Improvements in Apparatus and Furnaces for. Concentrating Sulphuric Acid and other Liquids.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus and Furnaces for. Concentrating
Sulphuric Acid and other Liquids.
I, JOHN BRADBURY of 72 Stockton Street, Moss Side, Manchester in the
County of Lancaster, Chemical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said
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 improvements in apparatus and furnaces for concentrating
sulphuric acid and other liquids, and consists in the construction and arrangements
of the same in a simple, economic, and inexpensive manner that will allow of the
same being readily accessible for repairs or other purposes; also in means for
conveying away vapour and fumes issuing from the evaporating vessels.
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, is a sectional elevation of a modification of
Fig. 2 is a sectional plan of Fig. 1 with top covers removed.
my invention.
Fig. 3 is a part front or end elevation and a part sectional elevation through
line A' B' in Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a sectional plan through line C¹ D¹ in Fig. 1.
Fig. 5, Sheet 2, is a sectional elevation of a modification of my invention.
Fig. is a sectional plan of Fig. 5.
Fig. 7, Sheet 3, is a sectional end elevation through line E' G¹ in Fig. 5, and
Fig. 8 is a sectional plan through line H' I' in Fig. 5.
In all the figures the same letters are employed to indicate corresponding parts.
A is the fire-place or furnace chamber; B the fire-bars; C the flues or openings
for conveying the heated products of combustion from the fire-place or furnace
chamber A to the chamber or chambers D containing the evaporating vessels E.
The evaporating vessels E, which may be in one or more rows as shown in the
drawings, are mounted or seated on the metallic plates G carried on the brick or
other piers or supports H, leaving the openings I to allow of the heated products
of combustion passing under those portions supporting the evaporating vessels E.
The latter may be of any number, size, and form composed of either lead, or other
suitable metal, earthenware or glass, or a combination of the same to suit the
purpose for which they are required, and are mounted at one uniform height on
the metallic supporting plate G. Each evaporating vessel E is provided with a
spout or spouts J, and a pipe K descending to the bottom, or nearly, so, of the
evaporating vessel E. The chamber or chambers D for heating the evaporating
vessels is formed by placing the metallic plates L below the upper ends of the said
vessels E; the chamber or chambers M above the evaporating vessels being for the
purpose of receiving vapour and fumes, the latter being conveyed therefrom by the
openings or passages N connected to the gas pipes O to convey the same to a
stack or chimney or other convenient place. The chamber or chambers D, con-
taining the evaporating vessels E, is provided with the channels P to conduct
away any leakage that may take place from the vessels E. Above the evaporating
vessels E and the vapour and gas chamber or chambers M is fixed the acid pan Q
extending the full length of the apparatus or otherwise, and from which the acid
or other liquid is supplied by the valve or tap R to the box or vessel S, from
whence it is conveyed to the first evaporating vessel E by the pipe T as required.
The acid pan Q is mounted over the flues U conveying the heated products of
combustion from the fire-place or furnace chamber A to the chimney or stack. The
acid or other liquid may be supplied to the acid cistern or cisterns Q by the pipe Y
and tap Z from any convenient source. In lieu of the troughs J the evaporating
vessels may be coupled direct by the syphon or charging pipes K as shown in

page_text: Figs. 5 and 6. When the acid or other liquid rises in the cistern or cisterns Q
to a point above the pipe K it flows through the latter into the first evaporating
pan E and on to the succeeding pans E by the syphon pipes K until they are almost
full, and so on throughout the entire range or series to the outlet. In the
arrangement shown in Fig. 6 it will be seen that the acid or other liquid is
supplied at the coolest part of the range or series, and as the acid flows from back
to front it is gradually heated to the desired temperature in the evaporating pans E
nearest to the furnace or fire-place A, from whence it passes to the other range
or series on the opposite side and gradually cools down as the outlet is approached.
The acid cistern or cisterns Q is fitted with the well a into which dips the pipe K
which may be employed for emptying or syphoning the acid or other liquids from
the evaporating pans E by simply opening the tap 6 located in the lower end of
the well a and which is fixed at a point below the bottom of the evaporating pans E.
Fig. 6 is a plan of a double row to utilize waste heat, which will cause the acid or
other liquid to flow in either direction, and can be reversed at once to suit the
quality of acid or other liquid to be treated. A single row will act in a similar
manner. To protect the evaporating vessels E from undue action of the heat in
the chamber or chambers D they may be encased in the metallic shields V made in
halves and secured by the bolts W passing through the lugs or ears X. If desired
a portion of the evaporating vessels E may be without the metallic shields V,
especially in the coolest part of the chamber or chambers D.
This apparatus operates as follows:-The acid or other liquids to be treated is
supplied to the cistern or cisterns Q, from whence it is conveyed through the pipe
or pipes K to the first evaporating vessel E. After the latter vessel is charged
to a sufficient height the acid or other liquid will-flow therefrom to the next and
so on until the entire range or series of evaporating vessels E are supplied, during
which operation the acid or other liquid becomes more and more concentrated, and
from the last vessel the acid or other liquid is conveyed away by the pipe c to a
receiver or cistern or cisterns. The object of delivering the acid or other liquid at
the bottom of each evaporating vessel E is to prevent the diluted acid or other liquid
flowing away owing to its comparative lightness before a thorough mixing has taken
place. This apparatus may be employed in combination with apparatuses at present
employed for concentrating sulphuric acid and other liquids wherein the evaporating
vessels are disposed one above the other on the step principle.
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 :-
1. For concentrating sulphuric acid and other liquids a series of evaporating
vessels composed of either lead, or other suitable metal, earthenware or glass, or
a combination of the same to suit the purpose for which they are required, placed
at one uniform height in a heating chamber or chambers, the evaporating vessels
being provided with spouts and pipes, or pipes alone, the latter descending to the
bottom, or nearly so, of the evaporating vessels, arranged so that each may be
charged in successive order from the acid or other liquid tank or tanks, substantially
as described.
2. In combination with the evaporating vessels E for concentrating sulphuric acid
or other liquids the use of the shields V for the purpose specified.
3. The respective combinations, constructions, and arrangements of apparatus and
furnaces for concentrating sulphuric acid and other liquids, substantially as described
and as illustrated on the drawings.
Dated the 17th November 1893.
EDMUND CHADWICK, F.I.C.P.A.,
Agent.