US191082A - Improvement in the manufacture of gas - Google Patents

Description

M. H. STRONG. MANUFACTURE OF GAS. NO. 191,08Z.- Patented May 22,1877

lvrrnn MYRON H. STRONG, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO, LEMUEL W. SERRELL, TRUSTEE FOR SAID STRONG, SIDNEY CORNELL, HENRY M. PIERSON, AND WALTER E. LAWTON.

IMPROVEMENT-IN THE'MANU FACTURE OF GAS.

' Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 191,082, dated May 22, 1871; application filed July 26,1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MYRON H, STRONG, of the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in the Manufacture of Gas, of which the following is a specification I make use of petroleum or similar liquid hydrocarbon, and run the same into a heated retort. The carbon is deposited, and the gas that is liberated is passed through coal in a heated condition, and in so doing there is added olefiant gas, or the gas becomes sufficient] y carbureted to be available for illuminating purposes. When the temperature of the apparatus becomes too low to operate advantageously the supply of petroleum is stopped, the gas-making ceases, the retort is shut oit' from the gas-holder, and atmosphere is admitted into the retort to burn up the carbon that was deposited. during the gas-making operation, thereby heating the retort again. This operation is farther aided by the combustion of the coke from the coal. The products of combustion go 011' by a'chimney, and the draft is aided by a jet of steam. When the retort has become sufliciently heated, the escapechimney is closed, and the gas-making resumed by the admission of petroleum or similar hydrocarbon.

In the drawing, Figure l is a vertical section of the apparatus, and Fig. 2 is a sectional plan at the line a: w. y

The retort is composed of the walls a with in an air-tight metal casing lined with firebrick, and containing the ranges of vertical tubes b, which are preferably made of clay, and supported at their lower ends by narrow vertical partitions of fire-tiles, so that both ends of the tubes are open. These tubes are used as a heating-surface for vaporizing and decomposing the petroleum that is supplied at the upper end of the retort by a pipe, 01, and the gas passes down through these tubes 1) and along the horizontal flue 6 over the fire bed f, and through the hopper g containing the coal, thence by the pipe h to the gasholder.

In place of clay tubes, broken brick or other suitable material may be used, as shown in my patent dated J une' 27, 1876.

There is a door, It, at the end of the tire-bed f, and another door, l, to the ash-pit it below It, and there is a cap, m, to the hopper g. These doors and cap are to be made so that they can be closed air-tight by a luting of clay or otherwise.

The chimney "r is above or connected with the retort a, and there is a contraction at r and a pipe, 1' with a nozzle, that is in the center, so that the discharge of steam promot-es the movement of the air-draft through the retort.

A valve, 8, preferably of iron or steel, with a sharp cylindrical edge resting upon a ring of copper, serves to close the chimney tightly when not in use. The chimney r is preferably surrounded with a casing for heating atmosphericair, that can be allowed to pass by the pipe and cock .9 to the horizontal flue e, and there are tubes t t passing through the walls of the retort and closed at the outer end by mica or glass, and each provided with a valve, 3, that serves to protect the glass or mica from heat, but which valve maybe turned momentarily to allow the attendant to inspect the interior of the retort and judge of the heat of the same.

The operation is as follows: The retort being heated by fire upon the grate-barsf, and the chimney-valve open, the required temperatureis obtained; the chimney-valve s is closed and coal introduced into the hopper g, and the doors k and l and cover m are closed tight 1y; petroleum is run or forced in by the pipe (1 the heat vaporizes and decomposes the same, and the carbon deposits upon the tubes as the gas descends and the gas, in a highlyheated condition, goes by the flue 0, over the fire-bed, through the coal in the hopper g to the pipe h, thence to the water-seal of the by draulic main of the gas-works as usual. The hydrogen of the retort combines or mixes with the gas from the coal, and, after a little practice, the operations can be conducted so as to s, and steam is supplied to the jet 0', and,

heated air is allowed to pass intov theretort from the pipe 8. The result is that a violent combustion takes place of the carbon deposited upon the surfaces of the tubes. This, with the combustion of. the coke, eflects the rapid and thorough heating of the retort and tubes, and the heated atmosphere through the pipe 8' supplies the oxygen that is necessary to consume the carbon in the retorts. When this is done, the door 1, valve 8, and valve 8, are all closed again, and the petroleum admitted so that the gas-making operations again take place.

I claim as my invention- The herein-described process of manufacturingilluminating-gas, which consists in subjecting the hydrocarbon to a high degree of heat, whereby the carbon will be deposited within the retort, and carbureting the result- ;ing gas by passing; it through incandescent carbon, and, subsequ ently, to make the process continuous, reheating the retortby the combustion of' thecarbon deposited'from the liquid and the incandescent coke, substantially asset forth,

Signed by me this 11th day of July, 1876.

MYRON H. STRONG.

Witnesses:

Gno. D. WALKER. GEo. T. PINCKNEY.

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