US2018594A - Gas condensing and separating system - Google Patents

Description

' 1935. A. H. BAE-iQ 2,018,594

GAS CQNDENSING AND SEPARATING SYSTEM Filed May' 1, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 22, 1935. I BAER 2,018,594

GAS CONDENSING AND SEPARATING SYSTEM Filed May 1, 19:54 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 22, 1935 UNITED STATES GAS CONDENSISNG AND SEPARATING YSTEM Alvin H. Baer, Carbondale, Pa., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Worthington Pump and Machinery Corporation, Harrison, N. 3., a corporation 'of Virginia Application May 1, 1934, Serial No. 723,421

10 Claims.

' such use. It is an object of the invention to provide mechanism of simple and eflicient character which shall be adapted for continuous operation and which shall be substantially automatic in all its functions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of the character described, wherein there is included means for compensating automatically for variations in the temperature of the cooling medium utilized, at least to the extent of compensating for variations due to changes ,of weather, changes of temperature between day and night or the'days of the season, etc.

A further object of my invention is to provide in such a system means for compensating for major variations of temperature as between summer and winter.

Still another object of the. invention is to provide a continuous liquefying process in which variations in the rate of gas supply are automatically compensated.

Referring to the drawings, which are made a part of this application and in which similar reference characters indicate similar parts:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the essential parts of a system of the character described, and

Fig. 2, a diagrammatic view in elevation showing certain parts on a larger scale.

In the drawings, reference character l0 indicates fermenting vats which may be of any desired character, such as used in breweries, distilleries, etc. The vats are shown as provided with special collecting covers each consisting of a fixed part II and a movable part l2 connected to part II by hinges l3. Branch pipes Hllead'fromthe vats lfl to a pipe l5 and it will be understood that any desirable number of fermenting vats may be thus connected to a delivery pipe l5.

The delivery pipe l5 connects the vats to a multi-stage gas compressor indicated generally at 16, which compressor draws the gas from the fermenting vats, compresses it and delivers the compressed material through a pipe It to acooler-condenser embodying a plurality of pipes H which are connected in series by pipes l8. It will be understood that the compressor draws from the fermenting vats a mixture of carbon dioxide, water vapor, air, etc., the percentage of the various constituent gases varying according to conditions in the vats. If there is more than one vat fermentation will begin at different PQ! riods in the different vats and thus will provide a leveling effect to a certain extent tending toward uniform suction for the compressor. Insofar as the gas resulting from fermentation is not sufficient to satisfy thesuction of the compressor other vapors will be drawn off including water vapor and air, all of which will be compressed and forced through pipe Hi to the cooler-compressor.

In addition to pipes l1 and I8 the cooler-conl0 denser includes means for cooling the mixture of gas passing downward in a tortuous path through pipes I1 and I8. Such means in the form here illustrated comprises a bent pipe I9 by means of which a current of cooling medium can 15 be passed through the pipe II, this current being preferably in a .direction counter to the flow of the mixture of gases.

The lowermost pipe I1 is connected by a pipe 2|] to-a receiver 2| for liquid coming from the 20 cooler condenser, including liquid carbon dioxide, water, etc. Underneath the receiver 2i there is provided a sub-receiver 22 connected to receiver 2| by pipes 23 and this provides for fractional separation of. water or other heavy liquids from 25 the liquid carbon dioxide in receiver 2|, the heavier liquids settling in sub-receiver 22 and being drawn off at convenient times through a passage controlled by valve 24. The accumulated liquid carbon dioxide may be drawn oil at con- 80 venient periods through a pipe 25 controlled by a manual valve 26 and may be lead to a point where cylinders 21 can be filled with the liquid.

In the operation of the cooler-condenser noncondensible gases will be forced into the upper part of receiver 2| together with some carbon dioxide or other readily condensible gases which have not yet been condensed and such non-condensed gases are led off through pipe 28 to a super-cooler 29, the pipe 28 extending some dis-' tance up into the interior of the super-cooler as indicated in Fig. 2 so as to carry the gases above the liquid level in the casing of the super-cooler.

The super-cooler 29 comprises an outer shell with-heads 30 in which are mounted a set of pipes 5 3 I The ends of the casing may be closed by caps 32, 33 and the cap at the right-hand end has a partition 34 dividing it into two compartments.

A pipe 35 leads outward from the casing, said pipe providing means for egress of non-condensible gas. Such egress is controlled by a valve 36 which is open at all times when the system is working and is further controlled by a springpressed valve 31, which valve is also provided with means for adjusting its pressure, so as to i compressor 16, with correspond to a predetermined pressure at which it is desired that the uncondensed gas shall be released. A pipe 40 leads from the lower part of the casing of the super-cooler to a point below the normal liquid level in the receiver 2|, this being for returning to the receiver such liquid as is condensed in the super-cooler. The cooling means previously alluded to includes a pipe 42 for introducing a cooling medium into the system, e. g., cold water. A valve 43 controls the inlet through this pipe to the upper compartment in cap 32 from which the water flows through the upper set of pipes 3| to the hollow cap 33, then back through the lower set of pipes 3| to the lower compartment out of the system (or the illustrated portion of the system) by way of a pipe 45. In emergencies the valve 43 may be closed and cold water caused to flow directly from pipe 42 into pipe 44 by opening a valve 46 ina branch pipe 41.

Egress of water from the cooling pipes is controlled by a pressure-responsive valve 48 movable toward elosed position by a spring 49, the pressure of which is adjustable as by means of a pipe 50 communicating cooler 29 and having a valve 5| for admitting more or less pressure for acting on the spring 49. The egress of water is further controlled by the temperature of the water at or near the point of discharge, said means comprising a thermostat 52 of any desired construction arranged to closea circuit at 53 and thus to energize an electromagnet 54 which opens a valve in the valve casing 55 interposed between parts of pipe 45.

In the operation of my device, carbon dioxide gas is drawn through the suction pipe I5 by the other gases as above stated; all of which are compressed and forced through pipe IE to the double-pipe condenser section of the condenser-cooler where they pass through the spaces between concentric pipes and the carbon dioxide gas will nearly all be liquefied, passing now to the receiver 2| 5 together with water, air, water vapor, etc. The heavier liquids will accumulate in the sub-receiver by stratification and the non-condensed gases-will pass to the supercooler for further treatmentfas above set-forth.

It will be evident that the pressure developed by the compressor in the mixture of CO2 gas, air, water vapor, etc., must be such as to cause liquefaction of at least the greater part of the more liquefiable ingredients of the mixture when the same is at the temperature produced by the counter current of cooling liquid in the pipes of the cooler-condenser, this temperature being substantially that of the water at the point where it leaves the cooler-condenser, through pipe 45. If water is used as the cooling medium in the cooler-condenser (water being a cheap and readily available cooling medium and therefore in common 'use) there will ordinarily be variations in the temperature of the water as between the temperature by day and by night, and also variations from day to day during a season, as well as the usual seasonal variations. Lower temperature of the cooling liquid will cause liquefaction to take place at lower pressure, while higher temperature of the cooling medium will require higher pressure to produce liquefaction, and even such changes of temperature as occur during a day, or

between night and day, will change quite materially the amount of pressure required for liquefaction. In order to operate properly and efilciently such a system as that herein disclosed of cap 32, then through a pipe 44 to the tortuous pipe I 9 and with the interior of the superwhich the operator can determine in advance a higher liquefying pressure than any which the variable water temperature for a given part of a season would create. Having determined this artificial pressure, the operator adjusts relief valve 31 to release air and non-condensible gases to the atmosphere at the artificial pressure determined; valve 36 of courseis open at all times when the system is working. The operator then adjusts control valve 48 so that the fiow of water through pipe 45, the tubes 3| of the super-cooler pipe 44, pipes IQ of the cooler-condenser and outlet pipe 45 will be throttled sufliciently to cause the water to be heated in passing through the super-cooler 29 and the cooler-condenser to such a point that the liquefying pressure will be substantially equal to, but less than the artificial pressure for which valve 31 is adjusted.

It will be seen that when the air and noncondensible gases pass into super-cooler 29, they meet the colder surface of the tubes through which the water supply first passes, and if any of the CO2 gas hasbeen carried along, it will be liquefied at this point and drained back to the receiver 2| through the small vertical pipe 40, which is attached to the underside of supercooler 29 and passes through, and some distance into, the interior of receiver 2|. At the same time, the gases that will not condense gradually fill super-cooler 29, also the upper portion of receiver 2|, and begin to occupy a small part of the space between the pipes l1 and IQ of the cooler-condenser. Having less effective surface for liquefying, a slightly increased pressure resuits and some of the air and non-condensible gases are thus pushed through valve 31.

Thus a continuous operation of the entire system with substantially automatic control of its functions is secured. The compressor continues to draw from the fermenting vats regardless of the uniformity of fermentation. The apparatus continues to function as a liquefier and separator of the CO2 from the other elements. The release of the other elements to the atmosphere and to the sub-receiver 22 is also automatic. In like manner, variations in the temperature of water supply, due to changes of weather and otherwise, are automatically compensated. Wide variations of water supply resulting from seasonable changes are provided for by periodically changing the adjustment of valve 31 and of valve 48 to be in accord therewith.

It will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art that many alterations may be made in the system herein disclosed and that it may be used for other purposes; therefore I do not limit myself to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the' appended claims.

It is within the contemplation of my invention pressure-responsive means tions where control is especially diflicult will both be used, as shown in Fig. 2.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A condensing and separating system for carbon dioxide and the like comprising a coolercondenser, a gas inlet therefor, a super-cooler above thecondenser, means for supplying cooling liquid to the super-cooler and thence to the condenser, means below the condenser for receiving the products of condensation and for separating heavy liquids and non-condensed gases from the condensed carbon dioxide, means for leading the non-condensed gases to the supercooler, .an adjustable pressure-responsive valve for releasing gas from the super-cooler, an adjustable pressure-responsive valve controlling thedischarge of cooling liquid from the condenser, a magnetic valve also adapted to control such discharge, and thermostatic means for controlling said magnetic valve, said thermostatic means being governed by the temperature of the cooling liquid about to be discharged.

2. In a system for recovery of a liquefiable gas from a mixture of gases, a condenser, said condenser including means for cooling the mixture by a current of cooling medium, a super-cooler, means for separating the condensed liquid from the remaining gases, means for leading the noncondensed gases to the super-cooler for further separation of gas to be recovered, means for setting the escape pressure of non-condensed gas at a relatively high point, andmeans for throttling' the discharge of cooling medium to bring the liquefying pressure nearly up to such escape pressure.

3 In a system for recovery of a liqueflable gas from a mixture of gases, a condenser, said condenser including means for cooling the mixture by a current of cooling medium, means for setting the escape pressure of non-condensed gas at a relatively high point, and means for throttling the discharge of cooling medium so as to'bring the liquefying pressure approximately up to such gas escape pressure.

4. A condensing and separating system for carbon dioxide and the like comprising a coolercondenser, a gas inlet therefor, a super-cooler above the condenser, means,for supplying cooling liquid to the super-cooler and thence to the condenser, means for separating non-condensed gases from the condensed liquid and for leadingthe non-condensed gases to the super-cooler, for releasing fixed gas from the super-cooler, and means. responsive to the temperature of the coolingliquid coming from the condenser for controlling the discharge of liquid therefrom.

5. Acondenslng and separating system for carbon dioxide and the like comprising a coolercondenser, means for supplying thereto a mixture of gases under pressure,'means for supplying cooling liquid to the condenser, means for separating the condensed liquid from non-con- ,densible gas, pressure-responsive means for releasing the non-condensible gas, and means for controlling the discharge of cooling liquid from of the cooling fluid said condenser, said means being governed by the temperature of such liquid adjacentthe point of discharge. i

6. A condensing and separating system for carbon dioxide and the like comprising a condenser, a gas inlet therefor, means for supplying cooling liquid to the condenser, means for separating the condensed liquid from non-condensiblegas, pressure-responsive means for releasing the non-condensible gas, I means for controlling the discharge of cooling liquid from the condenser, and auxiliary controlling means governed by the temperature of said liquid adjacent the discharge point.

7. A system for condensing gases comprising a cooler-condenser, a gas inlet therefor, a supercooler, means for supplying cooling liquid to the super-cooler and thence to the cooler-condenser, means for leading non-condensed gases from the cooler-condenser to the super-cooler, means for collecting condensed liquid from the cooler-condenser and the super-cooler, and means for varying the rate of flow of cooling liquid through the system in accordance with variations in the temperature of such liquid at the point of discharge from the system. D

8. A system for condensing gases comprising a cooler-condenser, a gas'inlet therefor, a super- "cooler, means for supplying cooling liquid to the super-cooler and thence to the cooler-condenser, means for leading non-condensed gases from the cooler condenser to the super-cooler, means for collecting condensed liquid from the cooler-condenser and the super-cooler, means for varying the rate of flow of cooling liquid through the system in accordance with variations in the temperature of such liquid at the point of discharge pressure-controlled from the system, and pressure-responsive means for discharging non-condensible gases from the super-cooler.

9. A condensing and separating system for carbon dioxide and the like comprising a condenser, a super-cooler, means for supplying a mixture of gases under pressure to the condenser, collecting means for condensed liquid, means for supplying cooling fluid to the super-cooler and thence to the condenser, means for leading noncondensed gas from the condenser to the supercooler, and means responsive to the temperature at the discharge side of the condenser and to the pressure of gas in the sysii'liem for controlling the discharge of the cooling uid.

10. A condensing and separating system for carbon dioxide and the like comprising a coolercondenser, a gas inlet therefor, a super-cooler, means for supplying cooling liquid to the supercooler and thence to the cooler-condenser,'means for leading non-condensed gases from the coolercondenser to the super-cooler, pressure-responsive means for releasing non-condensible gas from the super-cooler, pressure-responsive means controlling the discharge of cooling liquid from the system, and additional controlling means for such discharge, said additional means being govemed by the temperature of the cooling liquid about to bedischarged.

ALVIN H. BAER.

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