US1210099A

US1210099A - Process of burning fuel.

Info

Publication number: US1210099A
Application number: US7577416A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward Pohl
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1916-02-02
Filing date: 1916-02-02
Publication date: 1916-12-26
Anticipated expiration: 1933-12-26

Description

E. POHL.

PROCESS OF BURNING run. APPLlCATlON FILED FEB. 2,19I6. 1,216,099 Patented Dec. 26,1916.

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EDWARD POHL, or ivnwvo'n x, N. a.

PROCESS OF BURNING- FUEL.

I Specification of Letters Patent; 7 Patented D 3. 26, 191%.

' Application filed February 2, 1916. Serial iv qrskm.

1 ing for its essentialeonstituents stearic acid and alcohol, the compound forming a solid at ordinary temperatures. Alcohol in this form is admirably suitedfor use as a heating medium in households and other places where thereis a likelihood of a liquid (spilling, as ell as providing a formof alcohol vh'ich is adapted to be sold to the retail trade for heating purposes. Heretofore ithas been the. usual practice to sell solidified alcohol in a can similar to a paint can having an open top provided with an air-tight cover, the alcohol being u l z y removing the cover and igniting the inflammable vapors which slowly rise from the surface of the body of'the fuel Within the receptacle. However, it has been found that this method of burning the alcohol is not eliicient, nor does it produce intense heat for the reason that the air does not come into intimate contact with all portions of the combustible vapor, the result of which is incomplete combustion.

The object of my inventionis to provide a new method or process of burning a fuel which gives off inflammable vapors at ordinary temperatures, which method is particularly adapted for use with solidified alcohol, and in carrying out my improved method or process, I make. use of the wellknown theory that if a fuel, either liquid or solid which gives off an inflammable vapor, is heated, then the vaporization'vvilltake place more rapidly which permits the collection of the vapor in a closed chamber under pres- I sure, after Whichthe vapor may be divided into streams and passed through a burner so that when it is 1gn1ted, a more intimate mixture of the vapor and air will be obtained,

which will produce a more intense heat, as wellas providing a more economic consumption of fuel. The fact that the vapor 18 under pressure may also be utilized to direct the flames against the surface to be heated. In so faras I am aware, this method of burning fuel 'hasbeen utilized with heaters where an" additional burner is provided to heat the fuel to cause the rapid evaporation of the inflammable vapor. "While such a burner can be provided with a liquid fuel, which burner may be supplied from the samesource as the main burner, yet with a solid fuel, such as solidified alcohol, an addi- "tional burner fed from the same source of fuel is an impractical if not an impossible, construction. I

"Myimproved method therefore, hasfor its purpose the elimination of this additional burner and comprises burning the inflammable vapors which rise from the surface of the fuel for a sufiicient period of time to enable a portion of the heat generated in this manner, to heat the body of the fuel and cause a more rapidevaporation of the fuel.

' When evaporationis taking place at a relatively rapid rate, the flame from the surface of the body "ofthe fuel is extinguished and simultaneously therewith the vapor, which is now being rapidly given off by the fuel, is

collected and burned in independent jets at I points removed from the surface of the body of the fuel.

A'portion of the heat from these burning jets is also utilized to heat the body of the fuel so, that the vaporization of the same will continue at the same or at a more rapid rate.

, More specifically stated, the method consists in placing the fuel in an open container having heat-conducting Walls in w'hich the surface of the body of the fuel Within the container is exposed to the atmosphere and the vapor rising from this exposed surface is "burned for a period of time sufficient to causea portion of the heat to be transmitted to the walls of the containerto heat the body of the fuel and to cause it to vaporize at a more rapid rate. This flame is then extinguished and the Walls of the chamber are simultaneously extended to provide a closed chamber above "the fuel. The chamber thus formed is provided with burner openings. through which the vapor will then flow in independent jets Which will be ignited and burned,the openings being of such a size that a low vapor pressure will be created in the closed chamber. These burning jets are so directed as to cause a portion of the heat therefrom to impinge upon the walls of the burner and continue to heat the body of the fuel so that the vaporization of the same will be continued.

The method described may be carried on with various kinds of apparatus and in the illustrated embodiment herein shown, one specific device which is adapted for this purpose is shown, but it is to be understood that the method or process is in no manner restricted to the apparatus shown.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows a heater which is adapted for use in practising my improved method; and Fig. 2 is a central section through the same, with the auxiliary cover which covers the burner openings removed.

The heater comprises a container 1 which as in the usual construction, is formed of a sheet metal and is provided with an open top closed by a dish-shaped cover 2, which, when in place, forms an air-tight joint between the container and cover and prevents any evaporation of the fuel, the container being similar to the usual type of paint can. This can is only partially filled with the fuel which is indicated at 3, and while various kinds of liquid and solid fuels may be used, which give off an inflammable vapor at ordinary temperatures, the invention is particularly applicable to solid fuels, such as solidified alcohol.

Arranged in the walls of the container above the level of the top of the fuel, are a plurality of restricted burner openings 4. These openings are arranged in the walls of the container so that the jets of flame issuing therefrom will impinge against the walls of the container and a portion of the heat of the burning jets will therefore be transmitted to these walls. The burning openings should be of a size that their combined area is such that the vapor which collects in the closed chamber formed above the body of the fuel when the top is replaced upon the package, is restricted in its passage from the chamber sufficiently to create low vapor pressure Within the chamber.

In order to prevent the evaporation of the fuel through the burner openings l when the heater is not being used, an auxiliary closer 5 is provided having a flange which fits tightly over the upper portions of the side walls of the container and seals the burner openings. The type of heater described is similar to the one described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 75,773, filed February 2, 1916, and is illustrated and described merely for the purpose of showing one type of heater with which my improved method may be practised, which will now be described in connection with the embodiment shown.

When it is desired to burn the alcohol,

both'covers 2 and 5 are first removed, which "will expose a portion of the surface of the supports the cover and within a comparatively short time, say, from fifteen seconds to a minute and a half, a portion of the solidified alcohol within the container will be melted and evaporation will take place much more rapidly. lVhen this occurs, the cover 2 is replaced upon the container, which extinguishes the flame rising from the surface of the body of the fuel and if the evaporation of the fuel is taking place at a relatively rapid'rate, suflicient vapor will collect in the closed chamber above the surface of the fuel, which is formed by replacing the cover 2 to flow outwardly through the burner openings 4 where it is ignited and burned in a plurality of independent jets. These jets of flame since the burner openings in the form shown are in the side walls of the container, curve around and impinge against the upper end portions of the side walls of the container and will therefore heat both the container and its top, which heat will be conducted to the body of the fuel and cause a further evaporation of the fuel to produce an inflammable vapor, which vapor collects in the closed chamber as be fore described and flows out through the burner openings, where it is burned.

One of the important features of the process described is that the heat developed remains as great even after the volume of fuel in the container has been materially decreased. This is true because the vapor is only burned at the surface of the fuel during the initial steps of the process, while at all other times the vapor from the surface of the fuel rises and flows out through the burner openings which remain at a fixed distance from the article to be heated, and since the evaporation of the fuel continues until it is entirely consumed, the burning jets will give as much, if not a greater amount of heat until the fuel is entirely consumed.

I claim:

1. The process of producing heat from a liquid or solid fuel which vaporizes slowly at ordinary temperatures and gives ofl an inflammable vapor, which consists in burning the vapor at an exposed surface thereof and causing a portion of the heat generated to heat the fuel and increase its rate of vaan open receptacle having heat-conducting Walls, until the heat communicated to the Walls sufficiently heats the body of the fuel to cause a rapid evaporation thereof, then extending the Walls of the receptacle to form a closed chamber above the body of the fuel and simultaneously extinguishing the flame from the surface of the body of the fuel, and c finally burning the vapor collecting in the closed chamber in a plurality of independent jets While causing the heat therefrom to heat the Walls of the receptacle and the body oration of the fuel.

of the fuel to cause a continued rapid evap- 3. The process of producing heat from a liquid or solid fuel which vaporizes slowly at ordinary temperatures and gives off an inflammable vapor, which consists in burning the vapor at an exposed surface thereof and causing a portion of the heat generated to heat the fuel and increase its rate of vaporization, then extinguishing the flame from the surface of the fuel and inclosing the entire quantity of collecting vapor given off by thefuel under pressure, then burning the collecting vapor under pressure in a plurality of independent jets directed to im- I part heat to the fuel. n In Witness whereof, I subscribe my signature, in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

EDWARD P OHL Witnesses:

VVALno M. CHAPIN, MARY Gr. HART. 7

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents e ach', by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 03