US788378A - Gas-producer. - Google Patents

Description

No. 788,378. PATENTED APR. 25, 1905.

J. REULEAUX.

, GAS PRODUCER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Vitweoow 66686 43143 No. 788.378. v PATENTED APR. 25, 1905. J. REULEAUX. GAS PRODUCER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21, 1904.

2 SHEETS.SHEET 2.

e I PeuLe M l/vdilmoaea f UNITED STATES Patented April 25, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

J OSEF REULEAUX, OF \VILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO ALEXANDER LAUGHLIN, OF SEWVICKLEY, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAS-PRODUCER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,378, dated April 25, 1905.

Application filed September 21, 1904. Serial No. 225,394.

1'0 n/Zl whom it 71mg arm/007%:

Be it known that I, JosEE REULEAUX, of IVilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Producers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to what are termed suction gas-producers, wherein the air for combustion is drawn in by an exhauster or the aspiratory action of a gas-engine connected with the producer. It is of vital importance in this class of producers that all air be excluded other than that required for combustion purposes, since otherwise more or less serious explosions will occur upon fresh air intermingling directly with the produced gases.

The primary object of my invention is therefore to provide improved means for preventing air from directly intermingling with the produced gases when the necessary openings are made for charging, breaking up clinkers in the ashes, or in the removal of the latter.

A further object is to prevent unequal combustion of the fuel by introducing all the air aspirated for the combustion to the very center of the fire-bed, thus maintaining the full capacity of the heating-surface of the producer and insuring the production of a rich quality of gas; and further objects are to provide means whereby the operation of the producer will in no way be interfered with or interrupted while charging it with fuel or removing ashes, to guard against the destruction of the parts subjected to the highest heat, to mix the aspirated air with steam generated from the water by which parts are cooled, to thoroughly heat the air before it reaches the ire-bed, and to provide for the direct escape of smoke, &c., in starting the producer.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a gas-producer constructed in accordance with my invention, fuel being indicated on but one side. Figs. 2 and 3 are horizontal sectional views on lines 2 2 and 3 3, respectively, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a gas-producer the ash-hopper of which projects into a water-seal bottom 2, wherein is located a pusher 3 for forcing the ashes from beneath the hopper and out over the inclined bottom 4, such pusher being constructed in accordance with the invention patented to me by Letters Patent of the United States No. 726,757, dated April 28, 1903. I have shown a screw-rod 5 connected by gearing 6 ing the pusher.

In the center 'of the generator immediately above the ash-hopper is an air-distributer in the form of a dome-like casing 8, connected by a series of lateral branches 9 with an annular air-heating chamber 10 in the wall of the producer. This chamber is equipped with lateral extensions 12, wherein and in the easing and the branches 9 water is designed to circulate, all surplus water overflowing walls 13 over the lower portions of the inner ends of the branches falling into the bed of ashes and the water-holding bottom 2. Extending through the air heating chamber 1O are clinker openings 13. Any air admitted through these openings in the breaking up of the clinkers must necessarily travel through the fuel-bed before intermingling with the produced gases, such openings being within the lines of combustion.

14 14 designate two air-admission valves sealed at their lower ends by the water Within the laterals 12, the airbeing drawn longitudinally through such valves by the aspiratory action of an engine or exhauster. are movable longitudinally in an upper exterior water seal 15 of the casings of the laterals, and the extentof their penetration into the water may be regulated by set-screw 16. In starting, these valves are lifted out of the water. Not only does the water serve to cool the air -distributer casing, branches 9, and heating-chamber 10, but the steam generated therefrom saturates the air heated by the same The valves to the shaft of a hand-wheel 7 for manipulatsource, and thereby adds materially to the efficency of the producer. The air upon leaving the open bottom of the dome-like casing Will pass upwardly uniformly at every point through the bed of ashes and the incandescent fuel within the producer, and thegas will be drawn out through outlet 16 by the suction of an engine or exhauster.

17 designates a fuel-supply casing extending downwardly through the arched top of the producer and preferably fitted in a water seal at 18 on the top of the latter. The length of this casing relative to the height of the incandescent fuel within the producer is about two to one, as shown by the spaces defined by lines I and II. At its upper end this casing is provided with a water-sealed lid or lids 18. EX- tending centrally through the casing and beyond the top thereof is an air-flue 19, which at its lower end opens into the top of the airdistributer 8. Its lower portion is exteriorly protected by fire-brick 20 to a point above the line at which the fuel is incandescent. In this flue near the upper end of the supply-casing is formed a series of openings 21, which open upwardly thercinto, thus establishing communication between the casing 17 and the fine. Also opening into this flue at a point approximately midway the length of the chargingcasing is an air-supply pipe 22, the admission of air to which is controlled by a dip-valve 23, sealed at its lower end by water within a tank 24, mounted on the top of the producer, the dip-valve itself having an outer water seal 25. It, like valves 14, is adjustable, aset-screw 26 being shown for the purpose. Air is drawn through the dip-valve 23 at each aspiratory action of the engine and in passing through the central flue serves to cool the latter and at the same time entrains any air that may be within the top of the supply-casing when the lid thereof is opened, such air being drawn through openings 21. In this way the air entering the casing in the charging thereof with fuel is prevented from directly intermingling with the produced gases, which inter-mingling would result in an explosion. It is evident that the length of the charging-casing must be in excess of the height of the fire-bed, since otherwise the air entering at the top of the casing would follow the vacuum and take its shortest course downward through the fuelsu pply and into the upper part of the producer proper and there mingle with and consume the gases coming from the fire-bed. This is successfully avoided by having the air in the top of the casing pass through the central draft-tube and then into the fire-bed. Furthermore, by reason of this very communication the weighted lid 2'7 on the top of the central tube will act as a safety-valve for the escape of surplus gases when the engine stops or the suction ceases. Then, too, the flue acts as a stack in starting the producer, and until the fire-bed has reached an incandescent state and everything is in condition to produce gases of the proper quality. For this purpose I provide the flue with a damper 28 beneath the openings 21. The gases forming in the upper part of the fuel-casing will, by their own expansion and by the suction of the engine, pass downward through the central flue and thence to the point of combustion in the firebed and being hydrocarbons will be burned and decomposed, thus avoiding any tarry condensations, While like gases forming in the lower part of the fuel-casing press themselves through the upper incandescent fuel at the lower end of the fuel-supply casing and intermingle with the bulk of the gases.

Preferably the air-admission valves of the annular chamber 10 are positioned intermediate the several branches 9 in order to get plenty of air circulation within the annular chamber, the branches, and the central distributer. The water is always maintained at a uniform level, all surplus overflowing into the Water-sealed bottom. This water by sealing the lower ends of valves 14: prevents any back pressure when the engine ceases to work, escape therefor being provided by the automatic open-ing of lid 27 of the central drafttube.

The advantages of my invention are apparent. It will be seen that provision has been successfully made for guarding against the admission of air to the producer except for combustion purposes. Whatever air is admitted to the producer, either through the charging-casing or the clinker-openings or in the removal of ashes, must pass through the bed of incandescent fuel before intermingling with the produced gases, thereby avoiding any direct intermixture therewith liable to result in a more or less serious explosion.

I claim as my invention- 1. A gas-producer having an air-distributor located centrally of the fire-bed, an air-heating chamber surrounding the producer, and a series of lateral branches connecting the chamber and the distributer, said chamber and branches being constructed so as to contain a body of water.

2. A gas-prod ucer having an air-distributer located centrally of the fire-bed, an air-heating chamber surrounding the prod ucer,a series of lateral branches connecting the chamber and distributer, said chamber and branches being constructed so as to contain abody of water, and means for controlling the admission of air to the chamber, such means being sealed by the water.

3. A gas-producer having an air-distributer located centrally of the fire-bed, an air-heating chamber surrounding the producer, a series of lateral branches connecting the chamber and distributer, said chamber and branches being constructed so as to contain a body of water, and valves sealed by such water and through which the air is drawn to the distributer by the aspiratory action of an engine or exhauster.

4. A gas-producer having an air-distributer located centrally of the fire-bed, an air-heatin g chamber surrounding the producer, a series of lateral branches connecting the chamber and distributer, said chamber and branches being constructed so as to contain a body of water, valves sealed by such water and through which the air is drawn to the distributer by the aspiratory action of an engine or an exhauster, and means for regulating the extent of the penetration of the valves into the water.

5. A gas-producer having an air-distributer closed at the top and open at its bottom and located centrally of the fire-bed, an air-heating chamber surrounding the producer, a series of lateral branches leading from the chamber and opening into the distributer above the lower end thereof, and means for controlling the admission of air to the chamber.

6. A gas-producer having a dome-shape airdistributer located centrally of the fire-bed, an air-heating chamber surrounding the produccr, a series of lateral branches, connecting the chamber and the distributer, having walls over portions of their inner ends, said chamher and branches being constructed so as to contain a body of water, and air-inlet valves sealed by such water and through which air is drawn by the aspiratory action of an engine or exhauster.

7. A gas-producer having an air-distributer located centrally of the fire-bed, a series of airpassages opening into said distributer and extending radially therefrom, and an air-flue opening into said distributer and extended downwardly through the fire-bed, means for admitting air to said flue, and means for admitting air to said passages.

8. A gas-producer having an air-distributer located centrally of the fire-bed, a series of airpassages opening into said distributer and extending radially therefrom, and an air-flue opening into said distributer and communicating with the fuel-space of the producer some distance above the line of combustion.

9. A gas-producer having an air-distributer located centrally of the fire-bed, a series of airpassages opening into said distributer and extending radially therefrom, and an air-flue opening into said distributer and extended downwardly through the fire-bed and communicating with the fuel-space of the producer above the line of combustion, means for admitting air to said flue beneath the point of its communication with the fuel-space, and means for admitting air to said passages.

10. A gas-prod ucer having a dome-shape air-distributer located centrally of the fire-bed, an air-flue opening into said distributer and extended downwardly through the fire-bed, an air-supply pipe opening into said flue at a point above the fire-bed, and a water-sealed valve through which the air is drawn to said tributer, and Water-sealed valves for controlv ling the admission of air to said chamber.

12. A gas-producer having a fuel supply casing extending u pwardly some distance from the line of combustion, an air-flue extended centrally through said casing and opening beneath the fire-bed, openings being formed in said flue near the upper end of the fuel-supply casing, and means for closing the upper end of said flue designed to be automatically opened to allow of the escape of surplus gases.

13. The herein-described gas-producer having a centrally-arranged air-distribu ter, means for supplying preheated and saturated air thereto, a fuel-supply casing extending some distance upwardly from the line of combustion, an air-flue extending downwardly through said casing and fire-bed and opening into said distributer, and means for controlling the admission of air to said flue.

14. The herein-described gas-producer having a centrally-arranged air-distributer, a water-containing chamber having a series of airpassages opening into said distributer, valves sealed by such water and through which air is drawn to the distributer, a fuel-supply casing extended upwardly some distance beyond the line of combustion, an air-flue extended centrally through said casing and the fire-bed and opening at its lower end into said air-distributer, said flue having a series of openings into the casing at the upper end thereof, an air-supply pipe opening into said flue, and a water-sealed valve through which air is drawn to the flue.

15. The combination with a gas-producer having a centrally arranged dome shape airdistributer, of an air-heating chamber surround-ing said casing, a series of lateral branches connecting the chamber -to the distributer, and a series of water-sealed valves controlling the admission of air to said chamber, water being designed to circulate in the latter-as well as in said branches, as set forth.

16. The combination with a gas-producer having a w ater-sealed bottom, of adome-shape air-distributer located centrally of the fire-bed above said bottom, an air-heating chamber surrounding said producer, a series of lateral branches connecting the chamber and the distributer and having walls over the lower portions of their inner ends, water being designed to circulate in said chamber and branches, the overflow thereof falling from the distributer IOO In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subsorib- 10 mg witnesses.

J OSEF REULEAUX.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS S. MAGUIRE, GEO. W. RIGHTMIRE.

Images