US1614028A - Fuel-distilling apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Patented Jan. 11, 1927.

. e, 1,614,028 PATE-NT OFFICE.

FRANK E. HOBSON, OF BELLINGHAM, WASHNGTON.

Application led November 26, 1923. Serial No. 676,953.

Myinvention relates to improvements in fuel distillingapparatus andone of the objects of my improvements is to providea retort in which the destructive distillation of vegetable matter can be conducted and said material caused to pass through said retort under positive control whether said vegetable matter be sawdust or other comminuted wood waste, comminuted coal both coking and non-Coking, slack coal, also comminuted `lignite, peat, oil shale and the like; another object' of my improvements isl to force said material through the retort without causing dust to pass therefrom `into the gas-escape conduits; another object of my improve:

ments is -to confine said material within an annular chamber 1 n said retort and force .the movementof said material through said ing of the means used to produce'sa-id interior movements to also aid in passing heat through the mass of material; another object of my improvements is to provide for the easy escape of gas as soon as released from said material and the saving of the entirequantity of said gas; another object of my improvements is to provide 'for the separate withdrawal of gas liberated during the drying and initial heating of said material and the gas liberated during the subsequent stages ot' distillation; another object of my` improvements is to prevent combustion within the .retort with its accompanying loss of vfuel and degrading of the released gases; another object of my improvements 1s to provide an economical means of converting vegetable matter of low value into valuable products y including high-grade fuel; and afurther object vof my improvements is to provide distillation apparatus, for the purposes mentioned, simple and not expensive 1n desigmveasy to control, maintain and oper-f ate. e

I attain these objects with the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying sheet drawings, which forms a part of this speelfication and in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of my retortin section on a medial, vertical plane, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of F ig. 1 on the line 2-2.

Similar indices re=fer to similar parts. throughout. Certain parts are broken away for lack of space for the illustration or'to show other parts hidden thereby.

More particularly: The inner shell 3 of the retort is cylindrical with a hopper-form bottom a3. Retort cylinder 3 has three enlargements near its upper end. The first of these from below is at 4, the second is at 6 and the third is the hopper-form top 8. Annular enlargement 4 is entered by the cylindrical outlet of enlargement 6, said outlet being of same dia-meter as the main part of shell 3 ld is separate therefrom at its lower en to permit communication between the main body of the retort and said enlargement 4. Outlet 7 of hopper 8 is ofthe same diameter as the main body of 3 and enters enlargementtleaving space below its lower end for communication between the main body of the retort and said chamber 6. Said shell 3 and outlets 5 and 7 are in line andconstitute portions ofthe shell of said retort. Material chute 9 leads from a source of material supply, not shown, to lhopper 8. The bottom of retort 3 has flange 10 bearing on retort foundation 11. An outer wall 12 is cylindrical and concentric with retort shell 3, which it envelops with annular chamber a between. Wall 12 makes a. closure. of chamber al? below by joining anae 10, and it is closed above by joining shell V3 beneath enlargement 4. An annular enlargement 13 of wall 12 isentered by pi e 15 from furnace 14 and serves to distr' utethe hot gases of combustion from said furnace around shell 3 that they may more freely enter chamber a. Damper 16 inpipe 15 controls the rate of flow of said hot gases into chamber an. Saidhot gases find an exit fromv the top of chamber a12 through smoke pipe 17 leading to a stack not shown. Retort wall 12 is encased in n'onconducting outer wall 18. A helical baiile 19 encircles shell 3 and compels gases from furnace 14 to encircle shell 3 several times before reaching outlet 17. Gas

ipeA 20 constitutes an outlet from chamber 4L1)nt0 pipe 21 `which latter also is an outlet for Wan per 3. Gas pi ei23 is connected by a sli goint at w23 Wit the upper end-et gas co lector member a, and said slip joint is sealed with gland 34. Pipe23 leads through an exhauster to acondenser not shown. A. louvered gas collector is suspended within retort 3 centrally and is composed of three sets of conical rings concentric with a common axis. 'l'he members of the lower set 24 of these conical rings may be more /Widely spaced than the others and each by preference has a cylindrical upper exten* sion a. The middle set 25 of said conical rings may be most closely spaced and the ,upper ring of this-rsetnisclosed on top at a. The upper set 26 of said conical rings may be more widely spaced than said middle set and the upper ring thereof is closed at L26 around said pipe slip joint (1,23. Each of said three sets of conical rings is Jfastened to a single set of three vertical bars 27 which protrude beyond'both ends or" said sets ot rings thus united and their upper ends are fastened to ring 28. To ring 23 are fastened cables 29 which are fastened at the same place on lever 30 fulcrumed in pivot 3l.. The lower limits of the movement otsaid lever 30 around pivot 3l are controlled b v stop screw aan engaged in beam ha. Pivot 3l is mounted in an arm ot standard 40. A; flaring pipe 33 leads trom beneath the lower end of said louvered `dasv collector and passes through shells 3 and 12 and wall 1S to an exhauster and from thence to a condenser not shown. Pipe 33 is fastened to shell 3 by flanged ring (L33. 0n the upper end of pipe 33 is mounted slidewav ringa 32 on which the group of'tliree bars 2T slide and for which it provides a guide. stated, 34 is a gland for the slip joint on the inner end of 2gras pipe 23. A pluralityv ot heavy chains 35 depend from hand 3G and hang` vertically at spaced distances in the center of annular chamber L3 between shell 3 and the louvercd gas collector. Said chains reach nearly to the bottom ot shell 3. Ring 36 is supported by three cables Il? fastened thereto and'connected to a clevis pivoted to lever 38. liever 33 is pivoted at 39 to the upper l,end of standard 40. Stand ard 40 is Jfastened to the top ot post 41, which is fastened on and supported by hopper 8. ,Pipe 23 is clamped to post 4l at ai. liever 38 is free to turn on pivot 3.() downward till stopped by stop screw .38 which is engaged in beam 53B. ln this wav the lower limit of said lever movement is adjustable. Pulley 42 is mounted i'or revolution on shalt 43 which is fastened in bracket 44. ln said pulley is crank pin fr42 on which liar 45 is mounted. (lahle 4G connects with one end-of bar 45 at u. and is reeved over lead block 47 which is mounted for revolution on shai't n and the latl' i5 fastened in bracket 48. The other Leiaeae end of cable 46 is connected to lever 30. Lead pulleyv 49 is mounted for revolution on shal't a4 which is fastened in bracket 50. @ne end ot' cable 5l' is fastened to the other end of bar 45 at 645 and is reeved over pulleys 49 andA 52 and then vhas its other end fastened t0 lever 38. Cables 46 and 51 are preferably not taut but provided with slack as shown near lever 30. rlhis cable slack appears at lever 30 because this lever is bearing on stop e30. 1When lever 38 is bearing' on stop a38 said cable is taut at lever 30 and cable 5l is slack at lever 38.

-'l`he purpose ot this will be explained.

mounted for revolution on a bearing ina bracket also fastened to wall l1.' @n the shalt mounting sprocket Wheel 54 is fastened. power pulley 55 driven. by belt L55 from a source ol power not shown. A gang ot endless chains 57 is mounted on sprocket wheels 54 and 'lhese chains are adapte'd to pass 'overthe bottom of hopper a3 and dran' the contents thereof o'ut on to chute 58. The rate at which the material is removed by said'conveyor chains will depend on the size and number of the chains used and their rate of movement. Chute 58 conducts the material to a receptacle not shown.

When pulley42 is driven crank L42 causes bar 45 to more forth and back longitudinallv-through parallel positions. This causes cables 46 and 5l to reciprocate longitudinall'v and levers 30 and 38 are caused to os,- cillate therebyon their pivots. One lever moves upward as the other lever moves downward. Also, these movements are notl simultaneous because sufiicient slack is allowed in said cables to cause a period ot pause following each downward movement during which lever 30 bears on stop a,3o and lever 33 bears on stop a. By preterenee the length ot this pause is equal to thel eriod ot movement in order-that gas colector 24., 25. 26. which is raised by lever 30 and falls by its own weight, will remain stationary while chains 35 move; and also in order that said chains, which are raised by lever 38 and iall by their own weight, will remain stationary while the gas col lector moves. By preference, in practice l move the gas collector a short distance. onlyv about one-haltl inch, and the chains about Tour inches. Because of the ratchet-like contour of the gas collector. with the inclined side of its teeth upwardfwhen it moves Adownward most of the material in chamber 72" moves downward with it, but its upward movement stirs and tumbles the material more than 1t carries it upward. Because of the smoothl contour of the links of chains 35 and their weight, their slow movements cause a stirring, loosening and tumbling of the materialavith little `upward and more downward movement of the same.. This 4aids in the escape of gas from the material into the gas collector, prevents the formation of nodules of incrustations and moves the material downward as rapidly and only as rapidly as it is removed, thus avoiding unduly packing the material in the bottom of the retort.

Because of the'positive downward movement of all the material in chamber 3 the rate of removal of the carbon residue by conveyor 57 controls the movement of the material through the retort. ln practice, sawdust, which heretofore has presented insuperable ditliculties in destructive-distillation retorts, is treated without diiiiculty in my apparatus .and changed from fuel of low value to valuable byproducts and-high-grade fuel. Because of the described slow, recurrent 'and moderafte,moveinents within the material impelled in my apparatus no considerable quantity of dust enters the gas conduits. This is a serious difficulty in other retorts but, in practice, I have had no trouble from it. For these reasons my apparatus is well adapted forcontinuous operation on a commercial scale even when distilling sawdust and similar wood waste.

As the material moves downward in chamber b3 under the recurrent-urgings of chains and gas collector it packs more closely and on reaching hopper a3 it is well able to seal the openings, through which conveyor 57 operates against the entry of air. vBy the time the material reaches the lowest ring of the gasv collector it is relieved of its volatile content the last ot' which can enter the collector at this point. In the upper `part of chamber b3 the material is more loosely associated. For this reason external gas eollectors 4 and 6 yare used in connection with the interior gas collector in order to afford an easier escape for the gas liberated here into these collectors than the 'path through the material above and out ot hopper S Where it would be lost. The most volatile gas recovered enters the louvered collector between wider-separated rings 2G, and also enters external collectors 4 and (l. T he partition L25 separates the chamber in the louvered gas collector into a lower and npper part.' 'Thus this most volatile lgas is carried off in conduits 21 and 23. Fxcepting to this extent, no attempt is madel within the retort to separate the gaseous emanations or distilled by-products trom the material into grades. 'l`he greater part ot' th'e gas liberated enters the gas collector between middle rings 25. At this part ot the retortthe heat is sullicient to begin the'carbonzation of Wood products and also raise the temperature of peat, slack coal, and the like, to temperatures which liberate'their volatile content rapidly. Thus by the time the material has reachedA the upper ring 24 it is free of the bulk of its volatile content and in danger of being made too hotv for the remaining volatile content by the furnace ,gases` which l lirst` contact with the retort here. For this reason l prefer to space rings 24 more widely than the others. Then to insure against the entry ot' solid material within the gas collector chamber, collars w24 are added to the more widely-spaced rings 24. All gas entering the collector below partition @25 is, without difficulty, drawn oil through pipe 33. To do this, in practice,

an exhauster is not always used, although a low vacuum is found useful.

ln practice, l have found my retort with reciprocating chains and louvered gas collector cllective in distilling wood waste, peat, lignite, and slack from both anthracite and bituminous coals whether coking or noncoking. p Usually the solid residue from these materials is of more fuel 'value than was the whole material betere passing through the retort; and the byproducts recovered are usually of much greater value than the solids. l

Having thus disclosed myinvention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is-,-

l. ln a destructive-distillation retort in combinatioma vertical retort shell, means adapted to heat said retort shell, a louvered.

gas collector flexibly suspended centrally in in said retort shell, means adapted to shift said gas collector vertically whereby material in the retort chamber between said gas collector and said retort shell is caused to move downward in intermittent stages during distillation by the vertical shitting of said gas collector and the volatile lcontent ot' said material is liberated by heat from said heated retort shell and passes into said gas collector, and draw-oli' means for the volatiles in .said gas collector.

2. In a destructive-distillation retort in combination. a vertical retort shell, means adapted to heat said retort shell. a louvered gas collector flexibly suspended lvertically and centrally in said retort shell, means for shitting said gas collector vertically, means adapted to conduct material for distillation into the top ot the chamber between said' gas` collector and said retort shell, means adapted to withdraw Said material-continuously from the bottom of said retort. shell, and means adapted to withdraw gas as it collects in said gas collector. the material ted in at the top being caused to more downward through said retort between said retort shell and said gas collector by said shifting movement thereof in imermitteut stages during distillation is heated as itmoves, volatile 'collector and said retort shell, means adapt- :ed to shift said chains vertically in said chamber, and draw-ott' means for the gas from said `gas collector as it accumulates therein, the

' material in said retort chamber being caused to move downward therein during distilla-v tion by said shifting chains, the volatile content thereof being liberated by heat from said shell passes into said gas collector from which itis removed through the draw-oil 4. In a destructi've-distillation retort in combination, a vertical retort-shell, means adapted to heat said shell, a vertically shiftable louvered gas collector .flexibly suspendw ed centrally and vertically in said shell, a plurality of chains suspended vertically at spaced distances in said retort between said gas collector and said shell, means adapted to elevate said chains and said gas vcollector' alternately vertically, draw-oli' means for the gas from said gas collector as it accumulates therein, means adapted to conduct material adapted for distillation into the top of the chamber between said retort shell and said gas collector,"and means adapted to Withdraw said material continuously from the bottom of said chamber, the said material heilig caused to niove downward through said chamber during distillation by the shifting movements of said chains and said gas collector, the gaseous emanations liberated therefrom by said heat from 'said retort shell passing into said gas collector and being withdrawn therefrom and the carbonized material being continuously withdrawn "from .the lower part of said retort.

5. in a destructive-distillation retort in combination, a vertical retort shell, means adapted to heat said retort shell, a louvered gras collector adapted for vertical shifting movement consisting of superposed and spaced .conical rings vertically joined together and flexibly suspended centrally in guides in said retort, a plurality of spaced chains suspended vertically in, the retort chamber between said retort shell and louvcred gas collector, means adapted to shift vertically said gas collector and said chains aerienne in said -retort chamber, means adapted to conduct material into thetop of said retort chamber and Withdraw it from the bottom thereof continuously, and means to` conduct* gas 4froin said gas collector as it accumulates therein, the material, forced through said re` suspended vertically in the annular chamber between said louvered gas collector and said retort shell, mea-ns adapted tol vertically shift said louvered gas collector and said chains, means adapted to conduct material into the top of said retort chamber and Withdraw it from the bottom thereof continuouslyv,` and means to conduct gas from said gas collectors as it accumulates therein, the material While being passed through said retort, being distilled thereimthe gaseous emanation therefrom withdrawn` from the retort and the residue solids Withdrawn from the retort.

7. Destructive distillation apparatus comprising an annular retort chamber between a stationary cylindrical vertical Wall and 'an inner concentric louvered gascolleetor flexibly suspended and Avertically shiftable in vertical guides, means to conduct material suitable for distillation into the top of said chamber, means to withdraw continuously 'the solid residue from the bott/om of said chamber', means to vertically shift said suspended gas collector, means to conduct gas from said gas collector during shifting movements and means to heat said stationary wall. i

tl. ln a destructivedistillation retort in combination, a retort shell, a louvered gas collector suspended centrally and vertically mounted for vertical movements in said she-ll, a plurality ot' spaced chains suspended vertically in the retort chamber between YSaid `gas collector and said shell, means adapted to cause said gas collector and said chains to shift vertically alternately with a period of pause after a cycle of shifting movement of each, and means adapted to separately vary the length of said shifting movements and the length ofsaid periods of pause.

FRANK E. HBSON.

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