US2387024A

US2387024A - Pressure vessel and support

Info

Publication number: US2387024A
Application number: US549468A
Authority: US
Inventors: Patrick D Hishon; William D Carter; Thomas N Ravn; Herbert L Borchers
Original assignee: Shell Development Co
Current assignee: Shell Development Co
Priority date: 1944-08-14
Filing date: 1944-08-14
Publication date: 1945-10-16
Anticipated expiration: 1962-10-16

Description

0a, 16, 1945. P, ls HAL 2,387,024

PRESSURE VESSEL AND-SUPPORT Filed Au 14, 1944 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1

Invaders: Panrick D. Hishon Wifliam D. c'ari'er Hzrberf L. Box-chars Thomas N. Ravn Oct. 16, 1945. P, D H H 'N m 2,387,024

PRESSURE VESSEL AND SUPPORT.

- Filed Aug. 14, 1944 Sheets-Sheet 2 |s\ A my: 97 8 l4 Fig.11

lnvzniors: Pafrick D- Hishon William D. Caz-fer Hcrbzrr L. Borchzss Thomas N. Ravn Patents at. is, rss

i s sronr Patriots D. shon, William E. Carter, and The I N. Ram, Berkeley, San imp, ni yclopment and Herbert L. archers, assitmo to Shah Beompany, San oiseo, Calm, a corporation of Dela Application August M, 19%, Serial No. 5%9At8 12 Clai. ($1. 23-296) The present invention relates to pressure vessels and more particularly to an improved autoslave and means for supporting the same.

In the various chemical and related industries, inresearch laboratories and the like, pressure vessels are often required in which the reactions and behavior of materials under advanced prespressures often utilized in carrying out operations of these general types, the equipment employed, particularly the reaction vessel or autoclave, has conventionally been exceedingly cumbersome and heavy, necessitating several operators to charge ordischarge the same and un-' duly long periods of time to seal the vessel after charging the same.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved autoclave assembly which is readily and easily charged and discharged. Another object is to provide an autoclave assembly in which the autoclave may be easily and readily tilted for cleaning or other operations. A further object is to provide an autoclave assembly embodying an improved autoclave closure wherein the closure securing elements are under compression load only. A still further object is to provide an autoclave assembly with improved drainage means for the autoclave vessel. Another object is to provide an autoclave assembly with readily demountable external heating means and independently mounted internal heating means. Still another object is to providean autoclave with efficient externally driven agitating means, improved means for sealing the agitator shaft against the pressure within the-system, improved invention, will become apparent in the following detailed description thereof, taken together with the accompanying drawings forming a part oi the specification, and wherein:

in e I with the autoclave in towered and tilted position;

Figure m is a sectional elevation of the autoslave unit shown in Figures I and II at 8.

--ferring particularly to Figures I and II, a

' base member i is provided with a column flange 32 supporting an upright tubular column member 2. Carriage member 3 is slidably mounted on column member 2 and is provided with guide collars t and 5 which slidably engage guide rod t which is also supported by column flange t2 and extends upwardly parallel to column memher 2. Clamp ring I is rigidly mounted on column member 2 near the upper end thereof and limits the maximum upward travel of carriage member 3. The upper end of guide rod 6 is rigidly positioned and secured by clam ring 1. Drive support til is rigidly mounted on the upper end of column member 2 and is provided on one side with motor mounting 3i whichsupports drive motor 21, which is of the variable speed typeand controlled through control box 28 mounted thereon. Electric power is supplied motor 27 through cable 29. On the opposite side of column member 2, drive support 3|) supports bearing housing 22, agitator shalt housing ii and retainer ring it, agitator shaft i9 passing through these elements and terminating above bearing housing 22. An agitator 20 is mounted on the lower end of agitator shalt i9 and a pulley wheel 28 is mounted on the upper end thereof. A second pulley wheel 24 is mounted on the drive shaft of motor 2l and drives pulley wheel 23 and agitator shaft it through driveriage member 8 and supports autoclave unit 8 which is pivotally and oilcenter mounted on support bracket 97 at 9. I

counterbalance weight it is supported within column member 2 by means of roller chain Ii Figure I is an elevation, partly in section. of

an autoclave assembly'accordingtothe invention, with the autoclave in' raised and sealed position:

Figureflis an elevation of the assembly shown which engages and passes over cog wheel I? mounted atthe upper end of column member 2. The opposite end of roller chain ii is attached 'to autoclave unit 8 by means oi bracket it, the

7 bolts as at M passingthrough jacket flange dd and engaging ring member it which is rigidly en-- sages autoclave 38 at ti, a plurality of threaded mounted on the outer shell 42 of the heating jacket. Inner shell 43 of the heating jacket is spaced from outer shell 42 by means of a plurality of spacer screws 82 which pass through ring member 8| in threaded engagement therewith, through outer shell 42 and urge against inner shell 43. Flange 19, formed of thermally insulating material, is disposed between jacket flange 40 and ring member 8| and also serves as a spacer between jacket flange 40 and the heating jacket. Bracket I4 is rigidly attached to ring member BI and outer shell 42 of the heating Jacket. Inner shell 43 and outer shell 42 of the heating Jacket are rigidly attached to sleeve element 83 at their lower ends and spaced from discharge outlet 50 of autoclave 33 by means of spacer washers as at 48 which are formed of thermally insulating material and are slidable Electric power is supplied to heating elements as vat 41 by .means of electric cable H which passes through insulator 49 in the heating jacket. Electric cable l1 also leads to control box 5 mounted on carriage member 3 and is supplied current by cable l8 leading from a source of electric energy (Figure II) The autoclave bottom closure and drain com-' prises a bushing 5| threadedly mounted in discharge outlet nipple 35 being formed as a partof bushing 5| and extending upwardly in discharge outlet as shown. Bushing 32 is threadedly mounted in the end of nipple and supports a multi-disc edge type filter 34, grooved adiustment rod 53 passing through filter 54 and bushing 52 and terminating in nipple 85. Head 81 of rod 53 presses against the top of filter 54 and coil spring 33 contacting the bottom of bushing 52 and a nut 33 threaded on the bottom of rod 53 urges the rod downwardly. compression forces exerted on the discs of the filter may be adiusted by adjustment of nut 83. The filter arrangement may be removed. from the discharge outlet as a'unit by removal of bushing 5|, since the other elements of the unit are all either. directly or indirectly supported thereby.

The lower end of agitator shaft housing 2| is shaped to fit closely in a socket Joint with an annular shoulder formed on the inside of autoclave "near the upper end thereof at 39, the shaft housing thus forming the primary closure for the autoclave. An annular corrugated gasket 31, preferably formed of soft steel or other deformable metal, is provided in an annular channel formed in the body of autoclave 33 and shaft housing 2|, the gasket receiving channel being disposed immediately above the Joint at 33 between autoclave 33 and shaft housing 2|. An annular metal gasket ring 33, rectangular in cross section, is positioned on top of gasket 31. Annular retaining ring l8 threadedly engages the top of'autoclave 33 at 34, the lower face of retaining ring I! being disposed immediately above the upper face of gasket ring 33 when shaft'h'ousing 2| has been brought in closurecontact 'jwith autoclave 33 by the action of retaining ring 13 bearing againstan annular shoulder formed on shaft housing 2i at 3|. A plurality of bolts as at 38 pass through retaining ring l8 in threaded engagement therewith and bear against the upper face of gasket ring 33. A plurality of sockets as at 35' are provided around the periphery of retaining ring I for the reception of a bar tool to assist in threading retaining ring |3 into place.

Conduit 60 communicates from outside shaft housing 2| to the interior of autoclave 33. An indirect heat transfer coil 5'1 is provided with a plurality of spacers as at 56 which also serve as baffles with respect to fluid materials contained within the autoclave. Coil 51 is in flow communication with conduit 60 through a pressure connection at 59, providing means for supplying a cooling or heating medium to coil 51. An identical conduit in shaft housing and pressure connection (not shown) are employed for fluid exitfrom coil 51.

Agitator shaft |9 extends to a point near the bottom of autoclave 33 and is provided at its termination with an inverted cup rigidly mounted thereon which partially'encloses filter 54. A plurality of agitator blades as at 20 are also rigidly mounted on inverted cup 55 as shown.

Agitator shaft l9 extends through shaft housing 2|, an elongated sleeve 63 being threaded into the bottom of shaft housing 2| and agitator shaft i9 extending through sleeve 63. A graphite or other suitable bearing 62 is provided between agitator shaft l9 and sleeve 33, cap 89 threaded on the end of sleeve 63 serving to retain graphite bearing 62 in the end of sleeve 83 as shown. Two sets of packing as at 65 and I3 separated by a lantern ring 66, are provided above the end of sleeve 33. Packing gland 14 bears against packing 13 and is secured by retainer 80 which threadedly engages the lower end of bearing Thus, the

housing 22. Lubricant is admitted to lantern ring 66 from reservoir 10 via conduit 59, valve 33 and conduit 61. Conduit 12 leads from the interior of autoclave 33 and is connected'with lubricant reservoir 10 above the liquid level therein by' means of conduit 1|.

shaft housing 2| and sleeve 63 to communication with the space between agitator shaft I3 and sleeve 63. Since the tolerance between agitator shaft l3 and graphite bearing 32 is not especially close, bearing 32 serving primarily to steady the lower end of agitator shaft N, there is' a tendency for certain types of materials at times placed in the autoclave, particularly slurries of finely dividedpulverulent material, to work up between agitator shaft l9 and sleeve 63. In order to prevent damage to the shaft and the pressure packing under such conditions, an inert fluid or feed liquid or gas which is to be introduced into the autoclave may bepassed under pressure through conduit 34 and down between agitator shaft l3 and sleeve 63, thereby flushing this area and avoiding the undesirable conditions noted above.

Ball bearings as at 15 are provided in bearvas follows:

2,387,024 The autoclave is charged with the materials which are to be processed either by disconnecting the head closure and lowering the autoclave from the head or, alternatively, when freely flowing liqulds are to be charged, they may be passed through conduit 12 after temporarily removing threaded out of engagement with autoclave $3.

Carriage member 8, on which autoclave unit t is mounted by means of support bracket 91, is then lowered by means of worm gear unit 95 and roller chain Ill, counterweight It rising in column member. 2 as carriage member 8 is lowered. If carriage member 3 is lowered until it rests on column flange 32, autoclave unit 8 will tilt to the position shown in Figure II as the counterweight I3 is further raised by means of worm gear unit 96, due to the weight of the autoclave unit and the oiicenter pivotal mounting of the autoclave unit on support bracket M at 9.

If desired for any reason, the autoclave Jacket comprising outer shell or, inner shell t3 and insulators id, it and may be lowered independently by loosening bolts 80, flange l9 and thermal insulators d8 being lowered with the autoclave jacket as a unit and autoclave 33 remaining at tached to shaft housing 2 l.

The autoclave is closed 'by raising autoclave unit 8 by means of worm gear unit 95 until autoclave 33 is firmly seated against shaft housing ii at $39, corrugated gasketfll and gasket ring 38 are placed in position and retaining ring it is threaded into autoclave 33 seated on the shoulder of shaft housing 2!! at St. The final. pressure seal is then made by tightening bolts 38. It

. will be seen that retaining ring it carries most of the pressure load against the bottom of shaft housing 29 when the autoclave is under pressure, gasket 3'? being required only to prevent leakage around the joint between autoclave 3t and shaft housing 21! at 39. Bolts 38 are threadedly mounted in retaining ring it, bearing against gasket ring 35 which in turn bears against gasket 39, and as a result are required to resist only the pressure load on the gasket.

This construction permits the use of much lighter and more easily secured bolts than in the conventional autoclave closures wherein head bolts under tension load are required to resist the entirepressure load on the closure. Furthermore, since the bolts in the present instanceare under compression rather than tension load, the

failure of a bolt results in nothing more serious than slight leakage around the gasket, whereas in conventional tension bolt closures, failure of one or more or the bolts often results in a serious explosion or at least flying metal fragments which endanger the operator.

With the autoclave closed and charged, heat may be applied to the contents thereof either by clave is obtained through the action of agitator blades in conjunction with bames 65 .mountstruction obviates the use of baiiles of one sort or another on the interior walls of autoclave 33, the smooth walls of the present autoclave greatly facilitating cleaning operations and reducing initial construction costs. The pressure packing 65 and' 13 on the agitator shaft i9 is gravity lubricated, lubricant reservoir it being positioned at a higher level than the packing and the pressure above .the lubricant level in reservoir being equalized through conduits H and 12 which are in fiowcommunication with the interior of autoclave St. The flow of lubricant to the packing is controlled by means of valve 68 between conduits 8i and 89.

The autoclave may be discharged either by lowering autoclave body 33 from the head closure, as-described above with regard to the filling operation, or through discharge outlet W in those infiltration unit shown in Figure 111 is preferably employed and the autoclave discharged by removing a valve normally provided in the threaded outlet end of bushing hi, the filtrate passing through disc filter M, which may be adjusted by means of nut 88 as'hereinbefore detailed, through the grooves in adjustment rod 83 and out through bushing M and the valve. The filtration may be carried out under the pressure existing in autoclave 33 after the processing of the contents has been completed, at atmospheric pressure by disconnecting conduit ill and permitting pressure equalization within the autoclave or by controlled pressure through conduit 72. Inverted cup member 55 which partially encloses filter M materially assists in the rapid and complete drainage of the autoclave, sincein the absence of this element the rate of discharge would decrease as the liquid level in the autoclave fell below the top of filter 56 with consequent release of the gas pressure through the top of filter 56. In the structure shown, a siphon-like effect is attained, i. e. the liquid level within inverted cup 55 remains above the top of filter as until the liquid level in the autoclave falls below the lower rim of inverted cup 55, thus utilizing the full filter surface until virtually all of the contents of the autoclave have carriage and vessel may bereadily raised or loweredon said upright, and a closure for said vessel mounted on said upright near the upper limit of travel of said carriage on said upright.

2. In an autoclave assembly, the combination comprising a support upright, a pulley at the top 'of said upright, a carriage slidably mounted on said upright, a vessel pivotally and off center mounted near the bottom thereof on said carriage, a weight counterbalancing said carriage and vessel, flexible support means passing over said pulley and joining said weight and said carriage, whereby said carriage and said vesseled on and carried by heating coil 51. This conmay be readily raised and lowered on said upright, and a closure for said vessel mounted near the top of said upright being positioned diametrically and vertically above said vessel on said carriage.

3. In an autoclave assembly, the combination comprising a support upright, a carriage member slidably mounted on said upright, a vessel pivotally and oflcentr mounted near the base thereof on said carriage member, a sprocket wheel rotatably mounted above said support upright, flexible support means passing over and engaging said sprocket wheel and supporting said carriage member at one end and a counterweight disposed within said support upright at the other end, a closure for said vessel mounted on said upright near the upper limit oitravel of said carriage member on said upright, a stop element mounted on said upright andlimiting thelower limit of travel of said carriage member on said upright, and means for rotating said sprocket wheel and thereby raising and lowering said carriage member on said support upright.

4. In an autoclave assembly, the combination comprising a support upright, a carriage member slidably mounted on said upright, a pressure vessel pivotally and oilcenter mounted near the base thereof onsaid carriage member, a first sprocket wheel rotatably mounted above said supportupright, a second sprocket wheel rotatably mounted on said carriage member near the upper end thereof, a vertically adjustable counterweight disposed within said upright support, flexible support means attached to said counterweight at one end and to said carriage member at the other end, said flexible support means passing over and engaging said first sprocket wheel and passing under and engaging said second sprocket wheel, a closure for said vessel mounted on said upright near the upper limit of travel of said carriage member on said upright, a stop element mounted on said upright and limiting the lower limit of travel of said carriage member on said upright and means forrotating said firstsprocket wheel and thereby raising and lowering said carriage member on said support upright.

5. In an autoclave, the combination comprising a pressure vessel including an opening therein, a closure element seating on an annular shoulder provided in said opening in said pressure vessel, an independent closure retaining ring threadedly engaging said pressure vessel, said retaining ring being freely mounted on said closure element and bearing against an annular shoulder provided on body'of said pressure vessel, an agitator shaft rotatably mounted in said pressure vesseland extending downwardly into the body or said pressure vessel and an inverted cup element mounted on the end or said'agitator shaft and extending below the upper end of said filter element.

'7. In an autoclave, the combinationcomprisd log a pressure vessel including an opening and a discharge outlet therein,-closure means sealing said opening in said pressure vessel, filter means 1 mounted in said discharge outlet and extending upwardly within the body of said pressure vessel, an agitator shaft rotatably mounted in said closure means and extending downwardly into said pressure vessel and an inverted cup element mounted on the end of said agitator shaft and extending below the upper end of said filter element.

8. In an autoclave, the combination comprising a pressure vessel including a top opening and a bottom discharge outlet therein, closure means sealing said top opening in said pressure vesset,

. an agitator shaft rotatably mounted in said closure means and extending downwardly into the body of said pressure vessel, an inverted cup rigidly mounted on the lower end of said agitator shaft, 8. disk filter mounted in said discharge outlet and extending upwardly into the body of said pressure vessel and into said inverted cup, said disk filter terminating above the lower rim of said inverted cup, an adjustment rod passing through said disk filter and means for adjusting the compression exerted on said filter disk by said adjustment rod.

9.- In an autoclave, the combination comprising an open pressure vessel, closure means threadedly rigidly mounted on said agitator shaft above said filter element and extending below the top of said filter element.

10. In an autoclave, the combination comprising an open pressure vessel, closure means threadedly engaging said pressure vessel, a pressure sealing gasket disposed between said closure means and said pressure vessel, means threadedly engaging said closure means urging said gasket downwardly to form a pressure seal between said closure means and said pressure vessel, annular heating means depending from said closure means, bame means mounted on said heating means, a pressure sealed agitator shaft rotatably mounted in said sealing means and extending downwardly into the both; of said pressure vessel, an agitator rigidly mounted on said agitator shaft, said agitator being disposed adjacent said bafie means mounted on said heating element. a

an inverted cup mounted on the end of said agitator shaft, a discharge outlet in said pressure vessel, and a filter element mounted in said discharge outlet extendingupwardly into the body of said pressure vessel and terminating within said inverted cup above the lower rim thereof.

11. In an autoclave, the combination comprising a pressure vessel including a top opening and,

a bottom discharge outlet therein, a closure ele ment seating on an annular shoulder provided in said top opening in said pressure vessel, a closure retaining ring threadedly engaging said pressure asaigoes said closure element, a pressure sealing gasket covering the annular joint between-said closure element and said pressure vessel, a gasket retaining ring supported on said pressure gasket,

a plurality of bolts passing through said closure retaining ring in threaded engagement therewith and urging said gasket retaining ring against said pressure gasket, thereby forming apressure seal between said closure element and said pressure vessel, an annular heat exchange coil depending from said closure element, the coils of said heat exchange coil being disposed adjacent the inner wall of said pressure vessel, means for circulating heat exchange media through said heat exchange coil, a pressure sealed agitator shaft rotatably mounted in said closure element and extending within the body of said pressure vessel, an agitator rigidly mounted on said agitator shaft in said pressure vessel, said heat exchange coil being disposed circumambient with respect to at least a part of said agitator, a plurality of vertical bafiies: mounted on said heat exchange coiladjacent said agitator, an inverted cup rigidly mounted on said agitator and terminating immeately above said discharge outlet in said pressure vessel, a disk filter mounted in said discharge outlet and extending upwardly into the body of said pressure vessel and into said inverted cup, thermal insulating means disposed around said pressure vessel and supported by said pressure vessel and heating means disposed between said thermal insulating means and said pressure vessel.

12. In an autoclave, the combination comprising an open pressure vessel, a plug closure there-