Improvements in Apparatus for Distilling, Evaporating, or Concentrating Liquids or Solutions and the like, and for Condensing Exhaust Steam.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Dec., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 30th Sept., 1391-Accepted, 1st Nov., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Distilling, Evaporating, or
Concentrating Liquids or Solutions and the like, and for
Condensing Exhaust Steam.
I, JOSEPH WRIGHT, of 16, Great George Street, in the City of Westminster,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has for its object to provide an apparatus which will utilize steam
heat very efficiently by what is known as multiple effects in the distillation
evaporation or concentration of liquids or solutions or the like steam being either
live or exhaust steam or both and in the latter case the apparatus serves also at the
same time as an exhaust steam condenser for the production of pure condensed steam
water by multiple effects.
According to my invention I provide any desired number of vessels preferably in the
form of vertical cylinders having a chamber at bottom from which extend inverted U
or vertical tubes communicating with the said chamber but extending upwards
some distance into the cylinder or vessel above. The said cylinders or vessels con-
stitute the evaporators and the lower chambers and bent tubes constitute condensers.
The upper ends of these cylinders or vessels communicate with the chamber beneath
the next one by means of pipes which are also in connection with one general or
exhaust steam pipe the said pipes being furnished with valves so that communication
can be cut off and opened as desired (which may operate automatically by the
pressure or volume of steam) and the steam pass through all the cylinders or vessels
or bye pass either or any of the cylinders or vessels as desired. From the lower
chambers beneath each cylinder or vessel opens also a pipe with an automatic valve
by which air or surplus steam can pass from one condensing chamber to another
without passing through the vessels above. One general pipe leads along beside or
above the steam pipe to serve for establishing the communication between the
cylinders as desired and this pipe leads to a tubular injector surface condenser in con-
nection with a pump by which a partial vacuum is created in the cylinders or vessels
or such of them as are in communication therewith for the time being. This pump
also serves to draw water of condensation out of the aforesaid chambers through a
pipe communicating with each chamber by branches therefrom and a ball valve or
equivalent device. The pump may also serve to deliver the liquid, solution or the
like to be distilled evaporated or concentrated into the cylinders or vessels through a
pipe furnished with branches leading to a small cistern in connection with each
cylinder or vessel and having a delivery pipe leading thereinto the supply being
regulated by a ball valve or its equivalent..
The upper part of each cylinder or vessel is provided with a perforated diaphragm
steam strainer or cap-piece for preventing water or solid matter from passing with
the steam due to evaporation through the pipes communicating between the cylinders
and chambers. Steam or vapour from the liquid in each cylinder or vessel passes
therefrom into the chamber below the next, cylinder or vessel and then into the
inverted Upipes thereof where it is condensed in evaporating distilling or con-
centrating the contents of that cylinder or vessel and so on throughout the series
until it arrives at the surface condenser where its complete condensation terminates.
When soapy solutions, sea water or analogous solutions such as sewage are
sufficiently evaporated or concentrated the contents of the cylinders or vessels can be
drawn off as required or automatically by cocks or ball valves arranged for the
purpose in each cylinder or vessel. The pump may draw its supply through filters.
Gauge glasses can be attached to the aforesaid cylinders and chambers for
ascertaining the position of their contents.

page_text: The invention is adapted for the treatment of any liquids or solutions or the like
such for instance as the liquors of soap works or sewage waters and such like and for
producing pure condensed steam water for hoilers, wool-washing, dyeworks, and the
like.
Dated this 31st day of December 1889
J.. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Distilling, Evaporating, or
Concentrating Liquids or Solutions and the like, and for
Condensing Exhaust Steam.
I, JOSEPH WRIGHT, of 16, Great George Street, in the City of Westminster,
Mechanical Engineer, 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:—
My invention has for its object to provide an apparatus which will utilize steam
heat very efficiently by what is known as "multiple effects" in the distillation
evaporation or concentration of liquids or solutions or the like the steam being either
Live or exhaust steam, or both, and in the case of using exhaust steam the apparatus
serves also, at the same time, as an exhaust steam condenser for the production of
pure water by condensation by multiple effects.
I will describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 being a front elevation partly in section.
Rigures 2 and 3 views of each side of the first vessel A, and
Figure 4 a plan of an apparatus constructed according to my, invention.
Figures 5 and 6 are respectively a vertical section and plan of one of the vessels
and its connections drawn to a larger scale.
1
According to my invention I provide any desired number of vessels (I will, presume
there to be four such vessels as shewn) preferably in the form of vertical cylinders A
having a chamber a at bottom the cylinder and chamber being separated by a plate
or casting a from which extend inverted U or vertical tubes B communicating with
the said chamber a as shewn and extending upwards some distance into the cylinder
or vessel A as shewn. The said cylinders or vessels A constitute the evaporators in
which the liquid or semi-liquid matter to be distilled concentrated or evaporated is
placed and the lower chambers a and bent tubes B constitute condensers the water of
condensation being received in the lower part of the said chambers so that the
partition dipping into the water compels the steam to pass through the tubes B.
The upper ends of the cylinders or vessels A communicate with the chamber beneath
the next one by means of pipes C and C² as hereinafter described which pipes C are
also in connection with the pipe D leading to the condensing apparatus E in which a
vacuum is created by an air pump indicated at I the said pipes being furnished with
valves so that communication can be cut off and opened as desired as hereinafter
described so that the steam or vapour passes through all the cylinders or vessels or
either of the cylinders, or vessels can be bye-passed as desired.
chambers a beneath each cylinder or vessel opens also a pipe C3 with an automatic
From the lower
valve (which is preferably constructed like the valve marked P in the Specification.
of Letters Patent granted to me and bearing date May 24th 1890, No. 8145) by
which air or surplus steam can pass from one condensing chamber to another.
G is the steam pipe for the admission of the live or exhaust steam whose heat is to
be utilized and which is itself to be condensed.
The pump F also serves to draw water of condensation out of the chambers a³,
through a pipe H communicating with each such chamber by branches therefrom
and a valve as shewn. The pump F2 serves to deliver the liquid solution or the like
to be distilled evaporated or concentrated into the cylinders or vessels A. through a

page_text: pipe I furnished with branches à leading into the vessels A the supply being
regulated by valve as at 2, or the feeding may be effected by a column of the
liquid instead of by a pump. The upper part of each cylinder or vessel A is
provided with an anti-priming arrangement consisting of a plate or cup on the
perforated inner portion c* of the tube C. This when evaporation is energetic
prevents water or solid matter from passing through the perforations e* and into the
pipe C with the steam or vapour. Steam or vapour from the liquid in each cylinder
or vessel A passes therefrom by the tubes C and C2 and valves and branches
and tube D into the chamber a below the next cylinder or vessel A and then into the
inverted pipes B thereof where it is condensed in evaporating distilling or con-
centrating the contents of that cylinder or vessel and so on throughout the series,
until it arrives at the condenser E (which may be an ejector or surface or other
suitable condenser) where its condensation terminates and it is withdrawn by, the
pump F.
The steam (either live or exhaust steam or both) enters at the left hand
end of the pipe G and passes through the valve and by the pipe C into the first
chamber then through the tubes B and any excess of pressure of air or uncon-
densed steam lifts the valve c and the air or steam or both passes with the vapour or
steam from the vessel A through the pipe C² into the next chamber a and so with all
the others of the pipes C3 valves and pipes C². When soapy solutions sea water or
analogous solutions such as sewage are sufficiently evaporated or concentrated the
contents or sludge can be drawn off as required from the cylinders or vessels A by
cocks as at arranged for the purpose in connection with each cylinder or vessel and
the said sludge be passed by the pipes into filters & the solid matter being retained
and the liquid passing by the pipes into the pipe L to the tank M from which it
may be pumped through the pipe I into the cylinders A again with the regular
feed, which regular feed may be also supplied by the pipe L into the said tank M
which may be provided with a filter. Gauge glasses can be attached to the aforesaid
cylinders and chambers for ascertaining the position of their contents.
The valves are arranged so that either of the apparatus A can be bye passed as
desired are valves in the pipe D either of which valves is shut when the vessel A
to which it appertains is in operation. The valves and are those which give
communication between the pipes C and C and the valves 68 are those by which the
steam from the pipe G is admitted to or cut off from either of the vessels A.
If either of the vessels A is to be put out of use for cleaning or repair for instance
the valve appertaining thereto is closed. The valves on the one side and et on
the other side are also closed and the valve & between on the pipe D is opened. Say
it is the second vessel A from the left hand of Figure 1 that is thus bye passed. The
vapour or steam from the first vessel A then passes through its valve along the
pipe 1 through the valve behind the bye passed vessel through the valve of the
third vessel A. The valves of the vessels A after the first one in operation of
the series may be opened or closed to let in any proportion of steam desired to each
vessel.
I have shewn four vessels A but I may use two or three or any larger number as
desired.
The invention is adapted for the treatment of any liquids or solutions or the like
such for instance as log wood infusions or the liquors of soap works or sewage or salt
water and such like and for producing pure condensed steam water for boilers, wool-
washing, dyeworks and the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that
what I claim is:-
1. The arrangement and combination of vessels (A) and steam passages and vapour
and vacuum passages and valves for bye-passing either vessel and controlling the
flow through the said passages as desired substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
2. The arrangement and combination of vessels A and steam passages and vapour

page_text: and vacuum passages and valves for bye-passing either vessel and controlling the.
flow through the said vessels as desired in combination with an automatic valve such
as c for passing accumulated air or excess of steam from the chambers a to the con-
denser, substantially as herein before described and shewn in the accompanying
drawings.
3. In vessels such as A for distilling evaporating or concentrating liquids or
solutions, the combination with the outlet for steam or vapour of the anti-priming
arrangement consisting of the plate or cup and perforated portion * of the outlet
tube C substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated.
4. The apparatus as a whole substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings but not limited to the number of vessels A shewn in the
said drawings.
Dated this 20th dor of Santamhan 100A
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.