Trine University - Modulus Yearbook (Angola, IN)

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1-,11-qp 111 THE INTEGRAI. THE MANL'F.-XCTUPE OF COMMERCIAL AMMONIUM NITRATE 111 I-1-1-111-1'l1-k 11, Huws 111 1111- 1'1lllL111'lll2 11111'11:1'1111l1s il l11'i1-1' outline llf 1111- 1-111-n1i1-111 11111-1-111111111 sys11-111. 1111t1'it illlel 1-11111111111-111 is :iw-11 i11 1111- 1111111111'111't111'1- 111' 111-- 1-111111111-1'1'i111 1111111111-1. Zllllllltlllllllll 11lll'1ilP, so l1ll'21 lj' us--11 i11 1111- llllt' XX'111'l1l War. One -.15 115 1ll'l1l1'l1l1ll llsv-s wus i11 tl1-- 1111111111'111-t11r+- 1.11 1-x11l11s11'1-s 111 wh11-h ll very llllll 111-1'1-1-11t11ue 1'-Us us--11 ill 1111- 111w :l':11l1- 111111111-l'S, The 1111-1111111 whi1-h I will 1l1-s1-1'il1f- i11vol1---s 1111- 111-111-1-ss usin: l1lll'l1' 111-i11 illlll 1llllIlll1lllllll1 1111111113 lllllsi llN115-- N11 111lI:NHlNO'1+H:1,1. X syst1-nt 111. this ki111l llll Il lllllllllltlll 11111111 or Ill 1111nl1in111i1111 with il ni11'i1-111-i11 11111111 1Yll9l't' we11k ni1ri1- 111-i11 is 111 111-112111, 11f1'111'1ls il 1'1-111ly 111111 prof- 1111l1l1- lll1'2lllS 111' 1l1s1111si11': Ill' 1111- we-11k 111-211, wl1i1-11 is 111051 1:1-111-1'11lly l1111'1l 111 ll1l. All 111'i1l -11' 11-11111 411 111 lill 111-11 1-1-111. is 11s1-11, stronu 111-i11 not l11'1ll! 215 S2lllS1'2l1'll11'j' 114 w1-11k :11'i1l, us will :11- 'Xlllillllb-ll 11111-12 Th-- itlllllltlllllllll liqlllll' is 111t11in+-11 f1'tl1ll ill11- llllllilllllf 211s 11l11111s, sl1i11111-11 i11 t1111k l'1ll'S 111111 111111111111-11 111 st111'11':e 11111ks. Also 1111- l1111!'1- 11llI'1' 1'1'l1ll11!Pl'l llllllllfllllil is l2ll'24'ly 11s1-11. T11- :1 11 1111-111111111-11 1111s 111'111'1-11 X'11l'j' S1lllSfilL'l0l'Y 111111 11111 l11'll5l'll Ill1'l'l'l, 111:11 is. w1tl11111t l'UllVl-'YIIIIUQ 10 1 :11s. 'l.ll1'l'1' 1l1'1' Illl'1'1' lllillll l111il1li11':s lll1l'1'SSiil'j' for lllf- 11111-r111i1111. 11111111-ly. 1111- 111-11t1'11Iizi11: 111111.-11. 11111111111i11111 lltlllill' Sl1ll'II'l4' llllll 111'Il1l1ll'1lllll! 11--fls. 111111 1'I'j'Sl2llllZ1ll2 l11111s1'. 'l'l11- ll4'll1l'2ll- izinu h1111s1- i11 size is 111111111 -l41X111 119141, f'1'XSl1ll- ixin: h1111s1- 111111111 fl'lX3l' 1'1-1-I. 111111 sl11-11s .11- 111r1lin: 111 1lllllll1l-I' 111' 1-111111111-111111: 1121115 111111 Nll1l'ZlUl' 11111ks, .X 11111111 with sys11-111 111 11-- 111-s1-1'1l11-11 llZlS ll l'1I112ll'llj' 111 1111111111 111111111 111.- 1111111!! 511.41110 111111n1ls111-1'1l11y when workinu 1'11ll lllIll'. 'I'l11- xl'lllI'2lllZill:l lluusv 111 lllt' 111-1111'111ixi11: l11lllSl' llll' 111-i11 s1111'111:1- 11111-1-is 111 six 111-111 lIl'11l1l 4'Ill'1lll'llXY1l1'1' 11111s 111 1.11'1'1 111-rs 1'1ll'll, 1-z111:11'i1y, 'l'w11 s1-11l1- llIllS 1 I' 111111- sim- :1r1- 1141-11 111 w1-1:11 1111- 111-111. 111111 .11'1- 1111--1ll1y:1'11vi1y, l l'1llll 1111-sv 1111- 1l1'l1l is 1l1':1'.'.11 1111111-11--1-111-111111111111-nf-11l1'11l1z111u1111111.-. 1-111 111111n11s 111-in: Illllflllllt 1lr11wn 11111 111 Il lim -, Ih-- :11111111111111111 I11111111' l'lll 1'S 111111 ll s1-:111- 1111111. 1-1-1-1 111111111l- 111-111: ns--11 11s RI 1'll2lI'1l1' 111 Il still. 171' :1i1' 11l'1'SNlll'1' lllf' Jlllllllfllllil is 1111-1-1-11 111111 1111- '1ll- 'I'l11- s1ills111'1- V1-1'ti1'111 s11-1-1 11111ks 111111111 1111.1 1'--1-1 111111 11111-11 with JI 111-:1111 1-11il. Two 1.l1- J1l ' 11s1-11 Jlllfl 1'ill1-1I 11l11'l'll2lll'lj', uivin: lll41l ' --1111111 111'1-ss111'1- 111111 :tn 1-V1-11 flow of gas 1- V111-111. I-111,231-. '22 1111 1111- tin11-. 11s when il still is Cooking off or llll1'11l2 1111- l11s1 lllllf of the ru11 very little gas is Liu-11 1111, 11111 hy ll2lVlll2' the other 0119 fl'QSl1 it 1-1111111121-s the 1-1111211-ity. L's11ally t11e :as from 1111- 111111.-st one is 1-1111 i11to tl1e otl1er and then 111111 the system, or they may he run sep111'a1ely. A IVUXY 11o11n1ls of N113CO3Y put i11to a still just be- 1vtll'P 1-1111121111: 11i11s i11 giving eoruplete distilla- ti11n. C111-e must he taken in adjusting the st1-11111 inl1-1 111 the st1-11111 COil as i11 raising the l1'1l11Jf:'l'll1l1l'l' 51611111 will he 001111112 over with 1111- 2115. fillinr: 1111 lllf' 1-ooler with water 111111 1-11usi112 1r1111l1l1- in 1111- o11er11ti011. More stez-1111 is l1lJ1'PSSii1'j' lll?ill' 1111- e111l of the run. In test- inL ll still 111 flllfl out if 11istill11tio11 is COIllDlP1i:'. ll s111111l Clllillllllj' is tlruwn out and by the sense 11f smell 1111 1'XDP1'lPlll'6fCl ODEIYIIOI' can 1lete1'n1i11e 1111- 111-1111 -1' time 111 1llSt'lllll'S9. Tl1e 110110111 of 1111- still is 11111-111-11 lllltl WHTQI' run i11to the sewer. A 1'll2ll'QP 111 1111111 p11u1111s usually takes 111151111 111111- hours for 00111111919 distillation. l?1't11ll th1-- still the gas enters a cooler, scrub- llvl' llllll lllHll enters tl1e 11eut1'11lizi11g tanks. The 11111111-1' is 1111111111: ll1Ul'P Illllll a small tank ahont -1x4 11-1-1 111111 fitted with a water coil. The r'4'l'llllllPl' is 1111111111-1' tank about the same size 1'IlllI2ll1ll11'I coke whit-11 acts as a filter a11d puri- 1'i1-s the aus. Tl11- neutralizing tanks are of steel 1-1111str111-ti1111 1111out SX6 feet i11 size alld are li111-11 with 111-i11 proof hric-k 111111 planked over. The sus line fl'0ll1 the stills are six inch steel 11i111- whi1-h 1-1111-rs the llllll-KS at the top alld is 1-1111111-1-11-11 to il Sllltltll' line or distributor. This is Slllilll 111111-s 1-1111111-1-11-11 to 3 central. extend inc i11 1111 1lir1-1-ti1111s 111111 having small holes 1111 111'1111111l. This s1-ts 1111 the hottotn of the 1111111 'Illll 1111- uns 1111111112 up thru the liquid is ah- S1ll'llP4l 111111 111-11J11'11liz1-s the liquid. The 111111111 i11 1111- 1lf1lltl'8l1ZlllL1 lZll1l1iS is al- w11ys 111-111 1111 1111- 111-i11 side. that is, 11ot allow- 1-1l 111 1't1Ill1' lll'llll'1ll, lllllll nfarly full or until just l11-1'111'1- 1111- llf'lll1'l1l1Z9tl liquor is wanted. 'I'h1- Vtllltllllllll is 111-11-r111i111-11 hy the use of meth- 1111111-rs 1111111111 from HlJSO1'lV'l1l i11 1ll1'lllYl0I'2lllgQ solution 91111 11111-r11t111' 1li11s 21 stick down into j'lHl'1l1l2l' 11-st 1111111-1' Ft1Zllil'Il 1l1'i1-11 1. 'l'l11- 1111- llfllllll Slllll 1111111-1' Illltl 1-1111 11-11 just when to 111111 lnorr- 111-i11. 111'1111s Il 11ro11 on 11 pieve of tl11'- .lllSl l11-1'111'1- l1l'llll'1lllZllli1 ll t1111k full. ztir is use-11 i11 illl' tllSll'll1llll1l' 111 11git11t1- and stil' 1.113 1111' wl111l1- tlllllllillj' 1llSll1'lll1l itll even 111-utrf1liz11tio11. liy 2llljllS1lllt'll1 ol' 1111- valve when the neutrali-

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THE INTEGRAL PAGE 9 STEAM BOILERS By M. Browerman, Nl. E. '22 A steam boiler, although sometimes called the heart of the plant, is really a dull machine to the average man. If one were to visit a large power plant, he would probably be first shown the Corliss engine with its trim lines or the turbine of seemingly simpler construction. Alt first thought the uninitiated layman might think that he had seen the best part of the plant. The wise man, however, would know that there was another power behind this great machine and he would ask to be shown into the boiler room. Here he would find a long line of boilers quivering with the energy con- fined within them and great fires roaring un- derneath. In days when steam pressure did not exceed a few pounds per square inch. certain methods of construction we1'e allowable, but at the present time when steam pressures are often carried as high as from 100 to 250 pounds per square inch, the strictest attention must be paid to every detail of design and construction. Safety is the most important requirement of a steam boiler, in so far as danger from ex- plosion is concerned. If the energy of a large shell boiler under pressure is considered, the thought of the destruction possible in the r lst- of an explosion would impress one with fear. The late Dr. Robert H. Thurston, Dean ot' Sibley College. Cornell University, and past president of the American Society of Mechanical En- gineers. estimated that there is sufficient energy Sl0I'0d in a plain cylinder boiler under 100 pounds steam pressure to project it to a height of over 2212 miles. Boiler Horsepower The term boiler horsepower is l'lliSi9Htlilt'1, in that a boiler does not develop power but simply acts as a means for absorbing li-at energy in one place and transferring it to tht engine or turbine, depending upon what hind of a prime mover the plant possessed. When the original boiler horsepower unit was selen t- ed a one horsepower boiler would supply a one horsepower engine. The increase in tht economy of the engine, has changed the ratio until now a 100 horsepower boiler will supply an engine of T5 to 300 engine horsepower. Any modern boiler will run continuously at from 150 to 200 per cent. over its rating and for short periods 400 and even 500 per cent. having been reached. Thus the term has loft much of its significance. Boiler l:l'llllil'l'llll'IltS In designing a steam boiler there are many considerations that must be kept in mind. Among the most important are strength, dur- ability, capacity to furnish the required amount of steam. convenience for cleaning, repairing and inspection. simplicity in detail, and economy both in running and first cost. General Requirements I. Workmanship. Boilers should be built by expert workmen. The material and con- struction of every boiler should conform with the rules and regulations issued by the highest authorities. Il. Sufficient area of grate to burn the re- quired amount of fuel. This item is import- ant in determining the capacity of a boiler, al- though related indirectly to its efficiency. III. Combustion chamber and flue area large enough to completely burn and carry off the products of combustion. Formerly certain proportions of the grate surface were allowed for the cross-sectional area through or around tubes. but the results were only accidentally correct. XVith proper ope1'ation, the kind and weight of coal to be burned per hour deter- mines within reasonable limits the weight of gas produced per hour. The volume of gas de- pends upon its temperature. and the rate of decrease of temperature from furnace to stack has been determined by experiment for cer- tain boilers. The velocity of this gas depends upon the draft and upon frictional resistance. all of which can be valuated with fair accuracy. The volume and velocity being known, the cross-sectional arfa necessary for gas passage can be calculated. IV. Steadiness of XVater Level and Circula- tion. XVater will be carried off with the steam from inadequate liverating surface and occurs. consequently. in many vertical boilers having the water level below ithe tops of the tubes. Drums should not be too small or else slight var- iations ot' water level may carry it rapidly below the danger line. Good circulation is ima portant. It reduces stresses arising from dif- ferences in temperature, discourages the ac-A Continued on page 50

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THE INTEGRAL zation point is reached the operator shuts off the valve and makes several tests of the liquid to get it exactly neutral. A neutralized solu- tion being called right when .5 c.c. of solution of N-10 HSSOI acidifies 100 c.c. of the liquid. VVhen right it is pumped to the crystallizini house storage tanks. These are about 5x6 feet anl three or four in number. In neutralizi- iug, the temperature is not allowed to run up over 125 degrees F., as some of the gas will then pass thru and be lost. Strong acids greatly raise the temperature. also retarding speed of operation thereby a disadvantage to use strong acid. Each tank is conneoted to a tower, which is constructed of sewer tile about 2 feet in dia- meter and reaches the full height of the build- ing. These towers are filled with small cylin- der shaped, earthenware hafflers about 4x4- inches in size. A small stream of water is let run in at the top and a putsometer used as fl pump keeps up a circulation running in at the top and being fed from the bottom of the tower. This water is kept acid to catch any ammonia fumes which might escape from the tanks. The overflow from the bottom of the tower goes into the tank. A steam jet at the top of the tower produces a suction thru the tower thus carrying all fumes from the tanks thru it. Also the acid storage and scale pots are connected together by means of glass tubing and the end connected at the bottom of the tower. This catches and draws all the HNO3 fumes thru the tower acidifying the water an dsaving loss of nitric acid. The l'i-ystallizing Department The ammonium nitrate liquid is stored in steel tanks above the evaporating pans, thus they are filled by gravity. These pans are about 9x4x3 feet in size, made of cast iron and fitted with 9 4-inch pipes running lengthwise as a steam coil. Two air pipes with holes drilled thru make agitators which make evaporation more rapid. Each of these pans hold about -1.500 pounds of the liquid. Four pans are used Evaporation takes about two to three hours, having steam pressure of 115 pounds. To make ammonium nitrate having large crystal line form the temperature is raised to about 300 degrees F. For a fine product similiar to flour the temperature is raised to from 265 to 270 degrees F. Of course this is crystallizing temperature. To get this an iron ladle full of liquid is taken from the pan and stirred with the thermometer until it crystallizes. A cer- PAGE ll tain temperature will be noted when it will holrl a certain degree for a short period of time. This is the crystallizing temperature. Another point to be considered is the acidity. Due to the high temperature in evaporation the liquid turns slightly acid. This is tested by taking a small portion of liquid and with methylorange as an indicator neutralize with N-10 NaOH. If found too acid a few pounds' of Na2COf! is thrown into the pan and after it few minutes again tested. A skilled operator gets within .02 acidity on the product. From the evaporating pans the liquor is drawn by gravity into the crystallizing house and crystallizing kettles. These kettles arf,- made of cast iron. round in shape, 5 feet in diameter and about 18 inches in depth. Each is moulded with a water jacket around them to cool the ammonium nitrate liquld, and U.1l'll ing out the d1'y crystalline form of ammonium ntrate. Two plows scrape the bottom and sides and revolve around keeping the ammonium nitrate stirred up until dry. The finished Dro- duct is taken out at a temperature around 160 degrees F. The machinery necessary to oper- ate the revolving plcws for three kettles takes about a 30 H. P. motor. A batch of about 1,500 pounds is dropped into each kettle. Time for cooling takes about one and one half hours. lt is then shoveled out into barrels. Samples and Ilccortls In order to keep an accura.te l'E'COI'd of the operation and to be able to calculate the yield, it is necessary to take samples of the material used. The acid samples are taken in glass stoppered bottles, and the ammonium nitrate samples are taken in small corked bottles, There is a sample taken for every scale pot of acid used, one for each scale tank of am- monia put into the stills and one of the resi- due after distillation. A sample of the neutra- lized liquid just before leaving the neutraliz- ing house is also taken. In the crystallizing house a sample from each kettle full of the product is taken. All samples are labeled, numbered and dated. The samples are all taken to the laboratory for analysis. The acid and ammonia are run for per cent strength as this is par of the basis for calculating the yield. The finished product is run for acidity. chlo- rids, sulphates. moisture and purity. A record of the operation is kept at all times. Com- plete data as to the performance of the func- Continued on page 50