Improvements in or appertaining to the Manufacture or Production of Hydrogen.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 7.h Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 10th July, 1891-Accepted, 22nd Aug., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to the Manufacture or Production
of Hydrogen.
I, VIVIAN BYAM LEWES, of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, in the County
of Kent, Professor of Chemistry, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My invention has for its object the economical production of hydrogen on a
commercial scale. The hydrogen is produced by the decomposition of steam by
contact with finely divided heated iron, as well understood; but in order to quickly
and effectually reduce the resulting magnetic oxide to the metallic state for re-use
I subject it to the reducing action of gases containing hydrogen produced by the
decomposition of steam by carbon in a state of incandescence. In this way the oxide
of iron can be reduced far more rapidly and completely, and at a lower temperature
than by the use of carbon monoxide alone as heretofore proposed. Gases containing
hydrogen can be easily and cheaply obtained for the purpose mentioned by blowing
steam or a mixture of air and steam into and through the mass of incandescent fuel
in a gas producer, which may be that employed for heating the retort or retorts
containing the finely divided iron used for decomposing steam according to the
invention described in the Specification of my former application for Patent
No. 20752 dated 19 December 1890. In this case the resulting gases, consisting of
carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and nitrogen, will when the oxide of iron is to be
reduced to the metallic state for re-use be passed into and through the retort or
retorts direct from the producer.
In order to obtain metallic iron in a finely divided state so that it shall offer a
very large active surface to the steam to be decomposed, and so that the resulting
oxide of iron shall also offer a very large surface to the reducing action of the gases
used to reconvert it to the metallic state, I saturate material of a porous refractory
nature, as for examples asbestos or pumice stone, with an iron salt that is easily
decomposed by heat into oxide of iron which is subsequently reduced to the
metallic state by gases such as hereinbefore mentioned. Suitable iron salts for the
purpose mentioned are for examples sulphate of iron and oxalate of iron.
Or I may
obtain the same results by kneading together moist hydrated oxide of iron fine
iron filings and asbestos fibre and make the mixture into balls, which are after-
wards hardened by baking. These on reduction by the gases become porous and
easily permeable by the superheated steam.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to 'the Manufacture or Production
of Hydrogen.
I, VIVIAN BYAM LEWES, of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, in the County
of Kent, Professor of Chemistry, 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 has for its object the economical production of hydrogen on a
commercial scale. The hydrogen is produced by the decomposition of steam by
contact with heated iron, as well understood; but in order to quickly and effectually
reduce the resulting magnetic oxide to the metallic state for re-use I subject it to

page_text: reducing action of gases containing hydrogen produced by the decomposition of
steam by carbon in a state of incandescence. In this way the oxide of iron can be
reduced far more rapidly and completely, and at a lower temperature than by the
use of carbon monoxide alone as herein before proposed. Gases containing hydrogen
can be easily and cheaply obtained for the purpose mentioned by blowing steam or
a mixture of air and steam into and through the mass of incandescent fuel in a gas
producer, which may be that employed for heating the retort or retorts containing
the finely divided iron used for decomposing steam according to the invention
described in the Specification of my former application for Patent No. 20752 dated
19 December 1890. In this case the resulting gases, consisting of carbon monoxide,
hydrogen, and nitrogen, will when the oxide of iron is to be reduced to the metallic
state for re-use be passed into and through the retort or retorts direct from the
producer.
Or
In order to obtain metallic iron in a finely divided state so that it shall offer a
very large active sui face to the steam to be decomposed, and so that the resulting
oxide of iron shall also offer a very large surface to the reducing action of the gases
used to reconvert it to the metallic state, I saturate material of a porous refractory
nature, as for examples asbestos or pumice stone, with an iron salt that is easily
decomposed by heat into oxide of iron which is subsequently reduced to the metallic
state by gases such as hereinbefore mentioned this being effected in the process of
producing hydrogen in the retort as before referred to. Suitable iron salts for the
purpose mentioned are for examples sulphate of iron aud oxalate of iron.
may obtain the same results by kneading together moist hydrated oxide of iron,
fine iron filings, and asbestos fibre, and making the mixture into balls, blocks, or
masses which are afterwards hardened by baking. Suitable proportions by weight
moist hydrated oxide of iron 50 pounds, fine iron filings 40 pounds, and
asbestos fibre 10 pounds, kneaded into a pasty mass with water. The balls block
or masses being in the retort will, on reduction by the gases passing through the
retort, become porous and easily permeable by the superheated steam.
order that the manner of carrying my invention into practical effect may be clearly
understood I proceed to describe the same by aid of the accompanying drawings,
I
are say,
in which
And in
Fig. 1 shows partly in vertical section, and partly in elevation one form of
apparatus suitable for carrying my invention into practice, this apparatus being
similar to that described with reference to and shown in Fig. 1 of the Specification
of my before mentioned application for Patent No. 20752 of 1890.
A is a gas producer fitted with suitably arranged tuyeres or blast nozzles, two of
which are indicated at B, B for the entrance of a mixture of air and steam as herein-
before mentioned. In the centre of the gas producer is placed the retort D, filled
or partly filled with porous masses of spongy iron prepared in either of the ways
hereinbefore described. F is a steam pipe of considerable length exposed to the
heat of the furnace in order that it may superheat the steam passing through it.
It is connected at its upper end to a steam generator, while its lower end opens within
the retort. G is a pipe for placing the interior of the gas producer in communica-
tion with the top of the retort D. H is a pipe for the escape of the gases that have
been used to reduce the oxide of iron, and which will consist chiefly of steam and
carbon dioxide. Jis a pipe for the delivery of hydrogen. K, L and M are cocks
or valves, situated in the pipes G H and J respectively. N is a cock on the
steam pipe F.
Hydrogen gas is manufactured in such an apparatus according to my invention
as follows:-The producer is charged with coke, anthracite, or other carbonaceous
material, which is lighted at the bottom. The air blast is then turned on until the
fuel is raised to a bright red heat when a little steam is admitted with the air
blast, and the resulting producer gases containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide and
nitrogen produced by the action of the steam and air upon the incandescent carbon,
are led direct from the top of the generator through the pipe G and past the
valve K down through the retort. The contents of the latter become heated to a

page_text: After
glowing condition, partly by the heat of the gases and partly by the heat trans-
mitted through the sides of the retort from the mass of incandescent fuel.
passing through the retort, the gases escape by the pipe H, and may be used for
raising steam.
Steam
Should the finely divided or spongy iron be already in the metallic state, contact
with the gases does not affect it, but should it be in the state of an oxide, the
As soon
carbon monoxide and hydrogen will reduce it to the metallic condition.
as the iron oxide is reduced to metallic iron and the right temperature has been
obtained, viz., a bright red heat, the introduction of the producer gases is stopped
by turning off the blast to the producer, and the valves K and L are shut.
is then sent through the superheater F, and into the lower end of the retort, and in
passing up over the finely divided or spongy iron is decomposed, the hydrogen
being evolved and led away past the valve M, which is then open, and by the
pipe J, to a gasometer, whilst the iron is converted into magnetic oxide. The
heat necessary to complete this reaction between steam and iron is kept up by the
mass of incandescent fuel surrounding the retort. If necessary for this purpose
the air blast can be continued or modified, the resulting producer gases being
conducted by a bye-pass pipe to the pipe H. The cycle of operations is then
commenced afresh, by again reducing the magnetic oxide back to metallic iron by
the producer gases.
Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive illustrate the construction of apparatus which I prefer to
adopt in practice,
Fig. 2 being a vertical section on the line x
Fig. 3 a sectional plan on the line y y Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 an external elevation; and
Fig. 5 a sectional plan on the line z z Fig. 3.
Fig. 3;
This apparatus, which is similar to that described with reference to and shewn
in Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive of the Specification of my before mentioned application
for Patent, consists of a circular metal casing A lined with fire brick and
divided into two chambers A and D by a fire brick partition C. The chamber A,
constitutes a gas producer wherein the reducing gases are generated, and it is
charged with anthracite, coke or other carbonaceous material that rests upon
a grate A¹.
This grate consists, by preference, of fire bars adapted to be tilted
by a rock shaft A with crank handle A' for the purpose of keeping the bottom
of the chamber A free from clinker. The chamber D forms a retort heated
by the mass of incandescent fuel in the gas producer, and is hereinafter called a
retort. This retort is charged with iron turnings or finely divided iron that rests
upon a grate D. B and B are pipes for admitting air and steam respectively to
the bottom of the gas producer A. F is a pipe for admitting steam to the bottom
of the retort D. G is a passage for connecting the top of the gas producer with
the top of the retort. H is an outlet pipe for the gases that have been used to
reduce the oxide of iron, and which will consist chiefly of steam and carbon dioxide.
J is an outlet pipe for hydrogen. L, M, N, O, and P are cocks on the
pipes H, J, F, B, and B¹ respectively. Q is an opening for introducing fuel to
the gas producer A. This opening is normally closed by a self-sealing lid. R is
an opening through which ashes and clinker can be removed from the ash pit below
the gas producer A; this opening is normally closed by a tight fitting door R'.
Hydrogen is produced in this apparatus in the manner hereinbefore described
with reference to Fig. 1 but the passage G is not closed during the production
0 of hydrogen which cannot escape except through the outlet pipe J. The contents
of the retort D are maintained at the necessary temperature by heat trans-
mitted through the partition C from the mass of incandescent fuel in the gas
producer A.
When carrying out the process on a large scale, it may be made a continuous
5 one, by carrying on the operations hereinbefore described, simultaneously in
two or more sets of retorts; hydrogen being produced in one or more sets, whilst
oxide of iron is being reduced in the other set or sets, and 'ce versa, and the

page_text: arrangement being such as to pass a continuous and steady stream of hydrogen to
the gas holder.
For this purpose two gas producers can be used, each provided with a retort and
connections which may be like either of those shown in the drawings. In this case
hydrogen would be delivered alternately through each of the delivery pipes J into
a gas main common to them.
It is evident that the apparatus described and which is not here claimed as forming
any part of my present invention can be variously modified without departure from
the essential features of the invention.
It will be also evident that hydrogen may be produced in the manner described in
a retort located within a gas producer constructed and worked for producing water
gas, a part of which is utilized from time to time for reducing the oxide of iron
produced in the retort. In this case the hydrogen produced by the decom-
position of steam by the iron in the retort, may be mixed with the water gas,
so as to increase the percentage of hydrogen therein, and raise the heating power
thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
claim is:
1. In the process for producing hydrogen by decomposition of steam by contact
with heated iron, reducing the resulting metallic oxide to the metallic state for
re-use in the production of hydrogen, by subjecting such metallic oxide to the action
of gases containing hydrogen produced by the decomposition of steam by carbon in
a state of incandescence.
2. The hereinabove described process which consists in producing hydrogen
by decomposition of steam by iron within a retort or vessel embedded in or
in contact with a mass of incandescent fuel, and reducing the resulting magnetic
oxide of iron to the metallic state by the action thereon of the gases obtained
by passing air and steam through the mass of incandescent fuel that is outside
of the said retort or vessel, these gases being led direct from the fuel in their
heated state into and through the retort or vessel containing the metallic oxide as
set forth.
3. The herein described method of facilitating the reduction of the oxide of iron
formed in the process of manufacturing hydrogen by passing steam over heated
iron in a finely divided state by causing the reducing gases to contain an admixture
of hydrogen.
4. In the manufacture of hydrogen by decomposing steam by means of heated
iron in a finely divided state the obtaining the same by saturating material of a
porous refactory nature such as asbestos or pumice stone, with an
iron salt
decomposable by heat into oxide of iron, and reducing the oxide thus obtained
to the metallic state by the action thereon of reducing gases substantially as herein
described, the said iron being used and re-used in producing hydrogen in the manner
set forth.
5. In the manufacture of hydrogen by decomposing steam by means of heated
iron in a finely divided state the obtaining the same by kneading together moist
hydrated oxide of iron, fine iron filings, and asbestos fibre, forming the mixture
into balls or blocks, drying the same, and subjecting them to the action of reducing
gases to reduce the oxide of iron therein to the metallic state substantially as herein
described, the said iron being used and re-used in producing hydrogen in the manner
set forth.
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VIVIAN BYAM LEWES.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.