing operation several times over in the same liquid,
and means are provided whereby, when the pressure employed for forcing the
gas or gases through the washing or scrubbing liquid ceases to act, the liquid
is prevented from being drawn back by suction through the gas-inlet orifice.

page_text: In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the improved apparatus.
Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the same on the line 22 of Figure 1.
This form of apparatus shown in the drawing and constructed according to the
said invention comprises a chamber D divided into a number of spaces or com-
partments by partitions & extending from the roof of the chamber. This latter
contains the washing or scrubbing liquid and the partitions are of gradually
increasing length and are so arranged that. when the gas pressure is turned on,
the liquid assumes different levels on opposite sides of each of the said partitions,
its surface taking a cascade. or steplike form. The gas bubbles up under the
edges of the partitions, commencing with the longest, and passes in this way
from compartment to compartment. Between each pair of the aforesaid partitions
are arranged subsidiary partitions, the purpose of which is to assist the liquid
to assume the different levels referred to and from each of the main partitions
extends a horizontally axial or perforated plate d³ for the gas to bubble through.
The gas or gases, together with the dust wherewith they may be charged, are
admitted to the end compartment adjacent to the longest partition and are dis-
charged at from the other end compartment of the chamber. The aforesaid
grids may consist of perforated sheets of metal which serve for breaking up
the gas bubbles and afford a maximum surface for the purifying or scrubbing
operation, which, accordingly, takes place within the limits set by the level of the
water through which the said gas bubbles pass. The subsidiary partitions * are
arranged vertically at different levels in relation to each other, and extend through
the whole width of the apparatus, while they are in all cases situated at such a
distance from the top or lid of the chamber as to leave ample space for the
passage of the gases.
When the gas pressure begins to act at t the liquid will be forced up to different
levels in the several compartments as shown at , and the gases will pass through
the perforated metal sheets and through the water covering such sheets, after which
they will pass over the subsidiary partitions and escape under the next of the
main partitions. Any dust which may have been brought along with the gases
will then become precipitated to the bottom of the chamber of the washer or
scrubber 1) whence it is collected and removed at stated intervals through an
aperture or manhole kept closed by a suitable door or trap. Should the pressure
of the gas at the inlet t to the chamber for any reason happen to become lower
than that prevailing at the outlet t' whether exerted by the atmosphere, or supplied
from a compressed gas chamber,-the arrangement of the different water levels
will at once be reversed, that is to say the water will rise higher on the opposite
side of the main partition 22, and atmospheric air or the gases answering the
same purpose will enter through the former outlet opening t and, upon passing
through the perforated plates d³ ³ and through the layers of liquid in the chamber
will continue escaping through the former inlet opening t until the pressure becomes
balanced, or in other words, until there is again a higher pressure in advance
of t, than at t¹.
In order to prevent any increase in the volume or quantity of the liquid within
the washing or scrubbing chamber D, as might happen in special cases, an over-
flow arrangement is combined with the apparatus, as shown in Figure 1. This
arrangement comprises a dip pipe r connected to the said chamber Ď and leading
into a tube s, of such a height that it will suffice to hold a column of fluid corre-
sponding to the highest pressure that is to be expected. Owing to this
arrangement, whenever the fluid shows a tendency to rise beyond the proper level
in the last compartment, an overflow takes place through the dip piper and
the liquid in the tube s will be forced upward to the extent corresponding to the
pressure prevailing at the outlet t¹. The discharge of the surplus liquid from the
tube takes place through a suitable pipe or nozzles leading into a vessel u provided
to receive such discharges the quantity of liquid passing over into such vessel u
being at all times equal to the quantity added to the contents of the main receiver.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:
In gas washing apparatus the combination of horizontal perforated plates,
sieves, or the like arranged in series, and at different levels, with separated
chambers above the said plates or sieves; and vertical walls, for causing the gas
to pass through the chambers one after the other, substantially as described.
Dated the 26th day of April 1898.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.