US1704229A - Regenerative heating structure - Google Patents

Description

March 5, 1929. J, VAN ACKEREN 1,704,229

REGENERATIVE HEATING STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 23, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet l w /f/ f4 March 5, 1929. 1, VAN ACKEREN 1,704,229

REGENERATIVE HEATING STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 23, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 f f 27 c 6'@ ZZUQZZ for 4 Sheets-Sheet `Filed Feb. 23, 1923 IlVG 2 MIHHMH-{1::1: :i--l-------.

March s, 1929. Lv VAN ACKERN 1,704,229

v REGENERATIVE HEATING STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 23. 1925 .4 Shoots-Sheet 4 lig/ Patented Mar. 5, 1929.

UNITED STATES A y *1,704,229 PATENT oFFlce.

JOSEPH'. VAN ACKEILEN, OF PITTSBRGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 THE KOPPEBS COMPANY, VO1" PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

BEGENERATIVE HEATING STRUCTURE.

This invention comprehends improvements in regenerative heating apparatus generally and relates particularly to apparatus that is especially adapted for distill- 5 ing carbonaceous materials. The invention has for an object the provision of a construction that is thoroughly efficient in operation and which will produce high grade y coke, when employed for distilling coal, and

effect a substantially complete by-product recovery by a distilling operation conducted with great conservation of heat.

Important characteristics of the invention are: the provision of a system of combustionin the flame or combustion flues of the heating walls of the distilling chambers, by which system flame or combustion is maintained concurrently in all of the flues of each heating wall, with periodic reversal in direction of flow of the heating gases and the attainment of efficient combustion and heating effects in each direction of theV flow of the heating gases, andA With substantially direct connections between a comlete reversible regenerative system and iioth the upper and lower ends of the vertical flame flues, such connections eliminating any necessity for the employment of gasflow distributing `channels betweeny the regenerators and the horizontal or bus-fines that are located at the upper and lower ends of the flame flues; the construction and arrangement of the regenerative system and connection of the same with the flues in such manner as to attain great etlicienc in heat conservation and equality in distribution of the heating effect in the several distilling chambers of the battery; a ready. adaptability for ,operation with an extraneous y derived gas such as producer" gas or blast furnacegas, for fuel, with regenerative heating of the flue gas in some of the regenerators without any countercurrent flow between the incoming fuel gas and the outflowing waste gas, so that waste of the fuel gas is avoided.

In addition to the general objects recited above, the invention has for further objects such other improvements and advantages in construction and operation -as are foundto obtain in the structures and devices hereinafter described or cla1med.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and showing, for.

purposes of exemplificntion, a preferred form and manner in which the invention may be embodied and practiced, but without limiting the claimed invention to such illustrative instance or instances Figure l is a composite vertical sectional and elevational view of a vertical retort construction embodying features above specified and constructed in accordance with the improvements of the present invention, the View being taken in the several vertical planes indicated by the lines C-G, D.D, E-E, and F-F of Figs. 2, 3 and 4;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation of the retort construction taken in a plane indicated by the line A-A of Fig. 4;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional elevation of the retort construction taken in a plane indicated by the line B-B of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 4 is a composite horizontal sectional view taken in the different horizontal planes indicated by the lines H-H and G--G of Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

The same characters of reference designate the same parts in each of the several views of the drawings. y

In its present embodiment, the invention is incorporated in a vertical retort construction for producing metallurgical coke and one that is especially designed for the employment of an extraneously derived gas,V such as lproducer gas or blast furnace gas, for fuel. For convenience, the present description will be confined to this embodiment of the invention; features of construction and operation are, however, capable of other valuable applications, for example, to apparatus generally useful in the heat treatment of materials or to constructions embodying the combination principle exemplified in my co-pending application for Letters Patent of the United States for vertical retort battery, filed February 4, 1921, Serial No. 4442,3:37' consequently the invention is not conned in its scope to the specific use and embodiment herein de- 100 scribed as an illustrative example.

Referring to the drawings, there are illustrated views of a vertical retort battery of the by-product type, as hereinbefore mentioned. The vertical retort battery A em- 106 bodies in its construction a series of distilling chambers, such 'as the series 11 of vertical elongated retorts or coking chambers, the retorts of such series bein contiguous to intermediateV heating wa ls 12 11o" corresponding to the respective series of retorts 11. 'fhe heating walls and the retort chambers extend to a great height as compared with their respective widths and assembly, whereas the refrenerators extend in series along the other side of the battery assembly, 'as will hereinafter appear. The heating walls 12 form the side Walls of the respective retorts 11, as shown more particularly in Figs. 1 and 3, and the outer ends of the respective retorts as well as the heating walls are reinforced by side refractory walls designated generally by the reference character 15.

The coal to be coked is chargedpinto the u per end of the retorts 11 through the c arging holes 23, and the completed coke is discharged through the openings 26 at the bottoms of said retorts. .Because of the great height of the retorts as compared with their width and cross-wise dimensions, the retort battery is preferably employed ,as a continuous vertical retort. W en sJ employed, a continuous li'eed of carbonaceous material may be maintained through the re torts 11, with continuous discharge of the inished coke fromvthe bottoms o? said retorts. If desired a suitable form of coke handling and discharging agparatus may be employed for receiving an handling the coke as it drops from the bottoms ot said retorts, for example apparatus such as is show-n and described in my prior ap licationfor Letters Patent of the United tates for regenerative heating structure, filed July 24, 1922, Serial No. 576,985. f

The heat for coking the charges of coal in the several retorts l1 is derived from the heating walls 12 corresponding to said retorts. Each heating wall 12 is constituted ot a plurality of verticali'lame or combustion flues 37 that are operatively disposed in single Groups in their respective heating walls. of each heating wall operate concurrently for flow in the same direction i infact, the llow is in the same direction during a reversal period throughout the entire system of flues of the battery, as will hereinafter appear.

The regenerators 38 are located on that side of the battery lopposite from the retorts 1l and heating Walls 12 and are separated from said retorts and heating walls by the media( e wall structure 16. As shown in Fig.

3, the regenerators are located in a singleseries along one side of the battery, with the major' vertical planes of the regenerators parallel with the ma jor vertical planes of the retorts and heating walls. Operatively, the series of regenerators 38 is disposed into two groups R and S, each such group R, S comprising four regenerators taken seriatuin, and the regenerators comprising the groups R alternating with the regenerators comprising the grou s" S. 'When the several regenerators vconstituting the group R are op erating for inflow, that is to say, for delivering preheated aseous media to the lues of the heating wa 1s, the several rcgenerators oi' the other groups S are o erating tor outilow to extract heat from tlie flue gases discharged into the regenerators from the llues. On reversal of the battery, at the end of an operating period determined by practice, the inflow regenerators become outflow regenerators and the outflow regenerators become inflow 're generators.

Each regenerator 38 is preferably a high narrow vupright chamber containing open brickwork, commonly called eheckerwork and indicated at 40 with a sole channel 41 underneath such checkerwork, the channels 4l forming the soles of such chambers and opening up into the checkerwork. The several regenerators are heated by the hot combustion products that are exhausted from the flame or combustion flues hereinbefore mentioned and then, on reversal, impart such heat to the medium that they feed into these flame flues.

In the operation of the battery, according to the present embodiment of the invention which employs an extraneously derived gas, such as producer gas for fuel, the several rcgenerators constituting the group R, when in inllow operation, deliver air and fuel gas to the flame flues during the period when the latter are operating for upflow combustion; these regenerators R receive the exhaust gases from the llame lues a'lter reversal, that is to say, during the period when the flame lilies are operating for dowu flow combustion. On the other hand, the several regenerators constituting the group S operate for inlowof air and fuel gas to deliver the same to the llues when the lat- 'ter are operating for downllow combustion, hat 1s to say, all of the heatmg lues and the said regenerators S operate tor outflow to receive the exhaust gases from the lues during the period when the latter are operating for upflow combustion. This method of operation requires the regenerators R to be connected with the lower ends of the flame lues 37 and the regeuerators S to beconnected with the upper ends ot said flame flues. The several regenerators of each group R and S are constituted of air regenerators A and gas regcnerators P, when operating for inflow, and all the regenerators of each group areV constituted of waste gas regenerators W when o erating for outflow. However` the several) regenerators R operate for inflow while at the same time the several regenerators S operate for outflow and, on reversal of the flow throu h the flame flues, the several regenerators are switched to the inflow function while concurrently the other regenerators R are switched to the outow function.

In accordance with the invention, and as shown in Fig. l, the oducer gas regenerators P of each group or S are constituted of the two inside regenerators of their respective groups; whereas the air regenerators A of the groups R and S are constituted of the two outside regenerators of their respective groups. inasmuch as the groups R alternate with .the groups S and when the regenerators of the groups R are operating for inflow, several regenerators of the group S are operatin for outflow, and vice versa, and because of the arrangement of the inflow fuel gas regenerators as the inside regenerators of their respective groups, only the air regenerators A of the inflow groups will be adjacent to and in countercurrent relation with the waste gas regenerator W, whether the group R or S be operating for iniiow. Consequently any countercurrent relation of flow between adjacent regenerators, in any operation of the battery, is only between air and waste gas regenerators and never between waste gas and fuel regenerators, with the result that there is practically no liability for the yfuel gas to become short circuited and pass into the waste gas regenerators, where it would be wasted. The present grouping of the inflow fuel gas regenerators to avoid this countercurrent relation with the waste gases flowing out through the waste gas regenerators is an important advantage because it practically eliminates any waste of fuel gas, inasmuch as the fuel gas regenerators are located remotely from any region where conditions of pressure differential must be maintained in the operation'of the battery. The operating conditions in regenerative heating structure practice require a pressure in the outflow regenerators somewhat less thanA that of the inflow regenerators and, in the construction of the present invention, only the inflow air regenerators are exposed to any losses' which might accrue due to this pressure differential. In the case of the incoming air, however, any loss from short circuiting into the waste gas regenerators is practically negligible in the economy of the battery operation.

The several regenerators A of the groups R lead at their upper ends into vertical feed channels 53. These vertical feed channels 53 extend down to a level just above the lower ends of the llame tlues 37 and there communicate with forked ducts 54, one fork of each duct 54 being connected with the horizontal ilue 55 of a heating wall and the other fork of said duct being connected with the corresponding horizontal flue of an adjacent heating wall. With this construction, each regenerator A' of the groups R is connected with the lower ends of the llame llues 37 of a pair of adjacent heating walls, and all the llame flues of the battery are thus provided with direct connections with regenerators that supply air to the lines, Whenever upilow combustion is maintained in the flues. The horizontal flues 55 extend beneath and are directly connected with the lower ends of the llame flues 37.

The several regenerators P of the groups R lead at their upper ends into vertical feed channels 63. These vertical feed channels 63 extend down to a level just below the lower ends of the flame flues 87 and there communicate with forked ducts 64, one fork 0f each duct 64 being connected with the horizontal flue 65 of a heating wall and the other fork of said duct being connected with the corresponding horizontal flue of an adjacent heating wall. With this construction, each regenerator P of the groups R is connected with the lower ends of the flame fines 37 of a pair of adjacent heating walls, and all the flame lues of the battery are thus provided with direct connections with regenerators that supply fuel gas to the flues, whenever upflow combustion is maintained in the iues. The horizontal flues 'G5 extend beneath and are directly connected with the lower ends of the flame ilues v37.

The several regenerators A of the groups S lead at their upper ends into forked' ducts 74. one fork of each duct 74 being connected with the upper horizontal flue 7 of a heating wall and the other fork of said duct being connected with the corresponding horizontal flue of an adjacent heating wall. With this construction, each regenerator A of the groups S is connected with'the upper ends of the flame lues 37 of a pair of adjacent heating walls, and all t-he flame flues of the battery are thus provided with direct connections with regenerators that supply air to the flues, whenever downlow combustion is maintained in the flues. The horizontal lines 75 extend above and are directly connected with the upper ends of the flame lines 3?..

The several regenerators P of the groups S lead at their upper ends into forked ducts 84, one fork of each duct 84 beine' connected with the upper horizontal flue 85 of a heating wall and the other fork of said duct being connected with the corresponding horizontal flue of an adjacent heating wall. With this construction, each regenerator P of the groups S is connected with the upper ends of the flame llues 37 of a pair of adjacent heating walls, and all the flame llues of the battery are thus provided with direct connections with regenerators that supply fuel gas to the lues, whenever downflow combustion is maintained in the flues. The horizontaltlues 85 extend above and are directly connected with the upper ends of the flame fines 37,.

Extending longitudinally of the battery is a waste gas tunnel or stack flue 86, the

4waste gas tunnel 86serving for either of the groups R or S of regenerators, when operating as waste gas generators for .the outflow of the waste gases. The said waste gas tunnel 86 leads to the' usual waste gas stack. There are provided the usual flow boxes for controlling the flow between the.

waste gas regenerators and said tunnel 86, as well as lids for admitting air to such of the regenerators as are supplying air to the flues. A fuel gas main is also provided with individual valve connections to the several regenerators P of both groups R and S. The control of the. flow of the waste gas, the fuel as and the air may conveniently be effectd byi mechanism such as is `shown' and described in my said prior application Serial No. 576,985.

The `operation of the retort battery, as-

suming that a relatively lean or dilute gas,

' flues. The regenerators A of the groups R are employed for preheating the air to sup- A port the combustion Vof the gas in the lues. lConcurrently, all the regenerators of the lgroups S operate for outflow, or as waste gas regenerators W.l The air and fuel gas passes upwardly through the regenerators A and P of the groups R, thence downwardly through the vertical feed channels 53 and 63, thence into thel forked ducts 54 and 64 which deliver the air and fuel gasto the horizontal lues 55 and 65. From said horizontal lues 55 and 65 .the air and fuel gas pass into the lower ends of the ame lines 37. Passing upwardly through the llues 37, the fuel gas burns inthe air supplied from the horizontal flues 55. At the `tops of the flues, the waste gases pass out through the upper horizontal lues 75 and 85, thence through the upper forked ducts 74 and 84 which deliver l'said waste gases into the regenerators of the groups S. Passing downwardly through the regenerators S, the waste gases finally flow into the Waste gas tunnel 86. On reversal of the battery, the low is eX- actly reversed through the flow passages just described. v' The regeneratorsA and P of the group S deliver to the tops of the tlues the air and fuel gas and the waste gases from said lues exhaust from the bottom thereof into the tops of the regenerators of the group R. Flowing downwardly through said regenerators, the waste gases ultimately pass through their open flow boxes into the Waste gas tunnel. Y

rlhe by-products and distillate gases from the several retorts or coking chambers 11 pass out of the tops of' said retorts through ascension pipes individual to the respective retorts 11. These ascension pipes carry the distillate and by-products to a collecting main, such as is diesclosed in my said prior application, through which main the distillate and by-products may pass to the byproduct recovery apparatus.

The invention as hereinabove set forth may be variously embodied within the scope of the claims hereinafter made.

l. In a retort battery, in combination: a row of alternate high narrow retort chambers and heating walls therefor forming one side of the battery; a row of highnarrow regenerators parallel with and adjacent to the rst mentioned row and forming the opposite side of the battery; each of said retort chambers being adapted to receive through its top the charge to be coked and to discharge through its bottom the coked charge; said heating walls being respectively constituted of substantially vertical combustion flues; each of the combustion lues being adapted for alternate upflow and downlow combustion simultaneously in the same direction as in each of the other combustion flues in the 'same Wall therewith; upper pairs of horizontal fines respectively connected with the tops of the combustion iues; lower pairs of horizontal flues respectively connected with the bottoms of the combustion flues; said regenerators being divided into two groups, the regenerators of one group'serving the combustion fines for down flow combustion and the regenerators of the other group serving said llues for upflow combustion, each group pf regenerators when operating for inflow comprising both fuel gas and air regenerators, the fuel gas and air regenerators of the downfiow combustion group being connected respectively by forked duct means located between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts and heating walls with one upper horizontal llue of each of a pair of adjacent heating walls, and the fuel gas and air regenerators of the upilow combustion group being connected respectively by vertical channel and forked duct means located between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts and heatfing walls with one lower horizontal iiue of each of a pair of adjacent heating walls; substantially as specified.

2. In a vertical r'etort battery, in combination: a row of alternate high narrow retort chambers and heating walls therefor forming one side of the battery; a row of regenerators parallel with and adjacent to the first mentioned row and forming the opposite side of the battery; each of said retort chambers being adapted to receive through its top the charge to be coked andto discharge through its bottom the coked charge; said heating walls being respectively constituted of substatntially vertical combustion fines; each of the combustion fiues being adapted for alternate upiow and downflow combustion simultaneously in the same direction as in each of the other combustion iues in the same wall therewith; upper pairs of horizontal flues respectively communicably connected with the tops of the combustion fines; lower pairs of horizontal lues respectively connected with the bottoms of the combustion nues; said regenerators being dividedv into two groups, the regenerators of one group-serving the combustion fines for down l'ilowyscornbustion and the re enerators of the other group serving said ues for upiow combustion, each group of regenerators when operating for inflow coml prising both fuel gas and air regenerators,

the fuel gas and air regenerators of the downow combustion group being connected respectively by forked duct means located between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts and heating walls with one upper horizontal flue of each of a pair of adjacent heating walls, and the fuel gas and air regenerators of the upflow combustion group being connected respectively by vertical channel and forked duct means located between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts and heating walls 'with one lower horizontal flue of each of a pair of adjacent heating walls; substantially as specified.

3. In a vertical retort battery; in combination: a row of'alternate high narrow retort chambers and heatingwalls therefor forming one side of the battery; a row of regenerators parallel with and adjacent to the first mentioned row and forming the opposite side of the battery; each of said retort chambers being adapted to receive through its top the charge to be coked and to discharge through its bottom the coked charge; lsaid heating walls being respectively constituted of substantially vertical combustion lues; each of the combustion flues being adapted for alternate upfiow and downflow combustion simultaneously in the same direction as in each of the other combustion iues in the same Wall therewith; upper pairs of horizontal {iues respectivelyl connected with the tops of the combustion Iiues; lower pairs of horizontal iues respectively connected with the bottoms of the combustion tiues; said re enerators being divided into two groups; t e regenerators ofone group serving the combustion ues for downlow tors, the fuel combustion and the regenerators of the other group serving said fines for upflow combustion, the regenerators of the downiiow combustion Group being connected respectively by for ed duct means located between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts and heating walls with one upper horizont-alfine of each of a pair of adjacent heating walls, and the regenerators of the upflow combustion grou being connected respectively by vertical) channel and forked duct means, located between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts and'heating walls, with one lower horizontal flue'of each of a pair of adjacent heating walls; substantially as specified.

4. In a vertical retort battery, in combination: a row of alternate -high narrow retort chambers and heating walls therefor forming one side of the battery; a row of regenerators parallel with and adjacent to the first mentioned row and forming the oppo- 'site side of the battery; each of said retort chambers being adapted to receive throuvh its top the charge to be coked and to discharge through its bottom the coked charge; said heating walls being respectively constituted of substantially vertical combustion iiues; each of the combustion flues being adapted for alternate upflow and downow combustion simultaneously in the same direction as in each of the other combustion fiues in the same wall therewith; said re' generators being divided into two groups, the regenerators of one group serving the com# bustion ilues for downow combustion and the regenerators of the other group serving said ilues for. upflow combustion, leach group of regenerators when operatingzfor iniow comprising both fuel gas and air regeneraas and air regenerators of the downlow comustion group being connected respectively by forked duct means located betweenthe row of regenerators and the row of retorts and heating walls with the upper ends of the ame ues of a pair of adjacent 'heating walls, and the fuel gas andl air re- Oenerators of the upiow combustion grou being connected respectively by vertica channel and forked duct means located between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts and heating walls with the lower ends of the llame flues of al pair of ad'acent heating walls; substantially as speci ed.

5. In a vertical retort battery, in comblnation: a row of alternate high narrow retort chambers and heating walls therefor forming one side of the battery; a row of re enerators parallel with and adjacent to t e first mentioned row and forming the opposite side of the battery; each of .said retort chambers being adapted to receive'through its top the charge to'be coked and to dis-4 charge through its bottom the coked charge; said heating walls being respectively constituted of substantially vertical combustion iues; each of the combustion flues being adapted for alternate upflow and downiiow combustion simultaneously in the same direction as in each of the other combustion flues in the same wall therewith; said re generators being divided into two groups, the regenerators of one group serving the coinbustion flues for downiiow combustion and the regenerators of the other group serving said flues for upflow combustion, the regenerators of the downflow combustion group being connected respectively by forked duct means located between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts and heating walls with the upper ends of the flame flues of a pair of adjacent heating walls, and the regenerators of the upow combustion group being connected respectively by vertical channel and forked duct means located between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts and heating walls with the lower ends of the flame flues of a pair of adjacent heating walls; substantially as specified.

6. A vertical retort battery having a row of alternate retort chambers and heating walls therefor forming one side of the battery, said heating Walls containing substantially vertical combustion flues; combined with a row of regenerators, parallel with and adjacent to the first mentioned row, forming the opposite side of the battery and disposed in downiow combustion groups alternating with upiiow combustion groups, the regenerators of said groups being respectively connected by forked duct means located between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts and heating walls with the upper and lower ends of pairs of the fiuid heating walls and each group of regenerators when operating for inflow comprising both fuel gas and air regenerators, with the fuel gas regenerators disposed in the inside of the group and the air regenerators at the outside, whereby countercurrent flow between inow fuel gas regenerators and outflow waste gas regenerators is prevented; substantially as specified.

7 yIn a vertical retort battery in combination: a row of alternate high narrow retort chambers and heating walls therefor forming one side of the battery; a row of regenerators parallel with and adjacent to the first mentioned row and forming the opposite side of the battery; each of said retort chambers being adapted to receive through its top the charge to be coked and to discharge through its bottom the coked charge; said heating walls respectively comprising substantially parallel combustion flues, each of said fiues being operable for upfiow and downflow combustion in alternation; said regenerators being divided into two groups, the regenerators of one group serving the heating walls for downfiow combustion and the regenerators of the other group serving the heating walls for upflow combustion, the regenerators of the downflow combustion group being connected respectively by forked duct means located between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts and heating walls with the flues at the upper ends of a pair of adjacent flued heating walls, and the regenerators of the upflow combustion group being colnn'iunicably connected respectively by vertical channel and forked duct means located between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts and heating walls with the flues at the lower ends of a pair of adjacent fluedheating walls; substantially as specified.

S. lA. vertical retort battery having a row .of alternate retort chambers and heating walls therefor forming one side of the battery, said heating walls containing substantially vertical combustion flues; combined with a row `of regenerators, parallel with and adjacent to the first mentioned row, forming the opposite side of the battery and disposed in downflow combustion groups alternating with upflow combustion groups, the regenerators of' said groups being respectively connected by duct means located between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts and heating walls with the flues at the upper and lower ends of pairs of the flued heating walls; substantially as specifled;

9. In a vertical retort battery, in coinbinadowniow combustion simultaneously in the same direction as in each of the other combustion flues` each of said flues being in the same wall therewith; upper pairs of horizontal flues respectively connected with the tops of the combustion flues; lower pairs of horizontal fiues respectively connected with the bottoms of the combustion flues; said regenerators being divided into two groups, the regenerators of one group serving the combustion flues for downilow combustion and the regenerators ofthe other group serving said flues for upflow combustion, each group of regenerators when operating for inflow comprising both fuel gas and air regenerators, the fuel gas and air regenerators of the downflow combustion group being connected respectively by forked duct means located between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts and heating walls with one upper horizontal flue of each of a pair 4of adjacent heating walls, and the fuel gas and air regenerators of the upow combustion group being connected respectively by vertical channel and forked duct means located between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts and heating walls with one lower horizontal flue of each of a pair of adjacent heating walls; substantially as specified. I

l0. In a vertical retort battery, in combination: a row of alternate retort chambers and heating walls therefor forming one side ot the battery; a row of regenerators parallel with and adjacent to the first mentioned row and forming the opposite side of the battery; said heating walls be-v ing respectively constituted of 'substantially vert-ical combustion fines; each of the comhustion lues being adapted for alternate uplow and downflow combustion simultaneously in the same direction as in each of the other combustion lues, each of said flues being in the same wall therewith; upper pairs of horizontal flues respectively connected with the tops of the combustion flues; lower pairs of horizontal ilues respectively connected with the bottoms of the combustion tlues; said regenerators being divided into two groups, the regenerators of one group serving the combustion lues for downflow combustion and the regenerators of the other group serving said iiues for upflow combustion, the regenerators of the downflo'w combustion group being connected respectively by forked duct means located between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts and heating walls with one upper horizontal flue of each of a pair of adjacent heating walls, and the regenerators of the upflow combustion group being connected respectively by vertical channel and forked duct means located between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts and heating walls withone lower horizontal flue of each of a pair ot adjacent heating walls;

substantially as specified.

11. In a vertical retort battery, in combination: a row of alternate retort chambers and heating walls therefor forming one side of the battery; a row of regenerators parallel with and adjacent to tle first mentioned row and forming the opposite side of the battery; said hea-ting walls being respectively constituted of substantially vertical combustion lues; each of the 'combustion ilues being adapted for alternate upilow and downflow combustion simultaneously in the same direction as in each of the other combustion flues, each of said fines being in the same wall therewith; said regenerators being divided into two groups, the regenerators of one group serving the combustion lues for downtlow combustion and the regenerators of the other group serving said flues for uplow combustion, each group of regenerators when operating for inflow comprising both fuel gas and air regenerators, the fuel Vgas and air regenerators of the downiiow flame iues of va pair of adjacent heating walls; substantially as specified.

12. In a vertical retort battery, in combination: a row of alternate retort chambers and heating walls therefor forming one side of the battery; a row of regenerators parallel with and adjacent to the first mentioned row and forming the opposite side of the battery; said heating Walls being respectively constituted of substantially vertical combustion flues; each of the combustion flues being adapted for alternate upilow and downlow combustion simultaneously in the same direction as in each of the other combustion tlues, each of said iues being in the same wall therewith; said regenerators being divided into two groups, the regenerators of one group serving the combustion I tlues for downflow combustion and the regenerators of the other group serving said flues for uptlow combustion, the regenerators of the downflow combustion group being connected respectively by forked duct means located between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts and heating walls with the upper ends of the flame flues of a pair of adjacent heating walls, I and the regenerators of the upflow combustion group being connected respectively by vertical channel and forked duct means located between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts and heating walls with the lower ends of the flame flues of a pair of adjacent heating walls; substantially as specified.

13. A' vertical retort battery having a row of alternate retort chambers and heating walls therefor forming one side of the battery, said heating walls containing substantially vertical combustion lues; Cornbined with a row of regenerators, parallel with and adjacent to the rst mentioned row, forming the opposite side of the battery and disposed in downlow combustion groups alternating with upflow combustion groups, the regenerators of said groups being respectively connected by forkediduct means located between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts'and heating Walls with the upper and lower ends of a plurality of the iuid heating walls and each group of regenerators when operating for infiow comprising bothfuel gas and air regenerators, with the fuel gas regenerators disposed in the inside of the group and the air regenerators at the outside, whereby countercurrent flow between inflow fuel gas regenerators and outllow waste I as"`regenerators is prevented; lsubstantially as specified. y

1.4. A vertical retort battery having a row ot alternate retort chambers and heating walls therefor forming one side of the battery, said heating walls containing substantially vertical combustion tlues; combined with a row of regenerators, parallel with and adjacent to the first mentioned row, forming the opposite side of the battery and disposed in downflow combustion groups alternating' with upflow combustin roups, the regenerators of said groups being respectively connected by duct means located between the row of regenerators and the row ot retorts and heating walls with the u per and lower ends of a plurality of the ucd heatingwalls; substantially as specified.

15. A vertical battery having a row of alternate retort'clmmbers and heating walls therefor forming one side of the battery; lsaid heating walls respectively comprising substantially parallel combustion flues; combined with a row of rcgenerators, parallel with and adjacent to the first mentioned row, which t'orms the op osite side of the battery and which are divi ed into two groups and which are respectively connected by forked duct means located between the row of regrenerators and the row of retorts and heat\ ing walls with one end of the tlues of a plurality of the heating walls; substantially as described.

16. A retort battery with a row of alternate vertically operable retorts and vertically lued heating walls therefor"forming one side of the battery); a row of reversible regenerators parallel with and adjacent to the first mentioned row and forming the oposite side of the battery; and duets, located etween the row of regenerators and the row of retorts and having the i'i-.generators disposed in outflow grou )s alternating' with inflow grou s and with both` the upper and the lower en s of the ilues of the heating walls connected by ducts with the regenerators in such a manner that combustion may take place alternately upwardly and downwardly 1n the vertical flues of all the heating walls in successive working periods; substantially as-specified.

17. In combination a retort battery com- .prising a row of alternate coking chambers and substantially vertically fined heating walls forming one side ot the battery; a row ot' regencrators arallcl with and adjacent to the first mentioned row and forming the opposite side of the battery; said regenerators being arranged in alternate and intermediate groups, each regenerator of alternate groups communicating through ducts located between the row of regeneratiors and the row of coking chambers and heating walls with the upper ends, and each regenerator ot' the intermediate groups communicating through duets located between the row of regenerators and the row oi coking chambers and heating walls with the lower ends of the flame filles of a plurality of said heating walls; substantially as specified.

18. A retort battery as claimed in claim 17 in which the up er ends of the regenerators of the interme iate groups communicate with the lower ends of theV fines of the heating walls; substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOSEPH VAN ACKEREN.

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