EP0071671B1 - Acetylene gas reactor - Google Patents

Abstract

1. An acetylene-gas reactor, particularly for supplying a motor vehicle engine, comprising a calcium-carbide storage container (6), a reaction vessel with water supply device (10) and a sump (14) for the calcium-hydroxide sludge or lime dust produced, characterised in that disposed in vertical alignment under the carbide container (6) is a tubular guide of sievelike construction which is enclosed by the reaction vessel (1) and which is surrounded by an annular jet nozzle arrangement (10) for the supply of the water necessary for the reaction and discharge, via a funnel (13) disposed below the guide (8, 9) into a tubular sump (14) and that the reaction vessel (1) encloses the carbide container (6), the jet nozzle arrangement (10), the water storage tank (20) and the sump (14).

Description

The invention relates to an acetylene gas reactor which is also suitable for mobile use and preferably works with low pressure, in particular for feeding a motor vehicle engine, consisting of a calcium carbide storage container, a reaction vessel with a water supply device and a collecting container for the calcium hydroxide sludge or lime dust which is produced.

The acetylene gas developers which have hitherto become known are generally expensive because of their complicated structure and are very susceptible to faults, since the carbide granules have hitherto generally been passed through screw conveyors and the like under a sprinkler device. They are also generally only suitable for stationary, but not for mobile use. Especially if you want to use them to power a motor vehicle engine, they cannot work properly because of the vehicle vibrations that inevitably occur in motor vehicles and prevent the proper operation of screw conveyors and the like.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved acetylene gas reactor which does not have the aforementioned disadvantages, works without additional complicated and fault-prone conveying devices for the carbide granules and, because of its compact structure, is also suitable for retrofitting a motor vehicle designed for Otto engines.

The above object is achieved according to the invention in that a tubular sieve-shaped guide enclosed by the reaction vessel is arranged in a vertical orientation under the carbide container, which is surrounded by an annular jet nozzle arrangement for supplying the water required for the reaction and into a funnel arranged under the guide tubular collection container opens and that the reaction vessel encloses the carbide container, the jet nozzle arrangement, the water storage container and the collection container.

The components arranged one above the other in vertical alignment, i.e. The calcium carbide storage container located above, the sprinkling chamber underneath and the collecting container, which is arranged under the sprinkling chamber in a coaxial orientation, ensure a constant supply of the carbide granules and also a continuous removal of the hydroxide sludge after appropriate consumption.

If an acetylene reactor according to the invention is used in vehicles, the inevitable but now even advantageous driver vibrations in a motor vehicle also support proper conveyance. The coaxial arrangement also means that the reactor can be designed as a closed cylindrical unit, on the housing of which only connections have to be provided for filling in the carbide granules, for removing the generated gas, for filling up the water of reaction and for removing the hydroxide sludge.

According to a preferred feature of the invention, the jet nozzles are arranged in a ring around the carbide feed path of the reactor in such a way that they support the calcium carbide feed and contribute to self-cleaning of the feed path.

Further details and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, for example.

• Fig. 1 einen schematischen Vertikalschnitt durch einen erfindungsgemässen Niederdruck-Acetylengas-Reaktor und
• Fig. 2 einen Querschnitt gemäss der Schnittlinie 11-11 der Fig. 1.

The drawings show:

• Fig. 1 is a schematic vertical section through an inventive low-pressure acetylene gas reactor and
• 2 shows a cross section along the section line 11-11 of FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the reactor according to the invention is enclosed by a cylindrical housing 1. When the reactor is in operation, the housing 1 is set up in such a way that its cylinder axis is essentially vertical. The upper end face 2 of the housing 1 is recessed in a dome shape and has a filling opening 3 in its center, which can be closed gas-tight with a screw plug 4 and an interposed sealing washer 5. In the upper section of the housing 1 there is a basket-shaped insert which serves to hold the calcium carbide required for the reaction. When the sealing plug 4 is open, the dome-shaped countersunk end face 2 facilitates the filling process. In addition, the plug 4 cannot protrude beyond the cylindrical contour of the housing 1.

The insert 6 receiving the calcium carbide has a funnel-shaped base 7 which merges into a short pipe socket 8 in the middle part.

Connected to the pipe socket 8 is a cylindrical screen basket 9, which can consist of perforated sheet metal or of wire mesh. At the upper free end, the carbide granulate can enter the screen basket 9 and fill it up to the bottom of the screen basket, which is also designed as a screen.

The sieve basket 9 is surrounded by a nozzle arrangement 10 to be described below, with which the water required for the reaction can be sprayed against the walls of the sieve basket and against the calcium carbide contained in the sieve basket.

Below the insert there is a collecting container 11 in the housing 1, which surrounds the strainer basket 9 in its upper, cylindrical section 12 which is open at the top. A substantially conical section 13 adjoining section 12 merges in the central region into a further cylindrical section, the diameter of which essentially corresponds to the diameter of the strainer basket 9 and serves as a sludge collecting pipe 14 in a manner to be described below. The sludge collecting pipe 14 is sealingly connected to a central opening 15 in the lower end face 16 of the housing 1.

Similar to the upper end face 2, the lower end face 16 is also recessed in a dome shape and can be closed in the middle with a screw plug 17 and a sealing washer 18. The walls of the container are impermeable with off taking water outlet openings in the sludge collecting pipe 14 close to the transition to the conical section 13. These openings 19 are preferably relatively narrow slots which retain solid components but can allow the water to pass through.

The lower part of the housing 1 between the cylindrical side walls, the lower end face 16 and the sludge collecting pipe 14 below the openings 19 forms the actual water storage space 20. A gas-tight filler neck 21 is used to fill up the water storage space 20, which is preferably slightly above the in the housing 1 normally provided water level flows. Another connection piece 22, which crosses the side wall of the housing 1, serves to feed the aforementioned nozzle arrangement 10.

The nozzle arrangement 10 already mentioned consists of an annular tube 23 which surrounds the screen basket 9 concentrically. This ring pipe 23 is connected to a radial pipe 24, which also serves to secure the position of the ring pipe 23, with a connecting piece 25 in the side wall of the housing 1.

On the inner circumference of the ring tube 23 there are several spray nozzles distributed over the circumference, via which the water required on the ring tube can be fed in the direction of the strainer basket. The spray nozzles 26 are directed so that they can irradiate a large part of the walls of the screen basket 9 and the calcium carbide contained therein. However, at least some of the nozzles 26 are preferably directed such that they support the passage of the calcium carbide particles from the insert 6 to the sludge collecting pipe 14.

To supply the spray nozzles 26 of the ring pipe 23, a water pump 27 is used, which is switched on with pipes 28 and 29 between the connecting pieces 22 and 25. This pump 27 is preferably a pump that is driven electrically from the on-board battery.

Deviating from this, however, the gas pressure prevailing in the entire housing 1 can also be used to convey the water from the reservoir 20 to the ring tube 23 or to support the conveyance.

If a pump 27 is used, it is controlled by a sensor 30, which detects the gas pressure prevailing in the housing 1 via a connecting piece 31 and only switches on the pump 27 when a preset minimum pressure of, for example, 100 mb is not reached.

The sensor 30 thus forms the switch-on device for the pump 27, which is connected to the on-board battery via the sensor 30.

The developed acetylene gas is removed from the housing 1 via a gas outlet connection 32, which is connected via a pipeline 33 to a pressure reducing valve 34. The pressure reducing valve is adjustable in order to adjust the working pressure of the gas. A pipeline 35 leads from the pressure reducing valve 34 to the actual gas valve 36, which is connected to the mixer valve 38 via a pipeline 37. The mixer valve 38 receives the air required for combustion from an adjustable air valve 40 via a further pipeline 39. At the outlet connection 41 of the mixer valve, optimally combustible gas can be discharged with the help of the valves 36 and 40, with which the gas intake connection of the motor vehicle is then fed can.

• Nach Öffnen des Stopfens 4 in der oberen Stirnfläche 2 wird der Einsatz 6 mit Calciumcarbidgranulat gefüllt. Um Geruchsbelästigungen zu verhindern, können auch die einzelnen Partikel des CarbidgranLilates mit einer wasserlöslichen gasdichten Umhüllung versehen sein. Des weiteren wird über den Einfüllstutzen 21 in den Wasservorratsbehälter Wasser eingelassen, so dass sich ein Wasserstand ergibt, der bis geringfügig unter die Wasseraustrittsöffnungen 19 reicht.

The gas reactor according to the invention works as follows:

• After opening the stopper 4 in the upper end face 2, the insert 6 is filled with calcium carbide granules. To prevent unpleasant smells, the individual particles of the carbide granulate can also be provided with a water-soluble, gas-tight casing. Furthermore, water is let into the water reservoir via the filler neck 21, so that a water level results which extends slightly below the water outlet openings 19.

Due to the force of gravity, favored by the usual vehicle vibrations while driving, the calcium carbide of the insert 6 also fills the sieve basket 9, where the carbide particles can be supported on the sieve bottom. When the system has been cleaned and freed of sludge, the sludge collecting tube 14 inside the water storage container is empty and sealed at the bottom with the screw plug 17.

If the sensor 30 now detects that there is too little or even no gas pressure inside the housing 1, it actuates the pump 27, so that the water pumped out of the water reservoir 20 via the spray nozzles 26 of the ring tube 23 against the carbide granules in the sieve basket 9 is sprayed. As a result of this spraying, acetylene gas develops, which steadily increases the pressure in the housing until the sensor 30 responds again and switches off the pump 27 when a maximum pressure is reached. The pump 27 is only switched on again when the sensor 30 detects an insufficient gas pressure.

By spraying the calcium carbide particles in the sieve basket 9, these particles disintegrate and can, if smaller than the mesh opening of the sieve basket, fall out downwards.

This falling out is favored by the water flow. Due to the conical section 13, the water flowing through and the lime sludge and the carbide residues collect in the lower center of the housing 1, where they are taken up by the sludge collecting pipe 14. The water supplied in excess of the nozzle arrangement 10, which likewise coaxially enters the sludge collecting pipe 14, can be discharged at its upper end via the water outlet openings 19 and can again reach the water storage space 20.

The sludge collecting tube 14 is preferably dimensioned such that it can absorb the carbide residues from a complete filling of the insert 6. If the carbide supply is now used up and the sludge collecting pipe 14 is filled, 4 new calcium carbide granules can be filled in via the stopper and the carbide residues can be reduced Remove the opening of the screw plug 17 at the lower end of the housing 1. If the latter is lined with a cylindrical bag in the manner of vacuum cleaner bags after emptying the sludge collecting tube, the removal of the carbide residues is not only very easy, but also very clean.

The above description shows that the invention has created a compact and smooth-walled reactor which can be installed very easily, even retrospectively, in commercially available motor vehicles. Due to the continuous concentric design of the reactor, the components required for it are very easy to manufacture and assemble.

Claims (13)

1. An acetylene-gas reactor, particularly for supplying a motor vehicle engine, comprising a calcium-carbide storage container (6), a reaction vessel with water supply device (10) and a sump (14) for the calcium-hydroxide sludge or lime dust produced, characterised in that disposed in vertical alignment under the carbide container (6) is a tubular guide of sievelike construction which is enclosed by the reaction vessel (1) and which is surrounded by an annular jet nozzle arrangement (10) for the supply of the water necessary for the reaction and discharge, via a funnel (13) disposed below the guide (8, 9) into a tubular sump (14) and that the reaction vessel (1) encloses the carbide container (6), the jet nozzle arrangement (10), the water storage tank (20) and the sump (14).

2. A reactor as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that disposed in the lower portion of the reaction vessel (1) is a water storage tank (20) which surrounds the sump (14) annularly and is connected to the jet nozzle arrangement (10) via a pump (27).

3. A reactor as claimed in Claim 1 and 2, characterised in that the tubular sump (14) is provided with perforations, preferably narrow slits (19), for the passage of water, in its upper portion, preferably situated above the water level.

4. A reactor as claimed in Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the reaction vessel (1) is cylindrical and the parts enclosed by it are axially symmetrical in construction.

5. A reactor as claimed in Claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the supply of water to the jet nozzle arrangement (10) is conveyed and/or reinforced by the gas pressure present in the reaction vessel (1).

6. A reactor as claimed in Claims 1 to 5, characterised in that an annular pipe (23) with two or more jet nozzles (26) belongs to the jet nozzle arrangement (10).

7. A reactor as claimed in Claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the jetz nozzles (26) are directed towards the middle of the guide (8, 9) and towards the sump (14).

8. A reactor as claimed in Claims 1 to 7, characterised in that a regulating valve (30) is disposed in the pressure-water supply to the jet nozzles (26) and is controlled, depending on the gas pressure prevailing in the reaction vessel, in the sense of keeping this pressure constant.

9. A reactor as claimed in Claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the bottom of the sump (14) is provided with a plug (17) which is accessible from the outside.

10. A reactor as claimed in Claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the filling opening (3) of the carbide container (6) is disposed substantially flush in the upper end face of the reaction vessel (1

11. A reactor as claimed in Claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the collecting funnel (13) for the sump (14) extends substantially over the whole cross-section of the reaction vessel (1).

12. A reactor as claimed in Claims 1 to 11, characterised in that the tubular sump (14) is lined with a water-resistant, removable collecting cylinder.

13. A reactor as claimed in Claims 1 to 12, characterised in that the gas outlet (32) of the reaction vessel (1) is connected to a pressure reducing valve (34) and possibly to a gas buffer container.

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