USRE9895E - Edmund p - Google Patents

Description

LA QMlSATiHG.

fEST AVAILABLE COPY 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

B. P. MUCARTHY.

PROCESS UF ANU APPARATUS PUR MANUFACTURING ILLUMINATING UAS.

Reissued Oct. 18.1881.

[mentor:

2 Sheets-Sheet'. 2.

E. P. MUCARTHY.

PROGBSS 0F AND APPARATUS PoR MANUFACTURING ILLUMINATING GAS.

No. 9,895. Reissued Oct. 18,1881.

BEST AVAILABLE COPY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SPECIFICATION lforming' part of Reissued Letters Patent No. 9,895, dated October 18, 1881,

dated'Muy 17, 1870. Application for reissue led May 16, 1881.

Original No. 103.2l8,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDMUND P. MCCARTHY, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in the Process ot' and Apparatus for Manufacturing Illumiuating-Gas; and I do hereby declare thefollowin g description and accom panying drawings are sucient to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which it most nearly appertaius to make and use my said invention or improvements without further invention or experiment.

My invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture of illuminating-gas from crude petroleum and other hydrocarbon oils, by which I am enabled to produce a gas of superior illuminating power, and to obtain practicall y the best results from a given quantity of oil pr other liquid hydrocarbon. To effect this I subject it to the action of heat in a thin stratum, so that all the elements are liberated at nearly the same time and unite with each Y other in such proportions as to form an'illuminatinggas of thebest quality, and in greater abundance than when coal is carbonized.

In my improved method the condensed bituminous vapors, which form tar in the ordinary process, are nearly all converted into gas, which is greatly increased in hrilliancy, producing a light equal to forty-six and seventyfour one-hundredths candles.

The petroleum or other liquid hydrocarbon is led by a pipe to a point from which it is carried by a jet of the decomposed steam through a peculiar nozzle, the e'ect of which is to iinel y divide the injected ingredients and convert them into a spray or vapor, in which condition it is immediately converted into gas', being decomposed by passing through a series of passages within the retort, and finally through a mass of incandescent anthracite coal or coke,-

which lies on the oor of the upper chamber of the retort, and through which the combined gases must pass from beneath. From this retort it is passed directly to another, similarly arranged, where the process is completed, and the gas conveyed thence through stand-pipes to the hydraulic main.

It will thus be seen that the products of distillation, which in the ordinary process are condensed in the hydraulic main and carried oi .inallyn Into one of the sel.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ILLUMINATING-GAS.

with the gas to the condenser, are in my process almost entirely converted into a gas of high illuminating power, it being entirely in the power of theoperatorto change the quality and quantity of the gas with the least possible trouble.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my appa ratus. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken centrally through retort D. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the retort. y

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a morevcomplete description of my invention, A is a furnace, which contains three retorts, that number being used for the present illustration, although I do-not wish to conne myself to any particular number in construction.

B is the fire-place, which may be arranged soasto distribute and economize the heat'most electually. The waste gases and heat from the furnace Bpss off through lines to the chimney H. A pipe, I, passes through the chimney and ue, and to this pipe or superheater the steam is conveyed from theboiler and is here partially dried. From this point a suitable pipe conveys the steam to the decomposer C. This decomposer has a T-shaped diaphragm, J, constructed, as shown at Fig. 3, s o that it divides the vessel into three portions longitulower chambers thus ormed the superheated steam from the pipe I is conveyed and passes to the rear of the vesthe other/lower chamber, and thence into the upper cham ber. An opening is left between the two lower chambers to allow the steam to pass from one to the other. The horizontal portion of the diaphragm is pierced with holes m on one side and over this second chamber, so that the superheated steam rises to the upper part From this point it passesforward through of the decomposer as itpasses toward the front. i

Iron turnings or anthracite coal may be employed iu this chamber, if found desirable, to increase the heatingisurface andmore thoroughly decompose theV steam. From the decomposer the steam and hydrogen are conveyed by a pipe, K, to the jet-tube a, which opens just within the retort D. The oil issupplied through a pipe, L, and itsow regulated by a stop-cock, b. This pipe my have a Siphon bend or trap above the stopck to prevent1 the escape of gas in that direction. The pipe IOO L opens just in front of the jet-tube a and within the nozzle c. This nozzle contracted immediately in front ofthe point 'where the oil is introduced, and expands directly afterward at d. The elect of this is to more complete y unite the steam and gas from the pipe K wi the hydrocarbon liquid from the pipe L, and the conical or bell-shaped nozzle converts the whole into a spray or vapor, which passes to the rear end of the retort through a passage constructed similarly to that before described in the retort or decomposer C. The horizontal diaphragm of this retort is covered with anthracite coal or coke heated to the point of ignition, and as the combined vapors return through the passage e they pass up through holes in this diaphragm and through the incandescent coal, thus becoming instantly decomposed ata heat which gives a gas of great illuminating power. From the retort D the gas and unconverted vapor pass through the f pipe M into the retort E, the interior of which is constructed like the two before described, and also containing anthracite coal or coke. The process is completed in this retort, and any vapor which comes over from D will be decomposed and converted into gas.

Byintroducing oil iu a. thin stratum or spray every part of it is exposed to the heat of the retort, so that it will be almost instantly decomposed, and very little, it any, tar will be formed. The superheated steam, in addition to the elements furnished byits decomposition, serves to keep up the temperature, and no heat will be abstracted from the retorts by the introduction of the oil, as is the case where oil is introduced in a stream, or where separate, charges are introduced from time to time. 'The apparatus thus becomes continuous, and, as. very little refuse is form ed,the retorts will need cleaning but rarely. When it becomes necessary to open a retort for any purpose the pipe connecting it with the others can be closed by a stop-cock,and the operation of the others is not interrupted.

To particularly identify the process herein described, and distinguish it from other attempts which have been made to manufacture a permanent gas from steam and hydrocarbons before my invention, I will specify certain steps which are necessary in order to bringth v-process within my invention. the following, viz:

First. The steam must pass through the decomposing-retort before itis mixed with the.l liquid hydrocarbon.

Second. Thehydrocarbon oil must be introduced into the heating-chamber in such relatively small quantity, as compared with the heat, that the oil will be at once converted into vapor. It is well known. that crude [ie- They are troleum and similar liquid hydfocarbons will,.v

under a comparatively slow heat, give ot' their retort by the lighter vapors first, and that in distilling such oil under a slow heat it is converted into vapors which constantlyincrease in density, and are consequently changing in character. In the process which l have described this is not the case; but, on the contrary, the heat is of such power and the quantity of oil brought into contact with the heat is so limited that all of the oil capable of being vaporized is at once converted into vapors. The vapors resulting from the lighter and heavier parts of the oil are, in consequence, all mingled together, forminga. mass of vapor of one general consistency. The effect of this is if. portant in creating a gas of uniform character.

Third. The decomposed stearr is .iingled with the vapors of the hydrocarbon oil in a heated chamber, and are consequently not permitted to condense before they pass into the next retort.

Fourth. The decomposed steam mingled with the vapors of the liquid hydrocarbon are then driven through' a second retort containing anthracite coal heated to incandeseence, and are thereby converted into a practically permanent gas.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1.The improved process of manufacturing gas consisting, first, in passing steam through a decomposing-retort;` second, in mixing the hydrogen of the decomposed steam with h vdrocarbon vapor in a heated chamber; and, third, in passing the mixture madein the heated chamber through one or more retorts containv ing incandescent (anthracite) coal.

. 2. -The combination of the su perheating-pipe I, decomposer U, steam or gas pipe K, oil-pipe L, and' retorts D and E, when constructed and arranged to operate substantially as herein specified.

3. The improved process of manufacturing gas from oil consisting in, first, superheating and decomposing steam; and, second, in employing the resulting 'gaseous product to inject hydrocarbon, in the form of spray, into the gas-retorts containing incandescent material, whereby said hydrocarbon vapors are converted into illuminating-gas, as described.

4. The combination, in an apparatus for manufacturing illuminating-gas, ot' a gas-pipe, K, having a jet-orifice, a, a hydrocarbon-supply pipe, a nozzle, c, having double conical passage, and a retort, D, whereby the hydrocarbon is vaporized, the vapor mixed in the nozzle c,and, so vaporized, injected into the gas, as described.

In witness whereof I have .hereunto set my hand.

' E. P. MCCARTHY.

Witnesses:

S. H. NoURsE, FRANK A. BRooKs.

IIO

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