US552455A

US552455A - Apparatus foe evaporating or distilling liquids

Info

Publication number: US552455A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1895-12-31
Anticipated expiration: 1912-12-31

Description

(No Model.)

B. THEISEN. APPARATUS FOR BVAPORATING 0R DISTILLING LIQUIDS. No. 552,455.

m W I w z w N0 m Em \Q I i m U U j AN DREW BJIRAHM'L PHOTO-U'MQWASHNGTON. DC.

Nirnn STATES ATENT r OFFICE.

EDUARD THEISEN, OF BADEN, GERMANY.

APPARATUS FOR EVAPORATING OR DISTILLING LIQUIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,455, dated December 31, 1895. Application filed August 19,1895. Serial No. 559,838. (No model.)

T0 to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, EDUARD THEISEN, a citizen of the United States of America, resid ing at 15 \Verderstrasse, Baden, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Evaporating or Distilling Liquids, of which the following is a specification. 7

It is well known that the evaporation of liquids is effected the more rapidly the thinner is the layer of liquids subjected to heat transmitted through surfaces over which it flows, and the greater is the extent of such heattransmitting surfaces. It is also known that the transmission of heat from the heating-surface to the liquidtakes place more effectually and rapidly if motion is imparted to the liquid on the said surface.

My invention relates to the construction of apparatus for evaporating or distilling liquids in which the above-mentioned advantageous modes of action are carried out, and which I will describe with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 a cross-section, of the apparatus.

The invention consists mainly in the employment of a revolving drum, the outer surface of which is subjected to the action of heat impinging thereon at one particular point, while on the inner surface thereof the liquid is made to travel in a thin layer, produced by centrifugal action and which is evaporated by the transmitted heat. I term the drum a centrifugal drum because of the fact that it rotates at a speed sufficient to cause a thin film of the liquid to travel over its inner surface while subjected to heat from the exterior of the drum.

The drum a, which may either be cylindrical with horizontal or inclined axis or slightly conical and either with a plane or corrugated surface and is closed by plates 0 0 at the ends, is supported at one end by an axis 1) with driving-pulley and at the other end by a hollow axis 0, centrally through which passes apipe d to the other end of the drum, where it has a radial branch 6 from which the liquid to be evaporated is delivered onto the inner surface of the drum co, so that by the rotation of the latter the said liquid is caused by the resulting centrifugal action to be distributed in a uniform thin layer over its surface, while at the same timeit is made to flow at any desired speed (regulated by the rate of supply through d- 6) along the drum to the left-hand end. At this end the drum is formed with an annular enlargement 7, into which the liquid flows from the other part of the drum, and whence it is taken or from a point above the axis of the drum by a stationary pipe h. which passes through the hollow axis 0 of the drum and is connected by astop-cock to the pipe (1, so that the liquid taken up by pipe 71 can be either entirely passed back through (1 into the drum again or it may be partly or wholly discharged throughabranch 7c, the pipe d being in that case supplied partly or Wholly with fresh liquid through a branch with stopcock z'.

The drum is contained in a brickwork or other casing f, heated by a fire at g and having flues formed as shown so 'as to surround the drum and leading to the chimney at f. The flame impinges upon the outer surface of the drum at one particular point. Thus when the drum is rotated at a speed sufficient to cause the material being treated to travel over its interior surface in a thin film the heat of the flame is distributed uniformly over the entire surface of the drum and the transmitted heat is imparted in a uniform degree to said material. Thus the liquid being made to circulate through the drum as described while this is rotated and heated externally in a very uniform manner by the fire, a rapid and efiective evaporation or distillation of the liquid will be effected, the same body of liquid being, if necessary, acted upon repeatedly as may be desired until either all the more volatile constituents are distilled off or until the residue has attained a certain degree of concentration, when it is discharged through the pipe h and cock is, as described.

The cook also serves to take samples of the liquid from time to time for controlling the progress of the operation.

The annular enlargement Z of the drum is divided by a ring-shaped plate n into two compartments, the inner one serving to receive the liquid from the drum, as described, while the outer one is supplied with a body of water or other suitable liquid, which is retained therein by the centrifugal action. Into this liquid dips the periphery of a stationary disk m, which supports the pipes h d p and which forms a hydraulic joint with the Water 1111 that effectually prevents the escape of any of the vapors generated in the drum and avoids the necessity of ordinary packing, which would cause loss of power by friction. The disk m is supported by the central tubular projection m, the outer end of which is fixed to a suitable support. The vapors generated are discharged through a pipe p,leading from the disk on, to any locality, Where they are either directly utilized or are condensed or otherwise treated or rectified, as the nature thereof may require.

It will be seen that this apparatus readily allows of a process of fractional distillation of petroleum and otherliquids of a compound nature being carried out, the fire heat being for this purpose increased at certain stages of the process in the well-known manner.

It is evident that material other than that hereinbefore referred to may be treated in this apparatus.

I do not herein claim the specific invention forming the subject-matter of my application for Letters Patent filed concurrently herewith and numbered in serial 559,839.

If there be a body of the liquid collected in the lowermost part of the drum, said drum in rotating will carry around by centrifugal force a thin film thereof, which will be subjected to the evaporative' action of the heated surface. The collection of the body of liquid in the drum is more particulary suit-ed for apparatus of smaller dimensions than that here inbefore described.

Having thus described the nature of my said invention and the best means I know for carrying the same into practical effect, I claim- 1. In apparatus for evaporating or distilling, the combination with a drum and means for supplying material to the interior thereof at one point, of a mechanical scoop entering the drum and Withdrawing the residual liquid therefrom at a point removed from the point of supply, means for revolving the said drum at a speed sufficient to cause, by centrifugal force, the material to travel over its interior surface in a thin film, from the point of delivery to the point of discharge, and an external means of heat impinging upon the surface of the drum, substantially as de scribed.

2. I11 apparatus for evaporating or distill ing, the combination of an externally heated drum, means for supplying liquid to the interior thereof, means for revolving the drum at a speed sufiieient to cause, by centrifugal force, the material to circulate over its surface in a thin film and to travel from the point of delivery thereto to the point of discharge therefrom, and a discharging device communicating with, and provided with means for directing the material to, the supply device to be again passed through the drum, substantially as described.

I11 apparatus for evaporating or distilling, the combination of an externally heated drum provided with an annular enlargement, means for supplying material to the interior of the drum, a discharging device projecting into the annular enlargement and means for revolving the drum at a speed sufficient to cause, by centrifugal force, the material. to circulate over its interior surface in. a thin film, and to travel from the point of delivery thereto to the point of discharge therefrom, substantially as described.

4. In apparatus for evaporating or dist-illing liquids, the combination of a closed revolving drum a, means for heating the same externally, a pipe (Z, c, for supplying the liquid to be acted upon to one end of the inner surface of the drum, a pipe h for scooping up the liquid from an annular trough Z at the other end of the drum, and a pipe 1) for discharging the vapor generated from the interior of the drum, substantially as described.

5. In apparatus for evaporating or distilling liquids, the combination of a revolving drum a closed at one end by a plate 0 fixed thereto, and at the other end by a fixed disk on projecting into an annular enlargen'ient of the drum, pipes (Z, 71-, and p, supportedby the disk on and serving respectively for introducing the liquid to be acted upon into the drum, for Withdrawing said liquid from the drum,

and for discharging the vapors generatedfrom the drum, and means for heating said drum externally, substantially as described. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 1st day of August, A. I). 1895.

EDWARD TIIEISFN. \Vitnesses:

KARL IIAHNLElN, ERNusT THERION.