USRE14693E - Olivex e - Google Patents

Description

0. E. MERRELL.

PROCESS FOR OBTAINING THE souos FROM uoums.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.16. 1916.

Reissued July 22, 1919.

UNITED STATES OLIVER-E OI SYRACUSE, nw YORK, ABSIGHOB '1'0 PATENT OFFICE. I

ULE-

Specification of Ilcluued Letterl rateut. Reigsued J uly 22, 1919,

Original application fled larch 2?, 1910, Serial Io. 582,888. Divided and application fled Iebrnary 16,

1912, Serial ll'o. 678,148. Original Io. 1,188,856,

rebmi is, me. sci-m1 Io. 1am.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, Onrvnn E. a citizen of the United States, and resident of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and 'useful'Improvements in Processes for Ohtainin the Solids from Liquids, of which the fo lowing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and

exact descrlption.

This invention relates to a process for obtaining the solids from or nic liquids, in

the form of a substantia y dry powder,

be first removed; and, in either case, the

- milk (whole or skimmed) may be condensed or concentrated before subjecting it to the desiccating operation. Cream may also be dried to a powder by the new process.

The organic liquidis subjected to the intimate -act1on of a whirling current of moisture-absorbing air, suflicient in quantity to take up and carry oil? the moisture-content of the liquid, the spirally forward motion imparted to the air current causing the air to disintegrate the liquid and break it up into excessively fine particles in the nature of a, cloud or mist, with the result that the moisture is removed from the solids and absorbed by the air in a practically instantaneous manner, leaving the dry solids to collect separately from the moisture-laden air current. V

The present invention consists in a desiccatin process carried out in an economical and e cient manner for the production of a dried powder, particularly from organic substances such as milkand eg in which it is essential that'the normal 0 aracteristics' substantially preserved,and involves the utidated April 90, 1915. Application for reissue filed lization of the entire amount of heated air ntroduced into the desiccating chamber in disintegrating and breaking up the liquid, as well as carry' forward and desiccatin the same, and, as m the ap ratus disclo contemplates the introductlon of the entire body of air through the spraying or atomiz: ing device, with the result that the heated "air is thoroughl commingled with the atomized and t e evaporation of the liquid constituents is completed before the atomized partlcles contact with the walls of the chamber, and the essential se aration of the dry powder from the air be ore condensation of the vapor carried by the same occurs. The latter-feature is essential to the success of an yqilesiccating process.

I e process specifically contemplates the passage of the entire body of heated air through the atomizing device and its proection into the desiccating chamber through an orifice surrounding the milk delivery plpe, so that the entire body of air is utilized in atomlzmg and minutely disintegrating the llquid while accomplishing, simultaneously, the desiccation of the same.

Suitable apparatus for carrying out the new process is illustrated in the acc0mpany 'ing drawings, wherein Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 22,

Fig. 1.

.Fig. 3 is a detail section.

Fig.4 is a detail section of the discharge end of the liquid supply pipe.

-1 is an ordinary pressure blower, fan, or other means for forcing air through a conduit, which is preferably flattened at 3, as it approaches the tangential entrance 4 to a cylinder or air whirling chamber 5. One end of the air whirling chamber 5 is contracted and opens at '6 and enters the desiccating chamber said desiccating chamber having a suitable screened air outlet, as by having upon one side a screen 8 of fine bolting cloth, or similar material, through which the air and vapor pass ofi-while the solids gravitate to the floor, where they may be removed in any convenient way.

The cylinder :5 and pipe -1 0.cpnstitute the atomizing device, the milk being introduced through pipe 10 and the air through cylinder 5'-, whereby the entire body 01 air is utilized in simultaneously atomizing and desiccating the liquid. The prm-oncentration of the milk may be accomplished in any known manner and by means of any known apparatus, not herein necessary to further illustrate or describe.

The organicliquid to be desiccated is'com iained in a receptacle 9, preferably raised slightl above the supply-pipe -10 so that the iquid may flow through Said supply-pipe by gravity, and may flovf out ina stream or in drops, The supply-pipe 15 provided with an ordinary control valve 11.' The discharge end of pipe -1Q is beveled to a sharp edge as shown in F g. 4. The supply-pipe --10. passes into the air whirling chamber 5 atany convenient point and several pipes may be used, conditioned upon the quantity and the moisture absorbing properties of the air used, but the open end of the supply-pipe 1() should coterminate substantially with the open end of the chamber 5+, and preferably placed eccentrically thereto. The air is passed through the conduit 2- into the chamber 5, at a pressure of a few ounces to the square inch. In passing from the blower to the air whirlin chamber the air passes around heating su-r aces, such as coils of steam pipes, which are not shown. The

air enters the air whirling chamber tangentially and takes a spiral or whirling path, as indicated and finally emerges through the contracted open end 6- of the air whirling chamber into the desiccating chamber, where it continues its whirling motion transversely to the path of the inflowing stream of liquid, thereby disintegrating or breaking up the liquid into fine particles as it emerges from the open end of the pipe 10- and converting, it into a mist and simultaneously absorbing the moisture, the separated solids gravitating to the bottom of the desiccating chamber, and the air and vapor passing out through the fine screen -9, or other suitable screened collector.

There is a tendency to produce a back flow of air in the central portion of the open end of the air whirling chamber. If the end vof the supply-pipe terminated in this central portion, the emerging liquidwould be drawn backward somewhat, and toward the periphery ofthe air whirling chamber before being whirled into the desiccating chamber by the spiral current of air, so that some of the liquid might collect on. the walls of the air whirling chamber. To avoid this, the discharge end ofthe supply-pipe -10-- is eccentric to the open end of the chamber -5- and near the periphery f the outlet opening 6, so that the rapid current of air more effectively engages with and breaks up theliquid as it emerges from the end of the supply-pipe, thereby whirling it into the desiccating chamber and causing the disintegration and desiccation. It will be understood, however, that the process may -be operated by locating the supply-pipe centrally to the outlet 6, though the maximum disintegrating efi'ect is produced as aforesaid, by locating the end of the supply-- pipe near the periphery of said outlet,

The size of the chamber -5 and the pressure and quantity of air passing through 1t, and the moisture-absorbing condition of such air, are so regulated as to furnish a suflicient, quantity of air to thoroughly remove the moisture from the liquid passing through the supply-pipe. Air which has been heated or subjected to special treatment to render it moisture-absorbing may be used,

but ordinary atmospheric air is efiicient to carry out the process. V

In order that the process may be fully understood, the details of one practical inper minute. The air is passed over steam I coils in which there is a steam pressure of ninety to one hundred to pounds per square inch, and the average temperature within the desiccatin-g chamber is one hundred and sixty-four (164) degrees Fahrenheit. The internal diameter of the air whirling chamber 5- is six (6) inches, and the interna1 length of the cylindrical part is nine (9) inches. The intake 4r to the chamber -5 is two (2) inches across and of the length of the cylindrical part of said chamber. The diameter of the outlet opening 6+ is five (5) inches. The supply-pipe 10- has an internal diameter of one thirty-second (.03125) of an inch, and

the head is such that it, delivers twenty-two (22) pounds of milk or other organic liquids in an hour. The desiccating chamber is six (6) feet high, is nine (9) feet long from the air outlet -6 to the opposite wall, and is six (6) feet wide. These details are subject to variation depending. upon practical conditions, such as the initial dryness of the air, the amount of moisture in the milk or other organic liquid, the quantity to be treated, and the pressure in the steam coils.

The quantity of air is large in proportion to the liqu1d treated, andits disintegrating capacity-is dueto its rotation under pressure and at high velocity. In this connection the contraction of the outlet -6 is important since it retards the escape of the air into the desiccating chamber, and hence contributes to the desired whirling motion.

The whirlin motion of the air not only .disintegrates tile liquid and subjects it to a large volume of air, but also rolo the ,contact between the air and the liquid, delay- :ing the efiect of gravity so that complete drying takes place. As the result a relatively small drying chamber can be used.

This invention is not limited to a rocess in which the inflowing stream of liquid is constant for it may be carried out in a satisfactory manner by allowing the liquid to eme ge from the end of @the supply-plpe intermlttently, as in drops or jets.

.The invention consists in a new process, whereby organic liquids of high moisturecontent may be disintegrated and desiccated solely by the agency of a spiral 0r whirling current of air.

What I claim is:

1. The process of desiccating liquids consisting in disinte atin anddesiccating the liquid solely by t e action of a rotating current of molsture absorbing air.

2. The process of desiccating liquids consistin in disinte ating and desiccating the liqui solely by t e action of a rotating current of air which absorbs the moisture of the liquid, and collecting the dry solids separated from the moisture-laden air.

3. The herein described process of desiccati liquids consisting in disintegrating and esiccatin the liquld solely by means of a current 0 moisture-absorbing air having a spirally forward motion.

4. T e process of obtaining the solid con- 40 stituents of-li uids and semi-liquids in the form of a su ntially dry powder, consistinfi in creatmg a current of air having a spira y forward motlon, lntroduc' the liquid into the whirli current at so stan- 15 tially the vortex thereo and eccentrically of to eating liquids consisting the axis of movement of said current whereby the liquid is held in suspension and rized.

process of desicin introducing the moisture-absorbing the li uid constituents va 5. e herein describe liquid into a current 0 air having a spirally forward motion, in at the liqllld is both broken such a manner t into spray and is desiccated solely by the action of the whirling current.

6. The rocess of producing desiccated milk pow er which comprises removing a portion of the Water contents of the milk by evaporation, atomizing the concentrated milk in a chamber, introducing suflicient heat to desiccate the milk by a current of heated air introduced through the atomizer and separating the desiccated milk from the air and water vapor. I

7. The process of producing desiccated milk powder which comprises removing a portion of the water contents of the milk by evaporation, atomizing the concentrated milk by means of an excess of heated air in a. chamber thereby utilizing the air employed to atomize the condensed milk as a carrier for all the heat necessary to desiccate the condensed milk and separating the desiccated milk powder from the air and water vapor.

8. The process of producing desiccated milk powder which com rises concentrating the milk, atomizing the eated concentrated milk by means of an excess of heated air thereby utilizing the air employed to atomize the 'condensedmilk as a carrier for all the heat necessary "to desiccate the condensed milk and discharging the air and water vapor separated from the desiccated powder. 9. The process of producing desiccated milk powder which comprises atomizing the milk by means of an excess of heated air thereby .utilizing the airemployed to atomize the condensed milk as a carrier for all the heat necessary to desiccate the condensed milk and separating the desiccated milk powder from the air and water vapor.

'10. The process of producing desiccated milk powder which comprises concentrating milk, simultaneously atomizin and desiccating the concentrated milk Ey an excess of heated air introduced through the atom-

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