Sewage and other Matters for Extracting Ammonia and Oxydizing Sulphur Compounds.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Aug., 1887
Complete Left, 24th May, 1888
Complete Accepted, 13th July, 1888
Sewage and other Matters for Extracting Ammonia and Oxydizing
Sulphur Compounds.
We, THÉODORE MARIE JOSEPH TRUCHELUT and JEAN NICOLAS TRUCHELUT of
31 Boulevard Henri IV Paris, in the Republic of France, Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of our invention, to be as follows:-
―
The object of this invention is to recover ammonia from fecal or other matters or
neutralize the same, the process at the same time allowing the sulphur compounds
in such matters which are very detrimental to public health to be destroyed.
The improved apparatus consists of a large receptacle or chamber formed preferably
of brickwork and containing a suitable number of superposed pans leaving alternately
on two opposite sides a free space between them and the wall, and of another
chamber of the same construction, but about oth of the size of the former. The
two chambers are connected by a broad pipe serving for the passage of air. The pans
or plates in both chambers are slightly bent upward at their rims so as to be able to
hold a certain quantity of liquid.
The large chamber is provided with an outlet for the disinfected liquid and is
surmounted by a reservoir from which the matter to be treated is provided through
a suitable pipe. Above said reservoir and connected with the same is situated a
smaller reservoir containing lime for saturating the material contained in the
reservoir. The small chamber is also surmounted by a reservoir containing sulphuric
acid.
The process is performed as follows:
The air in the large chamber is rarified by means of an air pump; subsequently
a ventilator arranged between the two chambers and opening at the bottom of the
large chamber is set in action. The air passing over the different pans of the latter
is saturated with ammonia, which when arriving in the second chamber is absorbed
by the acid-ammonia salts are thereby formed. The air thus deprived of its
ammonia, is in some measure purified. Subsequently it is attracted by the ventilator

page_text: and returned by the same into the large chamber. Thus the same process is repeated
until all the ammonia is extracted from the matters. When for any reason the
air-pressure in the apparatus is insufficient, the air pump is again actuated the gases
proceeding from the apparatus being made to pass into an oxidizing solution for
instance of hypochlorites.
This process differs from those applied heretofore in which tubs or reservoirs are
employed, in that the air although directed on divers points of the mass acts in the
latter case only on some parts of the liquid, instead of on the whole liquid as is
the case in the improved apparatus.
Thus a considerable amount of useful products are extracted in a comparatively
short time, and according to the size of the apparatus a more or less large quantity
of combinations containing nitrogen is decomposed and transformed into ammonia
within 12 to 15 hours. Now the arrival of the air produces a useful effect since by
the current the rarified air proceeding from the bottom of the apparatus takes along
with it the gases charged with ammonia and at the same time, it oxidizes the sulphur
compounds in a perfect degree. Consequently the matter to be treated, which is
very rich in sulphur and ammonia is entirely deprived of these bodies, the ammonia
being transformed into sulphate of ammonia as a useful product, and the sulphate into
an insoluble powder.

page_text: Super compounds.
We THEODORE MARIE JOSEPH TRUOHELUT and JEAN NICOLAS TRUCHELUT of
31 Boulevard Henri IV Paris in the Republic of France Engineers 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:
The object of this invention is to recover the ammonia from fecal, or other matters
or neutralize the same, to destroy the nitrogenous or albuminous substances and also
the sulphur compounds therein.
To this end the invention consists in a new or improved apparatus whereby the
above results may be obtained by the process hereinafter described.
Reference being made to the annexed drawing. The apparatus comprises a large
receptacle or chamber A preferably constructed of brickwork and containing a
number of superposed pans B suitably supported at convenient distances apart and
so as to leave a free space alternately on two opposite sides of the chamber, also
another chamber D of the same construction but about 5th (one-tenth) the size of
the former, and also containing shallow pans F supported and arranged in like
manner. The two chambers are connected by pipes, the one pipe E passing from the
upper part of the chamber A to the lower part of the chamber D, the other containing
a rotary air pump or equivalent device G and passing from the upper part of the
chamber D to the bottom of chamber A.
The pans B and F are flat plates with slightly raised rims so as to hold a certain
desired quantity of liquid, and expose the latter to the air in the chamber.
Above the chamber A is a tank H from which the liquid to be treated may be
drawn into the chamber through pipe C. Above the tank H is a tank I which may
contain solution of lime or lime suspended in water for mixing with the liquid in
tank H into which it may be drawn through a pipe as shown. Above the smaller
chamber D is a tank O for sulphuric acid connected with said chamber by a pipe-
L is an outlet for the liquid purified in the chamber A. N are valves for closing the
air pipes connecting the chambers. M is a door to the chamber A.
The process is as follows:-
The air in the chambers is rarified by an air pump (not shown) connected in the
usual manner, liquid is let into the chamber A and fills the pans B. The pump G is
now set in action and the air remaining in the apparatus with gases and vapours
rising from the liquid, is caused to circulate through the chambers A and D. The
air passing over the pans in A takes up the ammonia which is absorbed by the
sulphuric acid which has been let into the pans F and formis sulphate of ammonia-

page_text: The air continues to be circulated until all the ammonia is substantially taken up by
the sulphuric acid-Should from any cause, the rarification of air in the apparatus
become less, the air pump aforesaid is actuated, the air drawn from the apparatus
being passed through an oxydising solution for instance a solution of suitablo
hypochlorites.
The fermentation in the apparatus will decompose the urea and other nitrogenous
or albuminoid substances the ammonia formed being absorbed as aforesaid.
The sulphur compounds will be oxydised by the air passing over the liquid.
This process differs from those heretofore applied in which tanks or reservoirs are
employed, in that the liquid is brought into thin layers and the air is enabled to act
more efficaciously and quickly thereon.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. The apparatus comprising in combination a chamber A. having shallow pans
therein, a smaller chamber D having also shallow pans therein, and pipes connecting
said chambers, and a pump G or equivalent device in one of said pipes.
2. The apparatus comprising in combination, chambers A and B, pipes connecting
said chambers, a pump G in one of said pipes, pans in said chambers, and an air
pump for exhausting the air therein.
3. The process consisting in exposing liquid to be treated in a series of shallow
pans to the action of rarified air, which is caused to circulate over sulphuric acid.
4. The process consisting in treating fecal, sewage, or like liquid with lime
transferring it to shallow pans in a closed receptacle, exposing it to the action of
a current of rarified air circulating over said pans and over pans containing
sulphuric acid.
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