The Condenser

—The condenser, represented in fig. 482. , consists of a square chest, g , made of wrought iron plates open at top, but having its bottom pierced with a row of holes, to receive a series of tubes. To these holes the upright four-inch tubes h h are secured by flanges and screws, and they are connected in pairs at top by the curved or saddle tubes. The said bottom forms the cover of the chest t , t , which is divided by vertical iron partitions, into half as many compartments as there are tubes. These partition plates are left open at bottom, so as to place the liquids of each compartment in communication. Thereby the gas pa es up and down the series of tubes, in proceeding from one compartment to another. The condensed liquids descend into the box t , t , and flow over into the tar cistern, when they rise above the level t , t . The tar may be drawn off from time to time by the stopcock. Through the tube k , cold water flows into the condenser chest, and the warm water pa es away by a pipe at its upper edge. The extent of surface which the gas requires for its refrigeration before it is admitted into the washing-lime apparatus, depends upon the temperature of the milk of lime, and the quantity of gas generated in a certain time. It may be a umed as a determination sufficiently exact, that 10 square feet of surface of the condenser can cool a cubic foot of gas per minute to the temperature of the cooling water. For example, suppose a furnace or arch with 5 retorts of 150 pounds of coal each, to produce in 5 hours 3000 cubic feet of gas, or 10 cubic feet per minute, there would be required, for the cooling surface of the condenser, 100 square feet = 10 × 10. Suppose 100,000 cubic feet of gas to be produced in 24 hours, for which 8 or 9 such arches must be employed, the condensing surface must contain from 800 to 900 square feet.