US1413801A - Furnace-retort - Google Patents

Description

c. wsmnu. FURNACE mom.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24, 1919. v

Patented M1225, E22,

SHtEISSHEET 1.

VENTOR A TTOHIKE Yd? C. H.- SMITH.

FURNACE RETORT.

A-FPLICATION FILED APR. 24, I919- a Patented Apr, 25, 1922.

A TTURNEKS C. H. SMITH.

FURNACE RETDRT,

APPLlCA lOM FILED APR.24. 1919.

Patented Apr. 25, 1922.

.a sumssnm a.

INVENTOI? ATTORNEYS c. H. SMITH.

FURNACE RETORT,

APPLICATION- FILED APR-24,1919.

Pat=ented Apr. 25, 1922.

6 SHEEFS-SHEET 6.

New Jersey,

CHARLES HOWARD S ITH, or srronr HILLS, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORTO marinara- TIONAL COAL rnonoors odaroaacrrron, or RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, A oo'Itroa'A- TION or VIRGINIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 24, 1919I, Seria1 No. 292,4 QQ. H I

T 0 all whom itmag concern: Be it known that I, CHARLES H.1Str1'rm a citizen of the United States, and a-resident of Short Hills, county of-Essex,

have invented certain new and State of and useful Improvements in Furnace-Retort's, of

which the following is a specification.

The present invention has as its basis a furnace-retort which in some respects may be considered a modification of or an improvement upon the furnaceretort'that is the basis of my co-pending application Serial No. 217,76 i, filed February 18, 1918, entitled Furnace-rctorts. i

In the furnace-retort shown in the drawings of said application the retort is defined in a main wall construction which includes what is described as (a) an inner wall por hon-frequently referred to as a horizontally extending tubular inner wall construction or retort shell-within the wall of which or about which walls are combustion times that extend along the mner wall portion of the retort; (b)

a v relatively heavy construc.

tion of fire-brick that provides an intermediate wall or strengthening masonry wall construction about the inner wall. portion and which intermediate or strengthening wall also performs t he function of storing heat transmitted to it from the flues constituting the combustion chamber of the furnace; and

(c) an outer masonry commercially known construction of brick SIgur brick that serves as a layer of heat insulating, material about the intermediate wall. remarked that Signr brick is It will here be a trade name for a brick comprising largely, it not wholly, diatomaceous earth. This material is sometimes sold under the trade name fSilocel.

Such brick can be made by grinding said material, by pressing,

and by baking, or the de sired heat insulating brick may be obtained in some localities by cuttlng the brick from solid rock-somet1mes as mined.

The furnace-retort shown in the drawings of said application is alscprOvided'with a mixing; and conveying means haying a pair of parallel cooperating shafts'with paddles thereupon arranged so that the paddles on one shaft overlap the I I shaft. This mixing and conveying means, as the name implies,

agitate the mat also to convey paddles on the other is relied upon to mix or erial within the retort and the material from what 1s reunites-Reroute.

mama Apr. 25, 192 2.

known as the 'chargingend ofthe retort, to

what'is known as thefldischarging end.

The furnace-retort which is the basis or, v

as entering the combustion fiues at the charging end of the retort I and.v the products of combustr n as leavingthe fiues at the discharging end of the retort.

"In the furnace-retort .which is the'basis of the present invention the combustion fluesare constructedso thateach flue extendsonly about half the length of the furnaceand the lines are arranged in sets, one set at and along thecharging end portion or changing end half of the inner wall otthe furnace retort and the other set at and along the'discharging end POIUOIlor discharging end half.

Fuel is supplied to the tin-cs which are at or alongthe charging end oi the retort, preferably at the outermost end of'each fine,

to wit, the flue end at the charging end'of'the furnace and fuel is supplied to the tines which are at or along the discharging end of the retort, preferably'at the outermost end oi each flue,. to wit, the flue end at the dis charging cnd of the furnace. The products otcbmbustion pass from the innermost end of each. flue, to wit the end at or adjacent to the transversely extending central portion.

whichis about the inner'wall construction and pass into a common flue-or tines leading from said central portion. Eachindividual combustion fine is preferably-- provided with a damper for controlling the flow of products of combustion therefrom to the main or com- Bythis arrangement and control ofthe combustion flues a finer degree mon fiue or flues;

of regulation of the heat conditions within the furnace-retort is attainable than is the case Where the combustion flues extend the full length of the inner wall ofthe retort. .v

The invention relates to the novel features of construction referred to as -well as to others hereinafter clearly set, forth.

As illustrating a.specific embodiment of the'invention reference is made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and n which drawings,

Figure 1 is a vertical, longitudinal view, insection, of the furnace-retort. This" is a view taken as on the planes indicated by the broken lines 1-1 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional 'view of the furnace-retort. This is a view taken as OI 'the'planes indicated by the broken line 22 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows. 1

Figure 3 is a horizontal longitudinal sec tional view of the furnace-retort and is a view taken as on the planes indicated'by the broken line 3-3 of Figure 2." looking in the direction of the arrows. In Figure 2 the furnace-retort is shown as resting upon a suitable foundation and from Figures 1, 2 and 3 it will be seen that the furnacethe retort and the other at the discharging; end portion or half, which combustion flues constitute the combustion chamber of the furnace of the furnace-retort, and that these two sets of combustion flues deliver their products of combustion into transversely extending waste gas or waste heat flues located about the central portion of the furnaceretort and fromwhichthe-waste gases are conducted to any desired place, as, for example, to recuperators, to regenerators, or to a'stack.

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view of thefurnace-retortand is a view taken as on the plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure -1 looking in the direction of the arrows. This view has been included to illustrate the arrangement of the longitudinally extending combustion flues and burner openings therefor at the charging end of the furnace.

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the furnace-retort taken as on the plane indicated by the line 5--5 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows. This view has been included to show the dampers which control the flow of the products of combustion from the flues-of one set of combustion flues into the waste heat flue corresponding thereto.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional'view of the furnace-retort taken as on the plane indicated by the line 6-.6 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

s'hows the arrangement of the burner openings at the discharging end of the furnace.

From Figures 4,15 and 6 tlie'mixin and cpnveying means has been eliminated, this feature beingsufliciently shown in other figures of the drawings.

times as the retort shell. .nally extending tubular inner wall construction or retort shell 5 is surrounded by a This view lines 7-- 7 of Figure 2 lookingin the direc-.'

tion of the arrows. In this view the construction of the dampers. for the upper half of the furnace between the combustion flues on the one hand and the waste heat flues is clearly illustrated. I

Figure 8 is a view illustrating the structure that provides the several combustion flues about the retort. This is a view 'of the structure as it would appear if unrolled and placed upon a flat surface and it may be considered as a view .showing the development and arrangement of the sets of flues relative to each other. The upper half of this view clearly illustrates the flue arrangement and'may be-looked at as an interior view "of the tubular inner: wall construction or retort shell when unrolled,

while the lower half may be considered as,

an interior view from which the retort struction has been removed, showing the intermediate or strengthenin wall which is behind it.

Referring now to the drawings in detail l'designates thefurance-retort, 2 the retort proper and 3 the furnace proper thereof, The furance-retort is supported upon suitable foundation, as 4. The retoit2 has an inner wall construction 5, frequently .referred to as a longitudinally extending tubular inner wall construction and some- This longitudimasonry wall 6, frequently referred to as the intermediate wall construction and sometimes as the strengthening masonry wall.

It will .here be pointed out that this masonry wall construction 6 serves the function of means for storing the heat 1mparted to it as a result of the combus tion which takes place in longitudinally extending combustion flues 7 that .are in or defined by the tubular inner wall construction or retort shell 5 on the one hand and the strengthening masonry wall construction 6 on the other.

In the construction of furnace as shown there' appears a layer of heat insulating brick 8'such bricks as are known in the trade Sigur brick or Silocel and this masonry construction is shown as enveloped in a metallic shell 9, the lower half of which is composed of members 10 bolted together and theupper half of which is composed of wrought metal plates 11 bolted to each other and also to the members constituting the lower half.' In order to permit, expansion of the masonry structure within the shell each 7 of the bolts connecting the sections may be provided with wood washers, as a, which operate with other longitudinally extending construction. between the rib portions 16 that are on or built-in the masonry strengthening wall construction 6 and from air-inspection of the drawings particularly Figures 4e and 5, it will be observed that the longitudinally extending combustion flues 7 ,are provided in or defined by the. tubular'inner waltconstruction or retort shellto. on the one-hand and the strengthening masonry Wall construction 6 on the other, and particularly tions, as 17 of the tubular inner wall constructiolr-portion'S .at the exterior" of the tubular inner wall construction and'between the longitudinally extending rib portions lo longitudinally extending rib portions 16,

longitudinally extending 'rib portions lti oi the strengthening wall construction ,6 and the interior portions interior of the masonry strengthening wall longitudinally extending rib portions 16. A centrally located transversely extending rib portion or par-ti; tion 19, which includes the transversely extending rib portion'ildon thetuhular inner wall construction or retort shell and transversely extending rib portioii .21; on the masonry strengthening wallconstruction, is

located at or near to the CQIItIQL1-v170l'tl0l'l of the furnace; in other words,- n a transverse belt which is at, about or near the central portion of the furnace.

or extend about the tubular 'struction so as to divide space of the furnace located at the charging end or charging half of the furnace and at the discharging end of the furnace.

An inspection make it clear that there are located at each side of the centrally located transversely extending rib portion or partition 19 two transversely extending waste gas or waste heat fines 22, 23, one located at the charging face of the .rib portion or partition 19' and the other located at the discharging face of the rib portion or. partition, but both. located about the central portion of the furnace. I From Figures 1, 7 ands. it will be observed that the combustion lines 7 at the charging end or haltof the furnace. deliver the products of combustion into the waste heat flue 22 out that the flow ,of gases from these combustion the combustion o'r dischargirrghalf bysuch poi; 'nace. The dampers for body member lif -portions on p the v flues'to the waste heat flue;

This rib portion or partition 19 may be considered to-encircler inner wall-con:

the other part located ing conducted of the drawings will also enter the charging end lines into the waste gas or 'tion flue supplied thereby and a'dainper waste heat flue 22 is controlled bydampers in a flue and has a lip 26-that may be moved toward or from a rib 27 of the tubular inner wall construction or retort shell by a rod, as 28; sliding the damper 24 whereby the opening between the lip 26 on the one hand and the rib 27 on the other is readily controlled as to its area. The dampers 24 aroused to control the flow from the combustion flues in the lower half. of the fur- I the upper half of the furnacehave been designated as 25 and are in effecfln modification of the dampers 24. Tlib daiirpers 25,'however, each has a main body member 29 supported on spaced longitudinally extending legs 30 and the 29 carries a transversely extendinglip '31 which is movable toward and from the transversely extending rib portion 2.7 and the iarea of the passage between the lip 31 on the one hand and ,the rib portion 27 on the other is controlled by a movement of this damper in a manner similar to that "in which the damper 24 controls the passageway .ading.t'rom its corresponding A damper, as 24: or 25, is provided for each combustion flueand it will therefore be seen that the flow of the products of combustion from each combustion fine to the waste heat flue is under the control of the operator.

The wastelheat tines 22 and 23 pass through the sidewalls of the furnace-retort, as this portion of the retort wall may be the control of dampers from the furnace-retort, as to leading to the stack provided to supply fuel and to permit the entrance of air to the interior of the outer end portion of each combustion flue; in other words, burners are provided at the. charging end of the furnace for supplying gas to and permitting air to portion of the lines or half of the furthe: main Iflue A gas burner is at the charging portioh nace and burnersare provided at the vdischarging end of the furnace for supplying gas to and permitting air to enter the discharging end portion of the fines at the dis charging portion or half of: the: furnace.

Those burners are designated. as by '34 and 35, andfeach comprises a tube for supplying heatinggas to the interior of the combusreferred to, as is clear from Figures 2 and intotwo parts, one part EBfand the flow from each'of the waste heat flu'es is subje(-.t to '32 prior to the products of combustion bepointed out for regulating the flow of air, that supports combustion, into the flue.

In furnaces of this type it has been found important to be able to control the heat conditions about each portion of the shell. For example, it may be desired, as the furnace is operating, to impart a greater heat to the lower side portions of the charging end and a lesser heat to certain portions of the discharging end. It may even be desired to cut off the heat along the entire upper half of the shell or only along one end of the upper half of the shell. With the burners, the

flue arrangements and dampers herein de-,

scribed the desired condition can be'read-ily reached.

The gases and vapors driven off during the carbonizing operation are 'withdrawn throughpipin 36. In the drawings in this 'applicatlon on y one set of piping has been indicated but a plurality of piping might be employed, if desired, such as shown in my co-pending application Serial No. 217,764.

The upper half of the tubular retort shell is in the form of an arch, being formed as such by the hollow tiles or blocks as 13 havas 15. It has been heretofore that the ribs 15 which extend outwardly co-operate with the rib portions 16 which extend inwardly that are on or built in the masonry strengthening wall coning the ribs struction. to wit; the masonry immediately surrounding the inner wall construction. On the drawings, there are indicated in several places expansion'spaces as 37 which as the name implies have been provided to allow for the circumferential expansionof the inner wall construction or retort shell, and

it will here be remarked that where the inner construction is formed of a carborundum tileor in fact of other 'material-and the immediately surrounding wall is of masonry such as'fire brick that it has been found advisable to have. the expansion spaces placed as indicated.

In the construction as shown the lower I half of the tubular inner Wall construction (or retort sh'ell supports the upperhalf, to

wit, the arch portion and consequently the members of the lower half rest directly upon the surrounding masonry construction which is below it.

In order to provide for circumferential expansion in the lower half .an expansion space is provided as at 38, that is between the two rowsof blocfks along, the lower longitudinal central portion. In the building of the furnace this space 38 may be filled with material such as sheets of cardboard which can gradually carbonize and allow for the desired expansion. This cardboard can be relied upon to hpld or maintain the adjacent blocks in the proper spaced relationship during the constructing of the furnace.

No attempt is herein made to describe in stanclin detail the operation of'the furnace or the detailed construction of the mixing and conveying means, or other details in the furnace, all such details being clear from the accompanying drawings and from an underof the structure shown and described 1n the aforesaid co-pending application.

-What is claimed is:-

1. A furnace-retort having a longitudinally extending retort shell within which ue arranged to receive from the flue in the set in which the combustion flue is included.

2. A furnace-retort having a longitudinally extending retort shell within which a carbonizing or coal distilling operation is performed, said furnace-retort also having means for mixing the charge within the retort shell and for conveying the charge longitudinally from the charging end of the retort shellto the discharging end thereof, the furnace-retort 'bein characterized by two sets of combustion ues arranged about the lower portion of the retort shell and delivering products of combustion into a centrally arranged waste heat flue construction, each flue in each set extending longitudinally from an 'end portion of the retort shell toward the centrally arranged waste heat flue, each flue in the other set extending along the discharging end of the retort shell and terminating about midway the length of the retort shell.

3. A furnace-retort having a longitudinally extending retort shell portion. in which retort there is means for agitating or mixing the charge and for conveyingthe charge along the interior from the charging end to the discharging end thereof, the combustion chamber of the furnace of "the furnace-retortcomprising longitudinally extending combustion flues about the shell portion, which combustion flues are arranged in' sets one set at the charging end of the retort and the other set at the discharging 125 outer end portions of the combustion flues in one set, means at tliediscliarging end of the fumace-retort for controlling the' u l a supply of fuel and the fiow of air to the interior of the outer end portions ofthe com bnstioinfiues in the other set, two transversely extending waste heat fines located about the central portion of the furnace, there being a waste 7 heat line for each set of combustion fines, a' damper controlled opening between each combustion fiuc 015 the set at the char ing end of the 'furnace through which products of combustion pass into one of said waste heat tines, and a damper controlled opening between each com vbustion fine of the set at the discharging end of the furnace through which the products of combnstion pass to thejother waste heat flue, a v

4. A- furnace-retort having a longitudinally extending retort shell in' which there is means for agitating or mixing thecharge and for conveying the charge longitudinally along the interior of the retort front the charging end' to 'the discharging end thereof, the furnace of the furnace-retort having a, combustion chamber which is provided by longitudinally extending combustion fines arranged about the retortshell, the fines being arranged in sets, the combustion fines in one set each extending along the charging end half of the retort and the combustion fines in the other set each extending along the discharging end halt of the retort, said combustion fines terminating :at or ad acent to the central transi Verscly extending portion of the shell, means for supplying fuel and for permitting air te enter said combustion fines, the furnace having transversely extendingzwaste heat fines arranged so as tolreceive the products oicoml'n'istion i'nom said combustion fiues,.; and dampers regulating the openings ore )assa ev'a 's' leadin from the combustiolr fines to ,he corresponding waste heatnfines. 5.A' furnace-retort having a longitudinally extending retort shell in which there is means for agitating or mixing the charge" and for conveying the charge-longitudi--- nally alon'gtheinterior of the retort from the chargingendto the discharging end thereof. tiny furnace of theturnace-retmt having a combustion chamber -.comprising' longitudinally. extending combustion fines arranged aboutthe exterior of the retort shell. which fines are arranged in two sets the combustion fines in one set each extend: ing along the charging end portion oi? the retort and the comlginstion fines in the other set each. extending along the discharging end portion of the retort, said combustion fines terminating at or adjacent to the transversely extendingcentral portion of the shell, means Zor supplying fuel and for permitting a controlled amount of air to enter said combustion fines, the furnacerat/am; having two transversely extending waste heat fines located at or near aid cenopenin is provided in a longitudinally extending tral port-ion each arranged soas to receive theproducts of combustion from one of said sets of said combustion fines, each waste heat fiue having a damper for emit-rolling the g or passageway leading therefrom, each combustion fluev having a damper at the openingor passageway leading from the con'ibustion line to the corresponding waste heatrfiue.

G. A furnace-retort the retort of which retor't shell intowhich coal is'l ed at one end ,and from whichthe coal residuum is discharged from the other'eml, the furnace construction being such thatv combustion fines are provided each of" which extends longitudinally from the charging end of the, shell toward the central portion of the shell and delivers products of combustion into a waste heat fiue arranged at the central portion of the shelheach of said combnstion=tlues having a damper for .con-

trolling the fiow of products of combustion from the combustion fine into said waste ,heat fines, the furnace construction also being such thatcombnstion fiuesare provided e-ach of which extends longitui-lma'lly from the discharging end of the shell toward the central portion of the shell and delivers products'ofcombustion into a waste heatflue arranged at the central portion of the' shell, each of" said last-mentioned combustion fines having a -da'nip'er t'or controlling the fiow ofproducts-0t combustion from the combustion fiue to the waste heat fine.

v 7'. A turnace-ret'oit the retort of which is provided-1" in alongitudinally extending retort shell into which coal is fed at one end and from which the coal residuum is discharged from the other end, the furnace construction being such that combustion fines are provided some of which extend lon-,

ggitudinally from the charg'ing end of the shell toward the central portion of the shell and deliver products of combustion into a waste l ca't f'lfuc arranged at the central portion of the shell andsome of which extend longitudinally from thedischarging end of the shell toward the central porftifon of the shell and deliver products of combustion ini a to a waste heat flue ar anged at the central portion of the shell, each of said combustion fines having adaniper for controlling the flow ol products of (J()I'Ill)ll5tl()l]' from the combustion fine into its waste heat fine.

8. A furnace-retort having a longitudinally extending retort shell into one end of which material is charged that is to be carbonized and from the othc end of which the residuum is dischargemjiieans at the exterior of said shell for providing longitudinal combustion fines extending to the central transverselyextending exterior portion of the shell and arranged in sets about the shell, there being a set oi combustion flues for the charging end portion of the shell and another set of combustion flues for the discharging end portion of the shell, the construction also being such that there is a waste heat flue provided for and common to each set of "combustion flues, there being dampersfor controlling the flow of products of combustion from thecombustion fluesjof longitudinally extending combustion flues] that reach the central portion of the exterior of the-retort shell but which are arranged in sets about the retort shell in such a manner that there are combustion flues for the charging end portion of the retort shell and combustion flues for the discharging end portion'thereof, the construction also being such that a waste heat flue is provided for and common tothe combustion flues in each set, there being dampers for controlling the flow of products of combustion from the flues in each set.

. 10. A furnace-retort comprising in combination a longitudinally extending retort shell surrounded by a fire-brick or strengthening masonry wall construction and between which said retort shell and said wall construction there are left spaces providing.-

theleiimbustion chamber of the furnace of the'-'- mace retort," the combustion chamber being divided into two partsby a transversely-extending rib portion surroundin thetransver'sel extendin central portion 0" the retort she I, spaced ongitudlnallylegkarranged about the retort shell and extend .ing' from each end of the retort shell towardbut not to the transversely "extending rib longitudinal h of the retort shell a set of longitudinally extending combustion flues responding thereto. corresponding to that set, the furnace haw-kv 'into waste heat flues located at the central portion of the furnace-retort, the jfurnace 3 a row of'blocksextendsalong each side of tending rib portions, in each of said partsfterial such as cardboard in said space. portion wherebpf there 1s provided for each that discharge their-products of'combustion into a waste heat flue that. is'between the transversely'extending rib portion on the one'haud and the endsof the spaced longitudinally extending rib portions on the other, and dampers for controlling the flow of productsof combustion from the combustion flues into the waste heat flue cor- M #11. A furnace-retort c'om rising a longitudinallyflextending retort s ell surrounded a fire-brick wall construction, between which retort shell and wall construction I there are'spaces providing the combustion 65.

chamber of the furnace of the furnace-rd tort, the combustion chamber being divided 1 into two part, one art located at one end and-the other part ocated at the other end of thefurnace-retort, each part having spaced ribportions arranged about the retort shell and extending longitudinally toward the transversely extendingcentral portion of the furnace-retort whereby there is provided for each of said' arts a set of longitudinally extending com ustion flues, the furnace con struction being such that said combustion flues discharge theirproducts of combustion aving dampers for controlling thel flowj of products of combustion from the"combus-' tion flues into said waste heatflues.

12. A furnace-retort havin a longitudi-. nally extending tubular shdll formed of 'blocksor tiles arran ed so that there is a longitudinal row of %locks along each side of -the lower longitudinal central portions and positioned sothat an expansion space is left between saidrows which are adjacent to each other. I 1

13. A furnaceq'etort having a longitudinally extending tubular shell formed of car-- borundum blocks or tiles-arranged so that the lower longitudinal central portions, and is positioned so that an expansion space is left between /the blocks in said rdws which rows are adjacent to each other, and\ma- This specification executed the 15 day of April 1919.

' CHARLES HOWARD SMITH.

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