Apparatus for use in the control of distillation

Claim 1

APPARATUS, SUITABLE FOR USE IN THE CONTROL ANDD MONITORING OF A CONTINUOUS DISTILLATION PROCESS, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A SAMPLE INTRODUCTION SYSTEM INCLUDING A CELL HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET, SAID CELL ALSO HAVING A WEIR DISCHARGE WITHIN SAID CELL WHEREBY A CONSTANT LEVEL OF FLUID MAY BE MAINTAINED WITHIN SAID CELL; A FIRST VALVE CONNECTED TO SAID INLET OF SAID CELL FOR CONTROLLING THE ADMISSION OF FLUID INTO SAID CELL, AND A SECOND VALVE CONNECTED TO SAID OUTLET OF SAID CELL FOR CONTROLLING THE DISCHARGE OF FLUID FROM SAID CELL; A DISTILLATION STILL HAVING A STILL HEAD; SAID STILL COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CELL THROUGH SAID SECOND VALVE, WHEREBY FLUID CONTENTS WITHIN SAID CELL PASS INTO SAID STILL WHEN SAID SECOND VALVE IS OPENED; A HEATER CONTIGUOUS TO SAID STILL FOR HEATING SAID STILL; SAID STILL HAVING ELECTRICAL SENSING MEANS FOR SENSING THE OVERHEAD TEMPERATURE IN SAID STILL AND ADAPTED TO PRODUCE A FIRST SIGNAL IN RESPONSE TO OVERHEAD TEMPERATURES; SAID ELECTRICAL SENSING MEANS INCLUDING A THERMOCOUPLE SET IN SAID STILL HEAD AND A TEMPERATURE RECORDER ELECTRICALLY COUPLED WITH SAID THERMOCOUPLE TO RECEIVE SAID FIRST SIGNAL; SAID STILL ALSO HAVING A DRAINAGE LIMB AND A THIRD VALVE THEREIN; A CONDENSER CONNECTED TO THE SAID STILL HEAD; A DISTILLATE RECEIVER CONNECTED TO SAID CONDENSER, SAID RECEIVER HAVING LIQUID LEVEL DETECTOR MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE VOLUME OF DISTILLATE COLLECTED IN SAID RECEIVER FOR PRODUCING A SECOND SIGNAL AS A FUNCTION OF THE LEVEL OF DISTILLATE IN SAID RECEIVER; SAID RECEIVER ALSO HAVING A DRAINAGE LIMN AND A FOURTH VALVE THEREIN; RELAY MEANS ELECTRICALLY COUPLED TO SAID LEVEL DETECTOR MEANS AND RESPONSIVE TO SAID SECOND SIGNAL, SAID RELAY MEANS INCLUDING A FIRST SWITCHING MEANS ELECTRICALLY COUPLED TO SAID HEATER FOR DEENERGIZING SAME UPON RECEIPT OF SAID SECOND SIGNAL FROM SAID LEVEL DETECTOR MEANS, AND A SECOND SWITCHING MEANS ELECTRICALLY COUPLED TO SAID THERMOCOUPLE AND ALSO RESPONSIVE TO SAID SECOND SIGNAL TO SWITCH OFF SAID THERMOCOUPLE.