US330778A

US330778A - elliott

Info

Publication number: US330778A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1885-11-17
Anticipated expiration: 1902-11-17

Description

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. P. ELLIOTT.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING GAS.

Patented Nov. 17, 1885.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. P. ELLIOTT.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING GAS.

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(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 3.

- W. P. ELLIOTT.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING GAS.

No. 330,778 I Patented Nov. 1'7, 1885.

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TTE STATES WALTER r. ELLIOTT, or NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR MAKBNG GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 330,778,6ated November 17,1885.

Application filed March 6, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER P. ELLIOTT, of New Brunswick, in the county of Middlesex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Making Gas, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of apparatus for making gas wherein are comprised a generating-furnace and a combustion-chamber which communicates with the generatingfurnace, retorts for bituminous coal arranged in the combustion-chamber, and pipes whereby air-blast may be admitted to the generatingfurnace for blowing up tlie fire therein and for supplying air to produce combustion of the gaseous fuel in the combustion-chamber and steam for decomposition, the retorts in the combustion chamber being heated both by the combustion of gaseous fuel therein and by the hot gas produced by the decomposition of steam in the generating-furnace.

The invention consists in novel features in the construction, and in the manner of combining the several parts of the apparatus, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention, taken on the plane of the dotted line a; m, Fig. 2, which latter figure is asectional elevation on the plane of the dotted line 3 3 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a partial section on the plane of the dotted line 2 2, Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the plane of the dotted line 1 Figs. 1 and 2. I

Similar letters ofreference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

This apparatus, like other gasapparatus of similar character, may be constructed of firebrick, a, inclosed within a metallic shell or casing, b, and having between the brick walls and the shell or casing a space, 0, which may be filled with ashes or other loose material, and which provides for the expansion of the parts of the structure while in operation.

A designates the generatingfurnace, which may be circular in form, and in which is a grate, B, that may consist of pipe through which a circulation of water may be maintained. Below the grate B is an ash-pit door, a, and an inlet aperture, a through which Serial No.157,873. (N0 model.)

blasts of air may be supplied from any suitable source of pressure. I have also shown a second inlet, (0 for air-blast, near the top of the furnace-chamber A, and at the top of said chamber is a filling throat or aperture, cf, which is to be closed by a suitable lid or cover, and which is about coincident with the fioor 13* of the retort-house.

Above the furnace and extending to one side thereof is a chamber, 0, the top of which may be arched, as shown, and in which are arranged a number of ordinary closed retorts, D, for the distillation of bituminous coal. The retort-mouths D are to be closed by suitable covers, (Z, and from these mouths standpipes d extend upward and are joined by the usual bridge-pipes, d to the dip-pipes d which project downward into a hydraulic main, 13*, arranged transversely above the bench of retorts. The several retorts D are supported at their front and rear ends in the walls a a, which form the opposite ends of the chamber 0, and they may be supported one above another by suitable tiles or blocks, d*, as best shown in Fig. 2. From the generatingfurnace A the gas and non-consumed products of partial combustion pass upward through a throat or passage, c (shown in Figs. 1 and 2,) and to them is there added air-blast from the inlet a The oxygen of the air and the gaseous fuel combine in the chamber 0 around the retorts, andproduce very hot combustion therein. The arrangement of the retorts D, as shown in Fig. 2, is such that the gases, while being consumed, and the hot products of combustion are caused to circulate upward between the two retorts which are arranged one above another on each side of the throat a and thence outward below the upper retort D, and downward on each side near the wall of the chamber. In the bottom of the chamber are two flues, e, which extend lengthwise below the retorts, arranged one above another, and across which are laid tiles e, as shown in Figs. 2and 3. The openings 0* between the tiles e afford ample provision for the passage of the products of combustion into the fines e, and thence they pass rearward through these two flues and enter the base of the upright chamber or stack E, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4..

In the chamber E is a filling, which may be composed of blocks or tiles e, of refractory material, piled one on another, cob house fashion, and from the top of the chamberE extends a pipe, 6 which communicates with a smoke-stack. (Not here shown.)

From the side of the chamber E, at the upper end, extends a gas-outlet pipe, F,which is surrounded by a jacket, f, to which naphtha, or other liquid hydrocarbon is conducted by a pipe, f, and from which naphtha-vapor will pass by apipe, f and valve f, to the chamber 0 around the retorts D.

If desired, I may introduce the liquid hydrocarbon itself directly into the chamber 0 around the retorts, and it will be there vaporized and mingled with the products of decomposition.

g designates a steampipe entering below the grate B, and which may be supplied with superheated steam from any suitable source.

In the operation of my apparatus air-blast is admitted through the inlets a a, and the blowing up of the fires is continued until the fuel in the generating-furnace A is raised to a point of incandescence, and the retorts D are heated to a distilling-point. The refractory material in the chamber E will then be at a sufficiently high heat to permanently fix any naphtha-vapor which may pass through it. The retorts D are then charged with bituminous coal, and steam is admitted through the pipe g and hydrocarbon vapor through the valve and pipe f f. The steam passing upward through the fire in the furnace A will become decomposed and converted largely into carbonic oxide and hydrogen, and these, passing upward into the chamber 0, serve to impart additional heat to the retorts for distilling the coal therein, and receive in said chamber G the naphtha-vapor delivered thereinto. From thence the products of decomposition and the naphtha-vapor pass upward through the chamber E, where the naphtha becomes permanantly fixed by the heat of the refractory material contained therein. The gas thus produced may be taken through the pipe F to any suitable place, and it may be added to the coal-gas which issues from the hydraulic main by the exhaustpipe h. (Shown in Fig. 2.) This addition of the watergas to the coal-gas from the hydraulic main may take place immediately before the gas passes to the scrubber, or before the gas passes through the purifier, or before or after the gas is taken by the exhauster; or, if desired, the watergas and coal-gas may be maintained separate from each other entirely.

The coke which is withdrawn from the re torts D from time to time may, as much of it as is desired, be introduced into the generating-furnace A, and there be used as fuel.

In addition to coke,I may take tar from the hydraulic main 13* through the pipe i, and conduct it into the furnace A, as shown in Fig. 2. This pipe 71 may be provided with a valve, 6*, for controlling the passage of tar through it.

When the fire in the furnace A becomes cooled to such an extent that it no longer suffices for decomposing steam, the admission of steammay be stopped and the fire again blown up. Of course, the air-inlets a a will be closed while admitting steam to be decomposed, and the smoke-outlet 6*" will be closed by a suitable valve or damper, such as is commonly used in watergas apparatus.

Important advantages result from combining the parts as hereinbefore described. The retorts D are entirely closed and the gas produced therein is taken off and delivered into the hydraulic main in the usual way, and hence there cannot be any admixture therewith of the waste gases resulting from combustion in the furnace A. All the ammonia and other valuable residual products resulting from distillation of coal in the closed retorts are saved.

In the operation of the apparatus the products of combustion while blowing up and the gas produced by the decomposition of steam both contribute to the heating of the retorts and the distillation of coal therein.

It is advantageous to have the closed retorts contained in a chamber, which is substantially separate from the furnace, and which only communicates therewith by a throat, a, because the gases produced by imperfect combustion in the furnace combine in the chamber O with the air-blast admitted at the inlet a and produce a very hot combustion around the retorts. Inasmuch as'the flues e, which serve as the only communication between the retort-chamber O and the fixing-chamber E, are at the bottom of the retort-chamber, the hot products of combustion and the hot gas produced by decomposing steam are not hurried from the retort-chamber and are retained as long aspossible therein around the retorts, so as to serve most effectively in heating them.

It is advantageous to mingle the hydrocarbon vapors with the water-gas as soon as such vapors are generated, or as soon as such vapors are subjected to very great heat,because then the vapors are shielded from excessive heat from the water-gas and prevented from being burned up.

I am aware of United States Letters Patent No. 295,832 and No. 301,531, granted, respectively, March 25, 1884, and July 8, 1884, to J. L. Stewart, and I do not desire to include in my invention anything shown or described in said patents. In both said patents there are retorts for distilling bituminous coal, which have openings in constant communication with the furnace, and which are arranged in a passage between the furnace and a fixingchamber, and said retorts are not arranged in any well-defined chamber which is separate from the furnace and communicates with the furnace by a throat, as in my apparatus; hence the hot products of combustion and the hot gas produced by decomposing steam are not retained in contact with the retorts, as theyare in my apparatus.

In the Stewart apparatus the hydrocarbon liquid is vaporized in retorts wherein the vapor is subjected to great heat before it is mingled with the water-gas.

In the Stewart Patent No. 301,531, a pipe extends from the open retort, and itis proposed to attach thereto an exhauster to take off gas from the retort. Inasmuch, however, as the retort is always open to the furnace, there will certainly be more liability of drawing waste furnace gases into the retort than there is in my apparatus.

In the patent to Du Motay, Reissue No. 8,695, granted May 16, 1879, is shown an apparatus comprising two furnaces and a retortchamber containing closed retorts, the furnaces being alternately supplied with air for blowing the fires up to heat the retorts and steam for decomposing to produce carbonic oxide. In this apparatus there is no fixingchamber and no mingling of hydrocarbon vapor with the gas, and the gas is taken off without passing through the retort-chamber and without contributing in any way to the heating of the retorts.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a gas-making apparatus, the combination, with a generating-furnace, and a retortchamber separate therefrom but communicat ing at one end therewith, of anumber of closed retorts arranged in said chamber with their mouths presented outside the chamber, and pipes for conducting from said retorts gas produced by the distillation of coal therein, pipes for introducing air-blast both above and below the fire in the furnace, a pipe for introducing steam below the fire in the furnace, and a fixing-chamber containing refractory material and communicating with the farther end of said retort-chamber, and through which the products of combustion and decomposition are caused to pass from the retort or combus tion chamber, substantially as herein described.

2. In a gas-making apparatus, the combination, with a generating-furnace and a combustion-chamber separate therefrom but communicating at one end therewith, and a fixingchamber containing refractory material, and which extends upward from the other end of the combustion-chamber, and from the upper end of which leads a smoke-stack and an outlet-pipe for gas, of a number of closed retorts arranged in the combustion chamber, and pipes for conducting away the gas produced by the distillation of coal therein, pipes for introducing air-blast in the furnace below the fire, for adding air-blast to the non-consumed gaseous products as they pass from the furnace into the combustion-chamber, and a pipe for introducing steam below the fire in the furnace, substantially as herein described.

3. In a gas-making apparatus, the combination, with a generating-furnace and a combustion-chamber separate therefrom, but communicating at one end therewith, and a fixingchamber containing refractory material and extending upward from the other end of said combustion chamber, of a number of closed retorts arranged in the combustion-chamber, and pipes for conducting away the gas produced by the distillation of coal in said retorts, a pipe for introducing liquid hydrocarbon or vapor directly into said combustion-chamloer around the heated retorts, pipes for introducing airblast below the fire in the furnace and for introducing air-blast to mingle with the nonconsumed gaseous products as they pass from the furnace into the combustionchamber, and

a pipe for introducing steam below the fire in the furnace, substantially as herein described.

4. In a gas-making apparatus, the combination, with the generating-furnace A and the combustion-chamber O, communicating at one end with the furnace by a throat or passage, a and arranged above the same, of the closed retorts D, arranged in the combustion-chamber, flues 6, extending rearward at the bottom of the combustion-chamber below the said retorts, a fixing-chamber, E, extending upward from the farther end of the combustion-chamber, inlet-pipes a a for admitting air-blast above and below the fire in the furnace, and a pipe for admitting steam below the fire in the furnace, substantially as herein described.

5. In a gas-making apparatus, the combination, with the furnace A and its inlets a a, of the combustion-chamber O, communicating at one end with the furnace by a throat or passage,a afiXing-chamber,E,containingrefractory material and extending upward from the other end of the combustion-chamber, closed retorts D, arranged in the combustion-chamber, fines 6, extending rearward at the bottom of the combustionchamber below the retorts and communicating with the fixing-chamber E, a smoke-pipe and a gas-outlet pipe, F, at the top of the fixing-chamber, a jacket, f, surrounding the pipe F, and the pipef", for conducting hydrocarbon vapor from said jacket and delivering it directly into the combustionchamber 0, around the retorts therein, substantially as herein described.

WVALTER P. ELLIOTT.

Witnesses:

CHAS. W. IsBELL, O. HALL.

IIO