Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Water-gas and to Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 31st May, 1889-Accepted, 8th July, 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Water-gas and to
Apparatus therefor.
I, BURHANS VAN STEENBERGH of Goshen, County of Orange, State of New York,
United States of America, Gas Engineer, 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 process of manufacturing carbureted water-
gas, and to improved apparatus hereinafter described for carrying out the said
process.
My improved process consists essentially in superheating steam in a heated coil
of pipe, and decomposing such steam by passing it up through a body of incan-:
descent fuel so as to form water-gas and at the same time introducing oleaginous
matter (hydrocarbon oil or vapor) into the upper portion of the body of heated fuel,
preferably at points about two thirds of the height of the body of fuel from the
lower end of the same, thereby generating rich carbureted hydrogen-gas and then
mixing the water-gas with the said carbureted hydrogen-gas, as fast as they are
generated, and converting the mixture by contact with heated surfaces into a fixed
illuminating gas, the process being performed in a single generating chamber whereby
improved results are secured.
In the accompanying drawings, I have shown how my said invention may be con-
veniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a vertical central section of a generator with my improvements applied
thereto.
Figure 2 is a horizontal section on the line x, x Figure 1 the fuel being removed
from the apparatus.
Figure 3 is a side elevation, and
Figure 4 is a rear elevation showing details of construction.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
A is the generator, B is the hopper, C is the fixing chamber, D is the incandescent
fuel chamber; E is the grate; F the top ash pit chamber and F the bottom chamber
of the same.
The ash pit chambers F F are separated by a cone shaped bottom G and a valve,
or seal H hinged or pivoted at H to the said bottom G. I, I are screw seal doors
provided on the sides of the chambers F, F' intended for permitting the removal of ashes.
and to give access to the inside of the said chambers. In order to close the doors I.
properly and form tight joints I provide cross-bars J secured to lugs J' by means of
pins or bolts or in any other suitable manner. K, K are screw-threaded spindles
firmly attached to the said doors I and provided with fly nuts K' for tightening the
said doors so as to form air tight joints.
The grate E is arranged centrally at the bottom of the fuel-chamber D, the fixing-
chamber.C being above the said fuel-chamber. Both the chambers C and D are,
situated in the generator B which is cased with iron outside and has a fire-brick
lining.
To cause a suitable superheating and fixing of the gas, the fixing chamber C is:
furnished with several rows of tiles L, arranged apart and across the said chamber so
as to intercept the passage of the gas. The said tiles L being highly heated or in an:
incandescent state, cause by their interception a suitable fixing of the gas. The
hopper B is secured upon the top of the generator A which is provided with a hole A¹;
by means of which the said hopper communicates with the interior of the said,
:

page_text: generator. In the said top is moreover provided another hole M which is furnished
with a lid or cover N having a cross-bar O and clamping-screw O¹.
The hopper B is. divided into two compartments by means of a valve or seal B¹
which is employed to close the communication between them during the time of
feeding the upper compartment.
To the side of the hopper B below the valve or seal. B¹ is connected the gas main P,
by which the gas is taken from the generator to the wash-box, and thence passed
through the scrubbers and purifier into the holder, in the usual way. The said gas-
main P is preferably connected on the side of the hopper B but it may be connected
to the top plate of the generator or to any other suitable part thereof.
Qis a valve having a proper seating Q' provided upon the upper extremity of the
hopper B to close the said top air-tight.
The valves Q and B', and valve H are provided with suitable mechanism so as to
open and close them with a quick motion. The valve Q is provided for this purpose
with a lever R which is pivoted at R¹ to lugs S cast on the valve seat Q. The short
arm of the said lever R is loosely connected to the upper portion of the valve Q and the
long arm of the said lever R is provided with a rod R' which extends down to the base
portion of the generator A. By means of the lever R the valve Q is readily raised or
lowered from and to its seat Q₁ from below. T, T are arms or extensions provided on
the valve Q. U, U are bell-crank levers pivoted at U₁ to the opposite sides of the
The friction
hopper B and furnished with friction rollers U2 on their short arms.
rollers U overlap the arms or extensions T which are provided with inclined planes
so as to allow the said rollers to pass readily upon them and cause a powerful pressure
thus tightening the said valve Q upon its seat Q¹ and holding it locked in position.
The long arms of the said levers U are provided with rods V by means of which they
may be operated from the base of the generator A.
The valve B¹ is loosely hinged at B to its seating in the hopper B so as to open
downward and the valve H is likewise hinged or pivoted at H to the cone shaped
bottom G in such a manner as to open downwards. For opening and closing, the
said valves B and H are provided with devices consisting of cranks W and links or
connecting rods ✗ connected with a central pivot on the said valves and arranged so
that the said cranks W when on their dead centres, will hold the valves in closed
positions on their seats. The crauks W are secured upon horizontal shafts or arbors Y
which pass through the casing, and are furnished with stuffing boxes in the said
casing to keep tight joints around the said shafts or arbors.
The link X of the valve H is pivoted indirectly to the said valve through an inter-
mediate arm X¹ pivoted to the fulcrum of the valve so as to transmit the motion of
the crank W and to provide against lost motion from wear or other cause, the bearing
of the shaft or arbor Y is provided with an adjusting screw Y' which can be operated
from the exterior of the generator. Y' is a hand lever firmly attached to the said
shaft or arbor Y of the valve H for operating the device, one quarter of a revolution
of the said shaft or arbor being required for completely opening or closing the said
valve H.
The arbor of the valve B¹ is provided on its outer end with a second crank Y
and a bell crank lever Z one arm of which is connected to the said crank Y³ by
means of a link Z¹ and to the other arm of which is suspended a rod Z2 by means
of which the valve B¹ may be operated.
The grate E is constructed in equal portions, each having a rock-shaft a to which
it is connected, and which has its bearings in the metal case of the lower part or
base of the generator A. Each of said rock-shafts, a passes through the base of the
generator, and is furnished with a stuffing-box at the outside so as to form a tight joint
and the semi-portions of the grate E are each provided with tongues or extension E'
projecting into the spaces between the tongues or extensions E¹ of the other, so that
each of the semi portions may be turned to dump independently, and either may be
operated for raking the coal independently, or they may be operated together. Each
of the shafts a has firmly secured on the extremity extending outside the generator A

page_text: an arm b having a socket 6¹ into which a shaking-bar c may be inserted. To hold
the grate stationary the said arms 6 are provided with flat projections or extensions 62
which fit into slots provided in a central standard d placed between the said shafts.
The said projections or extensions 62 are secured in the slots in the standard d by
means of bolts or pins 63 inserted through holes provided in the said projections or
extensions and standard. By constructing the grate in two portions each provided
with a fulcrum or rock-shaft the raking of the coal is done with facility. In order to
secure the said shafts a in an efficient manner to the grate E I prefer to provide each
portion of the grate with hubs e having square openings or holes in which are adapted
to fit corresponding square portions on the shafts a.
f is a steam superheating coil arranged in a furnace g which has a grate h, and
an ash-pit of any suitable construction at the bottom. The furnace is moreover,
provided at the top with a chimney i and a fuel opening and door j. f¹ is a steam
pipe which is supplied with superheated steam from the superheating coil f. The pipe f
delivers the steam into a vertical steam pipe k which has branches k¹ k² extending
into the generator A. The vertical steam pipe k is furnished with stop valves 1 1.
m is another stop-valve provided on the branch pipe which connects with the
bottom chamber of the ash-pit. By these means I provide for superheating the
steam before its introduction into the fuel-chamber or generator. Moreover I provide
for the introduction of the superheated steam into the fuel-chamber exclusively through
the grate thereof.
By means of the branch pipe k² and stop-valve m steam may be admitted into the
bottom chamber for the purpose of expelling the air. When the grate E is raked
the ashes drop into the chamber E upon the valve H, which is closed during the
raking of the grate. After the grates are raked the ashes are dropped into the
chamber F by opening the said valve H. The door I of the chamber F1 is always
kept closed during this time; but after the ashes are dropped into the said chamber F¹
and the valve H is closed, the said door I is opened and the ashes are removed from
the retort. After the ashes are removed, the air which has been admitted during the
removal of the said ashes is expelled by opening the valve m and filling the chamber F
with steam before again closing the said chamber by means of the door I. Whenever
steam is thus passed into the said chamber F¹ the door I is opened so as to allow
the air to escape. The branch pipe k' communicates with the upper ash-pit chamber F
and delivers steam under the grate E into the fuel chamber D. n is an air blast
pipe having a stop valve o and connected with the chamber F. The pipe n supplies air
to heat the fuel to incandescense preparatory to generating gas. The air blast may if
desired be introduced through the door or in any other convenient manner.
The oil or naphtha is furnished from a suitable tank by means of an oil-pipe p
which passes through a heating pipe or vaporizer q. The said oil-pipe p after passing
through the said heating pipe or vaporizer q is connected with the glass tube r
which communicates with the upper portion of the fuel chamber D by means of a
pipes and branches s' so that the oil or vapor thereof passes through the pipe p and
vaporizer q and becomes visible in passing through the. glass tube from which it
passes into the fuel-chamber D. is a stop cock or valve provided between the
pipes p and r for regulating the flow of oil or vapor.
It is important that the hydrocarbon oil or vapor should be introduced near the
upper end of the body of heated fuel in the generator so that the oil or vapor
will be converted into a fixed gas but will not be burned and converted into lamp
black.
passes, tight
The vaporizer q consists of a large tube, through which the oil-pipe
joints being provided at the points when the said pipe p enters and leaves the said
vaporizer the space between the tubes is connected by means of a steam pipe q' with
the boiler or other source of steam supply. q is another pipe for permitting the
escape of the said steam.
The branch pipes are provided with stop-valves s² for regulating the flow of the oil
or vapor to carburet the hydrogen for giving it the proper illuminating properties.

page_text: A drip and proof faucet t, is also employed on said oil pipe p to test the flow of
the oil.
In generators of this class a pressure in the generating chamber frequently stops
the flow of the oil or its vapor, it is therefore important that provision for testing the
flow of. the vapour or oil be provided in order to carry on a successful generation of
the gas.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows, that is to say ;-A fire is kindled in
the generator A and the air-blast is turned on and fuel being gradually supplied till a
deep body of the said fuel (preferably filling about two thirds of the capacity of the
generator) is formed in a state of incandescence, the air-blast is then shut off and the
generator is closed at the top and bottom. During the above operation, steam is
superheated in the coil fand after the air is shut off from the generator, the super-
heated steam is passed by the pipes f¹k and k¹ into the chamber F from which it
passes up into the incandescent fuel where it is decomposed and converted into water-
gas, composed of hydrogen and carbonic oxide. Hydrocarbon oil or naphtha is now
vaporized by passage through the vaporizer and the vapor passed into the upper
portion of the coal (two thirds of its height above the bottom) where the heat is
sufficient to convert it into gas, without burning it or forming lamp-black. The water
gas as it passes up through the coal, near the top mixes with the said oil-gas, and the
mixture is converted into a fixed illuminating water-gas by coming in contact with
the heated tiles L, the said gas then passes off by the pipe P to the washer, purifier
and holder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I wish it understood that
I claim :-
First The improved process of manufacturing illuminating water-gas by means of
a single generating chamber, consisting in first superheating steam, then decomposing
the same by passing it in the said chamber through a body of incandescent fuel to
form water-gas, and at the same time generating carbureted hydrogen gas by
admitting hydrocarbon oil or vapor into the upper portion of the said body of fuel,
and then mixing the water-gas with the carbureted hydrogen gas and converting the
mixture into a fixed illuminating gas by contact with heated surfaces in the upper
part of the said chamber, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Second-The combination, with a gas generator, of a steam superheating coil and
furnace, a pipe connecting the said coil with the generator beneath the grate, and
one or more or pipes for the introduction of hydrocarbon oil or vapor into the
upper portion of a body of fuel in the said generator, whereby water-gas and
carbureted hydrogen gas may be generated and then mixed to form illuminating gas.
Third The combination of a fuel-chamber having a suitable grate, a fixing chamber
provided with tiles, supply pipes for hydrocarbon oil or vapor connected with the
upper portion of the said fuel-chamber, and a steam supply pipe connected with the
generator below the grate, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Fourth-The combination, with the fuel-chamber and a closed or sealed ash-
chamber, of an air-blast pipe and a steam supply pipe connected with the said ash-
chamber, and a supply pipe for oil or vapor connected with the said fuel-chamber at
a point about two thirds of the height thereof above its lower end, so that the oil
or vapor may be converted into gas without being burned and converted into lamp-
black substantially as described.
Fifth The combination of the chambers C, D, F and F¹, the valves B¹ and H,
the steam and air-blast pipes K K' and n provided with suitable valves land o and
connected with the chamber F, a gas-main P and a fuel-hopper B being connected with
the top of the generator, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Sixth-The combination of the lower ash-pit or chamber F, the steam pipe 2 the
chamber F having steam and air supply pipes k¹ and n and the valve H, substantially
as, and for the purpose, described.

page_text: Seventh-The improved apparatus constructed substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawing, and operating as, and for the purposes above
specified.
B. VAN STEENBERGH.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.