US1225574A - Apparatus for condensing gas under high pressure. - Google Patents

Description

G. L. & J. J; CABOT. APPARATUS FOR CONDENSING GAS UNDER HIGH PRESSURE. APPLICATION FILED 0CT.26.1914.

1,23%5,574 ;0 Patented May 8, 191?.

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W s M E muewkwo ww z UwZoZ G. L. & J. J. CABOT.

APPARATUS FOR CONDENSING GAS UNDER HIGH PRESSURE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-26. 19M.

Patented May 8, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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WMWO 2% I I"! G. L. & J. J. CABOT.

APPARATUS FOR CONDENSING GAS UNDER HIGH PRESSURE.

APPLICATION FILED 00112614914.

Patented May 8, 1917.

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APPARATUS FOR CONDENSING GAS UNDER HIGH PRESMIRE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Gonrnnr L. GABor and JAMES J. CABo'r, citizens of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Sufiolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certainnewand usefulllmprove ments in Apparatus for Condensing Gas will be. very Under Hi h Pressure; and we do declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use. the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in an apparatus for condensing gas but particularly natural gas under high pressure and the primary ob ect of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character which provides for the free and rapid flow or the liquefied gas and at the which similar reference characters designate same time permits the ready escape oi the unliquefied gas.

Still another object of the invention resides in providing an improved-pooling or Still another object resides in providing a lagging for the various pipes and receptacles containing the liquefied gas, such lagging being of a non-conducting material and preferably non-combustible, whereby to retain the as within the pipes and receptacles at a pre etermined freezing temperature;

Still another object of the invention resides in providing a device which is simple and durable in construction, comparatively inexpensive to manuf 'ture and one which efii'cient, and useful in operat on. In the accompanying drawings forming a 5' part of this application;

Figure ratus constructed in accordance with our in-- vention, parts being broken away and parts being disclosed in section;

- Fig; 2 is aplan view thereotg Specification of Letters Patent.

1 is aside elevation of an appav Patented May 8, M917.

Application filed oetober as, 191a. Serial to. 868,680.

' Fig. 4 is a transverse section as seen on line 4-4: ofFig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section: through the .water cooled chamber and side view of the worm therein;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a slightly modified form of the invention;

lgig. '2' is a detail section therethroughg an 1 Fig. 8 is a detail plan view of the same.

1 It is a well known fact that gas can only exist in a liquid state either'by reason of in tense cold or of being placed under great pressure, or both and in carrying out our invention we prefer to utilize both the cooling and pressure systems. In describing the invention we shall refer to the drawings in chamber 5 which is provided for the purpose of equalizing the pressure of the gas in view of a gas compressor 6 which has connection with this chamber or reservoir by means of a pipe 7. This compressor 6 is of the three stage type and is actuated by means of a gas engine 8. I

Arranged just beyond the engine 8 is a cooling chamber or tank 9 to which water is supplied by means of apipe -10 leading from a centrifugal pump 11. The connection between this pipe and the cooler or chamber 9 is at the lower end of the latter and said pipe 10 continues onward and communicates with the water jacket of'the engine 8 for supplying water to the'latt'er. Drain pipes 12 lead from the upper portion of the chamher or tank 9 and the water jacket of the engine 8 so that the heated water therein under very high pressure to the tank or chamber 9 wherein said pipe 13 connects with a coil 14 extending the full height of said member 9. It will be noted that the gas under pressure entering the cooling chamber 9 enters from the upper portion of the latter and is directed downwardly toward the lower end thereof while the cooling medium, water, enters from the lower end of said chamber 9 and rises upwardly therethrough', being drained therefrom by the pipe 12 which leads from the upper end of said chamber. It is obvious with this chamber 16, the lower end of the latter con-.

necting with a metallic receptacle or chamber 18. This latter chamber 1s, as indicated before, the liquefying chamber and this.

liquefyi'ng process is effected through the medium of escaping unliquefied gas, pr gas which cannot be liquefied. This gas is permitted to escape from the chamber 18 through a valve 19 which is arranged at the upper portion of said receptacle or chamber 18 adjacent to one end thereof. The valve is pro vided with a manually operable means 20 which projects through the wall of the chamber 16 to be conveniently operated.

This escaping gas is adapted to travel upwardly through the chamber 16 and tends to cool the gas in the coil 17 thus tending to liquefy such gases therein as are not yet liquefied and retaining the gases which are in a liquid state at a low temperature.

As will be seen from the drawings the compressed gas enters this receptacle 16 from the top thereof traveling through the bottom of the same before it makes its exit therefrom but the escaping unliquefied gas which is used as a cooling medium to aid in the liquefaction tends to rise upwardly'in said chamber. In order to force the escaping gas to pursue a course of great length through this chamber 16, the latter is provided with a plurality of horizontal division walls 21 between each pair 'of which is re-' ceived a twist or section of the coil 17. Each division wall is provided with an opening at one end thereof, the adjacent walls having their openings at opposite ends so that the escaping gases are caused to travel from one side to the other of the chamber in the space between each pair of division walls thus taking a course following the coil 17.

These escaping gases, therefore, while following the course of the coil 17 tends. to

cool every twist or section of the latter, the

advantage of which is obvious. The gases when reaching the top of the chamber 16 find an exit through an outlet port which communicates with a pipe section 22 the latter leading the gases to other devices (not shown) so that the same may be used for various purposes' In order to retain the chamber at a low temperature to prevent absorption of the heat, this chamber 16 is coveredwith a very thick layer of magnesia. lagging or other non-conductor of heat which is non-combustible. Leading through the lower Wall of the chamber 16 is an outlet pipe 23 for the liquefied gas, the same communicating with the chamber or tank .18 and being also covered with the lagging. At the outer end of this pipe 23 is a valve 24 which controls the flow of the liquid through the device. Especially prepared receptacles for containing the liquefied gas for transportation pur; poses may be connected directly to this pipesection 23, if desired. When it is desired to transport the liquefied gas in small quantities such receptacles are filled directly from this pipe section 23. When, however, it' is desired to fil the receptacles with the liquid to be transported in large quantities, a branch pipe section 25 is utilized. This branch pipe section connects with the pipe section 23 and leads to some remote point. This pipe section 25 is also covered with 26 and in this connection it is to be 'noted that all piping exposed to the outside atmosphere and used'for the purpose of conveying the gag to be liquefied may, if necessary, be protected by suitable heat insulating material as will be readily understood.

As the cooled gas enters the chamber 16 and passes through the coil 17 and the tank or chamber 18, a portion of the gas is liquefied, the remaining portion passing out heavy lagging and is provided with a valve through the expansion valve '19 into thechamber 16 .where it expands at once from several hundred pounds a square inch to a pound or' so aboveatmospheric pressure. expansion reduces the temperature of gas below the liquefying pointof ethane (C H and the higher hydro-carbons such as propane (C H butane. (O H etc. This cold gas which is chiefly methane (CH,), the other hydro-carbons having been condensed out, is led back andforth outside of the coil-17 and thus cools the gas inside of said coil, to a very low temperature. In

1 this mannerthe hydro-carbons, other than the methane, are condensed out and collected in the chamber or tank 18. A portion of the methane is dissolved in the liquefied gases while theotherportion, after'being utilized as the cooling medium in: the chammasses ber 16, passes out. therefrom through the pipe'22 to be again utilized for various other purposes, such as lighting, heating,

gas inside of said coil.

gas within the coil utilizes practically all of 1 the coldness of the cooling medium which in etc. This liquefying process utilizes, as mentioned before the principle of reverse stream inasmuch as the cooling medium (the surplus methane gas) passes outside of the coil in exactly the opposite direction from the In this manner the -fied vform of the invention wherein a gas engine 27 is employed to operate a gas compressor 28 the latter receiving gas through .an inlet pipe 29. The gas after being-compressed is .driven through a pair of coolers 30'and 31 respectively whichare arranged "in spaced relation to one another and are provided ,with the usual coils. Thesecoils "receive the coolingmedium, water, from water inlet pipes 32 which communicate with a pump 33.

Leading from the cooling chamber 31 is conducting pipe 34 which conducts cool .5 under high pressure to a gas cooled chamber 35 disposed some distance from the chamber 31. The method of cooling this chamber 35 will be hereinafter and more particularly' set forth but arranged therein is a coil 38 which connects at its-upper end with the pipe 34 leading through'the wall of said chamber. Communicating with the lower end-oi the coil 36 is a conducting pipe 3? which leads through the opposite wall of the chamber 35 and continues on to project'through the upper end or. an additional air cooled chamber, 38. This pipe then con nects with an additional coil 39 arranged [within the last mentioned chamber, the last mentioned coil at its lower end communicating with a tankon chamberdO similar to thetank or chamber 18' described in connection with the first mentioned formof the invention. Leading from this tank or chamber 40 is a pipe section 41 which extends through the wall of the chamber 38 'and fhform and itwillbe seen that this gasentening the lower-portion of said chamber'35' will'rise to the upper portion thereof to escapethrough a port 4:3. ;This chamber 35,

projects through the bottom wall of thechamber 35 to communicate with the interior of the latter. expansion, valve mem-.

ber 42 is provided the-pipe section dlto enable the unliquefiedgas'es to'escape was,

interior 'ofthe chamber 35. This'is similar 8 to the escape of thennliquefi'ed gas referred to in connection with. the first mentioned however, constructed similar to the chsacrificing any of. the prin ber 16 in the first'mentioned form so that this unliquefied gas travels back and forth, following the outline of the coil 36 to thoroughly cool the contents ofthe latter. The gas after being utilized as a cooling medium in the chamber 35 makes its exit through the port 43 to be utilized again for various other purposes.

Connected with the tank or chamber-40 is an'outlet pipe 44 which leads through the bottom of the chamber 38 to permit the liquefied gas to be bottled or tanked for transportation purposes.

As stated above, the chamber 38 is air cooled so that in the liquefaction process,

- a double cooled system is employed, one a gas and the other an air cooled system. Tn cooling this chamber 38, an air compressor 45 is employed the same being actuated by means or a gas engine 4:6. The air compressed is conducted through a pair of cooling members 47 and 48 respectively, the latter being cooled by water pumped from the member 33. The cooled air under heavy pressure is conducted from the cooler.

48 through a pipe section d9v which leads through the bottom of the chamber 38. An 7 air expansion valve 50 is provided in connection with the pipe section 49 and the air expanding within the chamber 38 tends to cool the coil 39 therein. This chamber 38 is constructed similar to the chamber 35 so that the cooled air under pressure therein ing air through the port 5i may be utilized for other purposes.

From. the foregoing description of our improved apparatus, the manner of applying thesame to use and the operation thereof will be readily understood and it will be seen that we have provided a simple, inexpensive and ethcient meanstor carrying out i the objects of the invention, and one which may efiectively be used in the production of liquid air, as will be readily understood.

. All previous commercial attempts have been based on the utilization of portions of gas to liquefy the rest.

While we have particularly described the elements best adapted to perform'the functions set forth, it is obvious that various changesin form, proportion, and in the minor details of construction may be re-' sorted to, within the scope of the appended claim, without departingfrom the spirit or ciples of the invention. 7,

.Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

llllh act .Adevice of the class described "comprise, I

ing .aclosed heat insulated chamber-havin I a {zig-zag passage extending therethrougb from its upper to its lower end, said p l i being provided with an outlet elm its upper end, a coil of pipes arranged within said chamber and having its turn following the course of said passage and being provided with an inlet at its upper end, a horizontally extending closed collect ng tank 31E- ranged in the lower end of said er, one of the ends of said tank being commented to the lower end of said coil, an onfilel; at the other end of said exfien through said chamber to the exfierior thereof, and an expansion velve fixed to like upper side of said tank at its opposifie end thereof to provide an exit for the geses'eollected in the upper portion of line same,

meeeem eoDFREY L. CABOT. is J. GABOT.

Witnesses to Godfrey Gabots Wimesses ii James J. fiahots si: I

How Wnmo, l1. W.

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