US1911473A - Carbonizing process - Google Patents

Description

K.,M. sMPsoN CARBONIZING PROCESS -F'led Feb. 15, 1932 May 30, 1933;

Patented May 30, 1933 S. FF E oaaBonrzING rnoorss a i Application fi'ed'rebi ary 15; 1932. Serial in; 3,`137: i

u This invention relates to a process for distilling or carbonizing coals and .like carbonizable materials. While the invention is 'particularly applicable to the 'low temp'era- 5 ture carbonization or distillation of coals, it'

is also'capable of use for high temperature work to'manufacture by-product coke, etc.

It is an object of the invention to provide p a process in whichcoal can be carboiized in a minimum time and also permit the carbonization of large aniounts' of coal in unit installations. It is well known that coal must be carbonized in` relativeiy narrow thicknesses in orderto prevent loss of time in the carbonization operation, but efforts to treat coal in this way haveheretofore been confined` to methods which permitted :only 'a small funit Capacity oroutput.` n 5 3 It is also an object of the invention to make 3 as good coke as'is possible at the temperatures employed. By use of the process herein de'- scribed, coke 'can be` produced thatzwill be dense, hard and tough -and'will in both. size and quality be a satisfactory fuel. -It will thus be seen that the objects of the invention are toprovide a process whereby coal can be carbonized in a minimum time and that large Capacity 'per unit of equipment can be obtained and that the coke produced shall have ?9130 the qualities generally understood as distinguishing good coke. In connection with this last point it should be noted that many of the methods that have beentried for the carbonization of coal atlow temperatures have produced in some cases a pulverulent char and in other cases a granular mass of spherical aggregates. Material such as that can be used as a domestic fuel only after briquetting, which is an expensive operation. Also, no

7740 briquet so far produced has the fuel characistics of first class domestic coke.

With the foregoing conception in mind,

the invention primarily comprises a process in which the coal undergong treatment has a most substantial area exposed to the heating action of the gases whereby in a short time the heat, which may be of a low temperature, will penetrate the coal and cause a rapid carbonization thereof.

" More specifically, my invention embodies a 'process' in "which a number of parallel coal charges are moved through a carbonizing retort on a movable support, and which support is so jconstructed as to "permit the heating gases'to play on both 'sid es of each `'charge, thereby rapidly penetrating the charge;

As' a furtherf feature of my invention, vapors :and gases evolvedfrom the coal during the carbonization thereo'fiare burned in the retort and the resultant products of combustion employed as' theheating gases for the parallel coal charges moving through the v retort. i

In Figureil of the drawing, I have shown diagrammatically a retort which' may be' of any well 'known-Construction, and inFigure j '2 I have shown a View of one of the carrying units for supporting the coal' charges that are moved through the retort.` p e f 3 *Referring :now .more particularly to the drawing wher'ei'nf like reference" characters indicate' 'corres'ponding parts, the numeral 1 designates a retort through` which suitable trucks 2 are adapted'to be moved continuously or intermittently. At" one end', this retort :5)

hasa door 3 and `at its opposite end a door 4. The retort is heated, in a manner hereinafter described, so' thata temperature of' approximately`600 C.`is maintained therein if the apparatus is being used for the low tempera ture carbonization'of coal. Obviou's1y, if the apparatus is' being" used for the production of by-product coke, high temperatureswill be;employed, the necessary temperatures being` well 'knownto thosejskilled in the art. v 'From the retort, vapor and -gas discharge i lines 5 lead to any suitable form of condenser for'the recovery of the condensable products and the separation of such products from the un'condensable gases which' maybe consumed 790 as desired. i I

i i Referring now' to Figure 2, it will be understood that the reference character 6 mere*- ly representsone of the several carrying units v that move through the retort; These units may be drawn'through the retort by an endless drivingbelt 6' driven by suitable power mechanism, and which cooperates therewith andprogressively advances the units through employed and they may be connected together if desirable. Each unit has a bottom 7 and supporting wheels 8. Each unit or truck is provided with a series of spaced Vertically extending partitions 9, preferably made of cast iron, and of about one inch in thickness These plates are spaced about four inches apart., It will be understood, howventhat the plates can be of greater distance apart if clesirable, the specific clegrees herein given being merely set forth as an* illustration of one successful arrangement of these plates, particularly for low temperature work.

In applying coal to each unit or car, I only fill alternate compartments formed by the partition plates 9. For -instance, the compartments that are filled are designed by the reference characters 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14.

-Ths means that adjacent each filled compartment there isf an empty conpartment, the empty compartments being designated by the characters 15, 16, 17 and 18. I havediscovered that, when filling the alternate compartments only, a sufiicient area is provided for each chargeto be exposed to .a maximum quantityofaheating gases. The gases play freely through the unfilled compartments and the walls of these compartments, being of relatively thin cast iron, freely conduct the heatof thegases to the filled compartments.

Itis therefore apparent that large areas of i the 'fuel charges, are eXposed at one time to already described, The amount of air'introduced will; of course, be" governedvby the i quantity of Vapors and gases which must be burned to maintain the requisite temperature in the retort, and -it will be understood that in high temperature carbonization,` more air will be introduced, and hence more Vapors and gases burned, than in a low temperature carboniz ing operation.

- Having thus described the invention, what Iclaimis: v. 1. A process for carbonizing coal'which comprises arranging the; coal in a' plurality of spaced relatvely thin parallel charges, introducing the charges to an elongated-carbonizing Zone, initially heating the carbonizing Zone to adistillation temperature toeVolVe Vapors and gases from the-coal, introducing a controlled amount of air. to.. the carbonizing zone to burn. a sufficient amount of 'the evolved vapors and gases to maintain a temperature of at least 600 C. in' the carbonizing zone without burning any: appreciablequan'- tty of the coal,. advancing ethe charges in unison through I the carbonizing `zone 'and c'oking the same 'therein bythe heat of 'said burning, and then removing thercarbonized charges from the carbonizing zone.` v

2. Theprocess as :defined by claim '1', furthercharacterized 'in that the air is" introduced to the carbonizing zone at spaced points in the path of travel' oli-the charges therethrough.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature'.

KE NETH M; SI'MPSON- ture of about 900 C.. The movement'ofthe y units or carriers through the retort'in either instance is so governed thatjbeforeany unit emerges from the retort it has been therein a sufficientperiocl of time to effect the desired carbonization of the: coal charges therein. lVhen the charge has been carbo nized, it is removed from the unit or carrier and the com: partments again filled `lar material. I v

. The retort havingbeen brought to an initial 'distillation temperature by the 'introduction r of heating .gascs from an extraneous source, the heating gases for continuance of the 'carbonizing operation are thereafter generated within the retort by burning` the evolved vapors and gases, ora suficient portionthereof ith fresh coal or simito maintain the requisite temperatures, in the retort.. For-'this purpose, the retort is pro- Vided, preferably near its upper portion, with longitudinally 'spaced air inlet pipes .19 whereby, controlled quantities of air maybe commingled with the 'vapors and gases The result-

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