IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONCENTRATING SULPHURIC ACID
Year: 1884

page_text: I PETER JENSEN of 33 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex Fellow of
the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONCENTRATING SULPHURIC ACID" (A
communication to me from abroad by A. Kux of Berlin, German Empire, Engineer)
to be as follows:-
Apparatus constructed according to this invention serve to concentrate sulphuric
acid and especially such which have become diluted by absorbing watery vapours,
notably for again concentrating the diluted sulphuric acid coming from the
absorption vessels of ice-producing apparatus in which sulphuric acid is used.
Apparatus heretofore used for such purpose consists mainly of a vessel containing
one or more lead coils through which steam of 3 to 4 atmospheres is led directly.
The lead coils do not long stand this pressure and heat, and thus repairs and
interruptions of the work are caused.
In the apparatus made according to this present invention the steam is not
passed through lead pipes but it outwardly surrounds a pipe system through which
the diluted acid circulates. If a tube should become leaky the hole or crack may
be stopped by a lead plug. Should furthermore one or more pipes be pressed
together or collapse through the steam pressure, the apparatus will nevertheless
continue to work. The apparatus is constructed as follows:
An upper dome shaped part and a lower dome shaped part are connected by a
series or system of tubes which are fixed in strong tube plates and through which
the diluted sulphuric acid can circulate; a separate laterally placed pipe may be
provided for furthering the circulation. The system of pipes is surrounded by a
cylinder provided with upper lateral steam inlet and lower outlet. The pipes and
the acid therein thus become highly heated. The sulphuric acid in a diluted state
is admitted by an inlet pipe to the upper dome and passed off in a concentrated
state by an outlet from the bottom dome. The watery vapours escape by a pipe at
top of the apparatus. Any sulphuric acid that may be carried off with it is
condensed and carried back by a rose at the end of a pipe supplied with water
which meets the escaping vapours. The condensed water thus thrown down
escapes by a small pipe in the lower part of the cylinder. A gauge glass is

page_text: provided for showing the level of the acid. If the vapour outlet pipe is put in
communication with an air pump or exhauster the evaporation is accelerated, and
a lower steam pressure may then be applied; or instead of an ordinary air pump
I may use a jet pump worked by water pressure whereby the vapours at the same
time are condensed.
The dome shaped top and bottom parts and the plates into which the tubes or
pipes are fixed are best made of a hard lead alloy covered with soft lead. The tubo
plates for large size apparatus are provided with ribs and are stayed together as
required. The tubes are ordinary lead pipes which are soldered into the tube
plates. The circulating pipe is made of lead but strengthened by outer collars or
ribs of a hard lead alloy.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
»
I, PETER JENSEN of 33 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex Fellow of
the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of said invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONCENTRATING SULPHURIC ACID
communication to me from abroad by A. Kux of Berlin, German Empire, Engineer
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
Apparatus constructed according to this invention serve to concentrate sulphuric
acid and especially such which have become diluted by absorbing watery vapours,
notably for again concentrating the diluted sulphuric acid coming from the
absorption vessels of ice-producing apparatus in which sulphuric acid is used.
Apparatus heretofore used for such purpose consists mainly of a vessol containing
one or more lead coils through which steam of 3 to 4 atmospheres is led directly.
The lead coils do not long stand this pressure and heat and thus repairs and
interruptions of the work are caused.
In the apparatus made according to this present invention the steam is not passed
through lead pipes but it outwardly surrounds a pipe system through which the
diluted acid circulates. If a tube should become leaky the hole or crack may be
stopped by a lead plug. Should furthermore one or more pipes be pressed together
or collapse through the steam pressure, the apparatus will nevertheless continue to
work. The apparatus is constructed as follows as will be understood from the
reference to the accompanying drawings of which Figure 1 is a vertical section and
Figure 2 a horizontal section through such an apparatus.
An upper dome-shaped part a and a lower dome-shaped part b are connected by
a series or system of tubes c which are fixed in strong tube plates and through
which the diluted sulphuric acid can circulate; a separato laterally placed pipe d
may be provided for furthering the circulation. The system of pipes c is
surrounded by a cylinder e provided with upper lateral steam inlet fand lower
outlet g. The pipes and the acid therein thus become highly heated. The
sulphuric acid in a diluted state is admitted by an inlet pipe h to the upper
dome a, and passed off in a concentrated state by an outlet i from the bottom
dome b. The watery vapours escape by a pipe k at top of the apparatus. Any
sulphuric acid that may be carried off with it is condensed by water from a rose or
perforated pipe at the end of a pipe m supplied with water which meets the
escaping vapours. The condensed water thrown down within the steam casing e
escapes by a small pipe m² in the lower part of the cylinder e. A gauge glass n is
provided for showing the level of the acid. If the vapour outlet pipe k is put in
communication with an air pump or exhauster the evaporation is accelerated, and
a lower steam pressure may then be applied; or instead of an ordinary air pump
may use a jet pump worked by water pressure whereby the vapours at the same
time are condensed.
The dome-shaped top and bottom parts a and b and the plates into which the
tubes or pipes are fixed are best made of a hard lead alloy covered with soft lead.
The tube plates for large size apparatus are provided with ribs and are stayed

page_text: together as required. The tubes are ordinary lead pipes which are soldered into
the tube plates. The circulating pipe d is made of lead but strengthened by outer
collars or ribs of a hard lead alloy.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim as the invention communicated to me is.
Firat An apparatus for concentrating diluted sulphuric acid consisting of two
acid containers which are connected by a system of upright pipes which are heated
directly from without by steam whereby the acid circulating in the pipes is hented
and the water therein evaporated and carried off.
Second-The construction of apparatus shown on the drawing.