US108302A - Improvement in apparatus for generating gas for heating - Google Patents

Description

duidt (glatte @stent @elitist Letters Patent No. 108,302, dated October 11, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR GENERATINGGAS FOR HEATING.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVI STEVENS, of Washington, in the count-y oi' Washington and District of Columbia, have invented certain Improvements in Apparatus for Generating Gas for Heating,of which the `following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing.

My invention relates to the generation of a gas for heating purposes, composed of hydrocarbon -vapor and steam combined und fr heat and pressure, as secured to me by Letters Patent -dated February 22, 1870; and n The present invention consists ot' an improved apparatus for generating said gas, thc special points of novelty in this invention heilig- First, a tube conveying the oil, located within a tubeV conveying steam, for vaporizing the hydrocarbon, super-heating the steam, and preventing the Formation of carbon within the vaporizer. t

Second, the combination and arrangement, within the iire-charnber, of the generating-tubes, and a close receiver for mixing the vapors under heat and pressure.

Third, thefeomhiuation, with said receiver, of a` tube and valve for regulating the flow oi' the combined gas to the generating burner.

Fourth, a. novel construct-ion ofthe burner for genverating the gas.

, Fifth, an annular water-cintmber surroiuiding the grate; and finally The apparatus as a whole, connected to an oil-tank in asnitahlemanner, all ns hereinafter more fully explained.

Figure l is a transverse vertical section ot' tue ap pratns on the line x'aj of fig. 2.

, Figure 2 is av horizontal section on the line y y of aThe present invention is intended to utilize the combustible qualities of petroleum, or similar hydrocarbone, for heating purposes, and to do so by tirst vaporiaiug the hydrocarbon, and by mixing this vapor with steam orY hydro-oxygen in a close chamber, under heat and pressure, and thereby tol produce an inflammable gas composed ofthese two vapors. united and converted into one.

Hitherto, the greatest obstacle to the use of h vdroearbons as liquid fuel has been the fact, that carboni- 4 zation occurs iu the `pipes., furnaces, and other parts,

wherever there sapplied to the hydrocarbon a sufficient degree of hea-t to produce-combustion, and thus ll'l short time the pipes or parts become so lled or coated with the carbon thus deposited as to render the apparatus useless.

To avoid this ditlicnlty, and at the same time produce a convenient apparatus for generating an infiammable gas, by the union of steam and hydrocarbonvapors, and in which the generation of the gas may -be carried on .by using a iportion ofthe gas itself as a fuel for that purpose, is the object of my present invention.

Lhc apparatus consists of a tubular boiler, B, the outershell or casing of which extends down below the body of the boiler far enough to form a chamber er furnace for the reception of the vaporizing-tnbes,

and the receiving or mixing-vessel or chamber E, asl shown in tig. 1, there being f larger receiver or chan1' ber,D, connected with the mixing-chamber E, and extending up through the center oi' the boiler B into the smoke-chamber or dome C, a pipe, I, leading from this receiver D to convey the gasI to the point tom, I locate a grate, consisting of a metal plate having a series of short vertical tubes, e, or Aair-passages, und with two vertical annular flanges around its outer edge, said anges being arranged conceptric a short distance apart, thus leaving between them an annular chamber or space, Z, as represent-ed in figs. 1 and 2.

This circular grate, within the inner flange, is to be filled with broken.pumice-stone, brook-gravel, or any material that shall produce a mass having a great number of cavities or spaces for the passage of air and gases through it.

From the center of` this grate G rises a tube, R, upon which is supported the mixing-chamber E, as shown in tig. 1.

Attached to and projecting radially from the sides of this tube R, near its base, is a dedectingplatem, the object of which will be hereinafter explained.

I then provide an oil-tank, O, to be located at any desired point, and connect it to the boiler B by a pipe, f

l1', as represented in iig. 1, this pipe serving to admit steam from the boiler into the top. of the oil-tank.

Another' steam-pipe, b, connects with the pipe 11',

-or directly with the boiler, and from thence passes down to the top of the fire-chamber, where it is met by a smaller pipe, c, leading from the lower portion of the oil-tank, this latter or oil-pipe c entering through the side of the former or steanrpipe b, as representedshortdistance above the bottom, within the tank 0 as representedin iig. 1,`tne object being to leave a f tank'to the grate, as shown.

lAll of these pipes, as well as the pipe I, are to be 'provided with' stop-cocks in the usual inauuer, by which thetlow ofthe oil. steam, water, -and gas .may be regulated 'at will.

. Hthin the mixing-chamber E, l placeI a vertical tube, j, which has a valve,'g,vattaehed to astem within the tube, and which stem extends down b cl'ow Y the bottom ot the grate, where it is 'connected toa lever, 1 1, as represented in fig'. 1, so that by opcratinpr tlxislever, the valve l/ may be closed or opened at pleasure.

Tilo apparatus being tuus constructed, the operation is as follows:V y

A small tire is kiudlcdl in the tire-chamber, and in. a few moments the, iva te r and oil,which has been previously depositedv inv the pipes 'c and b by a condensation of the 'apors previously formed therein,- supposing the apparatus to have been in use, willbccome vaporizedgain, together with what there, may .be in the mixing-chamber, and as soon as this vapor or gas is thus produced, the valve y may be opened,

I `when the gas will pass down the tnbef, and .flowing .ontthroughf orifices in the sides of the tubes `,"and R, will be deflected by the flange or plate m, aml, passing outward among the mass ot' pumice-stone on the grate, will become mixed .with--intlowing currents ot' air, which Aenter through the air-passages c olthe.

grate," the whole iguiting and burning in :ts-heet ol llame, over the surface ot' the. material on th'e grate, .and thus heat-iin.: the coil and the water in the'hoiler above.A

lIn this way-steam may be raised very quickly in the boiler, and the moment that is done,the cooks a're opened, the steam let 'into the oil-tz'tnlc, and both steam and oil let into the coil. t

As theoil tlows along the inncrpipe e, it. is surrounded by .the steam in the outer pipe b, by which mea-ns it is vaporized by the time it reaches the mixing-chamber E. .'lhe oil-vapor and the steam thus both enter the'mixing-clnunher togel ber, and'are there. Vcombined under a pressure equal to that ofthe. holler, and a heat equal to -lhat ot' the't'urnace.

As the hydrocarbon in the pipe c cannot he raised above the hcatpot' th steam which snrrountlsfit, no carboncun be termed or depositcdl in the tube c, and as the-vapor cannot be. carlmnized,more especially when. combined withsteain, it is obvious that no carbon can be deposited in Vthe mixing-chamber, or at.

any other poinae'cept where thegas is consumed.

'ried and the principle of' operation still As the hydrocarooll-vapor and the steam or hydrol great variety ot purposes in nthe arts, suth as heating boilers," blastflm'naccs, and all similar uses.

'lhis gas, as it is thus produced in the mixingchamber E, flows into the receiver D,whero it is still Vheld under the same pressure and heat, and from the receiver it is conveyedby the pipe I to any point desired, where it is t he burned for heatproducing purposes.v l A very small proportion ol the gas generated-will be suticienl; to keep up the tire ip the generating-furnace, and this supply can b e 4regulated by thelever h.

operating the valve y, theamount of air being regulated by avalve or door, r, in the base.

.lhe drip watel from the tank 0 will carry with it a small quantity ot' oil, which will rise to theurface where it will be'utilized, andiu the. grate-chambce will serve to assist in starting the tire.` .ltvv is obvious that many ot' the'details may be vabe retained.

Having thus described my invention,

what 1 claim isf l. lhe, arrangement ot' a, pipe conveying hydrocarbon within `a pipe-conveying steam, the outer pipe,

being subjected to hea't, so that while the steam vaporizes thel hydrocarbon, the steam itself` issuperheated prepaiatoryto the :ulmixture'ot the two vapors lo l'orin'a muv-gas, 'substantially as described.

L. The. combination ot' the compound vaporizing and superheating-coil with the chamber. E, for receiving.: and mixing,r the. steam and hydrocarbon-viipor uithin *the liunace, substantially as described.

3. 'lhc 'emnbiuatiou ot' the. mixing-ehamberE with its tube. fand valve y, arranged to operato substantially' as describcd.-

4. The burner, consisting of the glatt: (i, perforated tube di, and detlet-tor in, arranged substantially as set 5. The grate. i, provided with thc annular waterchamber l, substantially as described. I

(L :gas-generatinghapparatus, consisting. ol` a steam-boiler, Ji, with a nrc-elnunbcr having amperizing-coil,'a 'mixing-chandler, and burner locattd therein, and an oil-tank connected thereto by pipes, substentiallv as and tint ,the purpose set forth.

Levi s'rovENs..

Witnesses.:

`W. C. D. onee,

PHIL. .T. Dones.

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