Improvements relating to the Utilization of Liquefied Gas for the Production of Motive Force.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Utilization of Liquefied Gas for the
Production of Motive Force.
I, JOSEPH BARBE FOURNIER, of No. 3, Rue de Tournon, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Teacher at the Sorbonne, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:
This invention relates to the employment of liquefied gas, such as ammonia
gas and methylamine, for example, in the production of motive force, and the,
invention consists in the following mode of utilization, that is to say, given a
liquefied gas, to cause it to produce work by its expansion in a motor, at the
same time maintaining its pressure, in the vessel which contains it, equal, and
of a constant value, to that of its employment in the motor, an end which is
attained by utilizing the heat developed by the combination or the dissolution of
the gas after its expansion, with or in a suitable material, in other words, to
render to the liquefied gas the heat that it lost by reason of its vaporization
under the form of heat resulting from its combination with a suitable material,
such as a metallic oxyde, or a solid salt, or, better, from the heat resulting from
the dissolution of the gas in a suitable liquid, such as water, by which means
the employment of heat from any source is obviated.
In carrying out this invention, there are provided a series of vessels to contain
the liquefied gas, and the substance which, by its combination with the gas,
should maintain its pressure constant; one or more apparatus, the object of which
is to bring the gas from the maximum tension that it possesses in its receiver, to
that which it ought to have in order to be used as a motor agent; and, lastly, a
motor in which the gas acts by expansion.
The series of vessels are preferably concentric. A first or inner one contains
the liquefied gas, and is surrounded by the substance contained in a second, there
being no communication between them. The parts are, however, so arranged
as to produce, the greatest possible amount of contact surface. These two vessels
are placed in a third, and separated by a space containing some calorifuge, and
this receives the quantity of gas which is not utilized in the second vessel
in producing heat.
The distributing or regulating apparatus is intended to send alternately, and in
suitable, proportions, into 2 and 3, the gas issuing from the motor, so as to
maintain constant the temperature in 2, and, consequently, to maintain constant
also the pressure in 1, which contains the liquefied gas.
The apparatus consists of a cylinder containing a piston, the movement of.
which is determined by stops. Transversely through this piston is a passage,
which brings a passage on one side into connection with one of two passages on the
other side.
At one end, the cylinder has a tubular extension carrying a chamber, and an
upwardly extending pipe, in which is mounted a small piston or rod, which
comes into contact with the piston in the cylinder.
On the other side of the piston is a similar piston or rod, which enters another

page_text: cylindrical extension having an elbow or bent extension, and containing a liquid
body, such as mercury, glycerine, &c., a quantity of the same body being above
the main piston.
Vessel 1 is connected to a motor, and also to lower end of distributor. Vessel 2
is connected with top of regulator, and one of the two passages in the side of
Vessel 3 is connected only with the other of these passages, suitable pipes
being used for the purpose.
same.
The gas passes from 1 to the motor, and the exhaust from the motor to side
of regulator. According to the position of the piston, the exhaust is directed
to 2, to cause chemical reaction, which, by its heat effects the reheating of the
liquefied gas; or to 3, if the quantity of gas in 2 ought to be diminished.
The piston is acted upon by the constant column of mercury on the top, and
on the other by the action of the maximum elastic force of the liquefied gas,
which is partly transmitted through the lower piston or rod, to bring the passage
into register with one or other of the two side passages, in one case, the expanded
gas passes to 2, the temperature of which is increased.
Then pressure in 1 increases, and the force acting on the piston or rod, becomes
equal to the mercury column, so that the main piston rises, and the passage
connects with the opening to 3.
A continual raising and lowering of temperature in the various vessels causes
an increase or decrease of heat, and consequent increase and decrease of pressure,
so that the parts are brought successively into operation, to produce the desired
result.
The vessel 3 may, in some cases, be dispensed with, if loss of gas to the atmos-
phere would be of no consequence.
In place of column of mercury, a spring pressure on the main piston may be
employed, and the little pistons or rods will be dispensed with the outlets, above
& below the main piston being at the side of the cylinder.
The action will be practically the same as before.
Improvements relating to the Utilization of Liquefied Gas for the
. Production of Motive Force.
I, JOSEPH BARBE FOURNIER, of No. 3, Rue de Tournon, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Teacher at the Sorbonne, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:·
-
This invention relates to the employment of liquefied gas, such as ammonia
gas and methylamine, for example, in the production of motive force, and the
invention consists in the following mode of utilization, that is to say, given a
liquefied gas, to cause it to produce work by its expansion in a motor, at the
same time maintaining its pressure, in the vessel which contains it, equal, and
of a constant value to that of its employment in the motor, an end which is
attained by utilizing the heat developed by the combination or the dissolution of
the gas after its expansion, with or in a suitable material, in other words, to
render to the liquefied gas the heat that it lost by reason of its vaporization
under the form of heat resulting from its combination with a suitable material,
such as a metallic oxide, or a solid salt, or, better, from the heat resulting from

page_text: the dissolution of the gas in a suitable liquid, such as water, by which means
the necessity for the employment of external heat from any source is obviated.
In carrying out this invention, there are provided a series of vessels to contain
the liquefied gas, and the substance which, by its combination with the gas,
should maintain its pressure constant; one or more apparatus, the object of which
is to bring the gas from the maximum tension that it possesses in its receiver, to
that which it ought to have in order to be used as a motor agent; and lastly a
motor in which the gas acts by expansion.
I will now describe the apparatus with the exception of the motor which forms
the subject matter of another application of even date, reference being had to
the accompanying drawings, in which-
Figures 1, 1, suggest, by way of example, the sort of vessel I employ to contain
the liquefied gas and the substance to be combined therewith.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of an apparatus for regulating the pressure;
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of modified form of pressure regulator; and
Fig. 4 shews, in diagrammatic form, a system of apparatus with the motor.
The first part of the apparatus or generator, properly so-called, consists of
three vessels A, B, C, which are represented in the diagram, Figure 4, by 1, 2,
and 3. The first vessel A contains the liquefied gas, and it is placed in the
second B, which contains the substance to be combined with the gas, and in such a
manner that in these vessels (without communication one with the other) the
changes of temperature operate in the fullest possible manner, and consequently
the contact surface should be as large as possible.
This end may be attained in various ways; thus, for example, the first vessel, A,
may consist of a spiral coil (see Figure 1), placed in the second vessel, B; or
the apparatus may consists of a series of concentric evlinders (see Fig. 1), con-
taining alternately the liquefied gas and the substance to combine with, it, all
the annular vessels to contain the same substance being in communication one
with the other.
A third vessel, C, is separated from the other two by a space which is preferably
filled with some calorifuge, in order to be isolated as much as possible, from a
thermic point of view, from the first and second vessels. This vessel is intended
to receive the excess of gas which is not utilized in the second vessel, in order
to produce heat by its combination with, or dissolution in, the body contained in
the second vessel.
The distributing or regulating apparatus is intended to send alternately, and in
suitable proportions, into vessels 2 and 3, the expanded gas issuing from the motor,
so as to maintain constant the temperature in 2, and, consequently, to maintain
constant also the pressure in 1, which contains the liquefied gas.
The apparatus consists of a cylinder D, containing a piston E, the movement
of which is determined by stops d. Transversely through this piston E is a passage e,
which brings a passage d', on one side of the cylinder, into connection with one
of two passages d, d³. on the other side of the cylinder.
At one end, the cylinder I) has a tubular extension F, carrying a chamber f,
and an upwardly extending pipe G, in which is mounted a small piston or rod g,
which rests on the piston E in the cylinder D.
On the other side of the piston E, is a similar piston or rod h, which enters
another cylindrical extension H, having an elbow or bent extension h¹, and con-
taining a fluid body, such as mercury, glycerine, &c., to make the piston h gas-
tight, a quantity of the same body being above the main piston E, and extending
into the chamber f.
Referring now to Figure 4, A, B, C, or 1, 2, 3, represent the three vessels above
named. I is a motor of any suitable kind, which is put in motion by the expansion
of a fluid, the admission for which is at i, while ¹ is the exhaust.
D is the distributing apparatus, constructed according to Figure 2, the different
tubes bearing the same letters of reference as in that figure.

page_text: The communications between the several apparatus are effected by pipes as
follows is connected with the exhaust from the motor.
The vessel 1 is connected to the motor I by pipe i, and also to the lower end of
distributor D. at h¹. Vessel 2 is connected with top of regulator at G, and with
one of the two passages in the side of same. Vessel 3 is connected only with
the other, 3, of these passages, suitable pipes being used for the purpose.
The gas passes from 1 to the motor I, where it exerts its influence, and the
exhaust of the expanded gas passes from the motor to side of regulator at d¹.
According to the position of the piston E, the exhaust is directed to 2, to cause
chemical reaction, which, by its heat, effects the reheating of the liquefied gas;,
or to 3, if the quantity of gas in 2 requires to be diminished.
The piston E, on one face, is acted upon by the constant column of mercury
on the top, and on the other by the action of the maximum elastic force of the
liquefied gas, a force which is partly transmitted to it by the lower piston or
rod h, to bring the passage e into register with one or other of the two side
passages d², d, according to the value of this maximum elastic force.
Suppose, for the sake of argument, that the force exerted by the piston hon
the piston E is inferior to the weight of the column of mercury on the other
face, of the piston (neglecting the weight of the piston E), in this case the open-
inge of E communicates with the opening d², and the gas after its expansion. in
the motor, passes to the vessel. 2, the temperature of which it increases by its
combination with the substance contained in this vessel..
Then the pressure .in 1 increases, and that up to the point when the force
exerted by the pressure on the piston . becomes equal to the weight of the
mercury. From this moment, the piston E rises, and its passage e, ceasing to be in
communication with d², comes into connection with d³, and thus the gas passes to
the vessel 3.
The vessels 1 and 2 thermically in connection not receiving more heat, their
temperatures lower by reason of the heat which is taken from them by the vaporisa-
tion and expansion of the
gas in 1.
Thus, the pressure.in 1 lowers in a continuous manner, and when the force that
this pressure exerts on the piston / becomes less than the mercurial pressure on
the other face of the piston E, this latter descends; its passage e coming opposite d²,
withdraws again the gas from the vessel 2, the temperature and pressure of which
again rises. The movement of the piston then again recommences, and the same
series of operations is reproduced.
The combination or the dissolution in the vessel 2 (and to be produced rapidly),
requires a certain pressure, varying with the quantity of gas already combined or
dissolved. This pressure acts on the motor piston in a sense inverse to the
pressure in the vessel 1, that is to say, makes counter-pressure, and consequently
varies the useful pressure on that piston. To maintain this constant, it suffices to
open communication between G and vessel 2.
It is easy to see, in effect, that an increase of pressure in the vessel 2 is trans-
mitted to the piston E by the piston g, and has the effect of maintaining, for a
long time, the passage e in connection with the passage 2; the pressure in vessel I
increases, and the piston g and h, being of the same section, the force which acts
on the piston E is equal, and opposed to the counter-pressure. These two forces
then mutually annul one another, and the pressure becomes constant.
It may be here remarked that the vessel 3 can, in certain cases, be suppressed,
if the loss of the excess of gas not introduced into vessel 2 is ignored.
In place of the mercury column, spring pressure may be employed, and a
modification of the regulator in this sense will be now referred to.
It consists, as before, of a cylinder D, with three tubes d' d² & d³, and a
piston E, having the transverse passage as before, and the manner of working in
the same way.
The piston E is operated, on one face, by the pressure direct from the vessel 1,

page_text: through the opening d, and on the other face by a spring J, the tension of
which is regulated by a screw j.
In lieu of this spring, a small quantity of liquefied gas may be used, and which
will be introduced by the tubular opening d; or the two plans may be employed
simultaneously to produce the equilibrium of the piston E.
Lastly, in order to annul the effect of the counter pressure above referred to, the
face of the piston E, acted on by the spring, may receive the pressure from the
vessel 2, while the other face receives the pressure from vessel 1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A mode of utilizing liquefied gases for the production of motive force, con-
sisting in expanding the gas in a motor of any suitable kind; then, when this gas
has done its work, to combine it or dissolve it, or make it, in effect, accomplish
a chemical reaction, but which must be exothermic with a suitable substance, and
to utilize the heat thus produced, to raise to its initial temperature the mass of
liquefied gas which has cooled down by reason of its vaporization, and of the
expansion, and, consequently, to maintain constant, the pressure in the vessel
which contains it, as above specified.
2. The arrangement of apparatus intended to carry out the mode of utilizing
liquefied gases referred to in Claim 1, and consisting of a vessel to contain the
liquefied gas, arranged in contact as close as possible, to take the utmost advantage
of the changes of temperature, with a second vessel containing a substance to
combine with the gas, and a third vessel isolated from the other two, the first
one sending its gas to the motor, the exhaust of which is connected to a regulating
distributor, which directs the expanded gas into vessel 2 or 3, according to
whether the pressure in vessel 1 is below or above the normal pressure of working,
as herein shown and described.
3. The arrangement of regulating distributor, consisting essentially of a cylinder
in which works a piston having a transverse passage by which the exhaust pipe
of a motor may be put into connection with one or other of two pipes, connected
respectively with vessels 2 & 3, and acting according to the position of the piston
under the influence of a column of mercury on one face, which permits of varying,
at will, the pressure of utilization of the liquefied gas, and on both faces, under
the influence of two small pistons of equal section, affected by the pressure of the
fluid in vessel 1 and in vessel 2, with which their respective cylinders are con-
nected, as herein shown and described.
4. The modification in the regulating distributor, and which consists in sub-
mitting one face only of the piston E to the pressure from one of the vessels 1 or 2,
and employing, for the other face, the pressure of a spring, or a confined mass of
gas, or of both the spring and the gas simultaneously, as herein shown and
described.
5. The modification in the regulating distributor, which consists in submitting
the piston E directly on its two faces (without the use of the small pistons) to the
pressure of the vessel 1, of the one part, and to the pressure of the vessel 2 and of a
spring, on the other part, as herein shown and described.
Dated this 18th day of April 1899
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.