US1417637A - Method of fuel agitation - Google Patents

Description

H. F. SMITH. METHOD OF FUEL AGITATI ON'.

APPLICATION FILED MIG-1.1918.

1,417,637, Patented May 30, 1922 'fizzfgzzfar' wn g 2: 5 n, 42 55MB! /d., U oj-, I W- s 4472271 175575 "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY rfsium n, or DAYTON, OHIO, AssmnoR, BY THE ans RESEARCH COMPANY, or DAYTON, OHIO,

MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

METHOD OF FUEL AGITATION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30,1922.

Application filed August 1, 1918. Serial No. 247,877.

10 and more particularly to a method of fuelagitation in which the entire fuel bed is lift ed bodil from the grate upon which it rests and is. t oroughly stirred up, the use of the various complicated stoking or agitating mechanisms now on the market being dispensed with.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a very simple method of fuel agitation and an equally simple form of apparatus for carrying that method into effect.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the description of the invention set-out below, reference being made to the accompanying drawing.

One of the biggest difficulties in gas producer operation is the proper maintenance of the fuelbed. This difficulty is of course present to greater or less degree in all forms of apparatus using a fuel bed which must be continuously replenished and from which the ashes must be removed. Heretofo're numerous mechanical devices. such as shak- .ing grates, mechanically. operated stirring bars and the like, have been used for this purpose. These devices, although comparatively complicated, have been successful in ordinary fire box or furnace operation.

I They have not, however, so far as known to me, been successful in gas producer opera- .40 tion. It must be remembered that in a gas producer the fuel bed ordinarily has a thick- ,ness of from three to six feet and it is quite obvious that the ordinary mechanical agitating devices are entirely inadequate for securing aproper conditioning of such .a

thickness of incandescent, carbonaceous material. 1

It was primarily to provide for the satisfactory agitation of the fuel bed in a gas producer that I devised the method of agitation and the apparatus for carrying that method into effect which constituted the subject matter of the present invention. For purpose of convenience and greater clearness this invention will be described in connection with a conventional type of producer; but it is to be expressly understood that my invention is not thus limited in its applicability.

This method of fuel agitation consists broadly of collecting an explosive mixture, ignitingthat mixture and applying the resulting explosive effect beneath the fuel bed. In this manner the fuel bed'is lifted bodily from the grates upon which it rests and is thoroughly agitated during its upward movement and as it settles back upon the grates after being lifted therefrom. For carrying this method into effect I made use of the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying' drawing. I

In the drawing is disclosed a gas producer having a metallic shell 1 surrounding the generating chamber, a firebrick lining 2 therefor, a grate 3 for supporting the fuel, a fuel feeding device 1, an alr intake pipe 5, and a gas off take plpe 6'; This structure is that of the conventional up-draft, or suction, type of producer.

Located adjacent the bottom part of the producer is an explosion chamber 10 having an outlet 11.which in turn opens into the space 7 at the lower part of the producer 1, below the grate 3. If an explosive mixture is collected within the chamber 10 and ignited the explosive effect will act through the outlet 11 and space 7 upon any fuel that may be resting on the grate Leading into the upper end of the chamber 10 is an inlet passage 12 the upper end of which is divided into a plurality of passages 13 and 14. The passage 14 has leading there-- into a pipe 15 which is connected with a source of explosive mixture. the mixture being fed through the pipe 15 under any desired pressure.

Connecting the passages 13 and 14 is a port 16 controlled bythe valve 17. The

valve 17 is normally held against its seat by means of the spring 19 which surrounds the valve stem 18. Ac-ljustably attached to the outer end of the valve stem and cooperating with the spring 19, to vary the tension there of, isa nut 20. By means ofthis adjustable nut 20 the tension of the spring 19 maybe varied as desired. I

Pivoted to the wall of the inlet passage-12 is a yoke 30 adapted to contact with theend of the valve stem 18. Rotatably mounted on the explosion chamber, adjacent the yoke 30,

' is'a cam. 31 adapted to cooperate with the yoke 30 and upon rotation thereof to swing said yoke about its pivot and force it into contact with the end of the valvestem to thus lift the valve 17 from its seat and open the port connecting'passages' l3 and 14. When the valve is in this position an explosive mix-- i ture may pass through the'pipe 15 and pas sage. 14: into the passage 13 and thence through the inlet passage 12 to the explosion chamber 10. i

Inserted'through the wall of passage 13 is a spark plug 40 the inner terminals of .which are situated within the passage. Connected to the spark plug 40 is a coil 41 having a switch 42 connected therewith. Proper manipulation of the switch 4:2 will cause the ignite the explosive mixture within-such pas-.7

passage of a spark within the passage 13 to sage and then ignite the explosive mixture within the chamber 10.

' lVhen it is desired to agitate or stir up the fuel'u-pon the grate 7 ,the cam 31 is rotated .to

swing the yoke about its pivot and thus lift the valve17 from its seat permittingthe flow'of, explosive mixture into the chamber 10. lVhen the desired quantity'of explosive movement under the effect of the explosion and during its return to the grate. The term fuel bed has been used herein to designate the entire mass of fuel and ashes resting upon the grate 3. In actual practice this fuel bed generally consists of a lower or ash zone restmg upon the grate, an intermediate or meandescent-zone above the ash zone and an upper ordistillation zone, above the incandescent zone, consisting of the fresh fuel which is added from the fuel feeding device 4. The

I explosive effect resulting from igniting the explosive mixture in the chamber 10 will be exerted upon the ash zone of the" fuel bed,

from beneath the grate, and is of such nature that it will suddenly raise the entire fuel bed and, after short duration, will as suddenly allow the fuel bed vto settle back upon the rate. As a result the fuel bed will be thoroughly broken up, but the explosive efiect of such shortl duration that the ashes within the ash zone will not be blown through the fuel bed and out through the oiftake pipe 6. Y

It has been suggested heretofore to use blasts of compressed air or steam foragitat} ing'a fuel bed, I have found, however, that these methods are less effective thanv the method disclosed byme. In order to; secure a proper breaking of masses ofcoked material and such like, and to thoroughly agitate and stir. up the fuel bed I have found the instantaneous blow resulting from an explov sion superior to the, slower acting blast of compressed airor steam. While the method herein described, and

the form of apparatus for carrying that method into effect, constitute preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is'not limited to this 7 5 precise method and form of apparatus, and] V that changes may be made in either without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appendedclaims.

1. The method of-agitating the fuelbed within a gas producer or the like, which consists in igniting an explosivemixt L6, and applying the resulting explosiveforce to the underside of the ash zone of thef'uel bed, to lift the fuel bed bodily.

2. The methodof agitating fuel which consists in collecting an explosivemixture,ignit ing that mixture and applying the force of the explosionto. the under side of the ash zoneof the'fuel bed, the explosive effect being suflicient toraise the entire fuel bed bodily, but of suoh duration as to not drive ashes-from the ash zone through the fuel bed. 3. The method of agitating fuel which consists in collectingan explosive mixture in-a chamber, igniting the mixture, and applying the force of the explosion to the under side of, the fuel bed.

4. The method of agitating the fuel bed within a gas producer or the like, WlllClFCOII- sists in collecting an explosive mixture in a chamber separate from, but having an outlet opening into, the producer or the like; igniting the collected mixture within the chain- 'ber; and applying the force of the resulting explosion to the under side of the fuel bed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HARRY WVitnesses: I

THOMAS CURE'roN, h J. W. MoDoNALD.

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