Improved Apparatus for the Purification of Gaseous Fumes, Air, and the like, and the Deposition of Solid Particles therefrom.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 12th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 15th Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for the Purification of Gaseous Fumes, Air,
and the like, and the Deposition of Solid Particles therefrom.
We, MARMADUKE FRANCIS PURCELL, B.L., F.C.S. Assoc. Inst. C.E.I. of
71 Harcourt Street, Dublin, Ireland, and GERVAISE PURCELL, of Los Angeles,
California Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
Our invention relates to the treatment of gaseous fumes, such as the products of
combustion, or waste, or deleterious gases from various manufactures whereby solid
particles such as those forming smoke may be perfectly deposited and various
gaseous components may be separated or eliminated so as to leave the remaining
gaseous fumes colourless and inocuous.
Our invention consists of the following apparatus for effecting this purpose:-
We employ an ordinary air exhaust fan driven from any convenient source of
power to draw the gascous fumes or products of combustion through its casing,
before delivery to the atmosphere.
Into this casing we introduce a nozzle or nozzles through which is supplied at a
suitable pressure water, admixed with other suitable chemicals or not, which is
caused to impinge upon the vanes of the rapidly rotated fan, so that the liquid is
immediately broken up by the mechanical action of the fan into a fine mist in
combination with the said gaseous fumes or products of combustion as they are
drawn through the fan. We have found that this mechanical pulverization of the
water or chemical liquids, in presence of the said gaseous fumes or products of
combustion causes a much more efficient collection and deposition of solid particles
such as smoke and a more intimate chemical reaction between liquids and gases
than can be obtained by any ordinary process of washing the gases or of percolation
through a stationary liquid.
We find that this method of application of a pulverized liquid spray to hot
gases within the case of the fan has a marked effect in the cooling and consequent
reduction of their volume, thus causing the dimensions of the said fan and the
power required to drive it to be smaller than would be the case where this method
is not adopted.
We have found that by the application of this pulverised jet of liquid all solid
matter is carried down out of the gases of combustion or other fumes or gases the
solid matter can be readily run off and collected in a liquid condition, ammoniacal
or other soluble gases being also taken into solution at the same time. The cleansed
and purified products of combustion consisting principally of CO2 and nitrogen,
are then discharged in a transparent and purified condition into the atmosphere.
It is obvious that this apparatus; while serving the specific purpose of purification
and the removal of solid matter from the products of combustion will also serve to
create an artificial draught which may be utilised to reinforce a natural draught
or may serve to dispense with any lofty brick chimney shaft in boiler or other
installations.
It has been found also that this method of and apparatus for the application of
pulverised liquid spray to separate cleanse and purify gaseous compounds may be
equally applied with advantage to the cleansing of noxious fumes. or of gaseous
fumes capable of profitable solution and collection, other than those resulting from
combustion of fuel.
It has also been found to be a complete mode of purifying air from dust in

page_text: screening grain and might also be used for any manufacture when dust is found to
be a nuisance.
Dated this 11th day of December 1891.
FELL & WILDING,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for the Purification of Gaseous Fumes, Air,
and the like, and the Deposition of Solid Particles therefrom.
We MARMADUKE FRANCIS PURCELL, B.L., F.C.S., Assoc. Inst. C.E.I., of
71 Harcourt Street, Dublin, Ireland and GERVAISE PURCELL, of Los Angeles,
California, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of our invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
.
Our invention relates to the treatment of gaseous fumes, such as the products of
combustion, or waste, or deleterious gases from various manufactures whereby
solid particles such as those forming smoke may be perfectly deposited and various
gaseous components may be separated or eliminated so as to leave the remaining
gaseous fumes colourless and inocuous.
In order that our invention may be the better understood we will now proceed to
describe the same in relation to the drawings hereunto annexed, reference being had
to the letters and figures marked thereon. Like letters refer to like parts in the
various figures.
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a fan according to our invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Our invention consists of the following apparatus for effecting this purpose.
We employ an ordinary air exhaust fan A driven from any convenient source of
power to draw the gaseous fumes or products of combustion through its casing B
before delivery to the atmosphere through the pipe E.
Into this casing B we introduce a nozzle or nozzles C C through which is supplied
at a suitable pressure, water admixed with other suitable chemicals or not, which is
caused to impinge upon the vanes D of the rapidly rotated fan A, so that the liquid
is immediately broken up by the mechanical action of the fan into a fine mist in
combination with the said gaseous fumes or products of combustion as they are
drawn through the fan. We have found that this mechanical pulverization of the
water or chemical liquids, in presence of the said gaseous fumes or products of
combustion causes a much more efficient collection and deposition of solid particles
such as smoke, and a more intimate chemical reaction between liquids and gases
than can be obtained by any ordinary process of washing the gases or of percolation
through a stationary liquid.
We find that this method of application of a pulverized liquid spray to hot gases
within the case of the fan has a marked effect in the cooling and consequent
reduction of their volume, thus causing the dimensions of the said fan and the power
required to drive it to be smaller than would be the case where this method is not
adopted.
We have found that by the application of this pulverized jet of liquid all solid
matter is carried down out of the gases of combustion or other fumes or gases the
solid matter can be readily run off and collected in a liquid condition, ammoniacal
or other soluble gases being also taken into solution at the same time. The
cleansed and purified products of combustion consisting principally of CO, and
nitrogen, are then discharged in a transparent and purified condition into the
atmosphere. It is obvious that this apparatus, while serving the specific purpose
of purification and the removal of solid matter from the products of combustion
will also serve to create an artificial draught which may be utilised to reinforce a

page_text: natural draught or may serve to dispense with any lofty brick chimney shaft in
boiler or other installations.
It has been found also that this method of and apparatus for the application of
pulverized liquid spray to separate cleanse and purify gaseous compounds may be
equally applied with advantage to the cleansing of noxious fumes or of gaseous.
fumes capable of profitable solution and collection, other than those resulting from
combustion of fuel.
It has also been found to be a complete mode of purifying air from dust in
screening grain and might also be used for any manufacture when dust is found to
be a nuisance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1st. An apparatus for the purification of gaseous fumes consisting of a rotary
exhaust fan in combination with one or more nozzles adapted to cause the impinge-
ment of a jet or jets of liquid from the said nozzles upon the vanes of the fan
during the rapid rotation of the same, substantially as described.
2nd. In such an apparatus, the arrangement of parts, substantially as described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated 12th day of September 1892.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicants.