US1191854A - Retort. - Google Patents

Description

c. w. TOZER] RETORT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15, 1915.

Patented July 18, 1916.

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nEroa'r.

To all whom it may concern! Be it known that I, CHARLES WILLIAM TozER, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Retorts for the Distillation, Carbonization, and the like of Coal and other Carbonaceous Materials, of which the following is a specification.

, This invention relates to that class of retort for the distillation, carbonization', and the like, of coal and other carbonaceous materials constructed with a ring of chambers around acentral axis each chamber being approximately the same size, as shown in my British Patent No. 20158 of 1909;. and, consists of an improved construction of such a retort whereby I can operate upon a larger quantity of carbonaceous material than is now the case, each layer of carbonaceous material being efficiently acted upon at one time to produce the desired result.

Retorts of the class mentioned are principally used in gas works, smokeless fuel and other works orelsewhere, where coal, wood, shale or any other carbonaceous substances are treated in the retorts under atmospheric or other pressure or in a vacuum or partial vacuum and at either a low or high temperature which may be between the limits of 300 centigrade to 1200 centigrade. These retorts are capable of being used in either a vertical, oblique or horizontal position and can be made of Various metals, refractory materials and substances.

According to my present invention, the retort is made with two or more rings of spaces concentrically or. eccentrically arranged with regard to each other and about a common axis, the spaces being formed from a. number of ribs and walls and all of approximately the same cross sectional area. By this means, I am enabled to carbonize a larger quantity of the material than hitherto with absolute uniformity. Hitherto, it has not been possible to carbonize or distil coal and other carbonaceous material in large quantities, to produce coke or fuel uniform in character, excepting at a very high temperature, and a long time period for carbonizing, and where it is attempted to carbonize at a comparatively low temperature, the fuelis not uniform in character,

and there is a large percentage of breeze or' fines owing to the outer layer being carbonized or over carbonized and the inner layer I Specification of Letters Patent.

being soft or only partially carbonized.

That is to say, the percentage of volatile matter increases from a minimum at the outer portion to a maximum at the inner portion or center. This variation .is' very detrimental to the success of a smokeless fuel, and my improvement not only produces 'One retort with twelve sections having com.-

bined a cross sectional area available for carbonization equivalent to a plain tube '25 inches in'diameter, and capable of holding Patented July 18, 1916. Application filed March 15, 1915. Serial No. 14,518.

about half a ton of coal will carbonize that quantity in one twentieth the time necessary when using the ordinary plain tube retort of the equivalent diameter.

The annexed sheet of drawings illustrate three examples of carryingmy invention into effect.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation and Fig. 2 a section on the line Y. Y. of Fig. 1 of a retort constructed with twelve spaces a and a central passage 6. Fig. 3 is a longition on the line Z. Z. of Fig. 3 of a retort constructed with twenty spaces a and a central passage 6 for heating gases, such central passage'being connected at near its top and bottom by passages c, d leading from outside the retort. Fig. 5 is a section of a re-. tort showing the divisions eccentricallv arranged around a passage 6.

As before stated, the spaces a are concenl trically or eccentrically arranged around the gas passage b and each space a in the re- 1, if it is assumed that the collective spaces at equal an area equivalent to a plain tube 25 inches in diameter the same willbe capable of treating about half a ton of material at onetime, while if the combined spaces a shown in Figs. 3 and 4 equal a superficial area in cross section of a plain tube 32 inches tudinal sectional elevation and Fig. 4 a see I in diameter such a retort is capable of treatmg about 16 cwts. of material at one time. The spaces a are formed by concentric or eccentric walls 6 and radial ribs f, and such walls e and ribs 7 are tapered or Tangled so that the spaces which reach from one end of the retort to the other are tapered with the larger part at one end of the retort, where by. an easy charging and discharging of the retort can take place.

Suitable doors are=provided at the ends of each retort so that the contents can be treated, under atmospheric or other pressure or in a vacuum or partial Vacuum as Wlll be well understood, and the process can be carried out continuously or intermittently.

Some of the ribs; preferably the two which run from the center to the outsideot the retort in the same plane,. may be provided with a passage way 0, d, at top and bottom of the retort (see Figs. 3 and 4) so as to admit the heating gases from the furnace to the central passage 6, in such case the heating 'of the contents of the retort is greatly assisted. In fact the time of heating the contents of a retort such as shownlin Figs. 3 and 4- can be done inone thirtieth of the time required to heat the same quantity of material in a plain tubular retort having the same capacity. What Iclaim is:' i

1. A retort of the class described comprisv ing a plurality of tubes arranged within each other about a common axis, and a plurality of ribs arranged to hold said tubes in nieneee a spaced relation to provide compartments which the material to be treated is placed, said retort being formed with'passages extending from the inner tube to the outside of the retort for providing a heat circulationthrough the latter, substantially as and for the purpose described. I

2. A, retort of the class described, comprising a plurality of tubes arranged within each other about a common axis, a plurality of ribs arranged to hold said tubes in spaced relation from each other, certain of said ribs being formed with passages extending from the inner tube to the outside of the retort, said retort being adapted to be charged at one end and discharged at the otherend described com-- my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses. v

CHARLES WILLIAM TQZER. I

Witnesses:

RICHARD Conn GARDNER. LYNWOOD AERDMAND GARDNER.

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