US1192729A - Gas-generator. - Google Patents

Description

D. D. BARNUM.

GAS GENERATOR.

APPLlCATlON FILED DEC. 20, 1913.

1 ,1 92,729. Patented July 25,1916.

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DANA I). BARNUM, F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO RITERCONLEY MANUFACTURING GOIVIIPAIINTZ', 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

GAS- GENERATOR.

Patented July 25, 1916.

Application filed December 20, 1913. Serial No. 807,904.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANA D. BARNUM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of lVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Gas- Generators, of which the following is a specification.

In the manufacture of retort gas, it is recognized that its quality varies during the distillation process. For example, the quality of the gas improves during the first hour and then it recedes in quality, until at the last period of the distillation process the gas becomes very much impoverished on ac count of the fact that the nitrogen increases very rapidly, and as is well known, the rapid increase of nitrogen is productive of lean or poor gas.

If the richer gas can be separated from the impoverished gas, it is obvious that a very high quality of gas might initially be maintained, and this gas could then be diluted to suit the conditions under which it is to be used.

One purpose of my invention is to provide means whereby the richer gas may be taken off and conveyed to mains or tanks in the usual manner for subsequent use.

A further purpose is to provide for the collection and removal of the impoverished gas which is suitable for industrial uses, as for example, for heating the reto-rts or to be used in boilers, gas engines, or the like.

I have provided means whereby a single retort or a plurality of retorts may be exhausted into either of two oil-take means, so that the richer and poorer gases may be separated and separately disposed of.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front view oi a plurality of retorts and the mains for taking oil the gas therefrom; Fig. 2 is an elevation of gas generating apparatus taken at right angles to Fig. 1, and illustrating a modification.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals of reference, 1 designates a stack or bench of retorts. The retorts are here shown as being arranged in groups of two parallel rows 2 and 3. The retorts in each row are arranged one above the other in substantially vertical alinement, and between the two rows of the group is a gas off-take means consisting of an interposed pipe l having connection with the retorts by means of the lateral conduits and 6. In each conduit is a valve, 5 and 6 respectively, the valves 5 being adapted to open or close communication between the retorts 2 and the cit-take means 4, and the valves 6 being adapted to open or close communication between the retorts 3 and the oft-take means a.

The oil-take means a is here illustrated as consisting of pipes or conduits communicating with a main 7 which may be connected to a suitable eXhauster in the usual manner, and said pipe a may be provided with valved outlets 4-. to discharge the condensate. The pipe 4 is adapted to receive the richer gases passing from the retorts, and between the groups of retorts or connected to the sides of the retorts opposite to the ports 5 and 6 are stand pipe gas off-take means 8 which are connected to a suitable main 9 corresponding to the main 7 but which may be in communication with a suitable source of distribution, whereby the gas from the stand pipes 8 and main 9 may be used for purposes other than the gas passing from the conduit 7.

The stand pipes 8 are, connected to the re torts 2 and 3 by means of lateral conduits 10 and 11. These conduits l0 and 11 are, respectively, provided with valves 10 and 11 corresponding to the valves 5 and 6, and are adapted to open or close communication between the retorts 2 and 3 and the stand pipes S. The oil'take pipes 4: are shown as approximately equidistant from the sides of the benches, while the stand pipes S are shown as located between two adjacent benches, and the pipes l are shown as of greater cross sectional area than pipes 8.

One reason for having the pipes at larger in diameter than the pipe 8 is that during the first period, say the first hour, of the distillation process, a considerably larger quantity of rich is distilled than during the later periods, and the relatively large pipes accommodate this copious flow.

I do not limit my invention, however, to pipes of different sizes nor to any specific location, although the construction shown in the drawings constitutes a convenient and efficient arrangement of apparatus embodying the same.

As will be seen, the mouth piece ofiitake of a retort is provided with a plurality of lateral otltake connections, these connections leading toindependent stand pipes, the

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hydrocarbons, the flow path will be through" one connection, at such time the resulting deposits being mainly those pertaining to the hydrocarbon portion of the gas. When the gas has reached the stages when the produc tion of hydro-gen is materially increased, the flow path is shifted to the other connection so that deposits will be in a different flow path from the hydrocarbon deposits, thus tending to reduce the tendency to stoppages by retaining the bulk of these deposits in separate paths. In Fig. 2 I have shown a slightly modified form of my invention in which 12 designates a support for a plurality of retorts 13. An 7 upstanding off-take pipe 14; is shown as being arranged adjacent to the front face of the support 12 and communicates both with the main 15 and the retorts 13 in a manner 7 similar to that shown in Fig. 1.

'16 is a gas off-take pipe corresponding to the gas off-take pipe 4 of Fig. 1, and this pipe communicates with the retorts in substantially the same way as shown in Fig. 1, a main 17 corresponding to the main 7 being provided for the purpose of permitting the gas to be carried off to a suitable point.

From the foregoing description and drawings, it will be obvious that communication may be entirely closed between the retorts and the pipe 4, and that communication may be provided between the pipe 8 and all of the retorts associated therewith. Under certain conditions, the valves may be operated so as to open communication between one or more of the retorts 2 and 3 and the pipes 4 to the exclusion of pipe 8, or the valves may be so operated that communication may be had both with the pipes 4: and the pipe 8 at the same time.

One of the advantages of separating the richer gas from the poorer gas is that the medium or lower quality of gas does not require scrubbing, condensing, and purifying before being used for the purpose to which it is adapted. The richer gas, however, which is generally used for illuminating purposes, requires considerable treatment before it is in condition for burning, so it will be apparent that by separating out the medium and low quality gas, the expense of scrubbing, condensing, and purifying it is avoided.

What I claim is 1. In coal gas generating apparatus, a bench, a group of retorts located therein at different elevations, two vertical offtake pipes at the exterior of the bench and extending from top to bottom ofthe group of retorts, separate valved connections between each retort and each oiftake pipe, and separate mains into which the respective oii'take pipes discharge. I

2. In coal gas generatin apparatus, a

torts each retort having a mouth piece offtake, a plurality of stand pipes each posi'- tioned between adjacent rows of mouth pieces with adjacent stand pipes connected to different mains, the mouth piece offtakes of a vertical row being operatively connected to the stand pipes of two mains, and a valve and forming a series of stand pipes connected to a main common to the several stand pipes, and an additional series of stand pipes connected to a different main, said latter stand pipes being located between the pairs of rows, each mouth piece off-take of a vertical row being operatively connected to stand pipes of both series, and a valve for and adapted to control each connection independently.

4. In coal gas generating apparatus, a plurality of vertical rows of horizontal retorts, each retort having a mouth piece olftake, a stand pipe for each pair of rows, said stand pipes being located between the mouth pieces of the rows forming the pair of rows and forming aseries of stand pipes connected to a main common to the several stand pipes, and an additional series of stand pipes connected to a difierent main, said latter standpipes being located between the pairs of rows, each mouth piece off-take of a vertical row being operatively connected to stand pipes of both series, and a I valve for and adapted to control each connection independently, the stand pipes and connections of one series being decreased in cross sectional area compared with that of the other series.

5. In coal gas generating apparatus, a plurality of vertical rows of horizontal retorts, a plurality of stand pipes with each stand pipe positioned in a plane extending between adjacent rows of retorts and adapted to be operatively connected to each of'the 'retortsof said rows, said stand pipes forming two series having connection with independent mains, and a valve for and adapted to control each connection between a retort and a stand pipe independently, whereby the gas from the several retorts maybe seplurality of verticalrows o' horizontal relectively delivered to different receptacles at will.

6. In coal gas generating apparatus, a plurality of vertical rows of horizontal retorts, a plurality of stand pipes with each stand pipe positioned in a plane extending between adjacent rows of retorts and adapted to be operatively connected to each of the retorts of said rows, said stand pipes forming two series having connection with inclependent mains, and a valve for and adapted to control each connection between a retort and a stand pipe independently, whereby the gas from the several retorts may be selectively delivered to difierent receptacles at 15 will, the stand pipes of one series being of smaller cross section than those of the other series.

In testimony whereof, I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DANA D. BARNUM. Witnesses:

FRANCIS H. DEWEY, Jr., MARGARET G. TWoMEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. (3.

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