Improvements in the Manufacture of Combustible Gas for Heating, Lighting, and Generation of Motive Power.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 10th Aug., 1891-Accepted, 17th Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Combustible Gas for Heating,
Lighting, and Generation of Motive Power.
We, HIPPOLYTE GUYON and LEON METAIS, of 10 Rue Lepeu, Paris in the
Republic of France, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to an improved process of manufacture of combustible gas
for heating, lighting, and the production of motive power which is based upon the
extinction of incandescent coke or other carbonated material in a closed vessel of
such material issuing from apparatus in which it has gone through a preparatory
stage of distillation or beating sufficient to raise its temperature so as to enable it
to decompose water or steam or a mixture of both for the purpose of obtaining by
such decomposition a mixture of combustible gas, which after being sufficiently
purified, may be added to the gases produced by the distillation of the carbonated
material from which the incandescent coke, or equivalent has been obtained, so as
When
to generate combustible gas adapted for the production of motive power.
ordinary coal for example is distilled with a view to producing ordinary gas the
coke resulting from such distillation is discharged as it issues from the retorts
into the retorts of an extinguishing apparatus constructed in accordance with our
invention; in which the incandescent coke is extinguished by an operation
divided into two successive stages and each may be carried out either in one or
in two apparatus, the first stage being that during which the coke retains a
sufficiently high temperature to decompose steam, and the next that during which
the temperature of the coke remains sufficient to produce steam.
The steam produced in this latter stage may be utilized either in the first stage
of the next operation or as a source of motive power.
The outer structure may consist either entirely of masonry or of masonry and
metal combined. If the metal casing is used it should preferably be lined with
fire-proof or non-conducting material. In the centre of such a case or structure
is arranged a vertical boiler provided with any suitable number of tubes and the
central flue or chimney adapted to receive the gases arising from the extinguished
carbonated materials.
Each
Around this boiler are arranged any required number of vertical retorts.
retort communicates with the boiler both at the top and bottom. Lower tubes
connect the retorts with the tubes contained in the boiler surrounded by water.
Uppor tubes connect the interior of the boiler with the retorts. Opposite to the
upper tubes are arranged short jet tubes adapted to inject water for the complete
extinction of the coke.
The tubes are each provided with valves or cocks.
The retorts are preferably made of fire-proof material but may be made of metal
if required. They are closed at their upper portion by plugs made air-tight by
means of sand or other suitable material. At their lower ends they are closed by
means of a swinging valve forming a joint with the walls of the retorts. The upper
plug may be similar to the valve. This extinguisher and producer of combustible
gas which may be used in combination with any number of other similar
extinguishers operates in the following mauner :-
The coke produced by an ordinary retort is placed, in its incandescent state, in
the extinguishing retorts and the plugs being then closed steam is admitted from
the boiler through the tubes or if preferred from any other source and through
other suitable tube or tubes.
In flowing downwardly through the incandescent coke the steam is decomposed

page_text: into hydrogen and oxygen, and the consequent reaction of the carbon produces
hydrogen mixed with a certain amount of carbon and of oxide of carbon according
to the extent to which the incandescent coke is cooled down. The hot gases escape
through the lower tubes and rise within the boiler tubes to which they impart their
heat thereby producing steam in the boiler which may be employed in the succeeding
operation. After completing this circuit the gases escape to the chimney and pass
on to the purifiers and thence to a special gasometer or if desired to the gasometer
which contains the products of the distillation of the coal which has been used in
the production of coke.
When the temperature of the coke is considered to be no longer sufficient to
decompose steam the lower valves are closed and water is injected through the
tubes. The steam generated through the cooling of the coke escapes through the
tubes into the boiler or it may be discharged through another suitable tube and then
employed similarly to the steam from the boiler either as a source of motive power
or for producing combustible gas for extinguishing a fresh batch of coke.
The second stage may however be dispensed with if the duration of the first stage
be extended and especially where a blast arrangement can be added to the
extinguisher for the purpose of further raising the temperature of the coke so as to
enable it to prolong the first stage.
Dated this 14th day of November 1890.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Combustible Gas for Heating,
Lighting, and Generation of Motive Power.
We, HIPPOLYTE GUYON and LÉON METAIS, of 10 Rue Lepeu, Paris 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:-
This invention relates to an improved process of manufacture of combustible gas
for heating lighting and the production of motive power by means of incandescent
coke such as is collected in ordinary retorts used in the distillation of coal or other
carbonaceous or coal-containing substances for the purpose of producing illuminating
gas.
Hitherto incandescent coke resulting from the distillation of carbonaceous
materials has been extinguished in the open air. Now this invention consists in
effecting the extinction of red-hot coke in a closed vessel by means of (1) steam,
during the first stage, and (2) water, during the second stage of the process.
Part of the steam first employed for partly extinguishing incandescent coke,
decomposes, and together with a portion of the carbon contained in the incandescent
coke forms oxide of carbon and carbonic acid so that during the first stage of the
extinguishing operation a gaseous mixture of hydrogen, oxide of carbon, carbonic
acid, steam and other gases or vapours is obtained. These various gaseous products,
while very hot, serve for heating the water contained in a boiler, so as to transform
such water into steam, which in its turn may be used in the next following
operation of the same kind.
The extinction of the red-hot coke is meantime continued in the second stage of
the process.
Water is injected into the retort or closed chamber containing the
coke. This water will partly become steam and pass away in this condition into
the boiler just mentioned where it either assists the production of the amount of
steam necessary for the next succeeding extinguishing operation or is directly taken
advantage of as motive power.
The coke thus extinguished by two successive operations, when quite cold is
discharged from the lower part of the retort and may be disposed of at the same

page_text: price as ordinary gas coke extinguished in the open air by the old methods as it has
lost none of its combustible properties in the process.
Instead however of removing the coke after extinction with a view to its disposal
as fuel it may be left in the retort and its temperature raised by injecting into the
5 retort a blast of air which will blow it red again. Then it is once more extinguished
by steam as in the first stage of the process described. Such alternate injection of
air and steam may be kept up until the coke is entirely exhausted when of course
it is no longer fit for sale as fuel. This latter mode of utilizing ordinary gas retort
coke will be found convenient especially where the coke is of inferior quality.
In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated a coke extinguishing and
combustible gas producing apparatus devised on the assumption that the coke
when extinguished is saleable the apparatus being unprovided with any blast or
air injecting contrivance for fanning it to red heat again.
In the drawings
Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of a coke extinguishing and gas generating
apparatus comprising four retorts; and Fig. 2 is a plan thereof.
The left portion is here shown cut away half way up while on the right the
rear portion in section, so as to show one of the steam chests and the top or
head of one of the back retorts while the corresponding front retort is represented
in plan.
In both figures like letters refer to the same parts.
The apparatus as shown consists of a vertical boiler a comprising a number of
tubes and a central chimney c through which pass the gases generated by the
extinction of the red-hot coke contained in the vertical retorts d which are arranged
around the boiler a within the same enclosure of brickwork only or brickwork and
iron combined.
Each retort is connected with the boiler a at its lower part by the perforated
base d' and at its upper part by a perforated crown or ring d².
The base connects each retort with the boiler tubes b surrounded by water
and it opens into a channel or conduit e which a damper enables to be opened or
closed at will.
The ring at the top connects the interior of the boiler with the retort d
through the medium of the chest k. A feed pipe g leading to the chest / arranged
at the upper part of the crown or ring d2 above the perforated portion enables
water to be injected into the retort d.
Each retort d constructed of fireproof materials is in the example shown,
provided with a base d', a crown d² and water and steam distributing chests h and k
all made of metal. The fireproof portion is surrounded by a jacket i of any
material being a non-conductor of heat consolidated by a metal casing it.
Each retort is closed at the upper part by a lid or cover adapted to be operated
by the handle. The lower part of the retort is closed by a plug m the weight of
which is exactly balanced by the counter-weight m'. This plug always bears on
the bottom surface of the retort d. It would however open directly the coke is
filled in were it not firmly retained on its seat by means of the catch m² attached
to the shaft of the worm segment p. To release this catch m² when the extinction
of the coke is completed it is only necessary to turn the hand wheel o which will
revolve with it the shaft o¹, the endless screw o² and consequently the worm
segment p. As soon as released by the catch m² the plug m descends under the
pressure or weight of the whole charge of coke contained in the retort.
Into each of the lower conduits e there extends downwardly a damper operated
from outside by means of a chain f¹ travelling over a sector shifted by a
handle.
The steam from the boiler a flows through pipes situated at diametrically
opposite points of the boiler into the chests k. The lid of each chest has a steam
nlet orifice formed in it. This closes and opens towards the conduit 7 by the
gency of a circular plate or discs. The opposite discs s of two adjacent chests k

page_text: are ment agamist their respective seats by the spiral spring and operated by means
of levers each opening or closing,— -as the case may be, the respective orifices
of the steam chests k.
The injection water supplied by the pipe u to the conduit eis fed into each of
the feed chests of the retorts by means of cocks and through separate
conduits g.
The operation of this combined coke extinguisher and combustible gas generator
is as follows—
The four retorts 1, 2, 3, 4 work in regular succession so that while the 1st is
charged with coke the initial extinguishing stage is being performed in the 2nd,
the final stage in the 3rd and the coke discharged from the 4th.
During the charging operation the damper is closed towards the retort whereon
the water and steam injecting cocks and the orifice of the steam chest k are
closed.
During the first stage the damper is kept open as is also the steam inlet 1.
The steam passes through the perforated crown & comes into contact with the
red-hot coke contained in the retort d and the resulting gas escapes through the
perforated base d' into the conduit e, past the damper, circulates in the boiler
tubes where it heats the surrounding water, enters the central chimney e and is
by it, conducted to an ordinary or special gasometer.
During the second stage as the circulation of steam is cut off by the damper f
water is supplied through the pipe g to the chest h escapes through the perforations
and descends in the condition of spray upon the coke, while being still hot
converts it into steam and in this condition it escapes through the upper crown
and hence passes through the steam chest & out at k and into the boiler when it
enters the preceding retort in which the extinction is still going through its first
stage.
When the coke is extinguished the inlets are closed, the lid and the plug m
opened and the cold coke discharged on a truck ready for its reception under each
retort.
The devices for operating the dampers, cocks, lids and plugs should all if
possible be arranged at the same point B within easy reach of the attending
workman.
The gas generated in the 1st stage will be found to contain a certain amount of
carbonic acid calculated to diminish the burning power of the other gases forming
the mixture. Should therefore gas with a greater heating power be required, the
said mixture may either be purified by well-known methods as it issues from the
chimney c; or conducted back into the immediately preceding retort just charged
with red-hot coke. The carbonic acid will then be transformed into oxide of
carbon which will pass away into the chimney c after heating the water in the
boiler a by circulating through the tubes b.
Where air is to be injected to fan the extinguished coke back to red heat and
thus eventually to exhaust all the combustible elements of the coke while
producing a larger quantity of combustible gas, the second extinguishing stage (in
a closed vessel) is replaced by an air blast directed into the chest h.
For the dampers distributing chests, such as k, may be substituted if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1. A process of manufacture of combustible gas based upon the extinction
within a closed vessel of incandescent carbonated products of the distillation of
carbonated materials of any description first by means of steam and subsequently
by means of water the purpose being on the one hand to decompose the steam
into combustible gas capable of being utilized for heating, lighting or the
generation of motive power and on the other hand to convert water employed for

page_text: the extinction of the incandescent material into steam which is to be decomposed
by being brought into contact with such incandescent material and thus made
capable of serving as motive power substantially as described.
2. The apparatus for producing combustible gas by the extinction within a
closed vessel of incandescent carbonated products of the distillation of any
suitable carbonated materials such apparatus comprising one or more extinguishers
cach consisting of a central vertical boiler connected by suitable tubing with
vertical retorts arranged around the said boiler substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In apparatus such as described the employment in combination with vertical
retorts such as d and boiler a of perforated crowns or rings such as d² connected
with steam distributing chests and provided with water or air distributing
chests and of perforated bases such as d provided for the escape of the gas and
steam produced as they flow to the boiler all substantially as and for the purpose
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of August 1891.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicants.