Process and apparatus for the recovery of sulphur from hydrogen sulphide

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR RECOVERY OF SULPHUR FROM GASES COMPRISING A PRIMARY REACTION STAGE COMPOSED OF AN UPPER BURNING CHAMBER PORTION HAVING MEANS FOR INTRODUCING H2S CONTAINING GAS AND AIR FOR COMBUSTION THEREIN, AND A LOWER CONTACT CHAMBER FILLED WITH PACKING FOR OFF-FLOW OF THE BURNING GASES FROM THE H2S BURNING CHAMBER PORTION, A SECONDARY REACTION STAGE COMPOSED OF AN UPPER CATALYST CHAMBER FILLED WITH CATALYTIC MATERIAL AND A COOLING CHAMBER BELOW THE SAME FOR OFF-FLOW OF GASES FROM THE CATALYTIC CHAMBER, AND A COOLER COMMUNICABLY CONNECTING THE CONTACT CHAMBER AND THE CATALYTIC CHAMBER FOR COOLING THE GASES FROM THE CONTACT CHAMBER OF THE PRIMARY STAGE, BEFORE THEY PASS TO THE CATALYSTIC CHAMBER OF THE SECONDARY STAGE, THE COMBINATION OF A FURTHER COOLING CHAMBER BELOW THE AFORESAID COOLING CHAMBER IN THE SECONDARY STAGE WITH RADICAL U-SHAPED METAL PIPES EXTENDING CROSSWISE INTO THE COOLING CHAMBER OF THE SECONDARY REACTION STAGE FROM ITS PERIMETER FOR COOLING THE REACTION GAS IN FLOW THERETHROUGH, THE PIPES EXTENDING IN TO THE CENTRE OF THE COOLING CHAMBER OF THE SECONDARY STAGE, AND THE OUTER ENDS OF THE PIPES BEING CONNECTEDED OUTSIDE THE COOLING CHAMBER WITH MEANS FOR SUPPLYING THERETO AND WITHDRAWING THEREFROM COOLING AIR, MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING LIQUID SULPHUR OFF FROM BELOW SAID PIPES, AND MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING THE RESIDUAL GASES OFF FROM BELOW SAID PIPES BUT ABOVE THE MEANS FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE LIQUID SULPHUR.