US1759315A - Centrifugal scrubber - Google Patents

Description

May 2o,l 1930.

P. M. KUEHN GENTRIFUGAL SGRUBBER v Filed may 31, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet May zo, 1930. P M, KUEHN 1,759,315

CENTRIFUGAL SCRUBBER Filed May 31, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 n* fall] . M 1,16%??? Ey @www Patented May `20, .1930 Y UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFFICE PAUL M. KUEHN, -OIE' BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE BARTLE-TT HAY- WARD COMPANY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND CENTRIEUGAL SGRUBBER Application filed May 31, 1927.l Serial No. 195,557.

This invention pertains to that type of liquid and gasv contact apparatus commonly known in the art as centrifugal scrubbers.

Such scrubbers have longy been in use and probably the best known and most successful form is that commonly designated as the Feld scrubber shown generally in U. S. Letters Patent to Walther Feld Nos. 829,261,VV 940,103 and 983,037. j

The structure lof the present invention is of the same centrifugal Ltype butV is so constructed and arranged*l as to produce more eiiicient resultsy and this with the expenditureof less power or energy to actuate the same.

Aside from the advantage just expressed thel invention has for its further object the production of a pumping element which will ,eectively elevate the liquid from the pan below .saidl element and initially spray or break up the liquid as it is thrown outwardly by centrifugal action prior to its passage through a screen surface, rotatable with the pumping element, by which screen the liquid is brought to the iinalior ultimate degree of neness at which time itis in counter-flow contact with the gas. i A further object of the invention is to provide the pumping element with special buckets, scoops orblades at the lower 'end thereof which members gather the liquid from the underlying pan and start the same upwardly ,along the innerface of the pumping element thus assisting, to a greater or less degree, the centrifugal action of the element in elevating the liquid.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a pan of special formation as to the gas passages which extend therethrough and in so doing to produce channels yor ways which effectively return the sprayed liquid to the center of the pan or to the zone of operas tion of the buckets or scoops carried at the lower end of the pumping element-and this without any undue restriction of the gas flow which would lead to b ack pressure.

With these and other objects and advantages as will hereinafter appear, reference is had toy the annexed drawings illustrative of yone embodiment of the invention, wherein;

'line III-III of Figure 2;

Figurel is a vertical sectional elevation of the scrubber;

Figure 2 a similar view of one of the pumping elements and its cooperating screen or spray forming element;

Figure 3 a transverse horizontal section View of the pumping element taken on the Figure 4 a sectional plan view showing one ofthe liquid gathering pans or receptacles, t

the section being on the line lV-IV of Figure 1; and n Figure 5 a side elevation thereof with parts broken away and shown in section. y v

In said drawings 1 denotes the shell or c as'- ing which in practice will be preferably made up from a series of sections asis usual in the art and secured together in any approvedV manner.

The number of sections and consequently the height of the shell willof course be dependent upon the desired capacity o f the machine rand while three pumping ele-v ments are shown in Figure 1 it is to be understood that a greater or 'less number may be employed.

At itslower end thecasing is provided with a gas inlet'2 and a draw-off 3 while at the upper portion a gas outlet or olf-take 4 is provided, the mouth of the latter being shielded from direct communication with` the spray chamber next adjacent by an inwardly extending shield or'bafle plate 5. i i

Extending through the shell or casing is a vertically disposed shaft 6 supportedat its upper end by any suitable form of bearing designated by 7 and designed to be driven by suitable means as an electric motor y8. The lower end of the shaft extends into a bearing 9 which holds the shaft from lateral deflection.

i The shellris divided into what `may ber termed a series of chambers produced by spaced pans, hereinafter specically de.- scribed, extending transversely of the shell or casing. Said chambers are designated generally by the reference numerals 10, 11, 12 and 13. v Y

Inasmuch as the various pans and pumping spraying elements are alike throughoutthefsrubber, a description ef @ne set of 'such elements will suffice. VIn the instant case three pans are shown, they being designated generally by 14, 14a' and 141" They aregof Aa diameter substantially equal to thatof the interior of the shell and supported from' the wall thereof bybrackets 15.

. YThe bottom 16 of the pan is provided'with a centrally disposed opening through which the shaft 6V extends and an upstanding collar 17, Y*spaced awayfromfthe shaft is provided at .this point. `The rim y18'is continuous and a weir plate 19 vis a-djustably secured thereto Y so that th-e depth of liquid in the VVpan Vmay,

be regulated and determined. Y

vFormed inthe bottom V16 of the panis a vseries of symmetrically disposed openings 20 generally segmentalin outline' and defined by Ywalls extending upwardly fromthe bottom. The innermost wall 'is' designated by 21, the

outer end whereof is in'contact with and secured to the'rim18 of the pan. From this Ypoint it extends inwardly in a curve towardV the center of the-pan to apoint 22 Where vrit is recurved producing a wall section-23 `which is substantially concentric with the Center or axis'of the pan. Y

4VThe Vouter wall is designatediby24 and is preferably formed upon an unbrokenrcurved line. Y At itsT outer end it is connected tothe wall section 21 at a. pointspaced inwardV of lthe rim* 18 and from that point vgradually Vcurves inward Vaway from the rim.V There is thus formed between such wallv 24 and rimy 18 a passage-way or channel of gradually increasing width from the outerportion to the innerend where the channel discharges into fwhatfmay be termed a centralr chamber or gathering chamber defined by the upstanding concentric wall sections 23. Thus it will ,be seen that there is formed upon the base or j bottom 16. of the pan,VV an series of channels designated generally by 25 formed by the rim 18, the walls24, and thesections 21 of the inner walls and that said channels discharge the liquid onto-the L"central portion of the pan or'intothe centralgathering space. As will be seen v'upon referenceto Figures 1 and 5, the

` walls 21 and 24 will preferably be made high- L. ering member or deflector 26, the Vlower inner edge whereof overlies and extends downwardly into the pan.V Said member serves to return the sprayed liquid back to the pan and likewise prevents the gas from passing-dh rectly in an upward direction through the spaces between the outer edges-of the pan and the wall ofthe apparatus.

.Y The pumping and spray producing elements nor means are best shown in igures 2 and 3 and as they arealike in construction eter toward the upper end thereof;

a description of one will sufiice,H it being understoodthat there isone of such elements disposed in each chamber other than 10, in

operative vrelation tothe liquid` vwithin 'the underlying pan. Y

spraying element comprises aninverted frusto-.conical member 27 and while the same is shown of a trulyfrusto-conicalV form the wall thereof may be curved. Y -1 Y Y Said bodyhas secured tothe upper'end or portionthereof, by electric-welding orotherwise,ak horizontally` disposed ring shaped member 28to which is attached a spider,.- frame'29 having a hub 30. The frame isVV `secured to shaft 6 for rot-ation therewith' by y lany Vsuitable means as by Vwedge blocks 31 formed to engage the sha-ftand a pin carried thereby, as in Figure 2. 'This is of usual construction. g

Body element 27 is'provided with a'series ofopenings 32 throughout its upper portion,

said openings as shown, increasing indiam- At its lower open endthe pumping elementl.

or member 27;,will -be'provided with aseries Y of scoops or buckets which extend down into ,the liquid in the central or gathering portionV of the pan.l As illustrated,y these scoops 4or buckets are each'produced from sheetmetah or plate 33 bent to form and secured at theirV advancing edges 34, as by welding, to the inner `face of the member (27 into which the scoop may be said to merge.

, As will be best seen upon reference to Figure 2, the advancing edge 34of each scoop stands at an angle Vtothe axis of shaft 6 or;

in other words, inclines rearwardly with `reference to the lower edge of the body 27, this assuming that the element 27 'rotates clockwise as indicated bythe arrow inFigure 3.

. The lower end of each plate is bent inwardly at right angles, as -at 35 forminga ,wallor flange jwhich is `inclined upwardly and rearwardly at substantially rightangles to the advancing edge `34 and inasmuch asv v the plates or bodies 33 are curved transversely the vflange vanishes as it reaches thev trailing inclined edge 36 of the plate.V Y Y As will be seenupon reference to Figure2',

the'major portiongof each plate extends below the lower edge'vof the body 27, theflanges or walls 35 being entirely sowhile thefmajor portions of th-eadvancing edges 34 are like,-

wise positioned. I

To maintain the overlapped and spacedl bucket or scoop elements in position there isV `preferably employedV a tie plate or memberV Y 37 of frusto-co-nical form which is welded to `12.5 the upperedges of the flanges 35. Said mem ber 37, in addition to tying'the parts together Vand maintaining the buckets intheir .proper spacedV relation, likewise assists in ,securingr an even and 'distributed flow of the The main body of the pumping and initialV '70 i i soY 7 up along the surface of the pumping and distributing element 27. Y

Secured to the upper end ofsaid element 27 and surrounding the same in spaced relation i thereto is an annular screen 38 having a multi- ,ff 27 in any suitable manner, as by inwardly extending flanges 40 and 41, welded or otherwise secured tosaid member.

Liquid will be supplied to the various pans in any suitable manner as through a main 42, Figure 1, having valved branches 43 opening into the various chambers.

To prevent the gas which is forced into chamber 10 from passing upwardly about shaft 6 a casing 44 extending upwardly from the bottom of the apparatus to the pan 14 surrounds the shaft at this point. A cap piece 45 carried by shaft 6 overlies the upper end of the flange or collar 17 of the pan 14 and thus flow of gas upwardly about the shaft is cut off at this point.

It is thought that the operation. of the apparatus will be apparent from the foregoing description but a brief resum will be Given. Assuming that the pans are filled a ibvith liquid and the laterals closed and gas is forced inwardly through the opening 2 and the shaft 6 is being rotated. Under these conditions the liquid would be picked up from each of the pans by the scoops or blades at the lower end of the frusto-conical pumping element, carried up along the inner face thereof outwardly through the openings 32 and through the openings 39 in the screen surface 38.

.Centrifugal action causes the liquid to travel upwardly along the inner face of the member 27, through the openings 32, and

through the openings 39. As it passes from the openings 39 it will be in the form of a fine rain or spray which is thrown outwardly toward the inner wall of the shell or casing 1 with which it contacts, running down said face, passes o-ver the deector or gatherer plate 26 and is returned to the pan. It then g' flows toward the center. of the pan through the passages or channels 25 and again comes in the path of the scoops kor blades by which it is again lifted and carried through the same cycle as just outlined.

At the same time the gas which is forced inwardly under pressure will pass through the openings 20 in the various pans and in passing from one set o-r series'of openings to another the gas will of necessity have to pass through the outwardly thrown rain or spray of liquid where intimate and close contact between the sub-divided liquid and the gas parvticles is effected.

The fineness of the spray may be readily determined by changing the size ofthe openings 32 and the openings 39 also to a greater orless extent by varying the speed ofrotation'by the pumping elements and the associated screens.

It will also be noted that the gas in the present apparatus does not passthrough the screens but merely passes through the spray outward of the screens orbetween the screens and the wall of the casing. Thus the screens Vare not so likely tobecome clogged las would be the case where the gas passes through thev screen surface along with the liquid.

Y Any gas which may pass upwardlybetween the outer portions of the pans and the inner face of therwall of the scrubber will of necessity be forced vbeneath the lower edge of the gathering element 26 and through the liquid in the pan, if in fact any gas passes at all beliieath the lower edge ofsaid gathering memer. j 'Y y u, Y' i It will, of course, beunderstoodthat the scrubber may be employed for various purposes and that it may be used for recirculation .o-f the sprayed .liquid by merely closing the laterals 43 after the pans have been filled,

as above noted, or by leaving the upper 'lateral liquid andfupcoming gas.. Y,

While Il have described the buckets or scoops as being made of sheet steel, it will be open-secure a continuous; counter-flow of the appreciated, of course, that any suitable metal maybe employed and that the elements may be secured in place by riveting; or vthe like. So too, inthe broader aspect of the invention, it Vis possible that the buckets may. be. formed integrally with the body of the Vmember 27.

The uses to which the apparatus may be put are manifold but for the sake of brevity the term scrubber will be employed in the claims ,-.the use of such term, Y however, is nototo be taken in any sense as a limitation.; What is 'claimed is: i i i 1. Ina centrifugal scrubber, the combination of la casing; a pumping member mounted therein, said member comprising a body kelement of inverted substantially frusto-.conical .1;

form; a lseries of overlapping" and spaced plates secured at their upper ends to theinner face of the lower portion of the body element, each,A of Y said platesl atV its lower end being formed with an inturned section, said section 1fmounted therein, said receptacle having aV series of openings extending upwardly therethrough; walls extending from the bottomTSO f f V Y 1,759,315

`of the pan-like receptacle about each ofsaid A fopenings, the outer portion ofsaid walls ex# tending to the wall of the casing-thereby forming channels .for Athe return of liquid toV Y `the center of the pan;a shaft;V a pumping element secured `tothe shaft and rotatable therewith, the: lower 'Vend of thek pumping element extending into the central portion of `the pan; and meansfassociated with said pumping'element for 'spraying the liquid 'ele-LV vated by the pumping element Voutwardly `against the wall vof the shell or casing. 3. In a centrifugal scrubber, the combina,-

tion of a shell or'casing'; a pan-likek recepf tacleV extending transversely thereof, said pan having a series of lsymmetrically disposed openings formed in the bot-tomV thereof, said openings being bounded by upstanding walls arranged about each opening with'at least one wall extending to the wall of the shell thereby "forming a plurality` of "channels extending VYinwardly from-the outer portion lof the panY to the centralA portion thereof; a shaft, a Y' pumping element secured toV and rotatable Y n gradually extends inwardly toward the central portion of the pan while the inner wall Y of each of said openings is formed upon a broken curve'dline, the inner portion of which lislsubstantiallyV concentric with theaxis of the pan whereby a series of channels is formed vbetween the outer wall of the pan and the walls of the openings, which channelscurve inwardly and discharge into the central portion of the pan; a shaft; a pumping velement i secured thereto, the lower end whereof extends into the central portion of the pan;

means associated with the upper end ofthe pumping element forvspraying the liquid raised thereby and means for returning the sprayed liquid to the pan.

-In testimony whereof IV have signed'my name to this specification. l Y

- Y f PAUL M,VKUEHN.`

.msV

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