US1304681A

US1304681A - Sepabatetg uevics

Info

Publication number: US1304681A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1919-05-27
Anticipated expiration: 1936-05-27

Description

N. A. H'ELMER.

SEPARATING E.

APPLICATION FILED A 15,1918

WITNESSES /%Z@WMM Patented May 27, 1919.-

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

f x ATTORNEYS N. A. HELMER.

SEPARATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION HLED APE-25. .1928.

1,304,681 Patented May 27, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- A TTOBNEYS fill SEPARATE: DEVICE. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ll lay 2'3, 191%,

Application filed. April 25, 191%. Serial'No. 230,656.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NiooLAs ARTHUR Hnminn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cincinnati, county of Hamilton, State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in Separating Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to separating devices and more particularly to separating devices for cvaporators and stills.

In evaporating liquids such as, "for instance, sugar solutions, milk, oils, etc,

in the fractional distilletion of oils, ethers, alcohols, etc, it is generally desirable or even necessary, in order, for instance, to conserve the material from entrainment losses or. to prevent the pollution or the escaping vapors, to provide some means for preventing any minute particles from heing carried over with the vapors.

The operations, in many cwesgare conducted under conditions where the impedance oi the passage of the vapors will be prejudicial to the operation of the process or to the capacity of the apparatus, hy reason of the increase in the pressure required to cause the proper rate of flow of the disengaged vapors due, for instance, to the resistance caused by sharply diverting the path of said vapors or because of the adherence in the passages of scale or coatings from the material itself. This is particularly objectionable, in vacuum apparatus because of the small range of pressure commonly encountered, especially in the case of multiple efiect evaporation. For the neason last expressed, it is also particularly desirable to prevent the loss of heat by radiation.

The object of my invention is to provide a construction in which the objectionable features recited above, as well as others, are obviated and which is simpleand economical in arrangement and operation and of maximum elliciency. Other more specific objects \vill appear in the description hereinafter andthe features of novelty will be pointed out in the. appended claims. I i

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view, partly in section, of

an apparatus used in the manufacture of sugar with my invention operatively combined therewith;-Fig. 2 is a detail sectional View of my invention on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line .3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line l,'l of Fig. 3; Fig 5 is a plan view; and Figs. 6 and l are detail perspective views; it is to he distinctly understood that the apparatus shown in the drawings has been chosen simply for the purpose of illustrating and describing my invention and for no other reason.

As shown in Fig, 1, the apparatus diatgraminatically illustrated comprises a series of evaporators, 5, of any well known o suit-- construction and connected with each 'other'by pipes, 5, extending from the upper end of one evaporator to the lower end portion of the next adjacent evaporator. The apparatus may include any and all features usually found in apparatus of the type in question and has been shown in a diagrammatic form, in the drawings, as the details of said apparatus, other than those forming part oi my invention, are of no consequence.

At a point between the inlet and outlet and preferably in close proximity to the inlet ends of the pipes, 6, each evaporator is provided with my improvement, which in its illustrated form, comprises a bottom plate, 7 having its inner surface preferably converging downwardly toward an opening, 8, located, for instance, at the centralpoint or said plate 7. The inner surface of the latter may further be provided or formed with an outer series of bosses, 9, located along the periphery of said plate, 7, with their opposed ends spaced from each other; a similar inner series of curved bosses, 10, with their opposed ends also spaced from each other, are located within the bosses, 9, on the plate, 7, the horizontal upper surfaces of the inner bosses, 10, being preferablyin a lower plane than the corresponding surfaces of the outer bosses 9. v

In its illustrated form, my invention. further includes outer segmental members,11, and inner segmental members, 12, the memprovided preterably a point intcrmcd" e of their edges with relatiyely longer ri" l, 13, located betuaeen two relatively shorter ribs, 14-, said ribs all ertending lengthwise of the members, 11, along the inner concave surfaces thereof. The inner members, 12, are provided with single ribs, 15, extending lengthwise thereof along their outer convex surfaces, as snown in Fig. 3.

The outer segmental members, 11, in the assembled condition of the parts, are secured, in upright positions, upon the outer bosses, 9, in any suitable manner as, for 131- sta'nce, by means of bolts, 16, which pass through flanges, 17, located at the lower ends of said members, 11'; similarly, the in nor segmental members, 12, are fastened, in upright positions, upon the inner bosses, 10, many suitable manner as by means of bolts, 18, which pass through flanges, 19, located at the lower ends of said members, 12.

ll hen in position upon the respective bosses, 9 and 10, the

members

11 and 12, with the illustrated arrangement are staggored with respect to each other and the innor members, 12, form a series within the series of outer members, the opposed upright edges or" the members in each series be ing spaced apart to form

spaces

20 and 21, the purpose of which will be more clearly pointed out hereinafter. As shown in Fig. 3, the ribs 18 and 1st of the outer members 11 are located opposite to the spaces 21 between adjacent inner members, 12, while the ribs, 15, of the inner members 12 are located in registry with the spaces 20 between adjacent outer members, 11.

The construction further includes a top plate, 22, which may be in the nature of an annular member fastened to the upper ends of the

members

11 and 12 in any suitable manner as by means of bolts 23 passing through

flanges

24 and 25 located, respectively, at the upper ends of said

members

11 and 12. The top plate, 22, closes the upper end of the annular space between the series of outer members 11 and the series of inner members 12 and leaves the interior space 26 within the series or inner members upwardly open for communication with the pipes 6. As illustrated in Fig. 8, wire cloth or similar being hers, 11,

material is secured along opposite vertical edges of each outer member 11 and passes over and is preferably secured to the ribs 13 and 14 thereof to form foraminated

walls

27 and 28; in the same way, wire cloth or the like is secured to the opposite vertical edges of each inner member 12 and passes over and is preferably secured to the flange 15 thereof to form foraminated walls 29.

The foraminated walls, 27, 28, and 29, extend substantially throughout the upright length of the

members

11 and 12 and together form channels 30 which communicate cne "paces 20 and with the interior space 26 and pipes 6 through the spaces 21.

The construction described thus comprises a cylindrical element provided with lengthwise extending

openings

20 and 21 with an upwardly open interior space 26 and with interior channels 30 having

foraminate d walls

27, 28 and 29, the latter being preferably arranged in a manner to cause each channel to extend in at least two directions at an angle to each other. It will, of course, be understood that this specific embodiment of my invention is only an example and that the construction and arrangement may be varied to meet the requirements of each case without in any way attesting the eiiioiency of my improvement.-

in the illustrated example, the vaporization process being" carried out in the Vaporizers 5 in the customary manner, the vapors will eventually pass from one vaporizer to the next through the pipes 6. However, before each pipe 6 is reached the vapors travel inwardly through the spaces or openings 20 and along the channels 30 between and in contact with the foraminated walls, 2'? and 29, and along and in contact with the foraminatcd walls 28, whereby the direction oi flow of said vapors is changed and they are caused to impact against said walls, 28, and finally pass inwardly through the spaces or openings, 21, to the interior space, 26, from which they leave the particular evaporator, 5, through theconnecting pipe 6 and pass to the next adjacent evaporator, 5, where the same operation is repeated.

In contacting with the foraminated walls, 27 28 and 29, some part of any fluid carried along bythe vapors will be retained by said walls, forinstance, in the form of small drops or particles which become caught in the foramina" of the woven fabric or the like. As the process continues,thc capillary attraction which the retained particles of fluid have for any other minute particles of the same fluid which may touch them as the vaporspass along will cause additional fluid to be collected upon the foraminated walls, 27, '28, and 29. Successive minute particles of fluid will in this Waybe consolidated into larger quantities, out of the path of theva pors, of such'size or mass as to prevent them from being again caught up and carried alongby said vapors. 'As the collected liquid is thus consolidated it will finally drop from the foraminatedz walls, 27, 28 and 29, to the bottom, plate 7, and pass back therefrom into the evaporator 5 through the opening 8. v

It will be seen that the vapors are not forced through the wire fabric or other foraminated material but are caused to travel along the foraminated walls in con tact therewith and by having their direction of flow changed are" impacted against the foraminated walls, 28, the whole arrangement avoiding any impedance to the passage of said vapors. At the same time the fluids, carried along by said vapors, are removed therefrom in an efiicient manner through said contact with theforaminated walls and without interfering in any way with the capacity or economy of operation of the apparatus. 7 v

In all cases the invention in question provides areas which are ample forlthe passage of the vapors and in addition the construction and design is such that a modification thereof is readily possible whereby an increase in area is easily effected when necessary or desirable A maximum of ef- .ficiency is acquired by providing a rela tively narrowpath for the vapors which are thus thinned or spread out as it were to expose the greatest possible area thereof tok the action ofthe woven fabric or the li e.

It will be readily apparent that my invention may be eficiently used in many ways other than the one illustrated and described; it is to be further understood that various changes in the specific form shown and described'm'ay be made within the scope of'the claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Iclaimr f a r. r 1. The process of separating-fluid's'from vapors which consists-in passing the vapors along a foraminated member in surface contact therewith, but not through said member. 2. The process of separating fluids from vapors which consists in passing the vapors between and along forammated members in surface contact with the opposed surfaces thereof but not through said members.

3. The process of separating fluids from liquids which consists in causin said vapors to impact against and travel a ong but not through a foraminated member by changing the direction of flow of said vapors.

4. The process of separating fluids from vaporswhich consists in collecting particles of. fluids from the vapor on a foraminated surface, and passing subsequent vapors in a stream along and 1n contact with said foraminated surface and the collected articles thereon wherebyithe latter collect a ditional particles of fluid by capillary attraction.

5. In a separator of the kind described, a conduit for vapors includi a foraminated member and means for pro ucing a flow of vapors along said foraminated member but not through the same.

6. In a separator of the kind described, a conduit for va ors including opposed fora-minated mem ers forming a channel and means for producing a flow of vapors through said channel and along said foraminated members but not throng the same.

7 In a separator of the kind described, a conduit for vapors including opposed foran'iinated members forming a channel and means for producing a flow of vapors through said channel and along said foraminated members but not through the same, said channel having contiguous portions extending at an angle to each other whereby the direction of flow of said vapors is changed and said vapors are impacted against some of said members. i

8. A separator of the kind described coniprisinga device having an interior channel provided with an inlet and an outlet, foraminated walls extending along said channel between said inlet and outlet and means for producing a flow of vapors through said channel and along said foraminated walls but not through the same' 9. A. separator of the kind described comv prising a device having an interior channel provided with a plurality of inlets and outlets staggered relatively to each other and foraminated members extending along said" channel and forming the walls between said inlets and outlets along which vapors pass in surface contact.

' 10. A separator comprising a bottom member, a top member, upright members located between said bottom and top members and spaced apart to form an interior channel having inlets and outlets and foraminated'members within, said channel and formin o osite Walls-alon which va ors 2: PP .v P

j other on said member in difl'erent planes and in staggered relation to each other, two series of members spaced apart to form a channel and having one end secured to said bosses,

members in each series being spaced apart at, their opposed edges to form openings staggered relatively to each other, a second end member secured to the opposite end of said two series of members to close the space therebetween, single ribs extending outwardly from the members of the inner series at intermediate points thereof, a trio of ribs extending inwardly from the members of the outer series at intermediate points thereof, and sheets of foraminated material secured alon the opposite longitudinal ed es of the mem bers in each series and exten ing over and in COl'lttMii, with the ribs of sztiol members to form foraminated Walls along which vapors flow in surface contact.

13.'The combination of an evaporator or still having an outlet and a separator located interiorly at said outlet, said separator comprising e bet-tom member, a top member, upright members located between said; bottom w -we and top members and spaced apart to form an interior channel communicating with said 10 inlet and outlet and foreminatecl members Within said channel owning opposite Wells along which vapors pass in surface contact. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

NICGLAS ARTHUR HELMER.