IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONDENSING VAPOURS ARISING FROM THE EVAPORATION OF CANE JUICE OR OTHER LIQUORS." PROAL SPECIFIC
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Chapman, of the Firm of Fawcett, Preston, and
Company, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONDENSING VAPOURS ARISING FROM
THE EVAPORATION OF CANE JUICE OR OTHER LIQUORS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION loft by the said Alfred Chapman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th September 1881.
ALFRED CHAPMAN, of the Firm of Fawcett, Preston, and Company, of Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
CONDENSING VAPOURS. ARISING FROM THE EVAPORATION OF CANE JUICE OR
OTHER LIQUORS."
The object of my Invention is to effect an economy in the water employed for
condensing the vapours arising from the evaporation of cano juice or other liquors,
and my apparatus will be found particularly advantageous in localities where
there is great scarcity of water.
The Invention consists in combining an open surface condenser with other parts
in such manner that the vapour condensed within the tubes may be returned in
the shape of water over the tubes, and so be utilized to condense the further vapour
entering the tubes. The water which trickles down over the tubes is caught in a
collector at the bottom, and a circulating pump forces it up from this collector into
a tank, from which it again flows to trickle down over the tubes. The water
condensed within the tube is delivered by an air or vacuum pump to the circulating
pump, and is also forced by this pump up into the tank. The level of the water
in the tank may be maintained by a supply cock actuated by a float and lever or
otherwise, so that the loss caused by evaporation from the outside surface of the
tubes is made good by the fresh water entering by this cock; or the loss due to
evaporation may be made good by water added to the collector into which the air
pump may discharge. Also the water from the inside of the tubes may be allowed
to descend by a Torricellean column to a water seal at bottom, the air pump merely
extracting air.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Chapman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd March
1882.
ALFRED CHAPMAN, of the Firm of Fawcett, Preston, and Company, of Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
CONDENSING VAPOURS ARISING FROM THE EVAPORATION OF CANE JUICE OR
OTHER LIQUORS."
The object of my Invention is to effect an economy in the water employed for
condensing the vapours arising from the evaporation of cane juice or other liquors,
and my apparatus will be found particularly advantageous in localities where thero
is great scarcity of water.
The Invention consists in combining an open surface condenser with other parts
in such manner that the vapour condensed within the tubes may be returned in
the shape of water over the tubes, and so be utilized to condense the further vapour
entering the tubes. The water which trickles down over the tubes is caught in a
collector at the bottom, and a circulating pump forces it up from this collector into
a tank from which it again flows to trickle down over the tubes. The water con-
densed within the tubes is delivered by an air or vacuum pump to the circulating
pump, and is also forced by this pump up into the tank. The level of the water in
the tank may be maintained by a supply cock actuated by a float and lever or
otherwise, so that the loss caused by evaporation from the outsido surface of the
tubes is made good by the fresh water entering by this cock; or the loss due to
evaporation may be made good by water added to the collector, into which the air
pump may discharge, or where two or more vacuum pans are arranged to work on
the double, triple, or multiple effect system, the condensations from the several pans
as removed by air pumps may be added to the water in the collector, thus dis-
pensing with the addition of water from an external source.
The accompanying Drawing illustrates my Invention. A represents a vacuum
pan or other vessel; B, the pipe for conveying the vapours therefrom; C, the open
surface condenser; D, the air pump; E, the collecting tank; F, the circulating
pump; and G, the distributing tank.
The vapour produced by the evaporation in the vacuum pan or other vessel A
passes by the pipe B into the tubes of the surface condenser C, where it is con-
densed by giving off its heat to the water trickling over the tubes, as usual in this
description of condenser; the air and condensations inside the tubes are removed
by the air pump D, and the latter are delivered into the collecting tank E, which
also receives the water which has trickled over the tubes. From the tank E the
water is pumped by the pump F up to the distributing tank G, from which it runs
over the horizontal pipes of the condenser C. This distributing tank G is furnished
with a supply cock governed by a ball float for admitting sufficient water from
another source to keep it always at the same level, and make up for losses by
evaporation; or if more convenient this supply cock and regulating float may be
fitted into the tank E or any other convenient place in the circuit; or as already
mentioned, in the case of vacuum pans working on the multiple effect system, the
condensations from the several pans may be added to the water in the tank E, so
that no addition of water from an external source is required.
If from the nature of the ground or construction of edifices or any other cause, it
be determined or advantageous to allow the condensations from the condenser to
flow into a Torricellian or barometrical column, and not pass in a notable quantity
to the air pump, which will be arranged for the purpose of removing the air, then
the pump For other pump suitably arranged will take the condensations flowing

page_text: away from the water seal of the Torricellian column and lift them, so that they
eventually flow over the condensing tubes of the surface condenser, substantially as
described, thereby practically condensing the vapour from the pan or boiler with
the water already obtained from condensation of the vapour from the said pan or
boiler.
If on account of the normal temperature of the place in which this apparatus
may be used, or for any other reason, it may be considered advisable to cool the
water of condensation as delivered by the air pump, or overflow of the water seal
before passing it on to the surface condenser, it may be pumped over a cooling room
or tower, as is commonly done with injection water in many places on the
continent and elsewhere.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,—
Constructing apparatus for condensing vapours arising from the evaporation of
cane juice or other liquors, substantially as hereinbefore described and represented
in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, tho said Alfred Chapman, have hereunto set iny hand
and seal, this Twenty second day of March, One thousand eight hundred
and eighty two.