Improvements in Apparatus for Concentrating Acids and other Liquids.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 9th Jan., 1892-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Concentrating Acids and other
Liquids.
1, WILLIAM HEYES, of St. Helens, in the County of Lancaster. Chemical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
My invention relates to apparatus for concentrating acids and other liquids.
According to my invention I employ a number of plates of glass or other
suitable material placed at different elevations and made with transverse channels
communicating one with another at alternate ends through which channels the acid
is caused to flow, each plate being provided with a lip to allow of the egress of the
acid from one plate to the next one below it.
The said plates are mounted in metal frames resting on brick side walls in the
furnaces so that the entire under surfaces of the plates are exposed to the heat and
they are also provided with suitable covers.
Upon
The lowermost plate delivers the concentrated acid to a coil of pipe placed in a
tank which receives the cold acid to be treated whereby the latter becomes heated
to a certain degree previous to its concentration. Up the concentrated acid
leaving the coil it is passed through a cooler containing water, and then into
carboys or tanks for storage.
By my invention the acid or other liquid is caused to travel in a continuous
manner over a large surface in a very thin stream which causes it to become
rapidly concentrated thereby effecting a great saving in fuel, and enabling a larger
quantity of acid than heretofore to be concentrated in a given time. An economy
is also effected in the cost of plant, and in ground space for its erection, and the
wear and tear of the apparatus is very slight. Moreover the quality of the acid
is superior to that concentrated in some apparatuses hitherto in use in consequence
of its contact with glass only, instead of with metal, as in the latter case the acid
is frequently rendered unfit for many purposes by reason of the quantity of metal
absorbed by it.
1001
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Concentrating Acids and other
Liquids.
1, WILLIAM HEYES, of St. Helens, in the County of Lancaster, Chemical
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what inanner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My invention relates to apparatus for concentrating acids and other liquids, and
is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which
1-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the apparatus, and
Figures 2, 3 and 4 are respectively a plan, a longitudinal section and a
transverse section drawn to an enlarged scale of one of the channelled plates
hereinafter described.
Figure 5 is a section illustrating a modified arrangement of the channelled
plates.
According to my invention I employ a number of plates a, Figures 2, 3 and 4,

page_text: of glass or other suitable acid resisting materials placed at different elevations as
shewn in Figure 1 and made with transverse channels b, b, communicating one
with another at alternate ends, through which channels the acid is caused to flow
in the direction of the arrows Figure 1, each plate being provided with a lip e (or
a pipe or trough) to allow of the egress of the acid from one plate to the next one
below it.
The said plates are mounted in metal frames d resting on brick side walls e in
the furnaces so that the entire under surfaces of the plates are exposed to the
heat and they are also provided with suitable covers, not shewn in the drawings.
The lowermost plate a delivers the concentrated neid to a coil of pipe g placed in
a tank / which receives the cold acid to be treated, whereby the latter becomes
heated to a certain degree previous to its concentration, the said cold acid coming
from a tank and entering the tank through a pipe j. Upon the concentrated
acid leaving the coil it is passed through a pipe k, leading into a cooler, not
shewn in the drawings, containing water, and then into carboys or tanks for
storage.
l
The acid from the tank i having acquired a certain degree of heat in the tank h,
passes in the direction of the arrows in Figure 1 through a pipe to a lenden
vessel m resting upon the plates a, thence through another pipen to a second
leaden vessel o whence it is conducted by a pipe p to the uppermost plate a.
By my invention the acid or other liquid is caused to travel in a continuous
manner over a large surface in a very thin stream which causes it to become
rapidly concentrated thereby effecting a great saving in fuel, and enabling a larger
quantity of acid or other liquids than heretofore to be concentrated in a given
time.
An economy is also effected in the cost of plant, and in ground space for its
erection, and the wear and tear of the apparatus is very slight. Moreover the
quality of the acid is superior to that concentrated in some apparatuses hitherto in
use in consequence of its contact with acid resisting materials only, instead of with
soluble metal, as in the latter case the acid is frequently rendered unfit for many
purposes by reason of the quantity of metal absorbed by it.
Instead of the communication between one plate and another being effected by
means of a lip as hereinbefore described the plates may overlap and the liquid
run through a vertical hole from one plate to the next lower plate as illustrated in
Figure 5.
I do not confine myself to the precise arrangement of the furnaces and means
for preliminarily heating the liquid to be treated as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings as they would require to be varied to suit
the ground space at disposal and the liquid to be treated, for example I may
employ two sets of channelled plates placed at different elevations according to my
invention, one set being arranged at a lower elevation alongside the other set so
that the lowermost plate of one set will discharge into the uppermost plate of the
other set. In this case it is advantageous to employ a single furnace placed under-
neath the highest plate the heat passing downwards first under one set of plates
and then under the other set and finally out at the lowermost plate where it is
utilized to preliminarily heat the cold liquid to be treated, the vapour arising from
the liquid being advantageously carried off by a pipe to suitable condensers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inveu-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
claim is :-
:--
1. In apparatus for concentrating acids and other liquids the use of a number of
plates placed at different elevations above a furnace or furnaces and made with
transverse channels communicating one with another at alternate ends, each plate
being provided with a lip, pipe or trough, substantially as and for the purpose
hereinbefore described.
2. In apparatus for concentrating acids and other liquids the combination with a

page_text: series of plates placed at different elevations above a furnace or furnaces and made
with transverse channels communicating one with another at alternate ends, of a
coil of pipe into which the liquid is delivered after having passed over the said
plates, the said coil of pipe being arranged in a tank which receives the cold liquid
to be treated and from which it is conducted to the uppermost of the series of
plates, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
3. The improved apparatus for concentrating acids and other liquids herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 9th day of January 1892.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.