US1504265A - Apparatus for treating liquids with gases - Google Patents

Description

Au 112 n mm 1,504,265 c. s. PALMER APPARATUS FOR TREATING LIQUIDS WITH GASES Filed March 12, 1 920 Inventor,

Charles S. Palmer:

B @J Mm y Aktolfqey.

atented Aug. l2, iii

ES 8. PALMER, 01E PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING LIQUIDS WITH GASES.

Application filed March 12, 1920. Serial N10. 365,271.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, CHARLES S. PALMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in apparatus for Treating Liquids with Gases, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for and processes of treating liquids with gases by causing a gas to be absorbed by an absorbing oil; and the invention is particularly useful in the absorption of the gasoline of casing-head gas or other natural gas by the absorbing oil, where time, pressure, temperature and surface are of great importance.

In testing for the quantity of gasoline in small quantities by the laboratory method a small autoclave or iron absorber is used, the latter being a cylinder which is arranged in upright position and is filled with absorbing oil to a depth of about two-thirds of its height. The gas is forced in at the bottom and rises through this absorbing oil which takes out more or less of the gasoline which is in the gas. It usually takes not more than a few seconds of time for the bubbles of gas to rise through the absorbing oil, so that the time of contact between the gas and oil is very short."

One of the objects of the present invention is to extend the time that it takes for the bubbles of gas to pass up through the absorbing oil, thereby giving a longer period of contact, and accomplishing improved results.

Uther objects of the invention will appear herein, and the invention consists of certain features ofconstruction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed with reference to the accompanying drawings, illustrative of one embodiment of the invention for carrying out the improved process, and in which draw- 1ngs- Fig. 1, is a longitudinal vertical section of the apparatus part1 in elevation and partly broken away, an

Fig. 2, is a central vertical section of the lower portion of the apparatus enlarged. for the urpose of more clearly illustrating the pre erred specific improvements.

It is the usual practice to provide the tank or vessel containing a column of the absorbing oil with a brick helix having a long pitch but few turns, and hence such a structure is comparatively heavy and cumbrous,

and hence costly of manufacture, and furthermore, the gas rising along the under side of the brick helix passes laterally off of the helix and quickly to the top, and thus loses much of the time which should be utilized in the absorption of the gas by the oil. The present invention is an improvement thereover. The drawings illustrate a tank or vessel 10, arranged in upright position, and provided at its upper part with a receiving tank 11, into which the absorbing oil may be introduced and then fed through a valved-control pipe 12, into the upper part of the tank. Pipe 12 leads from the bottom of the small. tank 11, while the pipe 13 connects the upper part of the small tank 11 with the treating tank 10. A small tank 11 constitutes a convenient means for introducing the absorbing oil into the treatment tank 10, and the upper pipe 13, when the valve thereof is opened, constitutes means for allowing the gas pressure in the tank 10 to be relieved while the oil is being introduced. The valve of pipe 13 is closed when the absorber is working.

The treatment tank 10 receives a gas inlet pipe 14, preferably arranged along-the longitudinal axis of the tank, and descending in the tank to a short distance from the bottom thereof, so as to leave an outlet space 15, between the bottom of the tank 10 and the open lower end of the gas pipe 14. Encircling the gas inlet pipe 14 there is a helical leader 16, preferably of sheet metal, with its inner edge preferably secured gastight to the outer surface of the gas inlet pipe 14. This helical leader has a' great many turns and extends upwardly in the column of li uid for a distance of preferably two-thir s of the height of the tank 10. The outer edge of the helical leader 16 is spaced a suitable distance away from the inner wall of the tank or vessel 10, and is turned down into a flange 17 so that a helical channel is formed, which opens downwardly. The lower end of the helical leader 16, starts from a point slightly above the lower open end of the gas inlet pipe 14.

Suppose the gasoline of natural gas and casing-head as is sent under ressure through the pipe 14, the said gas wi 1 be admitted into the lower portion of the treatment tank 10 from the lower end of the pipe 14, where it will pass into the column of absorbing oil. en the gas is discharging from the supply pipe 14, it will flow along the undersurface of the helical leader, or rather in the downwardly opening helical channel, and will this pass upwardly therein until it reaches the upper extremity thereof although a, small quantity of the gas may pass graduall in bubbles laterally off of the lower edge of the helical flange 17 and into the main body of absorbing oil. It will be seen that the gas flowing in the downwardly opening channel will be entrained therein in such Way that it will not pass directly into the main body of oil, but radually from the lower to the upper end 0 the helical channel, thereby causing the gas to have an extended contact with the absorbing oil. As it is the tendency of the gas to rise rapidly in the oil, the centrifugal whirling action imparted to the bubbles of gas throws them violently against the flange 17, with the re sult that the bubbles are separated into smaller bubbles which the oil will more rapidly absorb, and this breaking-up action is such that at the discharge end of the helical leader the oil is in a foamy condition. For the purpose of facilitating the breaking up of the gas admitted into the treatment tank into small streams, transverse, vertically notched baffles 18 are arranged in the helical channel at points adjacent the discharge opening of the gas inlet pipe 14. It will be seen that the trapped or entrained gas will thus be broken up into small streams, so as to more readily acquire a bubble formation.

The treatment tank 10 is provided with a valved discharge pipe 19 for the absorbing oil, which contains the absorbed gasoline or other gas. At the top of the tank 10 is a valved discharge pipe 20 for the surplus or unabsorbed gas. It is also obvious that the invention is susceptible of modification to greater or less extent, and I therefore do not desire to limit myself in this connection, except as recited in the claims.

What I claim as new is:

1. In an apparatus for treating liquids with gases, the combination, with a closed absorber vessel for holding a column of liquid, means for introducing the liquid, and controlled means for removing the liquid, of a conduit for gas, leading down into said vessel and opening thereinto adjacent the bottom of the vessel, and a helical leader of many turns encircling said conduit and sub-' merged in and extending substantially throughout the column of liquid, said leader having a continuous, downwardly open, channel at its under side for entraining within the column of liquid a stream of gas in its upward flow, and for causing the gas to issue in bubbles directly into the column of liquid, the bubbles being carried around the leader in a centrifugal helical whirl, thus breaking the bubbles Into smaller bubbles, wherebythey are more readily adapted to be absorbed by the liquid, said channel freely communicating throughout its entire length with the space within the wall of the closed absorber vessel.

2. In an apparatus for treating liquids with gases, the combination, with a closed absorber vessel for holding a colunm of liquid, means for introducing the liquid, and

controlled means for removing the liquid,

of a conduit for gas, leading down into said. vessel and opening thereinto adjacent the bottom of the vessel, and a helical leader of many turns, encircling said conduit with a substantial gas-tight-fit thereupon, and submerged in and extending substantially throughout the column of liquid, said leader having a continuous flange at its under side and which is spaced away from the wall of said vessel along its lower edge, said leader with its flange forming a channel for on training a stream of gas in its upward flow, and for causing the gas to issue in bubbles into the column of liquid, the bubbles bein carried around the leader in a centrifuga helical whirl, thus breaking up the bubbles into smaller bubbles, whereby they are more readily adapted to be absorbed by the liquid. 3. In an apparatus for treating liquids with'gases, means for, admitting gas into the lower part of a column of liquid, helical means submerged in the column of liquid for conducting the admitted gas upwardly in the liquid in an extended helical path and helical means extending below aforesaid helical means for substantially confining bubbles of the gas before absorption, in said helical path, whereby as the bubbles rise a centrifugal whirl of them is produced in said path, thus forcibly breaking them up into smaller bubbles against said confining means, for quicker absorption in the li uid.

CHARLES S. PALME

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