US1725052A - Bubble still - Google Patents

Description

Aug.b2o, 1929. Q E BRAUN 1,725,052

BUBBLE STILL Filed Sept. 7, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS.

. F. BRAUN Aug. 20, 1929.

BUBBLE S TI LI...

Filed Sept. 7, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet i A I| 1N g/EN To R.' Me/6MM SYM if 4- MQ T TORNEYS.

. Patented Aug. 20, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT' oFFlcE.

y CARL F. BRAUN, OF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

BUBBLE STILL.l

Application led September 7, 1926. Serial No. 133,837.

This invention relates to interfacial contact apparatus, and particularly pertains to Vimprovements in bubble stills, absorbers, scrubbers, and the like.

It is the principal object ofthe presenty invention to provide means in an interfacial contact apparatus whereby a liquid and gas or vapor may be brought into intimatecontact and suitably commingled in a manner to insure intimate interfacial contact throughout the entire cross-sectional area of the apparatus and with an accurate proportional miXing of the commingling fluids, the present device being an improvement on that type of apparatus shown in the cd-pending application of Alois Kremser, entitled lnterfacial Contact apparatus, Serial Number 141,214 filed by him on the 12th day of October, 1926,fand pending concurrently herewith. Throughout the specification it vwill be understood that the term interfacial contact is here used in the sense that minute particles ofliquii and gases or vapors flowing through this apparatus will have intimate and thorough contact with each other. l

The present invention contemplates the provision of an outer enclosing shell fitted with a plurality of transverse bubble plates spaced from each other to form intermediate contact compartments, and within which compartments are disposed bubble cap structures having induction and eduction con` duits for both a downwardly ilowing liquid and an upwardly passing gas or vapor, the cap being further designed toI produce maximum turbulence of the fluids as they commingle in each of the compartments.

The invention is illustrated by way of example by the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in central vertical section through a still embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in transverse section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1 showing the uniform manner of arranging the bubble cap structures;

Fig. 3 is a view in transverse section showing the bubble cap arrangement as seen on the line III-III of Figure 1.

.Fig 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the details of construction of the bubble cap structure.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 indicates an enclosing shell.

Mounted Within the shell and arranged and .spaced in superposed relation to each other 1s a plurality of transverse bubble plates 11. A vapor orgas inlet pipe 12 is in communicatlon with the shell at a point below the lowermost bubble plate 11, and the vapor or gas outlet pipe 13 is in communication with the shell at a point above the uppermost bubble plate 1l. A liquid inflow i e 14 is in communication with the top ofptlie still at a point above the upper plate 11, and a liquid drain pipe 15 is in communication with the bottom of the still below the lowermost bubble plate 11. It will be understood that it is desired to brino the downflowing liquid and the upwardly passing vapor or gas into intimate interfacial contact, whereby actions of distillation, absorption, scrubbing, or the like, may .take place between theb liquid and the gas or Vapor. It has been-the common practice in this type of apparatus -to provide the bubble plates 11 with a plurality of inverted cups or bubble caps having their bell mouths below the level of an accumulated supply of liquid resting on each of the bubble plates, to insure that upwardly flowing gas will pass out into the impounded body of liquid, surplus liquid overflowing the Yupper lip of the Ydrain pipes, one of which is nominally provided for each of the bubble plates and through which pipe the surplus liquid is conducted to the subjacent compartment. Due to the fact, however, that there is no provision in the ordinary structures of this class to insure uniform and proportional mixing of the liquid and gas or vapor in the compartments, the stills operate ineiliciently, and with that idea in view a structure has been here provided as generally indicated at 18, by which a uniform and proportional downilow of liquid may be obtained throughout the sectional area of the apparatus, and a uniform and proportional upflow of gas or vapor may be maintained and brought into intimate contact with the liquid. The structure comprises an upwardly projecting nozzle 16 formed as a part of the bubble plate 11. A lurality of thesenozzles are uniformly istributed over the area of the bubble plate .in symmetrically geometric arrangements and in vertical alignment when the assembled series of bubble plates is considered. Extending through the center of each of these nozzles is a vertically disposed drain pipe 17, to the upper end of which is mounted a, bubble cap structure 18. The outer vdiameter of the drain pipe is considerably less than the linner diameter of the opening through the nozzle 16, thus providing an annular passageway within the nozzle and around the drain pipe through whichupwardly flowing gases or vapors may pass. The bubble cap structure 18 comprises a central threaded boss 19 which receives the upper end of the drain pipe 17 This boss is formed as a continuation of a liquid drain chamber 20 which is in direct communication with the drain pipe 17, and has a plurality of radial ducts 21 communicating with an overflow launder 22. Disposed directly above the chamber 20 and formed integrally therewith is a weir cup 23, into whichithe lowermost end of a superposed drain pipe 17 projects. It will be understood that the drain pipes 17, through the height of the still, are in longitudinal alignment, and that their opposite ends are assembled within a bubble cap structure 18, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The weir cup 23 forms a liquid seal for the lower end of vthe drain pipe 17 and causes an accumulation of liquid to be held in the drain pipe,

' the level of this accumulation agreeing with the difference of pressure in the contact compartment from which the liquid is being drained and the contact compartment into which the liquid is draining. This oil overflows the lip of the weir cup 23 and then flows downwardly through a passagewa 24 to an annular mixing compartment 25 w ich circumscribes the nozzle 16 on the bubble plate and is formed by a wall 26 of rectangular or cylindrical shape. This wall agrees in position and operation with the yordinary inverted bell mouth of a bubble cap. The wall 26 continues upwardly and is formed with a boss 27 which accommodates the downwardly projecting end of the drain pipe 17. The launder 22 is formed around the wall 26, and is drained through the ducts 21, which pass through the wall and into the chamber 20 without communicating with the overflow compartment 24. In order to create additional turbulence, the lip of the bubble cap wall 26 is formed with a plurality of slotted serrations 28,'through which the commingling liquid and gases and vapors may be projected into the mass of liquid impounded upon the bubble plate, and the level of which is determined by the height of the launder 22. 0

In operation of this invention liquid is delivered to the apparatus through the liquid vinflow pipe 14, and is there distributed 4upon the upper bubble plate. It may then pass vdownwardly after reaching a certain level above the wall 26 through the drain pipes 17, which are uniformly and symmetrically arranged over the sectional area of the structure. This liquid will flow down the pipe 17 and into the first weir cup 23, after which it will overflow the weir cup and pass downwardly through the overfiow compartment ings 29 into the annular mixing chamber 25 surrounding the nozzle 16. Here the gas will meet the downwardly flowing liquid which has overiowed the lip of the weir cup 23, and due to the velocity of the gas stream will tend to flatten the stream of liquid against the side wall 26 of the bubble cap. The gas then bubbles through the layer of liquid which fills the bubble plate 11 to the level of the top .of the wall 26. The liquid and gas or vapor will then commingle and pass downwardly by lviolent projection through the restricted orifices formed by the slotted openings 28 in the lower edge of the wall 26 and the space between the lip of the bubble cap and the upper surface of the bubble plate 11. This action will be that of projecting these iuids through a restricted orifice to increase their velocity and to thus increase their turbulence. The fluids will then pass into the body of liquid resting upon the bubble plate 11, and will work their way upwardly through this liquid, producing a violent ebullition thereof. The vapors as they pass'upwardly from the body of the liquid will strike the underface of the bubble plate forming the top of the compartment. Attention is directed to the fact that there is no direct passageway for the vapor to follow in reaching the compartment above that in which the action is taking place, and that the vapors must of necessity follow a circuitous path of travel. It will be understood that the pressure of the upwardly fiowing vapors will be sufficient to prevent the oil which overflows the weir cups and stands upon the plate 11 vfrom passing through openings 29 and cause it to accumulate on the plate 11. y

' It will thus be seen by this arrangement that the liquid and gas or vapor will be uniformly subdivided into quantities which will be in direct proportion to each other and which will be brought into interfacial contact uniformly over the sectional area of the still, thus insuring a maximum interfacial may be simplified, 'since all of the bubble plates and all of the bubble capvstructures ble are made in duplicate, thus eliminating sepayrate machine operations for the different bubble plates and the different bubble caps.

When the apparatus is first set in operation it will be understood that there .will not be an accumulation of liquid upon the bubates, and it is necessar to insure that liquid will accumulate upon t e bubble plates to a level which will submerge the lower edges ofl the walls 26 and the serrations 28.

. This is accom lished by' providing ducts 30 which establis communication between the drain pipes 17 vand the bubble plates. The

upper ends of these ducts pass through the side wall of the nozzles 16, and the lower ends of the ducts pass through the wall of the drain pipes 17. By this arran ement, oil which 1s delivered to the still irough the inflow pipe 14 willthen flow downwardly and accumulate beneath upper bubble late 11 until reaching the level o the drain ucts 30 carried by that plate, after which the oil will overflow into the drain pipe 17 until the weir cup at the lower end thereof has been filled to seal the drain pipe.` The oil will then overflow the Weir cup and accumulate on successive bubble plates in the manner previousl described. In this way the lower ends o all of the drain pipes would be rovided with a liquid seal and* the lower en s of all of the members 26 will be submerged in liqluid so that the gas which flows upwardly wil not be able to pass directly through the drain pipes, and so that it will also be compelled to pass through 'a body of liquid on the bubble plates at all times dur- 'I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. An interfacial contact apparatus comrising an outer shell and a plurality of l bubble plates forming contact com artmentsC within the shell,drain pipes lea ing froni one compartment to the next succeeding lower com artment-conducting an overow of liquid rom anupper compartment'to a Vlowercempartment, said drain pipes being in longitudinal vertical alignment, and

means interposed between adjacent ends of.

said pipes for mixingI a downwardly draining llquid with an upwardly flowing vapor or gas and causing both to be projected with turbulent action into another body of liquid accumulated upon a bubble plate, and means for draining a surplus of said body of liquid through the same mixing structure.

`2. An interfacial contact apparatus comprising an outer shell, a plurality of bubble vuid to the top of the shell and for causing it to flow downwardly through the compartments, means for causing 'the downwardly flowing liquid to accumulate to a predetermined depth in each compartment, means whereby the liquid flowing downwardly rinto one compartment and the'gas flowing upwardly rom another compartment will be brought into intimate contact within a commin llng structure and will be projected into t e accumulated body of liquid in the compartment into which the liquid and gas flow, and means embodied in the co-mingling structure for permitting a direct overflow of liquid .from the body of liquid in one compartment into the area of 'contact of. the liquid with 'the upwardly fiowing gas in the next succeeding lower compartment.

3. An interfacial contact apparatus comprising an outer shell, a plurality of bubble plates therein and spaced from each other to form a series of su rposed contact compartments, said bub le plates each being formed with a series of systematically arranged openings throu'hout their area to permit'substantially unlform flow and distribution of fluids through the compartments, means for establishing a downward flow of liquid successively through thecompartments, a circumscribing wall structure around each of the openings through said bubble plates for creatmg a desired accumulation of liquid upon the floor of each compartment and thereafter permitting itl to overflow therefrom into the next succeeding lower compartment, and anupwardly projecting fiange around each of the openlngs in the bubble plate each forming a nozzle projecting into an overflow structure whereby the downwardly flowin liquid and the upwardly flowing gas may e brought into intimateV contact and may therea ter be proiquid within the said compartment.

4. An interfacial contact apparatus, com prising an outer shell through which a downwardly flowing liquid and an upwardly flowing gas pass, a plurality of bubble plates dividing theshell into superposedcompartments, said plates each havin upwardly projecting nozzles through which the gas passes, bubble caps covering said nozzles and extending downwardly around the sides thereof -to form a passageway for the gas from the nozzle and under the marginal' edge of the cap into the compartment, means loes1 iected into the accumulated quantity of` shell into superposed compartments,

causing the liquid to accumulate to a desired level above the lip of the cap and on the i'loor of each compartment, a pipe extending downwardly through said nozzle and conducting the overflowing liquid from an upper into a lower compartment and means for creating a liquid seal in said overflow pipe ata point above the level of the liquid in the compartment.

5. An interfacial contacting apparatus comprising an outer shell through which a liquid and a gas flow in counter directions, a plurality of bubble plates dividing th sai plates each being formed with upwardly projecting nozzles through which the gas ,flows successively from the lowermost to the upper compartments,rbubble caps one of which covers each of the nozzles and extends downwardly around the sides thereof to form a passageway for the gas and to cause it to {'low out from beneath the lip of the bubble cap, means for causing the liquid to accumulate to a desired level above the lip of the bubble caps and on the floor of the compartments and apipe extending downwardly through a nozzle in one bubble plate to the bubble cap in the next lower bubble plate and through which said overflowing liquid may pass.

6. An interfacial contacting apparatus comprising an outer shell through which a liquid and a gas How in counter directions, a plurality of bubble plates dividing the shell into superposed compartments, said plates each being formed with' upwardly projecting nozzles through which the gas flows successively from the lowermost to the upper compartments, bubble caps covers each ofu the nozzles and extends downwardly around the sides thereof to form a passageway for the gas and to cause it to flow out from cap, means for causing the liquid to accumulate to a desired level above the lip of the bubble caps and on the floor of the compartone of which beneath the lip of the bubble I ments and a pipe extending downwardly v through a nozzle inone bubble plate to the bubble cap inthe next lower bubble plate and through which said overiowing'liquid may pass, and means for creating a liquid seal between the compartments and in the pipe.

p CARL F. BRAUN.

Images