US344586A - Apparatus for evaporating liquids - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

S. M. LILLIE.

APPARATUS FOR EVAPORATING LIQUIDS. No. 344,586. Patented June 29, 1886.

I I g m W] TNESSES: INVENTOR N PETERS. Phola-Lilhogrnphnn Washlnglon. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT errors.

S. MORRIS LILLIE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR .EVAPORATING LIQUIDS.

SPECIFICATION orming part of Letters Patent No. 344:,586, dated June 29, 1886.

Application filed June 5, 1884. Serial No. 138.989. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, S. MORRIS LILLIE, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Evaporating Liquids, of which the following is a specification.

My apparatus consists of a battery of approximatelyyertical tubes extending through a suitable steam-tight case, and of means ior causing the liquid to be evaporated to flow in thin films down the exterior surfaces of the tubes in the said case, while the carrier of the heat for the evaporation-as steam or heated gaseous products of combustion,for exampleare introduced into or are made to pass through the interiors of the tubes.

The drawings forming a portion of this specification consist of two figures, of which Figure 1 is a vertical section of the evaporating apparatus, and Fig. 2a view of a detached part.

In the drawings, 1) b b, 850., Fig. 1, are a series of tubes, which extend from the chamber P vertically through the interior of the case E, and chamber G, above it, into the dome D. The tubes are expanded or otherwise tightly fitted into the tube-plate p, which divides the dome D from the chamber G, pass loosely through passages a in the tube-plate p, which divides the chamber G from the interior of the ease E, and, extending through the latter, are expanded or tightly fitted into the tubeplatep, dividing the chamber 1? from the interior of the case E. The passages through the tube-plate p are made slightly larger than the exteriors of the tubes b, which pass through them, thus forming an annular passage, n, between the chambers Gand E,around each tube, through which any liquid introduced into the chamber G will flow from the same through the passage 41 upon the exterior surface of all of the tubesb in the case E, down which it will flow to the bottom of the case. ers into the chamber G and serves to conduct the liquid to be evaporated into the chamber. The main is provided with a cock, f, by which the flow of liquid into the chamber G is automatically regulated, by means of devices-to be described, so as to maintain the level of A main, S, deliva conduit, B, opening into it near the top through the horizontal narrow passage 0' from the chamber 8, surrounding E, with which the conduit B connects. This conduit serves to carry off the vapors formed in the chamber E during the process of evaporation.

From the bottom of the chamber E a drainingpipe, 0, leads to a pump, 0, whose eduction-main delivers either into the chamber G or through a branch pipe, (I, to some other destination apart from the apparatus.

The plug of the cock f in the main S bears a lever, t,having two arms, making an obtuse angle with each other. One arm of the lever is weighted and tends to revolve the plug to open the cock,while the other arm supports a hollow globe, F, suspended from it by a cord, rod, or chain, 0:, whose weight tends to revolve the plug of the cock in the opposite direction i. 6., to close it. The interior of the globe F communicates from underneath through ailexible connection, 0, with the bottom of the chamber E, and from above through the flexible connection 0 with the chamber at apoint above the highest level to which it will ever be de sired to have the liquid rise in the chamber when the apparatus is in use. The weight of the counterpoise w on the levert is SlllfiClGlJl) to revolve the plug of the cock into andto retain it in the position shown, which is its position when the cock is wide open, against the combined weights of the cord 00, globe F, flexible connections 6 c, and of sufficient of the liquid to fill the connecting-tube 6 up to the globe. If, however,the globe is nearly filled with the liquid,the weight of these parts is suflicientto overbalance the counterpoise w, and to revolve the plug of the cock into the closed position.

The purpose of the combination just de-.

scribed is to automatically regulate the How of liquid through the main S into the apparatus by means of the level of the liquid in the chamber E. Thus as long as the level of the liquid in the chamber E is below that of the bottom of the globe the cockf remains wide open; but in proportion as the liquid rises above that level, and, consequently, flows into the globe F, the plug of the cock is revolved by the increasing weight of the globe in the direction to close the cock,until finally, if the liquid continues to rise, the cock will be entirely closed. The level to which the liquid.

IOC

may rise will depend,therefore,upon the height of the globe P, which may be-varied as desired by increasing or diminishing the length of the suspending cord or chain as.

The construction of the dome D and of the well P will vary with the agent used as the source of heat foreffecting the evaporation. Supposing the agent to be steam, they may be constructed as shown in the drawings, and as hereinafter described. If heated gases or products of combustion are to be used,they areled into the domeD and out of the well]? by suit-v able flues, the gases flowing downward through the tubes b, or vice versa, the gases areled' into the well P, up through the tubes b, and out ofthedome D; or the apparatus may be used as a vertical boiler, inwhich case the. wellP is fashioned as a fire-box, in which the fuel inay be burned, andthe domeD comma posing, however, that steam isthe ,agentto be used, the construction of the dome D and well, J? may be as shown in Fig. 1, in which both are -steam tight and have vcommunications through the mainsigv and h, respectively, with;

a steam-supply. The well 1? has an air-vent;

11, and an escape for 'the-waterof. condensation through thepi-pe 7a, which leads to a suitable steam-trap.

The methodof using the evaporatorshow'n' in-Fig. 1-is-as"follows: The air-vent iof-the.

:ehamber P :having been opened, steam islet into the dome D from the main \Vhenthe ai-rhasbeenwell driven out of thedome, tubes, and well P, and steam issues from the air vent-z, the latteriselosed and" the valve in the steam-main h, leading into the 'well P, opened, The liquid-to'ibe evaporated is then allowed to pass into-thechamber G through the main 1S,

the'ehamber G from'the main S. Whe11- the liquid -issuificiently concentrated, itis 'delivered-loy thepu np O-through the pipe d'into;

a suitable receptacle.

As before I pointed out, the flow of "liquid from themain S into thechamber' G:--isregulated by the level. of the liq-u'id inzthe chamberin=suchmanner,-. by means of i the globe and itseonnections, that as this level falls the -j ust sufficient to replace the liquid delivered coek-f-opens wider, and as it rises the-cock .closes,-froni which it results that the fi-owwof liquid intothe-apparatus from the main S from the evaporator eitheras vapor through the main B or as liquid through the pump 0 nicates Witha suitable chimney or-flue. 'Sup-a per-:surface ot the plate. implaee, conduits are formed-through the and pipe d. Liquid delivered by the pump from the chamber E into the chamber G does not affect the flow of liquid from the main S, as it does not leave the apparatus, and so does nothave to be replaced by fresh liquid from S to maintain the level of the liquid in E, and so when no liquid is being delivered away from the apparatus the influx of liquid into it from Swill be only sufficient to replace that lost by evaporation.

When the apparatus is constructed and used for asteam-generator-as when the chamber P is-replaced by a furnace or fire-box and the "d ome'D connects with a chimney-the pump 0 serves only to transfer water from the chamber E into the chamber G, as a rule, and the flow of water into the apparatus from the pipe S is simply that necessaryto replacethat escaping "fromthe generator as steam v lit isapparentthatthe main S may deliver intothe chamber E, instead of into G, in which case the pump 0 would be relied uponto dealiver liquid into thewchamber G, and-soonto -=:the-tubesb. chamber G-serves as a species of =feed-heater, "rheaiti'flg tlle l-iqu-identoring from S.

As-arranged inthe drawings,thc

-VV-henthis evaporator is used fort-heconcent-ration of liquids-such as sugar solutions, t-heevaporation of which it is desirableshould "be: carried on'at as-low temperatures as possi- -'ble,the main B, designed for conducting the vapors away from the chamber E,-shou-ld communicate with proper condensers and airpumps, whereby a more'or less perfectvacuu m :may be maintained in the chamber E, in which the evaporation takes place.

It will be seen that thetubes b, Fig. 1, have greater diameters at their lowerends -than-at their-upper ones, and that they thus present surfacesslightl y inclined tothe verti -calfor'the' liquid to flow down. Thiscon- -struction promotes a-greater firmness ofcon- -tact, so to speak, betweenthe surfaces of, the tubes and-the liquid flowing down them, and

also permits a somewhat freer escape from the liquid --for the vapors of evaporation than --=,would be the case were the walls of the tubes strictly vertical. Tubes of uniform bore may be "used-however, with good results.

;I-n-'=Fig. 2is'shown an arrangement of the =condu-its through the tube-plate 1,,which deliverthe liquid from the chamber G upon the surfacesof the tubes 12 in the chamber -E, different from that show-n in'Eig. 1.

Fig. 2 isa limited verticalsection of a tube,

-b, or tube-plate p, and aplan of the same not in section. hole throug hthe plate, excepting wherecon- The-tube 1) fits tightly in the tact-iskbro'ken,ias about to be described. In

the' sides of the hole through the plate 0 is for-medithe horizontal; groove m, having: the -four--verticalgrooves0, extending to the up- When the tube?) is plateconsisti-ng of the venticalgrooves o, horizontal groove in, and l the an nular passagen, formed bysl-ightly enlarging the bore of hole throughthe plate below the horizontal groove l passages through the plate or septum p, be-

m, through which conduits any liquid delivered onto the plate 1) will be delivered upon and uniformly distributed over the surface of the tube b.

This evaporator may be constructed without the dome D. In this case the chamber G only is above the chamber E, and the tubes 1) only extend above theplatep, and have their upper ends closed. The passages for the tubes through the plate may-be constructed as in Fig. 2. Steam has access to the interiors of the tubes only from the chamber P. Before starting the evaporation in an apparatus thus constructed-via, without the dome Dit is well to exhaust the air from the chamber P and tubes 1), whenpracticable, before admitting the steam into the chamber P, in order that the steam may have free access to the interiors of the tubes b.

Thus having described my invention, I claim as mine and wish to secure to myself by Letters Patent of the United States 1. In an evaporator or steam-generator, the combination of the chamber or furnace P, chamber E, dome D, tubes b, extending from the chamber or furnace P, through the chamber E, to the dome D, and means for causing a flow of liquid down the exterior surfaces of the tubes I) in the chamber E, substantially as specified.

2. In an evaporator or steam generator, thecombination of the chamber or furnace P, chamber E, dome D, tubes b, and means for drawing liquid from the chamber E and for delivering the same upon the external surfaces of the tubes 1) in the chamber E, substantially as specified.

q 3. In an evaporator or steam-generator, the combination of the chamber or furnace P, chamber E, dome D, tubes 1), extending from the chamber P, through the chamber E, to the dome D, means for delivering a liquid into the evaporator upon the surfaces of the tubes 1) in the chamber E, and means for drawing liquid from the chamber E,and for delivering the same upon the surfaces of the said tubes b, substantially as described.

4. In an evaporator or steam-generator, the combination of the chamber or furnace P, chamber E, chamber G, dome D, tubes extending from the chamber or furnace P, through the chambers E and G, to the dome D, and

tween the chambers E and G, adapted to deliver liquid from the chamber G upon the ex terior surfaces of the tubes exposed in thechamber E, substantially as specified.

5. In an evaporator constructed substantially as described, the combination, with the chamber E and chamber G, of a pump, 0, or equivalent apparatus, connecting with the chamber E and with the chamber G by suitable mains, and operating to draw liquid from the chamber E and to deliver it into the chamber G, substantially as specified.

6. In an evaporating apparatus, the combination of the chamber P, connected with and receiving steam from a suitable steam-supply, chamber E, tubes 1), extending into or through the chamber E from the chamber P, but not opening into the chamber E, and means for causing a flow of the liquid to be evaporated down the exterior surfaces of the tubes 1), substantially as specified.

7. The combination, with the chamber E, of the surrounding annular chamber 8, communicating with E through a continuous narrow opening extending around E, or through a series of small passages, the said annular chamber and connections with E serving to deliver steam or vapors from the latter into the main 13, substantially as described.

8. The within-described devices for regulating the flow of feed water or liquid into an evaporator or steam-generator by means of the variations of level of the liquid in the same, consisting of the hollow globe F, communicating from below through aflexible connection with the interior of the evaparator below the waterline, and fromlabove communi eating through a flexible connection with the steam-space above the level of the liquid, and mechanism connecting the globe with a valve in the feed-pipe, and operating to close the said valve more and more as the globe is weighed down by a rising of the liquid in the same, and also operating to open the valve in proportion to the lightening of the globe by a sinking of the liquid in the same, substantially as specified.

S. MORRIS LILLIE.

\Vitnesses:

PAUL E. SEEBER, JACOB O. MuENcH.

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