US1558671A - Retort apparatus for the treatment of materials such as shale, coal, and the like - Google Patents

Description

ocr. 27, 192s. 11,558,611

l W. GUY-PELL' ,RETORT APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF MATERIALS SUCH AS SHALE,

A GOAL, AND THE LIKE A Filed July 17. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 per A2z', 1925.

, W. GUY-PELL RETORT APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT 0F MAT COAL AND THE Filed July 17.

tix

Patented 27,119.25.-

UNITED STATES 15587671 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM GUY-PEU., oF LONDON, ENGLAND.

RETORT APPARATUS FOR' THE TREATMENT MATERIALS AND THE LIKE.

Application tiledr July 17,

To all whom, 'it may camera:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM GUY-PEEL, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at London, England, have invented Improvements in or Relating to Retort Apparatus for the Treatment of Materia-ls such as Shale, C0al,and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for the heat treatment of shale, coal and other carbonaceous or like materials.

In retorts where large masses of material are to be dealt with, the diculty of heating the same at the centre is Well recognized, especially when low temperature retorting conditions are to prevail, this being due to the inherentl low heat conductivity of the materials. -To overcome this, it has been proposed, in various ways, to more or less subdivide the mass by means of walls of better heat conducting characteristics extending into the mass, thereby obtaining a more equable heating of .the same.

In some cases these walls are constituted by ribs forming an integral part of the retort, but the construction is anv expensive one if such plurality of ribs is rovided as is desirable to thoroughly subdlvide the mass. -Moreover this construction does not readily permit of renewal of worn out parts `being efected, while no .provision is made for expansion or contraction.

According to thev present invention, for the purpose ofsubdividing the mass of inateral to be heated, there is provided-a plurality of ducts, the distance between the walls of which is small in relation to the total cross sectional area of the ducts, the said ducts being contained'in a single orI common heating zone through the whole length of which they extend and being free to expand and contract either individually or collectively;

Thefwalls lof the ducts maybe of any suitable shape, but vmay advantageously be constituted by\ tubes of circular cross section which are preferred on the score of costv Vof manufacture.

Apparatus according to the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereof Figs. l and 2 are vertical sections at right angles one to another, of one con- Astructional arrangement thereof. Fig 3 is a sectionaldetail view to alarger scale.

As 'hereshowm the retort comprlses a SUCH AS SHALE, COAL,

1924. Serial No. 726,511.

heating zone consist-ing of a vertical casing or chamber a havmg an upper stationary' horizontal wall vformed by a tube plate b of metal surmounted bv a dome or cover c having a hopper d orinletr forthe continuous or intermittent supply of the material, and a gas outlet e.` Suspended from the tube plate b abre a plurality of ducts or tubes f. These tubes f may be flanged to rest upon the tube b and may either extend freely through a lower tube plate g that is fixed, or be secured to such a tube platev which, as illustrated, is of a floating nature, exemplified as having a skirt It' which telescopes within a metal casing i that surmounts a receiver rm, for spent shale or the like. The lower en d of the receiver is provided with an outlet through which the l from a furnace or gas producer s, shown as` situated at one side of thecasing a. The gas`inlet and outlet and the furnace or gas producerl can however be otherwise arranged. `Care should be taken to prevent the tubes being heated to too great a degree. The dome or cover c and casing or chamber a may be provided with suitable cleany ing and inspection openings with doofls. Also, the ltubes f may be` providedexternally with scra ers for keeping them clean, the Scrapers being operated by hand or by power, or the-tubes may be cleaned l periodically by steam or air` jets.

Any convenient means may be employed to agitate material whilst it is Within the tubes, as for instance spiral pokers, of-.which one is indicated at I? adapted to be operated, as by a crank t1, one whereof is common to those pokers that are arranged with their I ends in a straight row.' Or the material may be forced intermittently or continuously through the tubesy f. The inlet Iends of the ,tubes may, in some cases, be slightly restrict- Fig. 3, in order the material Within the tubesymay be ed, asindicated at f1 that expandA upwards.

' described.

less liable to choke than be the case.

Instead of fixing the tubes to a lower movable tube plate, as hereinbefore described, and' as shown in the drawings, so that they can expand downwards, they may be lixed at their lower ends to a stationary tube plate and be xed to an upper movable tube plate, or be free to move endways through a stationary upper tube plate, `so that they can Also, the' tubes f and their casing or chamber a, instead of `'being arranged vertically as shown ranged horizontally, or be inclined, and means be provided for forcing the material to be treated through the tubes.

What I c laim is 1. A retort comprising a casing having an inlet for the heating medium at one side and an outlet therefor at the oppositeside, a stationary tube plate forming an end wall of the casing, a chamber adjacent said tube plate having an inlet for material to be heated and an outlet for gas or vapour, a plurality of tubes extending from said tube plate substantially throughout said casing and through which material from said chamber passes, a receiver for spent material at the end of the casing opposite to that at which the chamber aforesaid is located,.and into which receiver the said tubes discharge, the tubes forming a-single group around all` ofwhich collectively the eating medium" flows, and means whereby spent material can radually be discharged from the receiver a' oresaid, substantially as would otherwise 2. A retort comprising a vertical casing having aninlet for the heating medium at one side and an outlet therefor at the opposite side, a horizontal stationary tube plate at the top of the casing, a chamber surmounting the said4 tube plate having an inlet for material to be heated and an outlet for as or vapour, a plurality of tubes suspen ed from "said tube plate and through which material from said chamber passes, a receiver at the bottom of .the casing, for vrreception vof spent material, into which the werends of the said tubes discharge and am outlet in said receiver for ejecting the .spent material, the tubes forming a single roup around all of which collectively the eating medium Hows, the material to be may be ar-l material from said chamber passes, a receiver for reception of spent material and into which the lower ends of the. said tubes discharge, and. means whereby spent material can be gradually discharged fromthe receiver aforesaid, substantially as described.

4. A retort comprising a vertical casing having an inlet for heating medium at one side and an outlet therefor at the opposite side, a horizontal stationary tube plate at the top of the casin r, a chamber surmounting the said tube p ate and having an inlet for material to be heated and an outlet for gas or vapour a plurality of tubes suspended from said tube Cplate and through which material from sai chamber passes, a receiver for lreception of spent material from such tubes, and a floating tube plate sumountin "said receiver, .and in which tube plate the ower ends of the tubes are secured, substantially as described.A`

5.` A retort comprising a vertical casing,

a horizontal stationary tube plate. at the top thereof, a chamber surmounting the said tube late, and having an inlet for material to be eated and an outlet for gas or va our, a `pluralit of tubes suspended from sai tube plate and through which material from said chamber passes, a floating tube plate to which'the lower ends of the tubes are secured and having a skirt, a receiver beneath the oating tube plate for reception of spent material, and a casing sui-mounting the re-4 ceiver and into which the"y skirt of the floating tube plate telescopes, substantially as described. v

e Signed at London, of July 1924.

WILLIAM eruit-.Plinn engaa this third day

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