Improvements in Means for Generating, noluing, an Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1897

page_text: Dite of Application (in United Kingdom), 26th Feb., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 26th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 22nd May, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Generating, noluing, an
Acetylene Gas.
I, DON CARLOS BOSQUE Y FRANCO, of Rue Merced No. 13, San Gervasio
near Barcelona in the Kingdom of Spain, 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 :-
The production of acetylene gas is extremely simple since it is sufficient to
obtain it to place carbide of calcium in contact with water for the oxygen of
latter to combine with the calcium while the hydrogen of the liquid unites with the
carbon of the decomposed carbide and constitutes the gas. It is easy to conceive
an arrangement for utilising the expansive force of the gas formed and the pressure
which this expansive force causes when the fluid is enclosed in a reservoir, a
pressure regulated by the relation which is established between the volume of gas
produced and that which is consumed and without necessity of possessing special
knowledge any one can conceive an automatic gasometer which should be infallible
and simple, large or small, in various elegant shapes, and could conceive a burner
It is certain however
giving a brilliant fixed light with the smallest variations.
that to arrive at a practical end means must be devised to meet changes of intensity
in the light whose variations are infinitely greater than those calculated and
unforeseen phenomena causing changes in the luminous power. The gasogene lamp
which is the subject of this invention solves the problem of producing a light from
acetylene of large or small volume the gas generative apparatus being small and
portable and not only giving a light without oscillation or sensible changes in
intensity, but adapted also to purify the gas while it is employed in its production
and also assist the carbide of calcium in the important application of the hygro-
metric property of the salt. In the present gasogene the gasometer is suppressed
and, the disposition of the gasholder in two separate bodies at a convenient distance
diminishes the changes of pressure to which the gas is submitted to direct ratio to
the height of the column of water which presses on the said gas, a column
determined by the difference of level between the water in the lower and upper
reservoir, while the water cannot freely place itself in contact with the carbide
without passing across some capillary or porous body, and so that the gas does not
buru as it is produced excepting it is dry and enriched, dry because the water
vapour which is mixed with the acetylene coming from the carbide is in our
system of much less quantity than any other up to the present known. Vapour

page_text: is produced because the heat which the reaction of the carbide developes when
hydrating is such that a part of the water is evaporated if this liquid is in excess,
an occurrence that in our gasogene does not take place because as we have said
there does not come in contact with the carbide more moisture than passes or can
be filtered through any porous substance, and because the small quantity of watery
vapor which is mixed with the acetylene comes from the deposit of carbide from
which the gas is produced and is decomposed in passing by the upper part of the
carbide the part placed above the maximum level of the water whose only object
is to absorb the moisture which the gas raises, such moisture by reason of the
avidity that carbide of calcium holds for oxygen being decomposed forming a
further small portion of acetylene. The gasogene fulfils all the indispensable
conditions called for in the a generator of acetylene, is useful and practical with a
simplicity of mechanism and convenience in manipulation.
The gasogene is formed of two reservoirs A and B of the shape and dimensions
appropriate to the use to which the apparatus is to be put, this apparatus is united
by the tube D which passes from the lowest part of the upper reservoir to the
lowest part of the lower reservoir. The tube P which is plugged up only serves
as a brace to resist the pressure which serves to hold the rod Q. The plate U
hermetically seals the reservoir B by the pressure the rod Q exercises on it. The
chamber C is the generator and condenser of the gas as will be further explained;
within it is placed the carbide of calcium which comes in contact with the water
fed by the wicks and which serves at the higher level to dry, condense, & enrich
the acetylene. The wicks R and R' are of various number & the orifices by which
they enter in the carbide chamber are at different levels so that as the pressure
augments or diminishes the pressure of gas in the reservoir B and consequently
the level of the water in said reservoir varies and filtration of the moisture takes
place into chamber C by one, two, three, or more wicks or by none. Thanks to
this simple disposition in an exact and automatic manner a volume of acetylene
proportioned to its consumption is always produced. The gas leaving the chamber C
by the upper part of same is conducted to the burners by the tubes M M'. The
operation of the apparatus and the mode of charging same is as follows:-The
carbide is placed in the chamber C which is removable for loading and unloading
the reservoir. B is filled with water up to a certain indicated mark, the taps of the
burners are shut and into the reservoir B is introduced the carbide chamber C
the plate U is placed over the mouth of the chamber to close it and the pallettes V V¹
of the rod Q, are turned in the opposite directions. The water of the reservoir B
whose level on charging the gasogene is higher than that of the holes through
which the wicks enter the chamber C filters over by the said wicks and damps the
carbide of calcium forming by such act gas which not having any exit determines
by the measure of its increasing formation an increase of pressure within the
reservoir B, a pressure which drives up by the tube D to the reservoir A a volume
of water equivalent to the gas formed consequently lowering the level to the water
in the reservoir B a lowering which is not arrested until by the effect of said
lowering the holes which receive the wicks are dry and the meshes of wick lie
above water on the exterior part of the chamber C. These only raise the water
by capillary effect in snall quantity whilst they continue in contact with the
water.
If the cocks of the burners are not open and the moisture which has passed into
contact with the carbide is sufficient to produce a volume of gas greater than the
capacity of the reservoir B, this enclosed gas will press on the water in the said
reservoir and force it up by the tube D until all of it passes into the reservoir A,
B remaining dry, in which case the gas which afterwards forms will come out in
bubbles by the tube D and lose itself after passing through the water of the
reservoir A, a simple and practical disposition which relieves the excess of
and accidents which it might occasion, thus the tube D serves as a discharge tube
and safety valve. If we open the cocks of the burners and the quantity of gas
pressure

page_text: which they burn is greater than that generated at the moment, the water in the
reservoir B will rise compressing the gas which fills the remainder of the reservoir
until the level of the liquid reaches the orifices of the wick entrances, thus the
moisture which the wicks supply to the carbide is increased until it is sufficient to
produce the acetylene as the burners consume it, the water will then not rise
further, but if not sufficient it will follow by the wicks which successively touch it
until in this manner equilibrium is established between production and consumption.
The chamber C is of sufficient depth to guarantee that neither the water nor the
moisture of the wicks can ever arrive at its upper part where we place the carbide
which serves to dry the gas and enrich it with absolutely dry acetylene which we
will describe.
In explaining the physical and mechanical features of the apparatus it is only
necessary to detail the improvements which after repeated trials we have made,
thanks to the arrangement of our gasogene, one of which made to serve as a
chandelier is represented on the accompanying drawing.
Two principles ought to be pursued in seeking a good gasogene for producing
acetylene, the greatest uniformity possible in the various pressures to which the
gas is submitted and its employment for consumption in the driest and purest state.
The first condition has an immense importance in a portable lamp as well as in
large gasogenes, but it is much easier to overcome the pressure difficulties in the
large gasogene than in the small lamp, in the necessarily reduced volume of the
latter, secondly by the consumption of the condensed gas while dry and cold is of
greater importance in the fixed gasogene than in the portable lamp or gasogene
which owing to its smallness burns the acetylene nearest its point of origin and
hardly gives it time to cool.
We obtain uniformity of pressure equally in the gasogene as in the portable
lamp by giving to the reservoirs A & B the largest diameters possible and separating
then, keeping this arrangement for the sole object of gaining the necessary variations
of pressures, with relation to the normal. But we do not obtain notwithstanding
these precautions a light of invariable intensity as long as the gas is produced in
a disorderly and intermittent manner as occurs in other gasogenes which experience
the expansive force of the acetylene which determines the pressure to which the
gas is subjected, it is unlikely in such a case that the pressure should be uniform
and regular if the cause which determines it is disordered and tumultous, and we
gain a fixed light because of the mechanical effects obtained through the especial
arrangements of our gasogenes for diminishing the variations of pressure to which
the gas is subjected as we unite with the regularity of formation of the gas the
prevention of the carbide receiving excess of water as above explained this liquid
is solely put in contact with said salt by the moisture passing by the wicks placed
at different heights.
It is not only for the regulation of the formation of the acetylene that we adapt
the entrance of water to the carbide chamber by utilizing the porosity of any
convenient substance which will allow of the infiltration of liquid, but other
advantages, of great importance for regulating the production of gas are the
described manner of hydration of the carbide from which is produced acetylene
with the least quantity of water vapour as it is all decomposed by the carbide
of calcium without producing evaporation as is observed by the analysis of the
gas which does not give great quantities of watery vapour mixed with the acetylene
which proceeds from the gasogenes, because the free water is put in contact with
O the carbide of calcium. The gas after its formation rises within the chamber C
and seeks the outlet which is in the upper part by passing through the carbide
which occupies the highest part of the chamber at C' and places itself in contact
with this salt which on account of its avidity for moisture absorbs the watery
vapour which rises in suspension with the acetylene and forms at the expense of
5 the moisture in the gas previously formed a sinall quantity of enriched and dry
acetylene and condenses the watery vapour produced in the generator.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is ;-
In means for generating, holding and burning acetylene gas;-
1. The separation of the water in two reservoirs united by a tube constantly
open whilst the gasogene works.
2. The entrance of the moisture to the carbide for producing reaction by
utilizing the porosity of any substance that will allow the liquid to infiltrate.
3. The mode of drying, condensing and enriching the gas by getting rid of the
watery vapour produced at the same time as the acetylene by passing the gas in
contact with the completely dry carbide of calcium.
4. A fixed or portable gasogene for producing acetylene gas in which the water
arrives in contact with the carbide of calcium to produce reaction by passing
across a porous substance which allows the liquid to filter; such as wicks of any
texture, porcelain, earthenware, or porous metal exits, or all other substances or
preparations which have the property of porosity and in which the gas after its
formation is dried, condensed, enriched and rectified by being brought in contact
with completely dry carbide of calcium.
Dated this 26th day of February 1897.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to the Applicant.