US155872A - Improvement in the manufacture of illuminating-gas - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets--Sheet 1'.

W. M. JACKSON. Manufacture'of Illuminating Gas.

Patented Och-13,1874.

mamas 4 2Sheets--Sheet2. W. M. JACKSON.

" Manufacture of Illuminating Gas.

No l55,87 2, \Patented0cit.13,I874.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()rrron.

WALTER M. JACKSON, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF lLLUMlNATlNG-GAS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 155,872, dated October 13, 1874; application filed June 27, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER M. JACKSON, of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Manufacture of Illuminating-Gas, of which the following is a specification:

The object of this invention is to provide an economical and convenient method of manufacturing illuminatinggas by decomposing steam and recombining its elements with hydrocarbons. It consists in the hereinafter-described process of distilling crude petroleum or other hydrocarbons, and using only the heavier fixed hydrocarbons of the same, the more volatile and aqueous portions, which are objectionable for the manufacture of gas, being eliminated in such a manner as to render its value as an illuminating-oil equal to the whole value ,of the crude petroleum, thereby saving the almost total cost of the hydrocarbon used. It also consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts and the manipulation of the reagents, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

Figure l is a front elevation of my improvet apparatus. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation. Fig. 41s a horizontal section of the retort taken on the line as w of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a cross-sea tion of the retort taken on the line 3 y of Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is a furnace or bench having a tapered cylindrical retort, B, placed obliquely through the main flue (J, said retort being made of iron or other suitable material, also larger at the lower end than at the upper end, with a gradual and regular swell from the up per to the lower end, and having a central perpendicular partition, I), of same material separating it into two chambers, the lower end touching the lower end of the retort, but

the upper one falling short of the upper end of the retort a sufficient distance to allow the gas to pass from one chamber of the retort around the partition to the other chamber. Each end of the retort is to be closed by an iron door, E F, set up by means of luting and cutter bars G so as to make gas-tight joints. Below the retort is a thin fire-brick partition,

H, underwhich partition is located the fire and lower portion of the fine, which runs parallel with the retort as far as its upper end, then crosses it-and passes down over the retort to its lower end, there meeting the chimney or main exit I. Before reaching the chimney or main exit the flue is divided into three fines. First, the main flue or chimney; second, the boilerflue J, or that which passes the heat to the boiler K, for the purpose of generating steam therein; and third, the oilflue L, or that which passes the heat to the oil-tank M, for the purpose of distilling off the light portions of the oil. All these lines are supplied with valves or dampers, the dampers so situated that the whole volume of heat may be passed through any one of the three fines, or two, or all three, or divided so as to get any desired temperature upon the boiler or oiltank, or be shut off altogether from one or both. Over the boiler-flue a tubular boiler, K, or other kind, is set, with a suitable smokepipe leading to the main chimney, and entering it above the main chimney-damper or cutoff. Over the oil-flue an oil-tank, M, for distilling the oil, is set, and also provided with a smoke-pipe escaping into the chimney, and having a damper in it.

The boiler, the retort, and the oil-tank are thus heated by one fire, the fines being so arranged that all the heat must pass the retort before it is used to make steam or distill the oil.

The boiler is supplied with a suitable safety valve, 0, steam-gage P, and cooks to determine the presence of water in the boiler, and the height of the water, and connected by steanrpipe Q with chamber R of the retort conveying steam to it.

The oil-tank may be made of iron or tin, either round or square, and with a fixed or adjustable cover, to close the top air-tight. In the cover is located a filling-tube, S, with proper stopper, through which the oil is poured into the tank. From the top of the cover or the top side of the tank a pipe, T, leads down to the bottom of a tank, U, or condenser, loeated much lower than the oiltank, for receiving and condensing the light oils and watery vapors expelled from the oiltank. A cock is placed in this condenser about halfway up its side, to draw off the oil, while the water may be drawn off from the bottom. The oil-tankhas a cock, W, near the bottom, discharging into the funnel Y of a siphon, Z, which discharges into the upper end of chamber R of the retort to conduct the heavy oil into it. Through the cover of the oil-tank a suitable thermometer, a, is fixed, with its bulb in the oil, to give at a glance the temperature of the oil. At the lower end of the retort, and below it, is placed a trap or dry well, I), sealed tight, having a cock, V, at the bottom, and also having two perpendicular pipes, 01 0, leading into its top, one from the lower end and under side of chamber R in the retort, and. the other from the other chamber. The object of these pipes is to clear the chambers in the retort of any condensation that may take place in them. A pipe, f, connects the top side and lower end of chamber R of the retort with the hydraulic main g.

The process is as follows: The chamber R of the retort is filled with crystallized carbon or graphite, or coke, or prepared carbon, and the chamber R with ordinary broken red-clay bricks or other suitable porous material, or left empty, the object of the brick being to become carbonized, and thus rendered fit to be placed in the first side of the retort. They have no influence for or against the gas product while in chamber R. I A fire is then made in the fire-chamber, the retort is sufficiently heated, the water in boiler is raised to the required quantity of steam, and the temperature of the oil raised properly for distillation. When the steam is at a pressure of about eighty pounds, more or less, to the square inch eighty pounds being considered the best pressureit is turned into the chamber R, where, by passing through the incandescent carbon material, it is decomposed, forming hydrogen and carbonic-oxide gases. These gases then pass around the upper end of the retort-partition, where they are met by the heavy hydrocarbon oil running in through the retort, whereby they are carbureted, and thus given illuminating power, and in passing down the second chamber the gases and hydrocarbon are fused into a fixed illuminating-gas, and then discharged into the hydraulic main g.

By experiment it has been found that the lighter or spirit parts of crude petroleum oil and the free water which are frequently found mixed with the crude oil, are decidedly objectionable, both condensing from the gas- To correct this diificulty, and, at the same time, to make economical use of crude oil, I have made the oil-tank with suitable connections and apparatus for distilling off the lighter products and water from the oil, using as a carbureting material the heavy oil only. To do this I have arranged, as before stated, the oilflue, so regulating the heat by damper and thermometer that I can keep the oil in the oiltank at a proper temperature-about 212 Fahrenheit-to drive off the spirit and water,

which I afterward condense by means of cold water. When theheat is applied to the oil the lighter portions of the oil and water will rise and escape from the surface, and, being heavier than air, they will fall through the conducting-pipe to the condenser, and there, by being contracted by cooling, they are liquelied, and the spirit, being of less specific gravity than the water, will float on its surface, while the aqueous vapor or steam will condense to form water and mingle with the water already in the condenser. A stop-cock is located mid way on the condenser, and it is intended that this shall be the water-line. Now, it will be seen that as the spirit accumulates on the surface of the water it may be drawn off when desired. It is also desirable to place a stop-cock at the bottom side of the condenser for convenience in drawing off the water; also a fillingtube at the top of the condenser for supplying the water, or the whole condenser may be located in and surrounded by still or running waterI By this method of handling the carbureting material it may be seen that the light products may be sold for as much as the whole cost, and as the heat which distills the oil is heat which would otherwise have been wasted, carbureting material costs but little or nothing; also, it may be seen that the spirit and free water in the crude oil are effectually prevented from prejudicial action on the gases by being wholly removed. 7

Now, as the hydrocarbon oils are, in general, free from sulphur and other objectionable ingredients, and as by my process I do not require to condense or wash or purify my illuminating-gas, I am enabled to do away with the ordinary lime-purifiers, washers, and condensers with which coal-gas is treated; also, as my fire for maintaining the incandescent state of my prepared carbon in my retort is outside the retort, I lose no time in the production of my gas and have no difficulty in maintaining any desired heat; and, by using prepared carbon, I am enabled to run steam through it for an indefinite length of time without fusing, consumin g, or reducing to ashes the carbon; also, I am enabled to manufacture a fixed illuminat- .ing-gas with great rapidity, and at a very trifling expense.

The works, constructed as above, may be erected upon a larger scale, sufficient to supply illuminating or heating gas for the largest city consumption, or portable and small enough to supply a residence or one burner.

I am aware that it is not new to charge brick and analogous porous material with carbon, nor to use porous material saturated with hydrocarbons for carbureting water-gas, nor to use coke or coal for decomposing steam, and, therefore, I do not claim these processes; but

What I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 1 1. In the manufacture of illuminating and heating gas, the process of decomposing steam by passing the same under a high degree of heat through solid porous material which has been previously treated with a heavy hydrocarbon in such a manner as to charge the porous material with carbon, substantially as specified.

2. In the manufacture of illuminating-gas, the process of distilling ofi the lighter portions of petroleum-oil or other similar hydrocarbon, to use the residuum or paraffine alone for carbureting hydrogen and carbonic-oxide gases, substantially as described.

3. An apparatus combined upon a single furnace or fire, consisting of a tapering inclined retort, 13, having a partition, D, the oil-receptacle M, having an incasing-chamber of hot air communicating with the smoke-pipe and also with the main flue of the furnace, the steamboiler K, having the connections J N, the whole constructed and arranged with dampers and flues, so as to be operated by one fire, substantially as described, and for the purpose of manufacturing illuminating and heating gas.

WALTER M. JACKSON. Witnesses:

J OHN G. PURKIs, HENRY MARTIN.

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