Column has end caps held in place by springs; prefilled packs of absorbent can be exchanged quickly. Both ends of metal or plastic body tube of size which can hold adequate amount of absorbent are machined to provide seat for perforated plate and groove for its spring retainer ring

Mcewen, G. N., Jr.

Williams, B. A.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

Washer	 Ring	 Tube	 Plate 
.
July 1975	 B75-10142 
NASA TECH BRIEF 
Ames Research Center 
NASA Tech Briefs announce new technology derived from the U.S. space program. They are issued to encourage 
commercial application. Tech Briefs are available on a subscription basis from the National Technical Information 
Service, Springfield, Virginia 22151. Requests for individual copies or questions relating to the Tech Brief program may 
be directed to the Technology Utilization Office, NASA, Code KT, Washington, D.C. 20546. 
Quick-Change Absorption Column 
The problem: 
To design an absorption column that permits rapid 
replacement of packing; commercially available ab-
sorption columns must be detached, emptied, refilled, 
and reconnected. 
The solution: 
A demountable absorption column that has end 
caps held in place by springs; prefilled packs of ab-
sorbent can be exchanged quickly. 
How it's done: 
Both ends of a metal or plastic body tube of the 
size which can hold an adequate amount of absorbent 
are machined as shown in the diagram to provide a 
seat for a perforated plate and a groove for its spring 
retainer ring. The perforated plate and the retainer 
ring preferably are fabricated from stainless steel in 
order to be compatible with a wide variety of absor-
bent materials; 16 to 20 mesh stainless steel screens 
are adequate for small-diameter body tubes, but
thick, perforated plates must be used to support the 
heavier absorbent beds involved in large-diameter 
units. 
The end caps also are fabricated of corrosion re-
sistant metal or plastic with tubulations of a size 
suitable for connection to flexible tubing or hose. 
The caps are equipped with flat elastic washers that 
are pressed against the ends of a body tube by the 
two springs shown in the diagram; by proper adjust-
ment of spring tension, the elastic washers can be 
made to provide leak-free junctions at low pressures. 
The unit is readily disassembled, and a new pre-
filled tube can be inserted within a few seconds. 
Note: 
Requests for further information may be directed 
to:
Technology Utilization Officer 
Ames Research Center 
Moffett Field, California 94035 
Reference: TSP 75-10142 
Patent status: 
NASA has decided not to apply for a patent. 
Source: G. N. McEwen, Jr. 
National Research Council
and Bill A. Williams
Ames Research Center
(ARC-10952) 
.	 Category 03 
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National
	
Government assumes any liability resulting from the use of the 
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United States
	
information contained in this document, or warrants that such use 
Government nor any person acting on behalf of the United States
	
will be free from privately owned rights.
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Quick-change absorption column

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