US41897A - Improvement in stoves - Google Patents

Description

- W. E. HAGAN.. METHOD 0E BURNING EUEE PoE GENEE'ATING HEAT, EEEVENTING SMOKE,

AND DBSULFURIZING THE PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTIDN.

Patented Mary, 1864.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM E. HAGAN, or TROY, NEW YORK, AssIcNon To Joni-'N PATENT OFFICE.

B. oALE.

IMPROVEMENT 1N sTovEs.

Spccilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 4l,89f7, dutcdMal-ch 8, 1864.

lower` part of a heating-stove for burning fuel. according to my improved method; Fig. 2, a

vertical section thereof, taken at the line A va of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, a horizontal section taken at the line B b of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical and Fig. 5 a horizontal section of a modified form ofl the fire-chamber, Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical and Fig. 7 `a cross vertical section of a cooking-stove for burning fuel according to my said improved method. Fig. 8

is va longitudinal vertical section of a heatingfurnace for metallurgical purposes, with the nre-chamber adapted to my improved method of 'burning fuel. Fig. 9`v is a horizontal section of the same, taken at the` line C c of Fig. 8; and Fig. 10, a cross vertical section taken at the line D d of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a vertical section of a cupola-furnace for reducing ores, and Fig. 12 a like view of a blast-furnace,

both adapted to my improved method of burn-l ing fuel. V

In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the accompanying drawings the same letters indicate like parts,'and in the said figures a represents a fire-chamber with a grate, b, at bottom, on which the fuel to be burned is placed.l There is an ash-pan, c, below, of the-.usual oranyv suitable construction, so that atmosphericair can have access 'through it andbetween the grate-bars tothe fuel, not only to ignite it, but afterward during the` process of combustion. The fire-chamber is formed by an inner surrounding wall, d, and between the 4inner and the outer wall, e, there are two steam-chambers,jff, or, if preferred,- a single steam-chamber may extend all around. The steam-*chambers are provided each with a steam-pipe, g, extending to any suitable steam --generator, whether so placed as to have the steam generated by the re in the fire-chamber a or by any other lire. Thesteam'supplied to the chamber or 4chambers f is suprheated-by the heat radiated from the inner wall, d, and escapes'in numerous iine jets, through a series of apertures, h, made for that'purpose through the. inner wall, d. The innersurface of the inner wall, d, is grooved, as represented at@l in Figs. 1 and 2, the bottom of the grooves bei'ng in line with the series of holes to reducev the thickness of the wall at the perforations, through which the steam is suppliedto the incandescent coals to 'prevent the too rapid destruction of the wall by oxidation. Instead of making these grooves on the inner surface next to the "Lire, they maybe made on the other 0r steam side, and they may run in any direction, althoughl I prefer the direction repre sented; or, instead of grooves, the thickness.

of thewall may be reduced at `the several perforations, in the manner represented in Figs. 4`a nd 5, by conical recesses or couutersinks, as at j. i The fire-chamber should be filled with the fuel, -so as to be in contact with the inner .wall and .extend up to or above the upper range of perforations.- The fuel is ignited in the usual manner'by a draft of atmos` ph eric air from therash-pan, and after the coals are in an incandescent state steam-is to be admittedA to the 'chamber or chambers f, Where it willbe superheated and escape -through the apertures h, and impinge in' numerous small jetsagainst-the ignited coals. The supply of. steam thus introduced will check the draft 'of air through the fuel, although a sufficient quantity will continue to pass to maintain the fuel inl `an incandescent state. The superheated steam thus supplied and impinging in numerous fine jetsv against the incandescent coals will be instantly decomposed, and the resulting gases in the nascent state will combine with the gaseous products of the' coal in the nascent state, and thus generate more heat for a given quantity of fuel than by any other known method. A' larger volume of flame' will. be prduced, scthat the heat evolved can be diffused to great advantage; the union of the gases in the nascent state will eifectually prevent the evolution of smoke; no oxidizing gases will be evolved,so that the fire-chamber can be safely constructed of materials which would otherwise be readily destroyed by oxidation, and the heated products of the com bnstion, for the same reason, will be admirably adapted to metallurgical operations; and sulphur, if any be contained in the fuel, will be oxidized, or so much diluted that ame f1tted for metallurgical operations may be obtained from pyritous fuels. e

n Figs. 6 and 7 ofthe accompanying drawings, which represent my said method of burning fuel as applied to cookingstoves, a is an oblong fire-chamber, and b the grate on which the fuel is placed, and c, and d the front and back iire-Walls,grooved and pierced with numerous small holesfor the escape of superheated steam, to impinge `on lthe incandescent coals,as above described, from the steam-chambers f f, which are to be supplied with steam by` two pipes, g g, leading frolna suitable generator. Suitable boiler-holes, l1, h, are to be formedin the top plate above theiire-chamber. Ovens and other appurtenances are to be providedas in other cooking stoves and ranges. If desired, steam-chambers and perforated wall may be made at theends of the lire-'chamber as well as in front and at the back.

In Figs. S, t), and l() of the accompanying drawings, which represent my said inventionI as applied to a heating-furnace for metallurgi-` `cal operations, a represents the-workingbottom, Where the metals to be worked are heated; 'b, the fire-bridge, and c theilue leading tothe chimney. Each side of the fire-chamber d there is a steam-chamber, e, the inner v, walls, f f, of the chambers forming the side walls of the fire-chamber. These walls'are grooved and pierced with numerousv small holes, as in the other examples, for the escape `of superheated steam to'impinge on the incandescent fuel. The steam-chambers are provided with steam-'pipes g g,'to supply steam to the chambers c from some suitable generator. The steam-pipes g g ymay be coiled in any suitab1e manner in closeproximity with the heated part of the furnace, the better to superheat the steam, yas the pipes are arranged to heat the blast in furnaces working with'hot-blast.

\ l contemplate in some instances placing a y steam-generator, h, midway between the two side chambers, e e, the walls of: which areV to be grooved andfperforated in like manner, and` to be supplied with steam in4 the same way. I have also contemplated providing the steam-chambers with a pipe or pipes for the escape of'l steam, in addition to the pipeor pipes for the introductionof steam.l Such an 1. arrangementis represent-ed in connection with the central steam-chamber, hwhi chis provi ded with a central wall, l?, between the two perfo 1 rated walls. The steam is admitted on one side of the central wall i,from a suitablevgenerator, by the steam-pipe j, and on the other side of the cent1-al1 wall there is an escape-V steam pipe vprovided with a 'valvelor cock, 'L'.

mainly escape from this pipe, and but little will escapev through the perforations to impinge on the coals, and it will result from this that smoke will be evolved from the fire in greater orless quant-ity, depending on .the size of opening of the valve.

l For many purposes in metallurgical operations it is desirable at times to cause smoke tobe evolved with the flames, and by the A means above described this can be effected.

In' Figs. 1l and 12 my said invention is represented as applied to a blast and to a cupola' plate, b, and with the steam-pipes c c, for supplying steam from some suitable generator. rlhe said furnaces are tobeprovided below withtuyeresdin the usual manner for the blast of air. y

, From the foregoing any one skilled in the construction of stoves and furnaces for generatingnheat for various purposes in the arts will be enabled to apply my said invention to the various purposeswhich may be desired, as my invention relates entirely to the method of managing the combustion of the fuel.

My discovery relates to the effects produced by the application of superheated steam in numerous jets so as to impinge,without'ad mixture of atmospheric air, against the incandescent coals, so that the gases resulting from the decomposition of the snperheated steam shall mingle and combine with the gases evolved from the' coal while theselatter are also in the nascent statei r I believe the true theory or rationale of my said new method to be as follows, Viz: The combustion of coal by means of a small amount of air-'anda considerable volume ofsuperheated steam (H08) takes place with two distinct reactions, although connected. When superheated steam impinges on ignited coal or naming fuel, it becomes decomposed into hydrogen and carbonio-acid gases. The intense ignition of the coal is somewhat reduced by the heat absorbed in the act of decomposition, and the highly-heated gases convey it away to the point where they burn. the fuel issuch as would produce smoke,

perfectly in air, the highly-heated steam seizes upon these and suffers decomposition. The

mixtures of hydrogen and carbonio' acid are present momentarily, as 1n the case of the steam impinging on ignited coal, the more combustible parts of the coal or fuel having been first taken up to form these gases. The second reaction is the combustionof the hydrogen by the carbonio acidl (0210,) present at an elevated temperature, developing a great additional heat with the formation of carbonio oxide, (CaO,) which consumes afterward in presence of air.

As steam has heretofore been applied, we have had steam thrown on coal under conditions favoring the production of hydrogemcarbureted hydrogen, and carbonio oxide, which were burned farther on by contact with air and l When produced heat; but the robbing of the fuel of its heat of combustion to form carbonio oxide left little gain in economical results, and only in case of special application were such modes important. By my discovery, however, the heated vapor of water forming at once carbonio acid maintains the heat of combustion nearly as well as air does, while at a more distant part of theiriowtheintense heat following the combustion of hydrogen by carbonio acid is obtained,the carbonio oxide resulting burning as it comes in Contact With air. The essential difference between this and the Well-known plans rests on the modifications of combustion brought about by the limited amount of air supplied to the burning fuel, and the substitution of heated vapor (H05) for air in part. Economically the result obtained has a high value, as it prevents the accumulation of heat in masses of fuel, and destruction thereby of furnace-walls. It carries theheatinavolumi nous flame to the place of application. This combustion oXidizes sulphur and dilutes the products so much' that a flame fitted for metallurgicaloperations may be `obtained from pyritous fuel. 4

Although -I believe this to be the true explanation of the chemical changes which take place in Working my said method, I do not Wish to be understood as resting my claim on the soundness or' the theory as herein stated, my claim resting on the discovery of the better results due to the application of superheated steam, so as to impinge directly against theincandescent coals without admixture of atmospheric air, but in connection with atmospheric air applied by draft or blast in the usual way.

I am aware that prior to my said discovery steam was applied to aid in the combustion of fuel; but in such `cases it was either applied with atmospheric air below the grate or applied separately above the fuel, and with tne blast or draft of atmospheric air from below; but neither of these methods will produce results like my discovery or invention.

What I claim as Amy discovery or invention in the management of combustion in firel. The application, substantially as herein described, of superheated steam in jets so as to impinge, without admixture with atmospheric air, directly against the incandescent coals, in addition to or in combination with the supply separately of atmospheric air, either by draft or blast in the usual 'mannen as set forth, and for the purpose specified.

2. In the construction of fire-chambers for the combustion of fuel, and provided with apertures at or near the bottom for the admission of atmospheric air, combining therewith a steam chambery or chambers for superheated steam, the inner wall of the steam chamber or'- chalnbers having numerous small apertures next to the fuel for the escape of the superheated steam to impinge, Without admixture of atmospheric air, against the incandescent coals, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In the construction of fire-chambers combined, substantiallyas hercindescribed, with a chamber or chambers for superheated steam, and lwith numerous apertures for the escape of jets of superheated steam to impinge against the incandescent coals, making the'perforated wall of the lire-chamber grooved or the equivalent thereof, to reduce the thickness of the wall at the perforations, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

W. E. HAGAN.

Witnesses:

JOHN L. FLAGG, RICHARD F.- HALL.

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