US1424077A - Gas producer and process - Google Patents

Description

E. M. BRAxToN. GAS PRODUCER AND PROCESS. APPLIATION FILED NOV,1S, |921.

Patented July 25, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

E. M. BRAXTON.. GAS PRODUCER AND PROCESS.

Patented, July 25, 11922.

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APPLICATION FILED NOV. I8, 192i.

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ELBERT MQBRAXTON, OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MA'BEL R. i A i SPELLMAN, OF DALLAS, TEXAS. i

GAS `PRODUCER AND `PROCESS.

T o all w 710m t may concern:

VBeit known that I, ELBERT M. BRAXTON, ai citizen of the 'United States, 'residing at Fort Worth, in the county of Tarrant and State of Texas, have invented` certain new and'useful Improvements yin Gas Producers and Processes, of'which the following is a specification. `Y

VThis invention relates 'to gas producers for the production of gas fromlignite and its by-.products such as creosoteand coal tar, and has for one of 'its principal objects the vprovision of a vgas vproducer provided with a super-heater or means whereby the gas in its first or green state of production as it is formed bythe vcombustion ofthe lignite, is heated by means of asuper-heater to a very high temperature'.

AAnother principal obj ect of the invention is in the provision for feeding the fuel evenly and uniformly upon the fire-bed.` i A further object 'of the` invention `is the provision for the cleaning, cooling and dry# ing of tliefgzg'asv from impurities or extraneous matter,r especially tairy substance orresidue.

Other important features, such as a conical sectional revoluble and removable grate, auxiliary draft controlling andy steam iiijecting means for the fire box, j&c., will be more fu'lly understood *byA reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof in whichp Figure l is a vertical sectional 4view of a gas producing machine constructed in accordance with the invention. -Figures 2 and 3 are cross-,sectional views of cylinders ory tanks containing, respectively, coke and hay by preference, as a cleaning and drying means for the gas.

Figure a is a verticaljsectional view taken 'on line 4-1l,` Figure l,lshowing the inventionvin its interiori arrangement as to the hopper and feeding means for the fuel.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view ofthe hopper taken on line 5-p-5 of Figure l', and Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken i on line 6-6 Figure l through the firebox and grate.

'Referring more detail to the drawings, in the' construction and carrying out of the vinvention, there is provided a base section Yor drum wliiclifoims anash pitv and draft chamber l and'which is provided with an Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 25d, 1922,. Application filed November 18,:192L Serial No` 516,147.

opening normallyclosed by the usual ash and draftvdoor'Q. l

Within the' draft chamber vandash pit lis an annular flanged support 3 resting upon the bracketsI 4:41. The support 3 has'a raised portionor collar 5 which is provided with ball bearings to support and provide for the easy rotation of a platform t3. 7This platform as depicted inthe drawingFiguresl and 6, supports a removable sectioned grate" 6'al projecting upwardr into the re-boX in the form ofa cone and `which will be readily understood permits the clinkers and such matter as 'does not fall through the grate to rolldown by gravity upon theplatform GA and may be raked off and into the ash pit l from time to time as the fire is attended to, the doors 7?-7 being provided for this purpose, and clearly shown in Figuresl andG. The platform 6 carrying the gratea may be lrevolved in any inanner, the simplest means and as lshown in Figure l, being by gear 6b and pulley gear 6d mounted upon a short shaft, the gear meshing with teeth 'onl the undersideof the platpurpose of injecting steam ork vapor into the fire-bed. Y ySeated uponthe ash pit Iand draft chamber l is anv upright, double-walled drum 8, the/spaced. inner and outer walls of which provide a water space 9 (referred to above) for the purpose offprotection. 'This drum 8' constitutes the repot and collection cham-y ber 'ofthe device. f

Depending within the drum 8 and spaced from the inner walls'thereofis an inverted frusto-conical tubular feeder 18a, the lower end vofthewall ofzwhich is formed with radially disposed out-struck hoods l0 which communicate with the interior: ofthe tubular feeder. The lower end of this feeder terminates just' above the fire bed'and its 'upper end is secured by rivets `or otherwise 'to the annular support'll formed with an a ring 13 seated upon the drum 8 and through which ring the annular support 11 projects. y

A tubular container 14 has its lower end threaded into or otherwise secured to the support 11 and its upper end is formed with a flaring mouth or hopper 15. The container. 14 isprovided with a magazine or fuel measure of cylindrical form comprising two sections 16 and 17 arranged one within the other, the section 17 provided with two openings 18 and 19 and section 16 with one opening 20. Section 17 is secured to the inner wall of the container 14 by supports 21 and is open at one end for the reception of section 16, a bearing 22 being provided in secti'on 17 for the axial pin 23 of section 16. The opposite end of section16 of the fuel measure has a small shaft 24 seated in a bearing 25 secured to the hopper 15 and this shaft carries a wheel 26 to rotate the sections in such a manner as to allow the openings 1S and 2O to register when a fresh chargeof fuel is fed onto the grate, the charge being deposited by rotating section 16 to register opening 20 with opening 19 which closes the opening 18 and deposits the fuel onto the fire bed. This operation may be performed by hand at certain periods of time or when it is desired to drop a fresh charge of fuel onto the fire bed.

The container 14 is provided with an annular worm wheel 27 which meshes with a worm 28 driven by suitable means (not shown) for rotating the container, hopper, and fuel measure. For the sake of clearness, however, it may be added that the container does not rotate continuously, but only at certain periods required for properly feeding and distributing fuel onto the lfire bed. This periodic rotation is provided by havingl the shaft 28Ct divided and a clutch mounted on one end of the shaft, and by this means the motive power is connected and disconnected with the worm 28 as required.

One of the principal features of the roduc'er, the super-heater, is located slig tly above the grate or re bed, and shown at 29 in Figure 1. The super-heater, however, may if preferred be embedded in the fire bed or at any other point where the greatest amount of heat may acty upon it. The super -heater is preferably formed with short, cylindrical ends between whichends it is flattened to form a hollow, vertically arranged web connecting the ends. Pipes 30 communicate at suitable intervals with theV interior of the drum 8, near the upper end of said drum, and converge downwardly about the outside of the drum to take into one end of the super-heater. From the opposite end `of this super-heater 29 a pipe 31 is provided forcarrying away the green gas for cleaning and washing it.

Pipe 31 communicates with an upright vcylindrical tank 32. This tank, a crosssection of which is shown at Figure 2, is

ported upon a perforated grating 33. Be-

low the grating 33 is a space 34 for water` which space communicates by pipe 35 with a trap 36. At the top of the tank is a pipe 37 withk a sprayer or distributor 37LL for water. Pipe 31 is providedon its end with an inverted scalloped edged cup 38 which is suspended in the water just far enough to allow gas from the super-heater to escape through the notches 39 of the scallops. The gas as it passes upward through the coke, sprayed with the water from pipe 37, is cleaned and washed of certain of its impurities to a fairly pure state, such impurities and undesirable matter being caught in the trap 36.

A pipe 40 connects tank 32 with Ia second smallertank 41, and between the pipe 40 and latter tank 41 is interposed a housing 40l in which is a blower. Briefly, the blower is a shaft with a spirally formed blade or blades 40b with a belt pulley F for connection with the source of power which oper- -ates the machine. The purpose of the blower is to pull or suck the gas from the tank 32, and necessarily from the super-heater 29 and connections through pipe 40 into the tank 41 and force the gas outward through the machine.

Tank 41 is divided into several sections 42 with gratings 43 therebetween and provided with doors 44. This tank contains hay or analogous matter and further cleans and dries the gas.

Connecting the pipe 40 anda pipe 46 (referred to further on) is a valved by-pass pipe 45. The purpose of the pipe 45 is to provide a means for taking care of any excess pressure of gas above the normal production or as a regulating means and safety device. Thus, when the gas production reaches beyond a certain predetermined How or pressure (indicated by a gauge not shown) the valve 45, normally closed, will automatically open and the increased or surplus gas will pass back through the neck of pipe 46 through the lby-pass pipe 45, thence through pipe 40, blower 4Gb and into the tank 41 again and will continue this circuitous passage until normal pressure is again reached, whereupon the valve 45a will close. A normal amount of gas, however, has in the meantime continued to pass out through pipe'46.

From tank 41 the gas is carried by pipe 46 to a horizontal spirally bladed conveyor 47 in a housing 48, the conveyor being rotated by suitable power connected to apulley 49. The revolving blades of the con veyor whip the gas thorouUhly dry from any remaining moisture whic falls into the trap 50 and is drained off by pipe 51. Moisture from tank 44 is conveyed by pipe 52 to trap 36. Gas ready for use or storage is carried from the housing or cylinder 48 by pipe 53.

In operation, fuel is fed to the container 14 through the hopper 15 and as the fuel is consumed a fresh charge is delivered to the container by rotation of the section 16 of the fuel measure as previously explained. A fire having been started on the grate 6a to ignite the fuel, the worm 28 is thrown into gear by the clutch, imparting rotation to the container 14 and to the feeder 8a Fuel will then gravitate from the container 14 to the feeder 8"JL and through the hoods 10 to the fire bed. The rotation of the feeder and hoods `will distribute the fuel evenly over the fire bed, or grate which is also rotated at the same time. The conical upstanding grate will allow the clinkers to roll by gravity upon the platform 6. @wing to the formation and structure of the grate a better draft is provided than by a horizontal structure, the draft being further improved by the draft chamber A. The steam pipe E is for the purpose of injecting steam or vapor through the auxiliary draft chamber A which is designed to improve the quality of the gas.

Gases rising from the lire will be trapped in the upper portion of drum 8 from whence they will pass through pipes 30 to the superheater 29.

The intense heat of the super-heater will thoroughly dry the green gas and will gasify any particles of coal tar or creosote which may be contained in the gas and find its way through the pipes into the superheater.

From the super-heater 29 the gas is conducted through pipe 31 to tank 32 and` passes upward through the water-drenched coke, is cooled and cleaned, the impurities being caught and retained in the trap 36.

From' tank 32 the gas is conducted by pipe 40, drawn by the blower blades 401, to tank 41 where it is passed through the hay or other analogous matter and further cleaned, after which by pipe 46 the gas passes into the housing or cylinder 48 and whipped7 forced, or hurried therethrough in its final stage of purification, cleaning, cooling and drying, and the pure gas is ready for use ysectioned grate, a super-heater arranged in the drum in such a manner as to receive the maximum amount of heat from the fire, means for augmenting the draft, means for conducting the gas from the upper portion of the drum to the super-heater and means for conducting the gas from the super-heater.

2. A gas producer comprising a drum with a fire box and a retort, a water jacket surrounding the drum, means for feeding fuel to theV drum, a conical grate carried upon and revolvinor with a platform, means for rotating the platform and grate, an auxiliary draft chamber underneath the grate, a steam pipe connected with the water jacket and extended into the auxiliary draft chamber, a super-heater with a restricted passage disposed within the drum in such a manner as to receive the maximum amount of heat from the fire; means for conducting gas from the drum to the super-heater and lne-ans for conducting gas from the super-heater to a cleaning, cooling and drying means.

3. A gas producer for producing gas from lignite, including a casing, a conical grate in the casing for receiving the lignite thereon, means to rotatably support the grate, means to superheat the gas located directly above the apex of the conical grate, means to conduct the gas from the superheating means to clean, cool and dry the same, and means for effecting rotation of the grate in order to maintain the under side of the lignite while on the grate and during combustion thereof in a substantially conical formation. i

4, The herein described process for producing gas from lignite, which involves ignition of a bed of lignite of substantially conev shape on its under side and the constant rotation thereof to form gas, superheating the gas at a point adjacent to the apex of the under side of the bed, and then in conducting the gas after superheating to be cleaned, cooled and dried.

In testimony whereof 1 have signed my name to this specification.

- ELBERT M. BRAXTON.

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