US673365A - Carbureter. - Google Patents

Description

\ hmmm!V Apr. so, |901. A. H. HoPKms. l

CABBURETER.

(Application filed July 25` 1898.)

2 Sheets-Shao( 2.'

(no indou.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT H. HOPKINS, OF EXOELSIOR,5MI'NNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO N. J. PINAULT, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

CARBURETER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 673,365, dated April 30, 1901.

Application led July 25. 1898. Serial No. 686.792. (No model.)

To all wil/m t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT I-I. HOPKINS, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Excelsior, county of Hennepin, and State of Minnesota, haveinvented certain new and usefulIm-` proveniente in Apparatus for Burning Fuel- Oils, of which the following is a specification.

The usual process employed in burning crude oil for fuel 'is to spraT the oil into the 1o furnace by means of a jet of steam or hot air. By this means the oil is divided into a fine spray and is more 'or less completely consumed as it is injected into the fire-box of the furnace. In the apparatus employed by me i5 the oil is placed in a series of separate recep-l tacles and is heatedV to a high temperature, and a current of superheated air is forced through` the oil in each receptacle, the same air, if pre` ferred, being passed through all of the recep-l` zo tacles. By this means the air is carbu reted, the amount of hydrocarbon vapor taken up by the air depending upon the number of times that the air is passed through the oil. The carbureted air or gas after leaving the z5 last oil-receptacle is then passed through a series of heating-coils arranged in the furnace or through other suitable means by which it is superheated. and fixed. This carbureted air or gas is then conducted to an ordinary 3o fuel-gas burner arranged in the tire-box of a furnace, where it is burned in the same manner that ordinary fuel-gas is burned. After heated air has been passed through the oil in each receptacle'for'a certain length of time and a large amount of hydrocarbon has been removed therefrom the residuum of the oil is then conducted into a suitable retort or heating-coil, where it is subjected to a higher temperature and converted into gas, and this 4o gas is then conducted to an independent fuelgas burner, preferably located in close proximity to the other gas-burner, and the gas from the residuum of oil is there consumed. By using a series of receptacles for the oil one of them may be cut out of the air-carbureting process, and the oil therefrom may be burned and said receptacle be refilled with oil while the air-carbureting process is being continued with the other receptacles,and this 5o process may be continued indefinitely, so that at any time after the process is started the gas formed by carbureting the air and that from the residuum of oil will be burning simultaneously in the furnace.

Other features of my improved apparatus and the construction of one form of apparatus that I have devised for carrying ont my invention will be clearly understood from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in 6o whichi Figurel is a longitudinal vertical section of an apparatus embodying my invention, a

portion of a steam-boiler and its furnace and the connection of the apparatus therewith` being also shown. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through the furnace, showing the location of the coils by which the air is superheated, by which the carbureted air is superheated, and by which the residuum of oil is 7o finally converted into gas before being consumed.

In the drawings, 2 represents the fire-box of an ordinary steam-boiler furnace of any preferred construction. 3 represents a por- 75 tion of a steam-boiler arranged in connection with said furnace and provided with an ordinary steam-dome 4 and with the usual fines 5. This boiler may be used for generating steam for power or heating purposes, a suitable pipe 8o 6 being arranged to take the steam from the dome 4. This pipe may be provided with an ordinary valve '7, and a safety-valve S of any ordinary construction may also be arranged in connection therewith. The furnace is preferably provided with a bridge-wall 9 and also with a breeching 10 and stack ll. Within this stack, if preferred, may be arranged a suitable valve or damper l2. It will be understood, however, that I make no claim to the 9o construction of the boiler or furnace and that I do not limit myself to the application of my invention to a furnace or boiler of any particular construction, as the same may be readily adapted for use in connection with any preferred furnace or boiler.

I provide in connection with the apparatus a suitable air-pump 13, and as a means for driving said pump a small steam-engine 14. This engine will ordinarily be supplied with roo steam through the pipe l5 from the boiler 3; but as it may in some instances be necestacles 26.

engine 14 from a separate or auxiliary boiler. The pipes 15 and 16 will be provided with the` usual steam- valves 17, 18, and 19, by means' of which the passage of steam through said pipes may be governed. The air-pump 13y may be of any suitable or preferred construction, and as I make no claim to invention in the construction of this pump I consider it unnecessary to show herein the details of its construction. From the pump 13 air is conducted throngh a suitable pipe 2O to a stor-k age-reservoir 21, and a pipe 22 leads from this reservoir and preferably connects with a coil of pipe 23, arranged in the breeching of the furnace, so that the air passing there-1- through is snperheated or raised to a temperature of from 240 to 280 Fahrenheit, and. this is done without anyexpense, owing vto= the fact that by this location of the coil the:-

Waste heat from the furnace is utilized in the heating of the air. A 'suitable safety-valve Y24 and gage 25 will be preferably arranged in@ connection with the tank 21 andthe pipe 22. I also provide a series of oil tanks or recep- These'receptacles may be of anyf preferred size, shape, or construction, andl any-desired number of them may be employed. A steain-coil 27 is arranged in the-` lower part of each receptacle, these coils being Vconnected to a suitable steam-pipe 28,

that is in turn preferably connected to the steam-pipe 15, and each of said coils is alsoy connected to a pipe 29, that is in turn connected to a suitable steam-trap 30. Each of the receptacles 26 is also preferably provided' with a sight-glass 31, so as to show the quantity', of oil contained therein. From the superheat ing-coil 23 there preferably extendsa pipe 32, and in this pipe there is located a pressure-re-f ducng valve 33,which may be of any suitable or preferred construction and the details of g which I therefore do not consider it necessaryg to show in the drawings of this application. From the pressure-reducing valve 33 connection is made to apipe 34,extending,preferably,l past all of the oil-receptacles 26. Thispipe is} provided with 'a series of valves 35, and fromi this pipe there are two series of branch pipes, one leading to the bottom and the other to thel top of the oil-receptacles 26. The branch pipes `37, which lead to the lower parts of the` oil-receptacles, are preferably provided with' valves 38, and the lower ends of such pipes preferably extend across the lower part ofl the oil-receptacles and are provided with aj series of perforations, so as to permit the es-l cape of the air into the lower part of such re`, ceptacles. If preferred, the ends of th'epipes' 37 may be made into the form of a coil, so as to cause an even distribution of the air over substantially the entire bottom of the recep-l tacles. The branch pipes 39 connect the up`v effacer .burner 45, located in the wall of the lire-box 2 of the furnace. A suitable valve 46 is preferably located in said pipe 42, and a branch pipe 47 preferably extends from the pipe 32 and is provided with a suitable valve 48, and from this branch pipe 47 there is a tube 49, connecting with the gas-burner 45. As the branch pipe 47 isconnected with the branch -pipe 32, so that the air passes from the pipe 32 directly into the pipe 47 without passing through the pressure-reducing'valve 33, the air that is forced intothe burnerthrongh the tube 49 will be at a high pressure, and this connection is provid ed for the purpose of'properly injecting the gas through said burner. Bymeans ofthe'steam passing through the pipesin the receptaclesthe oil is raised to a high temperature, 'preferably between 240 and 280 Fahrenheit. I also prefer to provide in connection withthisapparatus a suitable oil-storage tank 50, which may be located at any convenient point. This tank is provided with a suitable pipe 51, by means of lwhich itmay be filled with oil from an oilcar orfother source of su'pply,'and said pipe 51 is preferably provided with a suitable valve 52. The oil which I prefer to use is crude hydrocarbon or petroleum containing all of the distillates or light hydrocarbons. The tank 50 may also be provided with a suitable sightglass 53 and with a suitable coil of steam-pipe 54, that is connected through a pipe 55 with the pipe 15 and also through va pipe 56 With'the steam-trap 30. Suitable valves 57 and 58 are provided for controlling the admission of steam to the pipe 54. To the storage-tank 50 is connected an outlet-pipe 59, provided with a suitable valve 60,and this pipe59 is connected to a pipe 61, extending along all of the receptacles 26 and connected thereto'by means of the branch pipes 62, each of which :is provided With a suitable valve 63. Thepipe 61 also extends to a point preferably near the furnace and is connected to 'a pipe 64, that leads to an oil-storage tank 65, preferably located at a point above thefurn-'ace and boiler. This storage-tank 65'is provided with a 'pipe 66, having a'suitable valve 67, through which air may be permitted to escape from' the tank as it is filled with oil. After the tank is filled -with oil the valve 67 may be closed. This tank is also provided withthe usual sightglass 68, and from this tank a pipe 69 leads to a series of transverse pipes 70, forming `a retort arrangedin the fire-box of the furnace, preferably at a point near the front of the bridgewall. The pipe 69 is provided with an ordinary valve 7l and with a sight-glass 72 of IOO IIO

`erases any preferred construction, and .this pipe is made with a U-shaped portion extending from the bottom of the tank to the level of the pipe 61, and this U-shaped portion of the pipe 69 forms a liquid seal iu said pipe.4 The elevated storage-tank 65 is designed tc coutain the amount of oil in any one of the receptacles 26, so that after a sufficient amount of air has been passed through the oil in one of said receptacles said receptacle may be cut out of the air-carbureting operation, and the oil therein may be forced immediately into the elevated tank 65, and then said receptacle may be refilled With oil from the storage-tank 50, and said receptacle may then be again connected With the air-carbureting process While the oil that was formerly in said receptacle is being slowly fed to the retort and converted into gas and then conducted to the burner 77 from the tank 65. The series of pipes are preferably of large size. and they extend transversely through the furnace, preferably at the rear of the firebox, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The ends of these pipes are connected by suitable branch pipes 73, and each end of each pipe is also, preferably, provided with a suitable plug 74, by the removal of which any coke or solid matter which collects vin the pipe may be readily removed therefrom. From the retortpipe 70 the pipe 75 extends to a point near the front of the tire-box, where it is connected to a pipe 76, that is in turn con uected to the burner 77. The pipe 76 is also, preferably, connected directly to the pipe 6l at a point between its connection with the pipe 76 and its connection with the pipe 64. There is also, preferably, a pipe 80, provided with a valve 81, leading from the pipe 47 to the burner 77. The receptacles 26 are each preferably provided with a short pipe or tube 82, having a valve S3, by means of which the air in said receptacles maybe permitted to escape when it is desired to fill said receptacles with oil. The storagetank 50 mayalso be provided with a tube 84, having a valve 85, by means of which the air in said tank may be permitted to escape as the tank is filled with oil. The fire-box Will 4ordinarily be provided with the usual grate-bars 86, and I prefer to cover these bars With suitable firebrick 87, leaving one or more openings 88, through Which sufficient air may be supplied to the fire-box, if necessary, to provide complete combustion' of the oil and gas.

The operation of burning the oil by means of the apparatus herein described or which may be carried out by other suitable apparatus is as follows: Air is forced under pressure into the storage-tank 2l and is passed from this tank through the pipe 22 into the heating-coil 23, Where it is superheated or raised to a temperature of from 240 to 280 Fahrenheit. It is then passed through the pipe 32 and the pressure-reduction valve 33 into the pipe 34. The oil-receptacles 26 are filled about one-half full of crude oil, this oil being forced into the receptacles in the manner hereinafter described. ASteam is passed through the coils of pipe in the receptacles, and the oil is thereby raised to a high temperature, preferably to from 240 to 280 Fahrenheit. Heated air from the pipe 37 is passed into the bottom of the first receptacle and passes up through the oil, being carbureted thereby, and the carbureted air passes out through the pipe 39 at the top of thereceptacle and then down through the next branch pipe 37 into the bottom of the neXt receptacle, and so ou for as many receptacles as are provided. The carbu reted air passing from the last receptacle passes through the pipe 42 into and `through a series of fines in the boiler,whereby said carbureted air is superheated. This carbureted airor gas is then conductedv to the burner 45 and burned in connect-ion with a supply of superheated air under pressure that is conducted to thc burner through the pipe 47 and the tube 49. After the gas-making operation has thus been continued for considerable time the first receptacle 26 is cut out by means of valves in the pipes, and the valve 63 at the bottom of the `receptacle is opened and air under pressure from the pipe 32 is forced into the top of said receptacle, driving the oil therefrom. This oil may be conducted directly to the burner 77 and burned there in connection with a supply of heated air under pressure from the pipe 32; but it is preferably forced into the elevated storage-tank 65, and a new supply of oil is forced into the receptacle 26 from the storage-tank 50. i This is done by opening the valve in the pipe leading from the pipe 32 to said storage-tank 50 and permitting the air under pressure to enter the tank 50 and force the oil therefrom. Vhen a sufficient amount of oil has been forced into the receptacle 26, the valve 63 is closed and the gas-making operation is continued, as above. After the oil has been removed and consumed from the first receptacle that in the second receptacle is removed and burnedin a similar manner, and then said receptacle is recharged with oil and the operation is carried on in this manner, the oil from each receptacle being removed after it has been used for the desired length of time in the air-carburetiug operation. When the oil from one of the receptacles 26 is forced into the elevated storage-tank 65, it is then allowed to pass from said tank through the retort-pipe 70 and to the burner 77. As no air is permitted to enter these retort-pipes 70, the oil may be subjected to a very high temperature therein. I have generally employed a temperature of about 750 Fahrenheit. By subjecting the oil to this high temperature in the retort-pipe 70 it is all converted into gas, With the exception of a small amount of coke or residuum that is left in the retortpipes and which .may be removed through the openings at the ends of the pipes, as hereinbefore described. This oil after having IOO IIO

been converted into gas by passage through the retort-pipes is, as before stated, conducted to the burner 77, Where it is consumed in connection with a supply of heated air that is passed to said burner from the pipe 32. The gas-making operation, it will be seen, is continuous, and I have found by actual experiment that the oil may be used for a considerable period of time for making gas by passing a current of superheated air through the heated oil and that thereafter the oil may be burned with just as good results as far as the production of heat is concerned as it would have produced if burned without having any.of the hydrocarbon removed therefrom by the passage of heated air through it.

It will be seen, therefore, that' I secure results not heretofore attained by the usual operation of burning fuel-oil, as I practically secure, in addition to the results usually attained by the burning of the oil, the heat-producing eifects of the gas that is obtained by the passage of the heated air through the voil and the superheating of the resulting gas or carbu reted air.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- A l. An apparatus for burning fuel-oils, comprising in combination, a plurality of oil-receptacles, and,V means for placing oil in or removing it from any one of said receptacles, means for heating the oil in said receptacles, means for passing superheated air independently through one or more of said receptacles, a burner for the carbureted air or gas connected to said receptacles, and a second burner for the residuum of oil independently connected to said receptacles, whereby the residuum of oil from any one of said receptacles may be burned while air is being carbureted in the other receptacles, substantially as described.

2. An apparatus for burning fuel-oils, comprising, in combination, one or more suitable ,oil-receptacles, and means for placing oil therein or removing it therefrom, means for passing superheated air through the body of oil in each of said receptacles, a burner connected with said receptacles for burning the 5o carbureted air therefrom, a suitable retort also connected with said receptacles, and in which the residuum of oil may be heated to a high temperature and converted into gas,

land a suitable burner connected with said retort, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a series of oil receptacles or carbureters, means for heating oil therein, means for passing heated air independently through the oil in one or more 6o of said receptacles, and means for burning said air after it is carbureted, of a storagetank connected with said receptacles, means for forcing the oil from any one of said receptacles into said storage-tank While the air continues to pass through the oil in the other re. ceptacles, a retort connected to said storagetank, and a burner connected to said retort,

for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with a series of oil re- 7o ceptacles or carbureters, means for heating oil therein, means for passing heated air independently through the oil in one or more of said receptacles, means for superheating the carbureted air, and a suitable burner therefor, of a storage-tank connected to said receptacles, means for forcing the oil from any one of said receptacles to said storagetank, a retort, a burner connected with said retort, and means for passing the oil from 8o said storage-tank through said retort (where it is converted into gas) and to said burner, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 20th day of July, A. D. 1898, 85

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