US506168A - Edwin r - Google Patents

Description

(No M 11 1.)

E. R. ELLSWORTH. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR IHE MANUPAGTURE OF GAS. No. 506,168. m6111191 001. 3.1893.

Unirse States Parent Ormea@ EDWIN R.. ELLSVORTH, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK., ASSIGNOR TO CLARENCE O. DOUDEN, OF PLACE.

redness or AND APPARATUS Foa THE MANUFACTURE F GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 506,168, dated October 3, 1893.

l Application filed January 23, 1893. Serial No. 459,434. (No model.) i

llo all, whom t may concern.-

Be it known that l, EDWIN R. ELLswoRrI-I, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of'lroolrlyn, in the county of Kings and State `with refractory material.

.of New York, have invented a new and useful Process of and Apparatus for the Manufacture of Gas', of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of gas which is wholly or partly formed by passingvapors containing hydrocarbon in ahi'ghly divided state through a heated receptacle for the' purpose of disorganizing them and recombining them with other of the component parts of the gas, and consistsof the process and of the devices and combinations hereinafter described and claimed whereby a new and useful gaseous aggregate is produced.

The drawing represents a sectional elevation of my improved apparatus for the manufacture of gas.

. Referring to the drawing, my apparatus in which the process of manufacture is carried on consists of a vertically elongated furnace A contained in a cylindrical iron shell B lined It is provided with a tiring door B and an ash-pit door B2, bot-h capable of being hermetically sealed at will. A grate D serves to support a thick bed of coal or oo ke D. The retort E is suspended from the top ofthe structure so that its lower end is within a few inches of the bed of coal D and its cylindrical shell is pierced by nu-v merous hles which are threaded to receive a series of copper rods, e, e, e tightly screwed into them and which project into the interior ofthe retort andnearly to the opposite side of it.

Contained in the refractory lining of the furnace near, its upper end is the annular lflue F, which connects with the interior of the furnace by the openings F,'F, and with the chimney by the flue F2 which is provided with a valve F3- by which it may beclosed; a pipe F4, provided with a valve F5 connects the flue F with the bottom of the retort E; this pipe is preferably contained in the refractory 1ining of the furnace as shown.

The retort A is provided at its upper end with an eduction pipe G by which the gas formed is conveyed to anholder; on leaving the retort this pipe is perpendicular for a certain distance and incloses a smaller pipe G,the purpose of which will be 'explained later.' Below the grate, at the bottom of the structure are placed a pipe I-I through which compressed air may be forced into the furnace and a pipe K through which steam may be introduced. Entering into the bottom of the retort E is a pipe L which connects with a receiver L placed outside of the structure. A vacuum blower is connected to the receiver by a pipe entering it at a point about equidistant from its top and its bottom; this blower N has its inlet openings hermetically closed save for a pipe N connecting with the steam supply, and is driven at a high rate of Speed by a belt running on its pulley N3. The Y pipe N2 connects with a'tank containing the liquid hydrocarbon, which is placed at such Y an elevation that the hydrocarbon will descend by gravity to the blowerNon the valve being opened'. By means of the peep-holes M. M. M., the interior of -the furnace and of the retort may be inspected.

'I The operation ot the'plant is as follows:l A iirehaving been built on the grate D, the iirepot is illedv with coal or coke and compressed air is forced in by the pipe H until the coal is brought to a state of incandes. cence and the retort E has attaineda bright red heat; the valve F3 is then closed and F5 opened, the admission of air through the pipe H is stopped and steam is introducedby the pipe K. At the same time the blower N is set in motion and a small quantity of steam is admitted by the pipe N while hydrocarbon is admitted by the pipe N2. By means of the vacuum blower N the hydrocarbon is broken up into an impalpable spray, just enough steam being admitted to the blower to preserve the vacuum. This is an important feature ot 'my process as the presence of any considerable quantity of steam in this vapor, when introduced into the retort will dis- 9 5 turb and prevent the chemical reactions desired. A vapor isvthus formed containing a very small quantity of steam and a maximum quantity of hydrocarbon; this passes to the hollow, preferably cylindrical receiver L roo where any unvaporized particles are removed by gravity and from thence to the retort E by the pipe L. The steam admitted at K, passing up through the`bed of coals D is decom posed and crude water gas is formed, which passing out of the furnace by the llues F. and F is conducted by the pipe F4 to the bottom of the retort E where it mingles with the vapor entering from the pipe L as before described. The valve Gf2 of the pipe G', which isconnected with an overhead supply of water, is now opened, and water is allowed to enterv the retort E drop hydrop, having 'first been heated by its passage through the lower" In my process the order in which the crude water gas, the hydrocarbon vapor and the nascent steam are brought together as herein stated is highly essential, any deviation from the process`v as here laid down, materially altering the 4results obtained. After a certain time, the heat of the apparatus having become reduced, it will be necessary to stop and4 heat up again; to this end the blower is stopped, N N 2 and G closed, the valve F3 is opened and F5 closed,the admission of steam at K is discontinued and air is again admitted at H, more coal is added tothe fire if necessary and the apparatus is heated as before.

What I claim as newand of my invention 1s 1. The process of manufacturing gas, which consists in heating a retort adjacent to a bed of incandescent coals, passing steam through said bed of coals to produce crude water gas, forming an attenuated vapor containing a maximum of hydrocarbon, conveying said water gas and said vapor separately into said heated retort and mixing them therein, then adding to said mixture superheated steam formed by admitting water to the heated retort, drop by drop, and finally passing the gaseous mixture th rough and from the retort, substantially as described.

- 2. In an apparatus for making gas, the combination of a vertically elongated furnacev having a grate in its lower portion and pro- .55 vided at the top kvvith'a valved exit flue, means with the retort and provided with supply pipes through which said blower is connected with sources of steam and hydrocarbon oil, and a drip pipe connecting the upper end of the re- 'tort with a source of water supply, substantially as described.

4. In apparatus for gas making,the combination of a retort provided with one or more copper rods proj ecting into its interior, a 'pipe connecting with a supply of hydrocarbon vapor, a pipe connecting with-asu pply of water-gas and a drip-pipe connecting with a supply of water, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as .ny invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 5th day of January,

. EDWIN R. ELLSWORTII. Witnesses:

CLARENCE O. DOUDEN, JOHN II. MILLER.

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