US795208A - Apparatus for the generation of gas. - Google Patents

Description

No. 795,208. PATENTED JULY 18, 1905.

B.B.ELDRBD. APPARATUS FOR THB GENERATION 0F GAS.

APPLIUATION FILED HAB. 15, 1905.

Mmm n Mum m, rmmunux un Nirnn STATES Patented July 18, 1905.

ATBNT OFFICE.

BYRON E. ELDRED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO ELDRED PROCESS COMPANY, OF NEV YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR THE GENERATION OF GAS.

SPECIFICATION 'Omng Part 0f Letters Patent NO 795,208, dated. July 18, 1905.

Application tiled March 15,1905. Serial No. 250,183.

To (LZ/Z whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, BYRON E. ELDRED, a citi- Zen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Generating Combustible Gas from Carbon DioXid, of which the following is a specification.

This apparatus is intended for the manu facture of gas in a manner similar to that by which water-gas is made, but by the use of reacting fluids which form a gas of a totally different constitution from that of water-gas, and on that account is especially useful for both illuminating and power purposes, as the combustible gas obtained in the manner hereinafter described is nearly free from that most objectionable element hydrogen and contains a large amount of carbon monoXid. It is, therefore, particularly adapted for operating internal-explosion engines.

In the manufacture of water-gas, as is Well known, a deep mass of fuel is brought to 'a state of vivid incandescence by a blast of air. l/Vhen the temperature is suiiiciently high, the air-blast is terminated and steam introduced in its place. The steam passes up through the hot fuel and by its reaction with the glowing carbon is decomposed into hydrogen and carbon monoXid, which mixture constitutes the so-called water-gas. This steam reaction takes place efficiently only above a temperature of 1,900O or 2,000o Fahrenheit, and as the reaction is an endothermic one the temperature of the generator' rapidly falls and the steam-blast must be quickly discontinued and the air-blast resumed in order to bring the temperature of the fuel back again to the point at which it is capable of properly decomposing steam. The process therefore consists in an alternation of air and steam b1ows, the air-blow producing a sort of producer-gas and the steam-blow the water-gas.

In the passage of an air-current without the use of steam through a deep bed of fuel to form what is commonly known as producer-gas it is found that if the oxygen be split up entirely into carbon monoxid a gas is produced containing one part of carbon monoXid to two parts of nitrogen. It is not, of course, possible to effect in this way complete reduction to carbon monoxid. Carbon dioXid is invariably produced in a greater or less degree, depending upon the character of the fuel and construction of the gas-producing appliance. Consequently by an air-draft alone it is possible to get a gas containing only from twenty to twenty-eight per cent. of carbon monoXid, and if no steam be used this gas is too poor in combustible matter for many purposes. Especially is it true that such a gas is not suited for use in internal-explosion engines, owing to the great volume of inert f nitrogen which it carries. Hydrogen, which causes so much trouble in the operation of gas-engines, because of the danger of premature ignition and consequent inability to secure efficient compression, is in a producer operated by an air-draft practically absent. Such a gas is, however, so poor in combustible that gas-engines of Very large dimensionsare required. It is not, consequently, considered practicable to use it for this purpose.

My invention has for its object the production of a gas containing little or no hydrogen and containing a very large amount of carbon monoXid, which is a most desirable constituent of gas intended for internal-explosionengines. For this purpose I employ instead of air the gases coming from a limekiln. These are blown into a deep bed of fuel and decomposed by endothermic reaction, producing a gas very rich in combustible matter. The gases from alimekiln contain large quantities of carbon dioXid-often from thirty-five to forty per cent. This, together with the oxygen present, constitutes a gas capable of reacting with carbon to form a combustible gas carrying' sixty to sixty-five per cent. carbon monoxid or combustible matter.. As is the case with steam, the introduction of such a gas into the generator is accompanied by a marked decrease in the temperature, and the process cannot, therefore, be made a continuous one and at the same time produce a gas of the richness which I secure with the present apparatus.

My method consists, therefore, in the application alternately to the gas-generator of a blast of air and then a blastof limekiln-gases. The gases from the air-blast are allowed to pass into the limeliln to effect the calcination of the lime. They may of course, if desired, be discharged into the air or conducted to any other convenient place for utilization. They are, however, particularly adapted for the burning or assisting in the burning of lime, and l prefer to use them for this purpose. The products of the carbon-dioxid blast-that is to say, of the gas-blast through the producer of the products of combustion and decomposition or calcination from the limeliln or other source of carbon dioXid--are collected and used for the purpose desired. The expression carbon-dioxid blast is here used to indicate that portion of the operation in which the gas generation proper is under way and in which stage the gas-generator is subjected to a rapid fall in temperature, due to the dissociation of the carbon dioxid in aforesaid blast. Tf intended for use in internaleXplosion engines, they ordinarily should be purified by passage through asuitable scrubbing or washing device. For illuminatinggas it is necessary to carburet the gas on its departure from the gas-chamber by passage through a suitable carbureter, and it is generally also necessary to fix the gases sul sequent to their passage through the carbureter by introducing them into a superheater, where they may be subjected to a high temperature, and the oils used in carbureting are thus cracked and converted into fixed gases. The gas may bc carbureted in other ways-as, for instance, by the addition of volatile hydrocarbons, such as petroleum, naphtha, and the like.

The accompanying drawing discloses diagrammatieally an embodiment of this invention which l now regard as the best of the Various forms in which this invention may be applied.

In the drawing, 1 is a limeliln having the furnace or fire-box 2, the lime-discharge hopper or cooler 3, an inlet or opening' for the introduction of limestone 4, and a removable bottom 5 for the discharge of the calcined and cooled lime from the cooler 3.

6 is a chamber for the generationof gas, adapted to receive a deep bed of fuel.

7 is a carburcter, and 8 asuperheater. These may be of the type ordinarily used in the manufacture of carbureted water-gas. The generator 6 is provided with feed-hopper 9 for the introduction of the fuel, with grate 10 and ash-pit 11. A deep bed of fuel is shown resting on the gratos at 12. A pipe or passage 13, preferably of or coated with non-conducting material, leads from the upper part of the limekiln to the lower part of the generator 6 and enters in its lower part. It is shown in the accompanying drawing entering at the ash-pit 11; but it may also be entered at any suitable distance above the grates. Interposed in this passage is a fan-blower 15. On the inlet side of the fan is situated an airinlet 16. The gates or valves 17, 18, and 19 are used to regulate the relative amounts of stack gas and air and also to regulate the total amount admitted to the producer. A steamjet 2O is also shown, and it may be used in conjunction with or separately from the fanblower. The generator 6 is connected with superheater 7 by passage 21.

2Q is a pipe or jet for the introduction of oil such as used in the operation of carbureting.

23 is an air-inlet for the addition of secondary air entering the generating air-blow.

The carbureter is connected with the superheater 8 by means of the passage 25. 26 is an air-inlet for the addition of air if same be required at this point. The carbureter and superheater contain a checker-work of refractory material, (shown at 2a and 27, respectively.) The superheater is provided in its upper part with an aperture 28, through which combustible gas is allowed to pass into the pipe 32. A gate or valve 29 controls the liow of gases therethrough. A passage from the superheater to the limekiln is shown at 30, and a gate closing this passage is shown at 31. Symmetrically with the gas-generating set hereinbefore described and preferably on the opposite side of the limekiln is placed a similar or twin apparatus, the parts of which are numerically designated in a similar manner to the first set, except that prime numbers are used. The combustible gas from generator 6 discharges by passage 33 into outlet-pipe 32. My method of operation is as follows: The limeliln 1 is put in operation, lime being fed in the top f1 and a fire started in the furnace 2. Vhen the kiln is filled with stone, the well-ealcined material may be drawn from the cooler 3 and the gas-generator put in operation. This may be done by starting wood or coke fires in the generators 6 and 6, using airblast or natural draft for bringing the lire into a state of suitable incandescence. Coal is added through the hopper 9 until a deep bed of fire is secured. The air-blast in, for instance, generator 6 may be brought about by closing gate 1T and opening gates 18 and 19. The gate 29 should be closed and gate 31 opened. The generator 6/ is started similarly. fhcn the products of combustion from the top of the limekiln are sufficiently rich in carbon dioxid, the left-hand generator 6 may be put in operation by opening gates 17 and 29 and closing gates 18 and 31. The gases of the limekiln then pass through generator 6, carburetor 7,

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and super-heater 8 to the passage 32. vWhile this operation is in progress the right-hand generator 6 may be used for calcining lime by opening the gate 81 and permitting' the products from the generator to pass into the kiln. lV hen the temperature of the generator 6 has fallen below the point at which carbon dioxid is properly reduced, the gates 17 and i9 are closed and the gates 18 and 3l opened. In the right-hand set of apparatus the gates 1T and 29 may now be opened and the gates 1S and 3l closed, thus causing the products of combustion from the generator 6 to enter the limekiln and decompose limestone. Reversals are made in the usual way, two sets of generators being worked alternately as regards the production of combustible gas, so that a practically continuous discharge of gas into the passage 32 is secured. It is not necessary, of course, to operate simply \vith twin generators of the character above described. A number of sets of gasgenerators may be grouped around a limekiln. I do not limit myself as to the number that may -be used. One generator to a kiln is hardly suliicient, owing to the fact that the gases from the kiln uctuate in composition. The use of two or more sets of gas-generators overcomes this diiculty, because under such conditions products of combustion from the generators are always entering the limekiln, and the stack-gas is fairly uniform in composition. The limekiln should be so operated as to secure a gas as rich as possible in carbon dioxid, and for that purpose great care should be taken that the walls of the kiln are made impervious to the passage of gases or air, that there is no marked infiltration of air about the base of the cooler, and that the furnace 2 if and when operated should be supplied only with a sufiicient amount of air to complete combustion. The steam-jets, which are shown under the generators, may be used when it is necessary to increase the combustible matter of the gas for certain applications. The steam may be introduced in the bed of fuel at any suitable point. Air may be admitted through a separate pipe, if desired. The fan-blower shown is not adapted to create very high pressures. For such purposes fans of other sorts may be employ ed*as, for instance, the positive blower or the high-pressure turbineblower. Air-compressors also may be employed, although they are more dificult to operate, owing to the fact that the products of combustion may contain soot or particles which tend to clog the compressor and its valves. I do not limit myself to the particular type of gas-generator herein shown. Any form adapted to the introduction and reduction of limekiln gases may be used. rI`he carbureter or superhcater may be dispensed with when the gas is used for internal-explosion engines. Under such circumstances the gasgenerator may have a direct discharge-passage into a limekiln for introduction of the products of the air-blow.

Then the products of the air-blow contain combustible matter Kit is well to admit sufficient air into the kiln at the lire-box or elsewhere to bring about complete combustion.

By a limekiln I mean any form of kiln adapted toi receive and calcine calcarous material, such as carbonate of lime, dolomite, magnesia, and the like.

There are many advantages accruing from the generation of gas by means of the apparatus hereinbefore set forth. Carbon dioxid decomposes at a much low er temperature than does steam. Hence a longer gas-making blow is possible than with steam, as in the manufacture of water-gas. The stack-gases if introduced hot into the gas-generator bring` about an increase in eliiciency, as their sensible heat is thereby converted into the potential energy of combustible gas. They can of course be used even if cooled before introduction into the generator. In any case the apparatus herein described permits of the production of from two to two and one-half times as much gas from a ton of coal as would be produced by the water-gas system.

That I claim as my invention is` l. Apparatus for the manufacture of combustible gas which comprises a limekiln, a gasgenerator, means for introducing the stackgases from the limekiln into said generator, means for the admission of air in alternation with stack-gases into said generator, means for discharging the products of combustion of the air-blow into the limekiln and means for collecting' the combustible gas during the admission to said generator of the limekiln stack-gases.

2. Apparatus for producing' combustible gas comprising a limekiln, a passage connecting the limekiln with a gas-generator, a mechanical draft-producing means in said passage, means for the alternate admission of air and kiln-gases to aforesaid generator. means for carbnreting and superheating the combustible gas, means for the discharge into the limekiln of the products of combustion produced during the admission of air into the generator and means for collecting the combustible gas produced during the admission of stack-gases to said generator.

3. Apparatus for the manufacture of combustible gas which comprises a limekiln, a gasgenerator, means for introducing the stackgases from the limekiln into said generator, means for the admission of air in alternation with stack -gases into said generator, and means for collecting the combustible gas during the admission to said generator of the limekiln stack-gases.

4. Apparatus for the manufacture of combustible gas which comprises a kiln used for IOO IIO

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the ealcination oli' calcareous materials, agasgenerator7 means 'for introducing stack-gases Vfrom the kiln into said generator, means for the ad mission oli air in alternation with stackgas into said generator, meansjfor discharging the products ot' combustion ol:I the airhlou' into the kiln, and means 'for collecting the combustible gas during the admission to said generator of the stack-gases.

Apparatus for producing combustible gas comprising a kiln adapted to calcine materials evolving carbon dioxid, a passage connecting the said kiln with a gas-generator a mechanical draft-producing means in said passage, means Afor the alternate admission ot air and kiln-gases to aloresaid generator, means 'lor carbureting and superheating the combustible gas, means Vfor the discharge into the said kiln of the products ot combustion produced during the admission of air into the generator and means :for collecting the combustible gas produced during the admission of stack-gas to said generator.

G. Apparatus for the manutactu re of combustihle gas which comprises a kiln containing material evolving carbon dioxid on the application of heat, a gasgenerator, means for introducing the stack-gases from said kiln into said generator, means for the admission ol'I air in alternation With stack-gas into said generator and means for collecting the combustible gas during the admission to said generator oitl the kiln stack-gases.

Signed at New York city, in the county ot' New York and State of New York, this 11th day of March, A. D. 1905.

BYRON E. ELDRED.

lWitnesses:

Jas. K. CLARK, WARREN E. DIXON.

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