US1168227A

US1168227A - Method and means for indicating suspended matter in gases.

Info

Publication number: US1168227A
Application number: US74509213A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walter A Schmidt
Original assignee: International Precipitation Co
Current assignee: International Precipitation Co
Priority date: 1913-01-30
Filing date: 1913-01-30
Publication date: 1916-01-11
Anticipated expiration: 1933-01-11

Description

W. A. SCHMIDT.

METHOD AND MEANS FOR lNDiCATING SUSPENDED MATTER iN GASES. APPLICATION men mnjau. 1913.

1,168,227,, Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

WITNESSES INVENTOR 010% (2.5M W7 W M O/1M1? 1L ATTO RN EY WALTER A..SCH1VIIDT, 01 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOE T0 INTERNATIONAL PRECIPITATION COMPANY, OF L05 ANGELES,

CALIFORNIA.

METHOD AND MEANS FOR INDICATI NG' SUSPENDED MATT IN GA$ES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER A. SCHMIDT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Method and Means for Indicating Suspended Matter in Gases, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates tomeans for indicating the presence and amount of smoke, fumes, dust, mist, or other suspended matter in gases.

The invention is particularly applicable in connection with stacks or waste fines of furnaces and kilns, and the main object of the invention is to provide for indicating the amount of smoke or suspended matter in the gases passin in such stacks or flues.

I have discovere that an electrical discharge into air or gas is diminished or choked when suspended particles are brought into the path of the discharge, the choklng effect increasing with the amount of suspended matter present. My invention is based on this discovery and consists essentially in means for passing an electrical discharge into or through the gas to be tested, and means for indicating the quantity or energy of the discharge.

The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of my invention, and referring thereto: Figure 1 is an elevation of a stack, partly broken away, showing the application of my invention thereto, the circuit connections being shown diagrammatically. Fig. 2 1s a vertical section of the set of electrodes for the indicator. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of another .form of the electrodes. Figs. 4 and 5 are elevations of other forms of the electrodes. Fig. 6 is a diagram of another form of the invention.

In Fig. 1, I have illustrated the application of my invention to a stack, chimney or flue, indicated at 1, for carrying o the waste gases from a furnace or kiln. Electrodes 2 and 3 are provided in the stack or flue, or near the outlet thereof, in such position that a part or all of the gas passing through the stack or flue is conducted be tween the electrodes. One, at least of such electrodes should be of a character to promote silent discharge of electricity therefrom through or into the gas. For this purpose, the electrode 2 may consist of a pointed rod Specification of Letters Patent.

' the discharge Patented Jan. 11, 19116.

Application filed January 30, 1913. Serial No. 745,082.

or wire, as shown in Fig. 2, the other electrode, 3, being in the form of a plate or sheet of conducting material. Electrodes 2 and 3 are connected to any suitable means for producing high tension electrical discharge from the electrode 2. Such means may consist of a step-up transformer 5, whose primary winding is connected to the wires 6 and 7 of an alternating current supply circuit, and whose secondary winding is connected to the wires 8 and 9, leadingS to the respective electrodes 2 and 3.

uitable means are provided for measuring or indicating the magnitude of the discharge, foi example, a millimeter 10 may be included in the energizing circuit .for the transformer 55, to show the current being used in the apparatus, or a wattmeter 11 may be connected to this circuit to measure the energy consumed. By reading either or both of these instruments, an estimate may be made of the magnitude of the discharge. These instruments may be placed in the furnace room, office, or other location where information is desired as to the condition of the gases escaping through the stack or flue.

The operation of this embodiment of my invention, is as follows: Alternating current is supplied through the circuit 6, 7, to the transformer 5, causing a high tension alternating current to be produced in the secondary of said transformer, this current being delivered to the electrodes 2 and 3. 'If there is substantially no dust or other suspended matter in the gas between the electrodes, there will be a certain amount of discharge or passage of electricity from the electrodes into or through the gas between or adjacent to the electrodes, the amount of being dependent on the temperature of the gas, and the size and configuration of the .electrode system. If now, dust or other suspended matter is introduced into the gas between the electrodes, the condition of the gas being otherwise unchanged, the suspended particles adjacent to the discharging electrode become charged similarly to that electrode, thereby reducing the potential gradient in the field adjacent to said electrode and correspondingly reducing or choking the discharge, the discharge being eventually reduced by an amount depending on the amount of suspended matter present,

CALIFORNIA, A. CORPORATION OF charges on the suspended particles by successive impulses, but by' using instruments 10 or 11 of sufficient sensitiveness, the differential effect due to charging action may be indicated with sufiicient distinctness for the purpose of this invention. By using low frequency alternating current, the charging action and the resultant indication on the testin instrument may be increased. In case the alternating current used is of such high frequency that a satisfactory indication is not obtained, a rectifier may be included in the circuit of the electrodes, as shown at 13 in Fig. 6. I prefer, however, to dispense with the rectifier when possible,

for the sake of simplicity, and ease, and

economy of installation and operation of the apparatus. s

In carrying out this invention it is essential, in order to pro uce the stated results, that the potential difierence applied to the electrodes should be sufficient to produce a silent discharge," but not sufficient to produce a disruptive discharge or sparking, in any material amount, between the electrodes, the operation as described depending on the variation of the silent discharge by reason of the presence of suspended matter. Instead of a pointed electrode, a wire electrode may be used for the discharging side, as indicated at 12 in Fig. 3, or anyother suitable form of electrode may be used. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, both of the electrodes may be adapted to produce or promote discharge, the electrodes being both pointed as at 2 in Fig. 4, or both formed of wire, as at 12,- in Fig. 5. With such an arrangement the action above described takes place at each electrode.

What I claim is: 1. Means for indicating the amount of incest} comprising electrodes,

for directing a current of gas between theelectrodes, a high tension electric circuit connected to said electrodes and provided with means for applying high potential difference to said electrodes to produce silent discharge into the gas between the electrodes, and current indicating means responsive to the current in said high tension circuit, due to said silent discharge.

2. Means for indicating the amount of suspended matter in gases, comprising electrodes, means for directing a current of gas between the electrodes, a high tension alternating current circuit connected to said electrodes to produce a silent discharge therebetween, a transformer having its secondary connected to said high tension circuit, an alternating current supply circuit connected to the primary of said transformer, and a current indicating means in said supply circuit to indicate the amount of silent discharge between the electrodes.

3. The method of indicating the amount of suspended matter in gases, which consists 1n causing acurrent of such gases to pass between electrodes maintained at a high potential difierence, suflicient to produce silent discha ge into the gas but not sufficient to produce disruptive discharge in material amount between the electrodes, and measuring the amount of such discharge.

. 4. The method of indicating the amount of suspended matter in gases, which consists in causing the gas to pass between electrodes, applying to said electrodes high tension alternating electric potential difference, suflicient to cause silent discharge into the gas between the electrodes, but not sutlicient to cause disruptive discharge in material amount between the electrodes, and measuring the amount of such silent discharge.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 24th day .of January, 1913.

. WVALTER A. SCHMIDT.

In presence of 1 F. M. MOSHER, WM. N. DREW.