Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-08-17
WATER GAS.

/ water-gas plant as On auxiliary to our
/ present works.
I wATER-GAs.
What is the difference between water
gasand coal-gas the Dispatch yesterday
/ asked Mr. Humphrey, who Is here as the
agent OF tho United Gas Improvement
Company Of Philadelphia.
Co9l-gas, said be, IS distilled from
soft, bituminous. or ges-cosl, the
coal being hermetcally sealed in
clay retorts and the gas driven out
of the coal by heat applied on the
outside of the retorts. The resulting
gas is of about sixteen candle power,
though this candle power can be beincroased
! by mixing n certain percentage of camel
coal with the gas-cOal. This, Of course,
adds To the cost. and even then it is diff
cult to make good gas above nineteen
or twenty-condlc power, as the flame is
apt TO be sluggish or smoky. The light
comes from the hydro. carbon gases in
the coal-gas, and the admixture of can
mel raises the candle-powor be-
cause, being rich in hydrocarbons,
1t adds to the percentage Of these
rich gases present IN the mixture. The
gas also contains other gases, such ms
hydrogen and csrbonic oxide, which add
TO tho beat Of the flame and SO help to
properly burn the carbons which give
the light but which do not give any
light themselves.
Water gas is made upon an entirely
different principle. Hard coal or coke
IS put into vessel called a generator,
and this generator is very similar to
cupola used in melting iron. In addi-
tiOn to this generator there is a vessel
called the superheater, which IS filled
with fire brick loosely stacked. By
forced blast the coal in the generator is
brought up to n white heat, the products
of combustion going over to the super
heater, where secondary combustion
takes place which has the effect Of heat
ing up the loose brick stored therein,
and thus is saved this vast quantity OF
heat which would otherwise be lost.
This is the great economizing agent OF
the process.
As soon as the fire in the generator and
the brick in the snIcrheatcr are brought
to the desired temperature the blast is
blul Ou fuh lbt bptI&JB ~ tuC tiihiutN
il closed. The vessels are now closed TO
the air and only open to the gas.mains
Steam is now turned on at the bottom Of
the generator fire, and passing up
throuQh the incandosccnt fuel the result
is that the steam or water IS divided
into its original elements--hydrogen
and oxygen. The hydrogen passes
of unchanged and the oxygen
combines with the carbon Of the fire and
makes carbonic oxide gas, and the re-
sulting mixture Is about one half hydro
gen and ono half carbonic oxide. As
yet this gas has no illuminating power,
tut oil is introduced at the top Of the
generator. and this OIL makes very rich
hydro-carbon Gas quito similar 10 tho
richer gases Of coal-gas. The gas from
the generator (wattr gas) and the oil-gas
now pass ovef TO the superheater to-
gether, and the heat which has pre-
viously been saved and stored up in the
frc-brick now serves to thoroughly
mix and render permanent the mixture
of gases. The balance Of the process
as in the coal-gas process, consists In
passing the gas through ecrubbers, con
densers, purifiers, &c, 70 thoroughly
cleanse and purify it before sending 1t
out for consumption.