NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING GAS
Year: 1876

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Steel at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 18th July 1876.
JAMES STEEL, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer.
"NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING GAS."
This Invention, which relates to new or improved apparatus for purifying gas,
las reference, firstly, to that portion of gas apparatus known as the purifiers; and,
secondly, to the absorption of the ammonia.
The purifiers as constructed according to this Invention consist of long cylindrical
vessels of boiler plate or other plates rivetted or bolted together and having closed
ends. These vessels are carried on two, three, or more sets of rollers so that as
power is applied to drive the rollers the cylindrical vessels are slowly rotated. The
vessels are divided internally all round by means of longitudinal and transverse
partitions into a continuous series of receptacles, which have the effect whilst the
vessels rotate of partly lifting up the lime water or other purifying liquid and dis-
charging it again after it has been carried some distance upwards, as well as of
preventing the lime water or other purifying liquid from passing, except at a
very slow rate, from the admission towards the discharge end of the cylindrical
vessels.
A series of long narrow troughs or dippers also extend from end to end of the
cylindrical vessels, and these also carry brushwood or wire projecting towards the
centre of the apparatus, so that when the lime water or other purifying liquid
lifted by the successive troughs or dippers as the vessels rotate has been carried to
the desired height it is upset over the brushwood or wires, or allowed to fall in a
shower, and thereby exposes a very extended surface to act upon the gas passing
through the purifier.
The extent of surface kept in a wet state by the lime water may also be further
increased by placing at intervals transverse divisions, alternately having a passage
for the gas at the centre and the circumference. These divisions dipping partly
into the lime water or other purifying liquid in the lower part of the rotating
purifier, as well as by the continuous trickle of the liquid from the brushwood or
wires, are kept constantly moist, and by virtue of the openings for the passage of
the gas being alternately at the centre and circumference, the rate of flow of the
gas being thereby retarded, keeps it a longer time in contact with and therefore
under the influence of the lime water or other purifying liquid.
Gland joints
are provided at the axis of the cylindrical vessels, both at the ingress and egress
ends, for the inflow and outflow of the gas, and this not having to pass through a
[Price 2d1

page_text: column of water, as in other wet purifiers, may be sent through it at a lower
pressure.
1
The second part of this Invention relates to the extracting and collecting of the
ammonia from gas. It consists in passing the gas through apparatus like that
herein-before described, but which is charged with water or other ammonia
absorbing liquid in place of lime water.
By means of the apparatus herein-before described the substances separated from
the gas become gradually concentrated, that is to say, the lime water, water, or
other purifying liquid being put in at one end of the vessels in a pure state
gradually becoine collected at the opposite end highly charged with the substances
it has absorbed, and is in this state drawn off in small quantities at a time.
a quantity of surcharged liquid is drawn off a similar quantity of pure or fresh
liquid is introduced at the opposite end of the vessels.
When
By means of the purifying apparatus herein-before described the ordinary con-
densers may in some cases be dispensed with, in which cases the purifier acts also
as a condenser.