US893462A - Method of producing gas. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JULYl 14, 1908.

W. B. DENNIS. y METHOD 0F PRODUGING GAS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.1.1906.

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PATENTED JULY 14, 1908.

W. B. DENNIS. METHODOF PRODUGING GAS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.1.190G.

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PATENTED JULY 14, i908.

W. B. DENNIS. METHOD 0F PRODUGING GAS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1. 1906,

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No. 893,462. PATENTED JULY 14, 1908. W. B. DENNIS. METHOD 0F PRODUGING. GAS.

'APPLICATION FILED MAR.1,1906.- A,

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*UQWTED @TTES WILLIAM BDENNIS, OF

BLAOKBUTTE, OREGON.

METHOD OF PRODUGING GAS.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1908.

Application filed March 1, 1906. Serial No. 303,692.

To altwhom it may concern."

Be it lknown that I, WILLIAM B. DENNIS, a citizen fof the United States, residing at Blacklnltte, in the county of Lane, Oregon, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Producing Gas; and l 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 improvements inmethods of making producer gas, and it is intemled more especially for making producer gas from any kind of fuel for use in furnaces, lbut it is not confined to this use, as it may be used for all metallurgical and heating purposes, and also for power and illuminating purposes, when properly scrubbed enriched and cooled as may be required.

The distinctive feature of my method consists in oxidizing the fuel mass gradually, or by degrees, in progressive Zones of combusev tion, by the admitting to each zone a volume of air measured in proportion to the temperature of the fuel in suc'n zones and of causing the evolved gases and vapors of each zone topass into and through the next succeeding zone in the line of progression of the combustion process, the travel of the evolved gases or products of combustion being always from 'a zone of lesser to one of more advanced combustion, or from a cooler to a hotter zone. Beginning with the zone of incipient combustion the evolved gases moving from Zone to zone pass through the entire fuel mass, and arc discharged from the hottest Zone of final combustie'm at a point below the last air inlet of the combustion series, andthe evolved gases, or combustion products, are caused,

after being discharged from the last or final oxidizing zone at a point below the last air inlet of the combustion series, to passinto and through a reducing or enriching zone or rece tacle containing higlily heated or vin-I crmdiiscent carbon, and preferably to pass through said carbon, and into which zone no oxygen or air is admitted other than that already contained in the fuel gases admitted thereto. In combination with the foregoing, I also preferably employ whatis commonly known as a down draft, preferably produced by mechanical suction. This method of oxidizing fuel and generating heat and gas therefrom may be conveniently described gradual combustion and in practical operation it consists of dividing the fuel mass and the receptacle containing it, into a series of units or zones and of supplying each unit with the minimum amount of oxygen, or air, which can chemically combine with the f uel elements at the temperature of such unit, thereby procuring the decomposition of the fuel gradually, beginning with the initial unit of nascent combustion at one end of the fuel mass or receptacle and progressing from unit to unit, or zone to zone, until comlete decomposition is accomplished at thel ast or final zone of combustion. By this rnethod perfect chemical union of the evolved fuel elements -with the air at or near the theoretical chemical minimum is secured, resulting in the complete gasification of the fuel and the production of a uniform gas free of tarry impurities. The uniform constituency ofthe gas is further assured by causing it to pass through a reducing Zone as above described.

The process is simple, economic and harmonious, and is especially valuable in gasifying large masses of fuel.

In making gas', oftentimes the volume of air required to support'combustion of the entire fuel mass is admitted at one or more points, usually an excess volume, and without regard to the temperature or chemical requirements of the fuel at the point of admission. Under these conditions perfect mixture and the complete and uniform gasification of the entire fuel mass is impossible. The fuel zone immediately adjacent to the admission point burns rapidly with a great excess of air while areas of the fire farther removed are not supplied with sufficient oxygen to support perfect combustion. Under these conditions uniform elememiary change throughout the combustion area is impossible. A confusion of chemical actions and reactions is set up, due to imperfect mixture and greatly varying temperatures within narrow limits, resulting in loss of fuel values due to incomplete decomposition of some portions of it and in the production of an un-uniform gas, and the highly objectionablc semi-distillation products.

By my method of gradual combustion the air is supplied at frequent intervals, to each unit or zone in amount proportional to the capacity of the fuel elements in such Zone to chemically combine therewith, the measure of which capacity is the temperature of the fuel in such unit o1' zone.

. In the zone of incipient oxidation, where the temperature 1s comparatlvely low only water vapor (U) isliberated, and only sufficient air is supplied to produce this result.l In the next zone of the series the teinperature being somewhat higher than the preceding one, the lighter hydrocarbons are released, and sufficient additional air only is supplied to support this degree of combustion. In like manner from zone to Zone the process of combustion is advanced gradually, or by degrees, and sufficient additional air is supplied to each zone to support the proportional duty of that zone to the whole process, until complete oxidation has been accomplished finally in the last combustion zone of the series, and the gaseous products are delivered into the reducing chamber, as previously described, where the well known chemical reaction takes place resulting in reduction of the carbon dioxid (CO2) and water (H2O) into carbonic oxid (CO), and hydrogen (H). These gases, as they pass to the holder, or to the place of consumption,

are of course mixed with the nitrogen of the' air admitted into the producer.

It is evident that by this method, which is exceedingly simple and capable of general application, perfect mixture of air withthe evolved gases is secured', that the supply of air may easily be regulated in proportion to the chemical requirements, and that the entire fuel body is uniformly oxidized without any of the ob'ectional semi-distillation products, and wit out vloss of any portion of the calorific value of the fuel.

The above method is applicable to generating heat and gas from any kind of fuel and may be carried out in various forms of appa` ratus, one of Whichis shown in the accom panying drawings, in which- `Figure 1 is a vertical section of a gas producer for carrying out my improved method as applied to a roasting furnace Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross section of the same; Fig. 3 shows the manner of generating and supplying gas to an engine, showing the gas producer and scrubber in cross sec-tion, a gasometer, and an engine, and Fig. t is a vertical cross section of a modified form of my gas producer.

In the drawings I have shown in Figs. 1

and 2 one suitable form of a gas producing',v

of suitable [ire resisting material and upon which are retained the live coals which drop `through the upper or fuel grate until such coals have been reduced to ashes. In a convenient position underneath or beyond the reducing chamber is the gas passage and ash pit. The grate floor of the reducing chamber may be o'lnitted, if desired, and the gas passage used as a reducing chamber. The operation of this gas producer is as follows The fuel is fed through a hopper at the to and the fire being started, the fuel receptac e is kept well filled. The valve controlling the top air inlet of the series is opened sufficiently to admit the requisite vo ume of air, the measure of which is the temperature of the corresponding fuel zone. In like manner the remaining air inlets of the series, always under separate control, are opened sufficiently to admit the requisite volume of air corresponding to the duty of each zone as previously described, always proportional to the temperature of the fuel therein.

The gaseous products of each zone are ulled downward always from a cooler to a iiotter zone as described, a suction draft being employed. Finally the gases are discharged into the reducing chamber at a point below the last airv inlet of the series, and after passing through the reducing chamber in the presence of highly heated or incandescent carbon are discharged underneath the grate thereof into the gas passage leading to the gas holder, combustion chamber or furnace,

as the case may be.

'85 represents the fuel receptacle located on the rear of the furnace andprovded with a fuel hopper 86 closed by-a swinging cover 87, a conveyer 88 being located in proximity thereto. The fuel hopper is provided with a sliding plate or door 116, which separates it from the fuel receptacle proper. Connected to the fuel hop er 86 is a smoke pipe or fiue 89, which may fie desirable to use 1n starting the fire, or in case of emergency, when the operation of the suction fan, not shown in Fig. 1`, is stopped, and when it is desired to shut off the gas from the furnace by closing the dampers in the gas passage leading thereto. The smoke pi e or flue 89 is provided with a movable va ve 90, which in the ordinary operation of the furnace is closed.

91 represents a removable cover in the pi we 89, so that access may -be had to the va ve 90 for the purpose of luting it in position, whenvdesired.

The form of gas producer best adapted for my purpose is of the suction ty e, the air being forcibl drawn in through t e gas producer and t e'entire furnace.

The fuel chamber 85 is provided with a grate 93, of any suitable construction. Belowthis fuel chamber is the reducing chamber 80, which is provided with a grate 94 for the purpose of catching and retaining any incandescent coals that may pass through. the grate 93.

Sufficient air, without undue excess, is in troduced into fuel chamber 85 to completely oxidize its entire fuel contents. This air is .admitted in regulated quantities throu h several air inlets, asdescribed, in gradua steps of progression so that perfect and uniform mixture is secured. The resultant product of CO2 gas is then drawn off or discharged from generatorchamber 85 at a oint below or beyond the last air inlet of tie combustion series of inlets and is delivered to or sucked through reducing chamber which is a closed chamber into which no additional air is admitted. This chamber being filled, or partially filled, with incandescent carbon, the C()2 gas is reduced to CO by the well known chemical reaction. The carbon monoXid is now delivered to, or sucked into, gas holder or distributing chamber 97 as described, and is ready for use or further delivery as required to coolers, scrubbers, or to direct fired furnaces. Before final use, it is supplied with" the requisite air, preferably heated, and is burned to CO2. The quantity of air supplied is always in proportion to the temperature of the fuelor gas at the point, or unit, of mixture in accordance with my method of gradual combustion as described.

The fuel chamber is provided with a number of openings, such as 95, for the ad'- mission of air. Each opening is provided with a valve 96, so that the amount of air admitted to any part of the gas producer may be exactly regulated in proportion to the temperature of the fuel in the Zone corresponding to each air inlet, and the amount of air admitted is so regulated that the lowest temperature is at the top where the fuei is fed in, andY the temperature gradually and steadily increasing, beginning with the zone of nascent combustion corresponding to the toplnost inlet and extending through a se# ries of zones of progressive combustion, until the gas is discharged into the gas holder, this being a part of my principle of gradual com-- bustion.

97 represents the distributing chamber which is simply a large chamber located in a convenient position to receive the gas after it has passed through the reducing zone 80, and to distribute it to the furnace, or to the place or places where it is to be burned or utilized.

Figs. 1 and 2 ofthe drawings illustrateI the chamber and 112 is a removable door througi.

distribution of the gas at several points of furnace suoli as is described in my original application No. 294,594, iled January 4, 1906. In the examplel given in the illustration, the distributing chamber 97 communicates, by means of horizontal passagesv 98 and 99, Fig'. 2, with the gas fines 100 and 10i located immediately in the rear of theI series of combustion chambers on eitl'ier side of t e furnace. The distributing chamber and the passage leading therefrom to the furnace are provided at intervals with air inlet openin Im accordance with my principle' of gradu... combustion, previously described. The gas dues 100 and lGl are closed at the top, and communicate directly with a series of combustion chambers, l5 and 49, on either side of the furnace, through openings, such ldd.

30 and 81 represent air chimneys or as sages, Iwhich are connected to the gas es 100 and 101 by passages 107 closed by valves 108.

Means are provided for cleaning the lov-rei." part of the producer and distributing which the ashes may be raked out.

The air inlet openings 109 and 110 below the grate bars 93 and 94 are usually kept closed. and in this case the chamber 80 be# tween these sets of grate bars acts as a reducing Zone, reducing, by the action of the incandescent coals'on said grate bars, any carbonio acid gas, (C02)` to carbon monoXid, (CO). lf it should happen that there is too large an accumulation of coals on and underH neath the grate bars 94 the surplus carbon may be easily and quickly burned by opening one or both of the two lowest air inlets, 109 and i l0.

ln the usual operation of the apparatus described, the air inlets located below the grate 94 do not belong to the series of combustion air inlets previously described, and are not used. These air inlets are intended for use only for emergency purposes, as for example, 'when a large mass of coals l'a"s through the lowest grate and it is necessary, for the proper working of the apparati; burn these coals.

in the form of producer above describal the fuel receptacle is an undivided chamber of single unit. The several Zones of the combustion series described are not mechanicallj," separated from one another, but are defined, or designated, only by the correspoluling air inlets, and in o eration these zones merge one into the ot ier constituting a series of merging' Zones of progressive combustion as described.

Various forms of producers may be used for applying my method ol gradual progress ive combustion according vto the luel util? 'ized or other specific conditions or reduire- 4- seance ducer in which the combustion zones are mechanically separated from one another by di visionalfloors or grate bars of suitable material. The general construction of this is the 5 same 4as already described, the parts 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 93, 94, 95, 109, 110,2nd 112 being er the construction already described. In this form of producer, however, the combustion chamber proper is divided into distinct zones by means of sets of grate bars 114, 115 and -117,'each of these zones being provided with an air inlet so that'the temperature in such zone may be exactly regulated. In the drawings only four combustion zones and but one air inlet for each Zone isshown, but

it is evident that any convenient number of combustion zones, and a plurality of such air inlets arranged at any convenient points around the combustion chamber, might be in a cranked'portion 118 provided with a in 119 ada ted for o eration b an suita le l y ,IP y y means. he bars o each grate are, of course,

I `connected together, so thatthey may be sivmultaneously operated.

Any convenient form of grate bars may be i' used, and any suitable mechanical device employed for o erating them. In the drawings dumping ars areshown, but shaking l grates or any other convenient form may be used. Whenplaced in position they should. e distance apart to permit the' be set a suitab easy flow of gases between them. ln this .35vform of the producer, the fire is startedon the lower grate 93, and after combustion has sufficiently advanced the upper zones are filled or partially filled with fuel and as required the fuel is dumped or shaken from 4D one Zone to the neXt succeeding in the line of advancing combustion, always from a cooler; to a hotter zone. After each discharge a fresh shpply of fuel is charged into the top zone through-ho per 86 and the o ieration repeated.y The fuel. is positively ivided into different zones, in each of which the-tem erature may be accurately regu-- lated. he grates 98 and 94 are not dum'ping grates -but of the ordinary construction,

`,50 as already described in connectionwith Figs. 1 and 2. 113 represents the gas delivery pipe.

` Referring to Fig. 3, which illustrates the method of making, scrubbing, and storing producer gas, andgsupplying it to an, engine,

'1 re resents an explosive engine, of any desire pype, which communicates by means of the pipe 2 with the gasometer 3, which is of the ,usual construction, havfing a bell 4 and "cuiiterebalancing weights 5 connected vto 'said bell 4 by ropes passing over pulleys 6. 7 represents a pipe connecting the fan Swith said gasometer, and 9 represents "a pipe connecting said fan with the ripper part of 'the scrubber 10, which is filled with any desired used. The grates 114, 1 15, and 117 are dumping grates, each of the bars terminating purifying material, to the upper part 0f 65 which is sup lied a jet of water through the pipe 11,v whic i is bent, as shown at 12, to pro. vide a water seal. 85 re resents the gas roduoer, and 113 the gas. elivery pipe lea ing from the lower part of the producer into the lower part ofthe scrubber.

lf desired, the air admitted through the air inlets 95 may be heated, but this is not usually necessary, 1

My method of producing gas is useful not only with the articular furnace shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of) the drawings, but also with any kind of a furnace, and for heating, power, and illuminating purposes generally after being enriched, and may be used for producing gas from any kind of fuel.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure byLet.- ters Patent ofthe United States, is :f

.1. The process of producing gas'which 85 consists inburningfuel gradually and steadily in a series of progressive steps advancing from incipient to complete oxidation, dividing the fuel body into a series of Zones correspending to the steps in the process of combustion and admitting to each zone a measured volume of air proportional to the temperature in such zone and just vsufficient to produce substantially equal increments of heat in each zone over the precedingzone, substantially as described.

2. The., process of producing gas, which consists in gasifying Yfuel 'gradually and steadily ina series of rprogressive steps advancing fromthe incipient stage to complete y steadily in a series of progressivesteps advancing from incipient to completedecomposition, dividing the fuel into a series of zones corresponding to the steps in the process of decomposition, admitting to. each zone a measured quantity of air proportional to the capacity of the fuel at its prevailing te'mperature in such Zone, to form anl intimatev chemical union with the air so admitted, the total quantity of air admitted being substantially'just sufficient to produce complete 125 decomposition of the entire fuel mass, and in the progress of the process causing the products of decomposition to flow from each zone through and into the next zone the series and always troni a cooler to a hotter zione, substantially es described.

4. The process of producing gas, which Vconsists in gasifying fuel gradually in a series oil Zones starting with incipient combustion in en -initial Zone and gradually growing hotter in euch succeeding zone until cornplete gasification takes platee in the final zone, supplying 'funder control measured quantities oi' air to such zones just sutcient to cause substantially equal increments of heat in each zone over the preceding Zone7 the quantity of air thus supplied to each zone being proportional to the temperature ci? said Zone, and the capacity of the fuel therr'n to formen intimate cliernicalunion there with, the sum total ofthe air supplied to all the zones being,l substantially just sufficient to produce complete gasification, causing the Aluel and the products ot conibustion to inove from one Zone to the next through the entire-series of zones, and always from a cooler to a hotter zone,` and finally causing the incandescent i'uel and products of' combustion to niove iri'to e reducing)r zone sealed against air, end causing the gssified products of combustion to pass through said reducing Zone and be discharged therefrom at the hottest point of the operation, sulon stantinlly es described.

The process oi producing gas, which consists in dividing a column of fuel into a series oi zones composed ofa plurality of combustion zones andl one reducing zone at the end of the ser-ies, starting 'incipient com hustion in the initial zone, and advancing the process oi" combustion regularly in each of the succeedin@ combustion zonessupplying under control to each combustion zone a measured quantity of air proportional to the quantity oi fuel in seid zone and to the capacity of fuel in said Zone to form an intimate chemical unionl With the air thus supplied', sealing the'reducing zone of the series against the admission of any extraneous air,

causing the fuel and the products of combust-ion in each zone to rnove in a continuous stream from one Zone to and through the next, startingwith the initial Zone and always moving to a hotter zone, and inally ,causin incandescent fuel to continuously move series into the reducin zone, and causing the gaseous products o ,"eornbustion to oW in a continuous stream into and through said ,reducing Zones and to be discharged therefrom at the hottest point of the operation, substantially as described.

In testimonywhereof, ll aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLAM B. DENNIS.

Witnesses:

Guo. i?. Brenn, Mirncn G. CLEAR.

roin the last combustion Zone of the I

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