US25316A - Improvement in making gas from wood - Google Patents

Description

L. R.-BREISACH MAKING GAS. FROM WOOD.

No. 25,316. Patented Sept. 6, 1859.

J4me aa/Z ZcZh Z UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

LEoroLn Rn'nn. BREISACH, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN. MAKING GAS FROM WOOD.

Specification forming part ofLetters Patent No. 25,816, 'dated'Septemb'er .6, 1859.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that -1,-LEOPOLD RICHARD 'BREIsACH, of the city, county, and'Sta-te of New York, have invented new Improvements in the Mode of Making by Dry Distillation Lighting-Gas from \Vood and Woody Fiber; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My said invention consists in the application of a certain series of temperatures to two horizontal D-sha'ped retorts, each retort to have arange or series of temperatures of its own, and these two retorts madeot iron or clay, such as are commonly used at present in gas-works, (or if for private works of smaller dimensions,) the one retort filled with billets of well-seasoned wood (charged in an iron scoop or without it) and the other retort charged with proportionate quantities ofcharcoal, and these two retorts set in the furnace such as suitable to the gas-maker that is, either parallel to each-other and the mouth of both on the same side, or parallel and the 'mouth of one forward and of the other aft, or so in one straight line-and these two retorts to be connected by a bridge-pipe for conveying the vapors, &c., from one to the other.

I shall now describe my improved process.

and the contrivances therefor, compared with the old one and its contrivances.

Hitherto it has been the practice to use for wood-gas making one retort with metallic chambers or otherwise, called cellularshellsj and the like, the Whole cast of one piece orbecome heated higher; but this and the application of a retort with chambers is an imperfect mode of making gas, because if the contrivances be heated too high the olefiant gas decomposes toli'gh't carburcted hydrogen and the lighting-power of the generated-gas decreases. If the whole contrivance is heated too low, too much tar and too little gas are manufactured. ll use, therefore, two retorts apart from each other, but-connected by a short bridge-pipe, and by setting them as stated the application of. a proper temperature for each one is practicable, needing only the construction of proper fines with a damper, and this is effected even without consumfing more fuel, as the heat goingoff from the redistilling charcoal-containing retort is serv: iceablc for the other wood-containing retort. If the two retort's are properly set and con.- nected by a bridge-pipe, they are filled the one with wellseasoned wood, sufficiently chopped to allow the heat topenetrate at once the whole porous substance, and the other retort with such'a proportionatequantity of charcoal as will be explained. If, then, the heat is kept up in the latter-mentioned retort to about 1,tt00 to 1,650 Fahrenheit, or to a cherry-red, and in the first to about 750 to 850 Fahrenheit, or to a 'faint red color, the aqueous vapors, carbonic acid, carbonic oxide, acetic acid, the highly-carbonaceous oils, andthe carbides of hydrogen pass-jott' through theconnecting bridge-pipe to tl1e eharcoal-contaming retort, and here coming over in their nascent state these products combine to form oletiant gas, light carbureted hydrogen, car-.

bonic oxide, f rce hydrogen, and som e carbonicacidgases', fluid pyroligncous acid, and Vege- As the incandescent charcoal in the higherheatcd retort otters a great heated surface to the products coming through the bridgepipc, the quantity of charcoal used ought to be regulated according to the moisture of the Wood and its density'that is, if more moist,-

more charcoal; if more porous, more charcoal; and less moist and porous, less charcoal.

"lhus, for instance, if pine wood is nsed,varying as it does in its 'qualtity, abouteight'to twelve pounds of charcoalv will do for one hundred pounds of wood. has to be distilled from oak wood, about six to eight poundsof charcoal, according to the quality of the oak, will be sufticient for one hundred pounds of wood. It is also of great moment to regulate the pressure in the re- Ilowever, if gas.

torts, which is dependent upon the depth of .the dipping-pipe in the hydraulic main, (opening, asit does there, under the (2113) next-upon the washer, condenser, purifier, and gasholder. A too great pressure will keep the gases too-long in the two retorts, which would .be injurious, taking into consideration that wood begins to decompose under a tempera-- ture of -50 Fahrenheit.

It is linderstood that tlie'otheir arrangenientstha-t is, the diiferent modes ofsetting the hydraulic mains,washenoondenser, purifier, and gas-h0lder-remain the same as now; but, nevertheless, with my improved mode a. greater quantity and better qnztlityof gas will be obtained.

Therefore I claim and wishto secure by Letters Paten't- I The process of manufacturing illuminatinggas from wood by-distilling" the same in two retorts of varying temperatures, as set forth,

one of which retorts' is charged-with charcoal varying in amount according to the conditions indicated, the whole process being conducted as herein set fOrth.

New York, February 1, 1859-,

LEOPOLD mono. BREISACH.

Witnesses:

FRIEDRICH HINKE, HENRY L. SCHRADER.

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