Patent GB-738996-A (GB)
Title: Acetylene generator
IPC: C10H13/00
Filed: 1953-02-20
Abstract: A dry lime acetylene generator contains a cold wall which is in contact with the atmosphere inside a carbide decomposition chamber and means are provided for maintaining the wall cold, the water condensed on the cold wall being recovered and means are provided for directing it towards the carbide or towards the lime or discharging it out of the apparatus.  The cold wall may comprise at least one tube through which cold water or other fluid passes from a circuit arranged in said tube by means of an annular tube housed in the latter, the water or other fluid maintained at a low temperature arrives directly in the tube constituting the cold wall and leaves in the heated state through said annular tube.  The cold wall may comprise one wall, facing the inside of the reaction chamber, of a double wall through which the cooling fluid passes and which constitutes a part at least of the casing which surrounds the reaction chamber.  When the cold wall constitutes the tube referred to above, the tube may be disposed obliquely above the material that must receive the water of con <PICT:0738996/IV (b)/1> <PICT:0738996/IV (b)/2> <PICT:0738996/IV (b)/3> densation and this tube carries spaced along its length projections in the form of transverse rings that hinder the descent of the condensates along the tube and detach them from the latter.  Each tube referred to above constituting the cold wall may be movable, for example pivotally about a transverse axis whereby it is possible to position as desired the lower end of the tube, from which flow the condensates at any required point either over the carbide or lime or over a discharge trough.  The cold wall may be fixed and below it a pivotable device may be used to direct the condensates to any desired point.  The cold wall may be of a sufficient size to cool the atmosphere in the carbide decomposition chamber thereby lowering the temperature of the pieces of carbide by heat exchange, or an auxiliary device may be used to cool the atmosphere of the decomposition chamber, e.g. a cold water spraying pump disposed in the reaction chamber and forming at the same time a cold wall, the water being recovered in a trough fitted with a pipe which conducts the water out of the apparatus. The water spraying ramp may be in a circuit which includes after the outlet from the generator a decanting tank for decanting water from the solids it entrains in the generator, a cooler and a pump for pumping the water back to the ramp, and the circuit may include a branch pipe for the supply of fresh water for the total or partial renewing of the water, e.g. by means of a constant fluid level device.  The water from the decanting vessel may be taken off back into the circuit at a point where the concentration of lime is the highest.  The acetylene discharge pipe may be constituted by the pipe leading from the trough and discharges water and acetylene into the decanting vessel which also acts as a washer for the acetylene.  The atmosphere in the generator may be cooled by the use of an external sprinkling device together with means for recovering water condensed on the cooled walls inside the generator.  In Fig. 1, the generator 1 consists of a cylindrical inclined vessel which rotates about axis X, X.  A grill 8 forms with the upper portion of the generator a cage in which the carbide 9 is placed through door 10. The lower door 12 constitutes the lime discharge aperture.  The water for each charge is measured in tank 29 and is fed from line 23a to the inlet pipe 23 via pump <PICT:0738996/IV (b)/4> <PICT:0738996/IV (b)/5> <PICT:0738996/IV (b)/6> <PICT:0738996/IV (b)/7> 27 to the tube comprising the cold wall and the water feed to the carbide.  The cold wall is detailed in Fig. 2, and comprises an outer tube 15 which serves as a bearing and sealing journal as well as the outlet passage for the acetylene.  A pipe 17 feeds one or several water supply apertures 18 for the carbide and a water supply aperture 19 for the lime.  The tube 20 acts as the cold wall due to the fact that cold water is circulated therethrough and rings 20a which are welded to the tube 20 cause the condensates that run down this cold tube to fall on to the carbide.  The cold water for the cold wall passes into the tube through pipe 24 and leaves through pipe 26.  Conduit 16 forms the acetylene gas outlet.  The gas production is controlled by a monostat 42 which is connected to the generator through pipe 44 and operates a switch controlling the electric motor which turns the generator and operates water pump 27.  In Fig. 3, an auxiliary cooling device is incorporated in the generator.  The body of the generator 45 rotates and is connected through a stuffing box to a carbide-loading hopper 51 and to a lime extracting pipe 52.  The carbide is contained by the cage 53.  A sprinkler 54 sprinkles water through a large number of jets into a trough 56 which is connected through a tube 57 to a separator-washer-cooler 58 via the strainer 57.  The tube 54 acts as the cold wall and the water sprinkling into the trough 56 is the auxiliary cooling device-all condensates being collected in the trough 56.  The tube 57 also serves as the acetylene outlet.  Water for the decomposition of the carbide is fed from the cooler via pipe 72 and pump 73 through perforated pipe 76, and water from the cooler is returned to the sprinkler through pipe 70 via pump 69; in each case the water is taken from the cooler at a point where the water is most saturated with lime.  In the drum-type generator of Fig. 4, a bladed agitator 91 continually agitates the lime and the carbide 85 which are separated by wall 96.  Water is fed to the carbide through pipe 90.  In this apparatus the cold wall (shown in detail in Fig. 5) is constituted by a number of tubes 98 arranged and fixed to a central tube 99 so that they form an obtuse angle, and is of a sufficient size to act as a cold wall and a cooler by conduction.  The tubes are cooled by flowing water through pipe 100, through the tubes and out through pipe 103.  The position of the tubes may be adjusted so that at position 98c the water condensed is collected in trough 108 and is led out of the apparatus through pipe 109, at position 98a the water condensed drops on to the carbide and at 98b it drops on to the lime.  In Fig. 6, the apparatus contains a cold wall and the atmosphere in the generator is cooled by blowing cold acetylene into the generating chamber.  A similar type of cold wall 115 to that used in the apparatus of Fig. 4 is used so that the water condensed can be directed to the lime at 118, to the carbide at 117 contained in a rotating biconical cage 110, or to an outlet 119. The generated acetylene is fed through pipe 121 to a washer cooler 122 where it passes through water cooled by a refrigerating device 123.  The acetylene may then be taken off at pipe 124.  Cold acetylene may also be blown into the generator through pipe 126 via fan 125.  Water for the decomposition of the carbide is fed into the apparatus through pipe 113.  An apparatus containing a cold wall which also acts as a cooler and is formed by a double wall forming part of the wall of the reaction chamber is shown in Fig. 7.  The carbide is contained in a cylindrical rotating cage 130 and a sprinkler 132 distributes water over the carbide.  The lime 141 is agitated with an agitator 139 and is removed through cover 137.  A portion of the reaction chamber wall is made up of a double wall 142 through which a cooling liquid is circulated.  The water condensed is collected in trough 146 and runs over lip 147 on to a movable blade 148.  The blade enables the condensates to be directed on to the carbide at position 148a, on to the lime at position 148b or on to a trough 150 connected with container 152 at position 148.