US958429A - Furnace for burning blast-furnace gases. - Google Patents

Description

, I H. E, PARSO'N. FUENAI'JE FOR BURNING BLAST EUBNAGB GASES.

APPLIOATZGN FILED FEB. 24, 1906.

QG QO 0006000 000000 5000000 (300900 (3000000 09000-0 0 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 0000 006000 16 fa Pa n90 n H, E, PAMON. PUBNAGEPOR'BURME BLAST FURNACE GASES.

I APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24, 1906.

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HENRY nnwm ransom, or nnw rerun, n.

"r1, nssren'ca 'rc mason nanumcrunine- COMPANY, OF ETEW YORK, IN. "81, A. CGRFQEEEIQN 03 NEW YORK.

FURNACE FEE BUBIJXE? BLAST-EWRNACE GAfiES 958,429. Original application filed June 30', 1905,

fipeclficatlon of Letters Eatent. Pghg fipgd May 1'? 1916.

Serial No. 267,823. Divided and 1866. Serial No. 302566.

this application filed February 24,

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, Hnnnr Enwin Pen.-

a citizen 'of the- United States of America, and resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented cer-' tain new and useful Improvements in Furnaces for Burning Blirst-Furnace Gases, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a means for operating a boiler or other heating furnace in conjunction with a blast furnace, so that the gases generated in the blast furnace may.

be economically consumed in the heating furnace to'serve as fuel for the latter.

The invention has particular reference to means for enriching the blast furnace gases;

for regulating the feed of gases from the blast furnace to the boiler furnace, and for regulating the temperature of the boiler furnace so that the steam pressure in the boiler may be high and uniform in spite of the necessarily varying and uncertain mixture of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxid and other constituents of the blast furnace gases.

Boiler furnaces are necessary adjuncts to blast furnaces. The boiler furnace must .supply the steam pressure or power for operating the twyers or blasts of the blast furnace, as well as the power for operating the lifts and all the numerousniovable parts used in connection with, or forming part of, the blast furnace. A largevpercentage of this boiler ower is, however, ordinarily absorbed b t e blowers for operating the twyers an the steam used for this purpose should be substantially uniform in pressure if the blastfurnace is to operate properly. The most convenient and natural fuel for the boiler, furnace isthe gas which passes 1ng value.

from the stack of the blast furnace. This gasis, however, low and variable in heat- At times its percentage of those constituent gases which have a moderate heating Value, fairly large; but at other times, during the reduction process which is taking place in the blast furnace, the blast furnace gases are extremely vlow in heating value. For this reason blast furnace gas, although the cheapest and most convenient fuel available for the boiler furnace, is ordinarily not relied upon or used to any exclusive extent for-this purpose;

. One object of my invention is a means whereby the blast furnace gas .15 enriched "was a suliicient amount of hydrogen, provided by the decomposition of steam in the presence of incandescent carbon, to trans:

form it, in efiect, into a producer gas; and whereby it is admixed with a sufiicient amount of oxygen, in the form of air, to bring about perfect combustion of the mixture at an extremely high tempei'ature in the boiler furnace.

A. nezitand essentialfeature of the in: vention is a means for producing in the boiler furnace a temperature sufdciently high to ignite the incoming mixture of blast fugnace gas, steam, and air, and to dccompose the steam to liberate the hydro en. The ignition of the incoming gases 1- e set in the first instance through a preliminary heating of the boiler furnace by means of grate fires located therein; but when the gases have been so ignited, this function of the grate tires is at an end, for the incoming gas is then i nited by the burning as already in the Iurnace, and by certaln'i ighly heated refractory surfacesagainst which the ncoming gaseousmlxture is projected.

A third, and most important, feature ofthe invention is a means for regulating the temperature of the boiler furnace since, without regulation, thistemperature must vary with the quality and volume of the blast furnace gas. This feature of the invention 1 efi'ect by means of the grate.

fires above referred to. These fires are controlled from a regulator, 111 turn controlled by the boiler pressure, 'so that. when boiler pressure drops, dueto the drop. in' the heating value of the blast furnace gas, the regulator acts to. blow the grate fires more strongly to increase the heating efiect of the latter. The increased temperatureof the solid. fuel fire, when thus blown, counteracts the diminished efficiency of the blast furnace gases, until the quality of the latter again improves in quality or volume; whereupon the regulator again acts, this time to shut down the blast to the grate fires, thus reducing the heating effect of the latter to counteract the increase in heat from the burning blast furriace gases. Grate fines have heretofore been used in conjunction with the burning of blast furnace gases, with the object of adding to the small, and in itself insuficient, amount of heat derived from the gases, and to the end that the total of heat might be high enough to assure the proper boiler power..

. in volatile matter, suchas anthracite coal,

coke, or coke braize, for my grate fires. The lower grade of such fuels may be successfully used if a blower of proper type is em ployed for the grate fire blast. Preferably I do use suchlow grade fuels because of their cheapness.

The regulator preferably employed by me for controlling the blast toLthe auxiliary grate fireis of the type described in my United States Patent No; 7 84,121, dated March 7 1905. A regulator of this type is indicated on the drawipgs forming part of the present application, and its operation will hereinafter bebriefly set forth.

To further control the combined operation of the boiler furnace and blast furnaces, I pr'ovidea 'regulato"r adapted to automatically accelerate'the feed of the blast furnace gases when the heating value of the same 5 dro 's, due to change in character or volume of be gases; and vice versa, to automaticall decrease the rate of feed of the gases wljibn the heating value of the same increases. This regulator causes more of the i 40 blast furnace as to enter the boiler furnace ity of the gas is poor, and less to enter the boiler furnace when its quality is good. It efiect's itsv purpose by controlling one or more of the blasts of steam to the boilerfurnace. It may be the same regulator which controls the grate fire blast hereinbefore referred to, or it may be an independent regulator.

The apparatus in which the invention is embodied comprises a deflecting surface of refractory, material which becomeshighly heated in the operation of the boiler furnace, and serves to deflect, mix, and raise -to when the qua a high temperature the incoming gaseous,

mixture which is directed against it; and

it serves furthermore to cause to mix and burn with the gases from the grate fires. The relative arrangement of the grate fires, the deflector, and the blowers, as well as certain. other details of structure to be hereinafter specified, are important features'conducive to the successful operation 'of the invention.

Having outlined the objects and nature of my invention, I will now describe in detail these gases 4 and in connection with the accompanying drawings an apparatus embodyin the same. Figure'l is a side elevation of the front portion of the boiler furnace, partly in section, showing its connection with the blast furnace. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the boiler furnace taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. Fig. '3 is a-sectional plan of the boiler furnace taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the boiler furnace taken on the line .ll,0f' Fig. 2, looking from rear to front. Fig. 5 is an end view of the casing 5. Referring to the drawings, the blast furnace 1 is shown as having its stack 1 connected to a subterranean conduit2. The conduit 2 connects with a vertical tube 3 a d through the latter with a casing 5, ich opens at its front end into the fire box of the boiler furnace. A valve 4 controls .the' flow of the gas from the stack of the blast furnace to the casing 5. Within the a ng 5, (see Figs. 2- and 3) are three T shaped air conducting inlet tubes 6, the cross arm of each T opening at both ends 6 through the casing and communicating with the outside air, and the other arm of the T extending longitudinally of the casing parallel to the gas conducting tubes, and

terminating at or near the point where the casing opens into the fire box. The'inle'ts 6' to the tubes 6 may be adjusted to regulate the fiow of air therethrough by dampers 25 of any suitable design, as shown in Fig. 1.

The casing 5 is also furnished-with a supplemental valve 26 in the outer end 27 of the same (see Fig. 5) of any suitable type to deliver, when required, additional air independent of the air inlet tubes 6. Also with- 'm the casing 5, below the level of the air slightly forward of tubes 6, and projectin the rear ends of the latter are two steam blowers 7 connected bya pipe 7 to a pipe 1 1, which leads to the boiler. The blowers 7 serve to force the blast furnace gases from the conduit 2 and the into the fire-box. The steam thus injected,

when decomposed in the fire-box supplies hydrogen to ,be burned with the other gases, and the air through the inlet 6 supplies the of the gaseous mixture.

Opposite the inletfrom the casing 5 to air from the pipes 6 1 necessary oxygen to eifect the combustion 5. Between the sloping wall 9 and the side walls of the furnace on either side of the sloping wall are grates '11,. substantially horizontal. These grates at their rear extend behind the wall 9, as shown in Fig. 2, and at their forward ends are separated from the. wall 9 by vertical walls 10. The

m ss

'serve guide the gases from the I grate fires upward so that they do not come Into contactv with the ases from the casing 5, until the latter ave been rejected a ainst the wall 9. The wall 9, which in the o ration of the furnaceis maintained at a high heat, serves to deflect andeau'se tobe mlxed the gases from the casing 5, and also deflects these. gases into the gases from the grate fires, so that 'a substantially homogeneous mixture of burning gases is ob- .tained. A blast of air and steain'is' supplied to tl1eash-pits 11' (see Fig; v2), below the ates 11; The blast is ri'marily injected mtothe ash-pit of one 0 the grates and a part thereof then passed 'to the ash-pit of into the outer air. Communicating with the interior of, the casing 12 'at a point inter the other grate by a" pipe 16, whiclr extends cross-wise of the furnacennde'l the wall 9,

and connects the two pits, as shown in Fig. 3. To provide for thisblast, a blower casmg 12 (see Fig.3) opens at one end'into one of the ash -pits, and at its other enol 12 opens mediate the ends of the latter and outside of theside wall of the furnace is a steam supply pipe 13. This .pipe as shown in Fig.

,3 plasses first rearward along the outside of the furnace, ;then through the outside wall and through a portion of the bridge-wall, then straight forward under the rear portion of the sloping wall 9 and through one of thewalls 10" and the front yvall of the 'furnaceSto the point '13", where it joins the steam pipe 113cm the boiler.

The grate fires are fed through doorsf15 in the front wall ofthe furnace, 'andthe ashes arched chambers 20 (see Ei'gs. 3 and "4) sepa arated by brick partitions 21., The floor 22 from the ash-pitspll are removed through doors 15. below the doors 15 in th'e tront wall of the furnace. I

The combustion chamber'to the rear of the bridge-wall 17 comprises a series of into a narrow vd-tical chamb er 23, E Xt'ending through one side wall of the furnaiceis a blower casing 19, which at its inner end opens into thechamber 23, at the bottom of the latter, and at its outer end 24, opens into the outer air. A steam blast is admitted to. the casing 24 by a steam pipe 18, which as" shown in Fig. 3, oon'nects with the steam pipe 13, and through the latter with the steam pipe 14 from the boiler.

For the purpose hereinbefo're set forth of maintaining uniform steam pressure in the boiler, the steam'pipe' 'l il fwhich supplies 1 steam to the grate fire blowers and also to the blowers .7 for feeding or accelerating the blast furnace gas, is connected with the boiler through a valve 28 (see Fig. 1).. This valve is similar to the one fully set forth and described in my Patent No. 142,128, to.

which reference is made in'my Patent No. Y

7 84,121. The stem 29 of the valve 28 is connected to a piston 30 working in a cylinder 31. The cylinder 31 connects by a steam pipe 32 to a port opening into the cylinder 33 'of a regulator 34. Also communicating with the cylinder 33 of the regulator is a steam ipe 35 which is in direct communica tion with the condenser water'under pressure from the boiler. From the cylinder 33 of the regulator there is, an outlet ort' to an exhaust pipe 36, .1Tl1avalve-37 vertical movement in the cylinder 33 of the aving regulator controls the port of the pipe 32 t0 the cylinder 31 of the valve '28, and also the port of the exhaust pipe 36. In; one positionof the valve 37 water under boiler pressure through the pipe 35 is free to ass through the cylinder 33 of the regulator into the pipe 32, and through the latter to the cylinder 31. The pressure in the steam pipe 14 land in the pipe 32 is therefore substantially the same. -The piston '30, however," in

' the cylinder. 31 is of greater area than the valve2 8, so that, when the pipe 32 is in open communication with the pipe 35 by means of the passages around the valve 37, the greater I cross-section of the piston 30 causes the valve 28 to be held on its seat against the pressure'of the, steam in the pipe let from the boiler. At this time therefore no steam can pass through the valve 28 by way of the pipe 14 to the blowers of the boiler furnace.

The stem 38 of the valve 37 ofthe regu- I lator is attached to a diaphragm 39 mounted at the base of the regulator cylinder. Pivoted at 40 is a lever 41, one arm 42 of which is also connected to the diaphragm 39, and the other arm of which is weighted as at 43. So long as the boiler pressureis maintained at its proper point, the water under boiler pressure through the pipe 35, acting on the diaphragm 39, holds the valve 37 in its downward position, at which' time the port of the steam pipe 32 is open, and the water under boiler pressure from the pipe 35 is free to pass by way of the steam passages around the valve 37 into the pipe 32 to hold the valve 23 on its seat, and thus to prevent passage of steam through the-pipe 14 to the blower-s1 When, however, the rate of consumption of steam exceeds the rate of supply'of-the same,'the boiler pressure falls, and on 'reachinga predetermined -minimiun point, the weight 43, acting through the valve stem 38, raises the valve 37 to;c1ose the port of the pipe 32 to the interior of the cylinder 33, and opens the pipe 32 by way &

of a bypass in the valve 37 to the exhaust blowers. The blowers acting upon the grate.

fire then raise the temperature of the boiler furnace, and the boiler pressure until the latter, acting through the pipe 35, again depresses the diaphragm against the action of the weight 33 and moves the valve 37 to open the portto the pipe 32 and to close the port ofthe exhaust pipe 36. hen, reason of-the absorption of heat by the boiler the steam pressure again begins to drop, the above cycle of operations is again repeated.

These adjustments are made in practice with great sensitiveness, and regulation within two or three pounds of'steam pressure is permanently and automatically se cured. By these means the temperature of the boiler furnace remains almost constant,

,no matter what variation of load them may be; and the efliciency of the boilers and of the gaseous fuel and solid fuel is thereby greatly increased. This automatic regulation also takes care of the fluctuation in quantity and quality of the blast furnace gases, because, when these gases are freely flowing and of good quality, they need no acceleration and noadditional solid fuel fire, but as they deteriorate in these respects the apparatus'mentioned is ready to take up the loss.

The advantages of the blowers 7 in connection with the regulatorjas a means for .automatically boosting or accelerating the feed of the blast furnace gases, if necessary, have been pointed out. These blowers as a means for feeding' the blast furnace gases have, however, the further advantage over the means heretofore used for this purpose, in that back pressure which, from time to time results from the variable and uncertain feed of the gases, as blowing engines ordinarily used, is overcome by these steam blowers, because with the steam blowers there is, whenever required, a ositive suction upon the blast furnace gas ine.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for burning gaseous fuel in combination with solid fuel, a fluid heating furnace 1a conduit for the aseous fuel having an inlet into the fluid eating furnace; a support Within the furnace for solid fuel fire, a blowerfor the solid fuel fire opening into the furnace at a point to direct its blast through-the solid fuel fire' when the latter is on its support, and means controlled automatically by the fluctuations of pressure of the fluid heated by the furnace automatically I to increase the blast through the blower when the pressure falls below a predetermined amount, and to decrease the blast through the blower .when the pressure rises above apredetermined amount.

2. In an apparatus for burning gaseous fuel'i'n combination with solid fuel, a fluid heating furnace, a conduit for the gaseous fuel having an outlet into the fluid heating furnace; a blower for forcing the gaseous fuel into the-furnace, and means automatically controlled by the fluctuations of. pressure of the fluid'heated by the furnace to increase the blast through the blower when the blower for forcing the gaseous fuel into the furnace, a support within the furnace for a solid fuel fire, a blower for the solid fuel tire opening into the furnace at a point to direct its blast through the solid fuel fire when the latter is on its support, and means automat ically controlled by the fluctuations in pres? sure of the fluid heated by. the furnace to increase the blast through the blowers so as to s raise the temperature of the solid-fuel fire, and to accelerate the feed of the aseous fuel when the pressure of the heats fluid falls' below a predetermined amount, and to decrease the blast through the blowers to lower the temperature of the solid fuel fire and decrease the rate of feed of the gaseous fuel when the pressure of the heated fluidnrises above a predetermined amount.

4. In an apparatus for burning in combi. nation blast furnace gases and solid fuel, a blast furnace and a boilerfurnace; a con-- duit for the blast furnace gases from the blast furnace into the boiler furnace,.a an e port within the boiler furnace for a solid fuelhre, a blower for the solid fuel fire,- opening into the boiler furnace at'a chat to direct its blast through'the solid uel fire when the latter/is on its support, and means controlled automatically by the boiler pressure to increase the blast from the blower when the boiler pressure drops a predeter-- ,mined amount, and to decrease the blast rises'a, predetermined amount.

5.. In an apparatus for burningih combifrom the blower when the boiler pressure nation blast furnace uses and solid fuel, a

blast furnace and a. oiler furnace, a conduit for the blast furnace gases from the blast furnace into the boiler furnace, asupport within the boiler furnace for asohd fuel fire, a blower-"for the solid fuel fire, 1

opening into the boiler furnace at a when the lattenis/orr its support, a regulator oint to .direct its blast through the solid uel-fire r predetermined amount,

osaeae automatically controlled by the boiler steam pressure to increase the blast from the blowerwhen the boiler pressure drops a and to decrease the blast from the blower when the boiler pressure rises a predetermined amount.

6; A furnace for burning gaseous and solid fuel in combination, haying an'inlet opening for the gaseous fuel in the front wall thereof, abridge wall, a wall spaced 7 from an inside wall of the furnace and in- .clined from a point near the top of the fuel combination, having an inlet opening for the gaseous fuel in the front wall there- 25 of, a bridge wa1l,'a wall spaced from an inside wall of the furnace and inclined from a point near the top of the bridge wall to a point of the front wall below the aforesaid opening in the latter, a support for-asplid.

fuel fire in'said space between an inside wall of the furnace and the inclined wall thereand a blower for projecting the gases .low the aforesai support for a solid fuel fire in said space from the opening in the front wall to the I inclined wall to be deflected by the latter so 4 as to mix wi fire on the support, the bridge wall having,

therein an air supply passage which opens int?1 the furnace at the top of the vbridge W3 8. A furnace forburning gaseous and and solid fuel in combination, having an inlet opening for the gaseous fuel in the front the gases from the solid fuel;

wall thereof, a bridge wall, a wall spaced from an inside wall of the furnace and inclined from a point near the top of the bridge Wall to a point of the front wall beopening' in the latter, a

between an inside Wall of the furnace and the inclined Wall therein, a gas conduit leading to the'openin in the front wall, means whereby air may e admitted to the fire box at said opening, and a steam blower for projecting the gases and air from the opening in the front wall to the inclined wallto be deflected by the'latter and mixed with thesteam'from the blower and with the gases from the solid fuel fire on the support.

Signed by me at Birmingham, Ala., this 9 day of February, 1906. HENRY EDWIN PARSON.

Witnesses:

' RUTH S. PA'rmoK,

Gus GRACE.

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