An Improved Gas Producer.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1895
"
Complete Specification Left, 2nd June, 1896-Accepted, 15th Aug., 1896
An Improved Gas Producer.
I ANDRE CLOUARD, Engineer, of 37 Rue Saint Jean, Caen, in the Republic of
France, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved system of gas producer designed to transform
solid fuel and chiefly small pieces and dust of rich coal into combustible gas
containing no tarry substances nor hydrocarbons condensable at the ordinary
pressure and temperature and designed for heating purposes or for the production
of motive power.
This gas producer is composed of a vertical furnace of circular or rectangular
section constructed of refractory materials and in the interior of which are provided
recesses or channels connected to suitable conduits for enabling the gases which
enter the fuel contained in the furnace or which leave the same to be easily
disengaged or conveyed away. These channels may be replaced by conduits
arranged around the furnace and communicating with it through openings. The
fuel is placed either upon the bottom of the ash box or upon a grate placed at the
bottom of the furnace. Suitable pipes for conducting the air and steam necessary
for the operation of the apparatus and for communicating with the various channels
and the ash box are provided.
Above the furnace is provided a space divided at its upper part by a partition
one side of which serves as a reservoir for the fuel which, extending below the
said partition, descends into the furnace in accordance with the requirements. In
the other side of the said partition a coke breaker is placed comprising vertical
rods or prongs fixed at their upper extremities to a plate, itself fixed to a rod
which works freely through an upper cover, so that by reciprocating the said rod
vertically from the outside the rods or prongs on the inside are caused to strike
agglomerated or coked fuel in the upper part of the furnace to permit the free
descent of fresh fuel.
The furnace being filled with incandescent coke the current of mixed air and
steam is divided so as to form two points for the combustion in the same furnace,
one at the bottom of the furnace, and the other a little below the upper part; the
gases formed by the combustion in this part being divided into two portions, one
rising towards the layer of fresh coal in order to effect the distillation of the same,
and the other descending towards the outlet conduit in order to encounter there the
products of the distillation and to effect the transformation of the same into
permanent gaseous hydrocarbons, the products of the distillation in the upper part
being conducted back into the mass of incandescent coke in order to effect the
decomposition of the same.
Dated this 29th day of October 1895.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chaucery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: I ANDRE CLOUARD, Engineer, of 37 Rue Saint Jean, Caen, in the Republic of
France, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:--
My invention relates to an improved system of gas producer designed to transform
solid fuel and chiefly small pieces and dust of rich coal into combustible gas
containing no tarry substances nor hydrocarbons condensable at the ordinary
pressure and temperature and designed for heating purposes or for the production
of motive power.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings
:―
Fig. 1 is a diagramatic vertical section of a gas producer constructed according
to this invention and Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are similar views illustrating modifications,
details being however only shown upon certain views although applicable to all
unless otherwise stated.
This gas producer is composed of a vertical furnace a of circular or rectangular
section, constructed of refractory materials, and in the interior of which are
provided recesses or channels connected to suitable conduits for enabling the gases
which enter the fuel contained in the furnace, or which leave the same, to be easily
disengaged or conveyed away. These channels may be replaced by conduits
arranged around the furnace and communicating with it through openings. The
fuel is placed either upon the bottom of the ash box b as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,
or upon a grate placed at the bottom of the furnace. Pipes c c c conduct the air
and steam necessary for the operation of the apparatus and communicate between
the channel 2 and the ash box b. The pipe d'connects the grooves 1 and 3 and
the pipe e is in communication with the groove 4 and serves for the outlet of the
gases.
Above the furnace is provided a space divided at its upper part by a partition g
into two parts. On the part which may be provided with a feed funnel serving
as a reservoir for the fuel which passing below the partition 9 descends into the
furnace as required. In the part i on the other side of the partition g are placed
rods or prongs 5. 5. fixed at their upper extremities to a plate 6 fixed to a rod 7
which works freely through the upper cover so that by actuating the rod T
vertically from the outside the rods or prongs 5 are caused to strike agglomerated
or coked fuel in the upper part of the furnace to permit the free descent of fresh
fuel.
The furnace being fitted with incandescent coke and the reservoir / being filled
with fuel a mixture of air and steam is admitted to the pipes c c c a portion entering
the furnace by passing through the ash box band the other portion passing into the
furnace through the groove 2. This mixture of air and steam in contact with
the incandescent coke is decomposed and maintains the combustion the resulting
product being a mixture of combustible gases formed to a great extent of oxide of
carbon carbonic acid and hydrogen plus the nitrogen of the air.
The gases thus formed in proximity to the groove 2 are divided into two parts
one part descends into the furnace and leaves through the pipe e whilst those
formed by the combustion of the coke at the lower part of the furnace rise and
also leave through the same pipe e; the other portion of the gases formed near the
groove 2 rises towards the groove 1 and there encounters the layer of fresh fuel
decending from the reservoir h and passes through it. This coal under the action
of the heat from the gases and radiation of the incandescent coke is decomposed
into its various hydrocarbons some gaseous or in the form of tars and the remainder
in the form of coke which feeds the furnace.

page_text: The hydrocarbons disengaged from the coal and the gases resulting from the
combustion of the coke leave together through the groove 1 and are caused to pass
through the conduit d into the groove 3 and penetrate into the coke contained in
the furnace, there being mixed with the gases which descend in order to leave
through the conduit e and meet with those rising from the bottom of the furnace
in proximity to the groove 4 'so that by reason of the heat which prevails in this
part of the furnace the tars and hydrocarbons vapours are decomposed into
permanent gaseous hydrocarbons and into pulverulent carbon which being in the
nascent state in contact with the carbonic acid from the gases with which it is
mixed is combined with this carbonic acid to form oxide of carbon, all these gases
then leaving the gas producer through the conduit e.
When the coal is submitted to distillation at the height of the groove it
undergoes a softening which agglomerates the pieces and the dust, and a block of
coke is formed which opposes the descent of the fuel contained in the reservoir h.
For remedying this inconvenience the rods 5, 5, are provided and when operated
by the rod 7 by any suitable mechanism pass through the layer of coal and
encountering the block of coke break it into pieces which descend into the
furnace.
In the modification illustrated in Fig. 2 the height of the apparatus is greatly
reduced so that it can be employed where reduced height is necessary this reduction
being obtained by dispensing with the part of the furnace comprised between the
grooves 3 and 4.
The groove 2 exists only on the side where the air and steam conduit c terminates.
The grooves 3 and 31 exist only on two opposite sides of the furnace the air and
steam are introduced through the conduits c c c into the groove 2 and into the
ash box.
The gases resulting from the distillation are passed through the conduit d'into
the groove 3 whence they traverse the mass of incandescent coke where they are
transformed into permanent gaseous hydrocarbons under the same conditions as in
the apparatus Fig. 1and leave through the conduit e. The fuel reservoir is
provided with rods 5 as in the apparatus described with reference to Fig. ì.
In the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 the conduits ce care dispensed
with and the ash-box is pierced with large openings jjj enabling the scoriæ and
ashes formed at the bottom of the furnace to be easily detached and removed the
grooves 2,2, are also put in communication with the exterior through large
openings kkkk through which the scoriæ formed at their top may be removed,
air and steam are drawn through the pipe e e e by suction produced either by
means of a fan or by a steam ejector or other suitable means.
A convenient mechanism for operating the rods 5 is illustrated in Fig. 4 although
any other suitable means for operating inay be used.
The lever 8 provided with a counter-weight 9 is supported by a connecting
rod 10 and is connected by journals to the sleeve a which is slid upon the rod 7
where it is retained by two rings enabling it to turn upon the rod while preventing
it from sliding. At the extremity of the lever 8 opposite to the counter weight 9
is suspended a receptacle 11 the bottom of which is pieced with an opening adapted
to be closed by the valve m the rod of which slides with little triction in the
guide . A pipe p continually conducts a jet of water falling into the receptacle 11
or if there is no suitable water supply at disposal a steam boiler 9 (Fig. 5) heated
by the heat carried away by the gases leaving the gas producer may be employed
the steam being sent through the pipes r r into the injector s where it draws the
water contained in the tank t and conveys it into the pipe p. When the
receptacle 11 moves upwards under the influence of the counter weight 9
the projection 13 fixed to the extremity of the lever 8 encounters and raises the
projection 14 connected by a hinge to the counter weight 15 the said projection 14
then falling to its original position after the passage of the projection 13. The
apper extremity of the rod of the valve m encounters the stop o which closes it.

page_text: Water conveyed through the pipe p fills the receptacle 11 and the weight of this
water in lowering the receptacle 11 raises the counter weight 13 by means of the
projections 13 and 14. The lever 8 being liberated by the lowering of the
receptacle 11 actuates the rods 7 and 5, 5, 5. When the receptacle reaches
the lower end of its movement the lower extremity of the rod of the valve m
encounters the stop of which opens it, allowing the water to flow from the receptacle
into the tank t. The counter weight 9 brings the receptacle to the upper end of
its movement in order that it may again be filled and repeat the operation. During
the upward movement of the lever 8 the pawl 16 pushes against a tooth of the
ratchet or crown wheel 17 which is fixed to the rod 7 and causes it to pass through
an arc of a circle so that the rods 5 5 5 will never fall twice in succession at the
same place. The stop o counter weight 15 and guide 19 of the rod 7 are arranged
upon the support 18. In the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 5 the fuel reservoir h
the space i the rods 5 5 5 the mechanism designed for setting them in motion and
the grooves 3, 3 are dispensed with and above the furnace is arranged a fuel
reservoir of small diameter and the fuel enclosed in the reservoir descends in
proportion as that contained in the furnace is burnt, the distillation of the fresh
coal taking place at 1, 1, and the gases resulting from this distillation pass through
the pipe d into the groove 4' and pass into the incandescent coke contained in the
furnace and leave through the pipe e after having undergone the decompositions
described above.
When the coal used is very fat or moist the decomposition of the water vapours
and tarry matter conveyed through the pipe d (represented in the drawing outside
the casing of the gas producer) gives rise ta lowering of the temperature of the
layer of coke which they traverse the result being that these vapours are but
imperfectly decomposed. In order to avoid this at the lower end and in the
interior of the pipe d are placed pipes d' one only being represented in the drawing,
and these pipes whose exterior orifice may be regulated by means of cocks etc.
conduct the air into the groove 4* in close proximity to the coke so that this air
will pass
into the coke material at the same time as the water vapours and tar
vapours conducted by the pipe d but without being mixed with them, this mixing
taking place only in the interior of the coke material so that the oxygen of the air
being to a great extent combined with the carbon of the coke, can no longer burn
the tar vapours. This combustion of the coke by the air thus introduced has the
effect of giving rise to an elevation of temperature under the action of which the
water vapours and tar vapours are completely decomposed and transformed into
oxide of carbon, hydrogen, permanent gaseous hydrocarbons and into carbon
which being in the nascent state with the carbonic acid at a high temperature
caused by the combustion of the coke by the oxygen of the air reduces this
carbonic acid into oxide of carbon. These various gases mixed with the nitrogen
of the air after having traversed the layer of coke leave through the pipe e as
before mentioned.
When the gas producer is in operation the scoriæ tend to adhere to the sides at
the lower end of the furnace in the tapered part A A¹ and for the purpose of
removing this the gas producer is mounted upon a pedestal 61 and by lowering the
covers of the openings jj as shown at j' j', a fire iron can be inserted for removing
the scoriæ which adhere to the lower part of the furnace.
The boiler 9 is used for producing the water vapour necessary for the operation
of the gas producer and this vapour is conducted through the pipe 10 into the
pipe 11 which pipe is united by its two ends to the pipes 13, 13. These pipes 13
are formed circular and are placed one above the openings k, k with which it
communicates through small pipes 14, 14, and the other above the openings jj with
which both pipes communicate through the other pipes 14, 14. The vapour
conducted into the pipes 13 leaving through the pipes 14 and being mixed with the
air which passes through the openings kk and into the interior of the furnace,
in order to undergo the decompositions described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a gas producer dividing the current of air and steam so as to form two
points for the combustion in the same furnace, one at the bottom of the furnace,.
and the other a little below the upper part, the gases formed by the combustion in
this part being divided into two portions, one rising towards the layer of fresh coal
in order to effect the distillation of the same, and the other descending towards the
outlet conduit in order to encounter there the products of the distillation and to.
effect the transformation of the same into permanent gaseous hydrocarbons.
substantially as described.
2. In a gas producer in which the current of air and steam is dividel so as to.
form two points for the combustion in the same furnace one at the bottom of the
furnace and the other a little below the upper part the use of the combustion at.
the bottom of the furnace for completing the burning of the coke and thus
obtaining combustible gases whose volume is added to that obtained by the
combustion at the upper part of the furnace, and aiding in the reduction of the
products of distillation to permanent gases, substantially as described.
3. In a gas producer in which the current of air and steam is divided so as to
form two points for the combustion in the same furnace one at the bottom of the
furnace and the other a little below the upper part conducting the products of the
distillation in the upper part back into the mass of incandescent coke in order to
effect the decomposition of the same substantially as described.
4. In a gas producer the employment of moveable rods for reducing to small.
pieces the caked fuel or coke formed by the distillation of the coal substantially as.
described.
5. In a gas producer in which movable rods are employed for reducing to small
pieces the caked fuel or coke formed by the distillation of the coal a means for-
operating said movable rods comprising a receptacle adapted to be raised and
lowered while being filled with or emptied of water or any liquid the motion being
caused to operate said movable rods substantially as described.
6. In a gas producer introducing air into the furnace with the vapours of tars.
or bydrocarbons designed to be transformed into permanent gaseous hydrocarbons
by their passage through a layer of incandescent coke this air being brought at the
same time as these vapours in contact with the coke through separate pipes placed.
very close together and without being previously mixed substantially as.
described.
7. In a gas producer the arrangement of parts for enabling the lower part of the
furnace to be cleaned during the operation substantially as described.
8. In a gas producer the arrangement of parts for the introduction of water
vapour into the air maintaining the combustion in gas producers substantially as
described.
9. A gas producer arranged constructed and operating substantially as described.
with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.
10. A gas producer arranged constructed and operating substantially as described.
with reference to Figs. 3 and of the drawings.
11. A gas producer arranged constructed and operating substantially as described.
with reference to Figs. 5 of the drawings.
Dated this 30th day of May 1896.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents..