US1181431A - Manufacture of gas. - Google Patents

Description

I. BUEB. MANUFACTUVRf-OF GAS. APPucmoN FILED Aue.29, 191s.,

Patented May 2, 1916.

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MNUFACTURE F GAS,

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Application filed August 29, 19H5.V

To all whom if may concern Be it known that I, JULiIs Bunn, a sub. ject oi the Emperor ol' Germany. and a resident of Dessau, Germany. have invented certain new and useful improvements in die lilanul'acture of (las. ot' which the YFollowing is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to certain improvements in the ait ot' vmaking `as and it rei'ers particularly to an imiiroved method of distillinc coal in a vertical retort oven for the production ot gas, v

ln my llnited `States Patent No. 904,043 as well as in a pending application tiled by nie under Serial No. 770,324. on June 28th. i913; l have described a method oi makingr gas by the distillation of coal in a vertical retort oven 'whereby great advantages in the toa-'na ot superior gas as well as of tar were obtained.

la the present invention l describe certain details which play an important part in obtaining a considerably higher etliciency oi the gas making process, the said details referring chiefly to the loss of gases, under certain conditions.

ln the practice ot' my methods of runningthe distillation of coal in the vertical retoi'ts described in U. S. Patent No. 904.043 and application for ll. S. Letters Patent filed on .lune lSth, 1913, under lSerial No. 776.324, l have observed that the pressure within the `gas retort varies greatly according to the origin oic the coal and that it son'ietimes rises so high that immediate measures ha re to be taken to reduce the pressure oi the gras, as the latter escapes through the otherwise suttieiently tight closures at the lower end ot the retort. This escaping` gras ot' course reduces the yield and also a great aman/ance, and l have finally-suc reeded in avoidiirer this after having;` tried various means. 4 v

.For the better understaiuline` oi my invention l give the F-:iilowing details: lu distillinkg,` coal o'l various origins according to my method described in the above patent and applicatioi'i, l have observed that, within the retort, considerable pressure is created in the first period while the distillingV ott' of the volatile matter is going on. VUndoubtedly this phenomenon has its cause iii an unusually greater development oi' volatile gases and tar; the pressure rises in about two hours after the beginning of the distillation to more than 400 mni. Owing to the Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented llllay 2, serial No. arreso.

high pressure it is quite natural that gas escapes through the closures at the lower end ot the vertical retor i, causing losses and great annoyance. I have now made the observation that this unpleasant occurrence may be avoided ii' one adinits steam from below into the retorts as soon as the gas pressure exceeds the usual height and it is rather surprising to see that the pressure is immediately reduced to its normal height and that the escape of smoke is stopped.

T he drawing is a vertical longitudinal Gilt section of a 'vertical retort, parts being' broken away` similar to those shown and described in my Patent No. $041,043 as well as in my copending application Serial Nrn 776,324, certain parts being modified as hereinafter set forth.

ln the drawing c indicates the retort made oic any suitable material as set forth in my prior patent and application referred to. The space ot' gasification foi'iiied in each retort is provided at the top with a `gas dis charge b and a turnahle cover c and at the bottom with a horizontal. shutter a' or similar device.

is an annular ring fastened to the bottom ot' retort a. hy means of ange ,fand carrying shutter Z on flange g.

is a convenient-ly shaped filling piece of iireproo't material or the like, so as to keep the lowerniost layer of coal on a level with the top sui-tace of the bottom of the retort and. thereby to insure a complete gasification ot the coal. i

z'. i' indicate upwardly opening channels in filling` piece ,t and j indicates a steam pipe adapted to discharge through the wall of rinzg` c into the channels i', z' of illing piece 7L.

1t will be observed that. in order to prac tice my invention as set forth, l introduce steam as already pointed out above, during,Y the ery first stagel ot' the cokiug: process and only lor a short time through pipe j into the. bottoni of theu'etort a short dis tange from its lower closure. thus enabling ine to avoid the existence ot' a pressure higher than the usual one within the retort.

l am well aware that in the prior art steam has been introduced into the coltingl retorts to obtain sii-called water gas as an -are valuable constituents prevailing` and this pressure as soon as the chemical reaction between the The purpose of the introduction of steam has always been to take advantage of the great heat in order to effect achemieal reaction between the highly incandescent coke and the water7 resulting in the generation of hydrogen and carbon monoxid gas which of gas for industrial as well as for domestic purposes. But the difference between my invention and the intrfnluction ot' steam for the generation ot hydrogen and carbon monoxid is great and important. In the latter manipulation the steam is added in the final stage of the coking process when a certain pressure is naturally rises incandescent colte and steam takes place owing to the high temperature ot' the coke.

In the present invention the conditions are greatly ditl'erent. for at the time I introduce the steam into the retort the coal is in the primary stage of coking and its condition as to temperature etc.. is far away trom that permitting the generation of water gas. A further principal difference lies 'in the fact that in the present invention an enormously high pressure already exists and the introduction ot' steam into the retort serves to allay the pressure and to reduce it to its normal height.

What I claim is:

1. In the distillation of coal rich in volatile matter, the method of avoiding loss of gas in the primary stage of the distillation consisting in reducing the high pressure to the normal degree by introducing steam into the retort in said primary stage for a short time only under conditions preventing an increase of gas Volume from decomposition of the steam.

In the distillation of coalrich in vola tile matter, the method of avoiding loss of gas in the primary stage of the distillation consisting in reducing the high pressure to the normal degree by introducing steam into the lower part of the retort in said primary stage for a short time only under conditions preventing an increase of gas volume from decomposition of the steam.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two sub seribing witnesses.

JULIUS BUEB. Witnesses:

WILHELM v. DiE'iERICH, FRANZ FmEEL.

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