The Generation of Gas for Lighting, Heating, and Power Purposes from Sewage or other Decaying Organic Matter, and Improve- ments in Tanks for the Purification of Sewage.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Jan., 1898
.
4000 Accented 15th Mar 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
The Generation of Gas for Lighting, Heating, and Power Purposes
from Sewage or other Decaying Organic Matter, and Improve-
ments in Tanks for the Purification of Sewage.
We, DONALD CAMERON, of Sylvan Road, Pennsylvania, Exeter, Civil Engineer,
FREDERICK JAMES COMMIN, of 7, Bedford Circus, Exeter, Fellow of the Institute
of Surveyors, and ARTHUR JOHN MARTIN, of Bradninch House, Exeter, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to the generation of gas from sewage or other decaying
organic matter, and to improvements in tanks for the purification of sewage.
In cases where sewage is enclosed in covered tanks, we have found that gases
will be generated which may be beneficially and economically employed for the
purpose of illumination, heating, or for obtaining motive power in explosive
motors.
In carrying out our invention, we provide a receptacle into which the sewage is
passed, such receptacle having a cover, and pipes or other means for leading off
the gas for use as required. Such receptacle may or may not be used for purify-
ing the sewage. For the purpose of storing the gas so generated, so as to give
a constant supply irrespective of fluctuations in the generation of the gas, a gas-
holder may be provided, and connected with the generating receptacle. In
cases where the level of the sewage in a tank for the treatment of sewage is liable
to rise and fall a gas-holder or gas-holders may be employed for the purpose of
returning gas into such tank to admit of such fall in the level of the sewage.
Where a tank for the treatment of sewage is connected with two such gas-
holders, our invention further provides a valve or valves on the pipes leading to
such gas-holders, said valves being actuated by floats in such a way that when the
level of the sewage is rising, the gas from the tank may be expelled into the
gas-holder which it is desired to fill, and when the level of the sewage falls, gas
may return from the other gas-holder to take its place.
יתו
of Tawuary 1898
COME LINDI MOTION
The Generation of Gas for Lighting, Heating, and Power Purposes
from Sewage or other Decaying Organic Matter, and Improve-
ments in Tanks for the Purification of Sewage.
We, DONALD CAMERON, of Sylvan Road, Pennsylvania, Exeter, Civil Engineer,
FREDERICK JAMES COMMIN, of 7, Bedford Circus, Exeter, Fellow of the Institute

page_text: of Surveyors, and ARTHUR JOHN MARTIN, of Bradninch House, Exeter, Civil
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:—
Our invention relates to the generation of gas from sewage or other decaying
organic matter, and to improvements in tanks for the purification of sewage and
means for controlling the supply of gas from such tanks.
In cases where sewage is enclosed in covered tanks, we have found that gases
will be generated which may be beneficially and economically employed for the
purpose of illumination, or heating, or for obtaining motive power in explosive
motors.
We will now proceed to describe our invention in connection with the accom-
panying drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a simple form of apparatus which
may be employed in carrying out our invention.
floats for use when two gas-holders are employed.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing an arrangement of valves and
Fig. 3 illustrates an arrangement similar to that shown in Fig. 2, for use
with a single gas-holder.
In carrying out our invention with the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, it will be
seen that we provide a réceptacle 26 into which the sewage is passed, such
receptacle having a cover 27 and a pipe or pipes 28 for leading off the gas for
use as required. The receptacle 26 may or may not be used in purifying the
sewage.
For the purpose of storing the gas generated in receptacle 26, so as to give a
constant supply irrespective of fluctuations in the generation of the gas, a gas-
holder 29 is preferably provided, being connected with the generating receptacle
as shown by the pipe 28. Such gas-holder may be of any suitable construction
and is connected by pipes in the usual way with the places at which the gas is to
be utilised.
In cases where the level of the liquid in a tank for the treatment of sewage
is liable to rise and fall, a gas-holder or gas-holders may be employed for the
purpose of returning gas into such tank to admit of such fall in the level of the
sewage, Fig. 2 illustrating an arrangement of valves which may be used when
two gas holders are employed.
In this fig. it will be seen that two chambers 30 and 31 are provided, the
chamber 30 being in free communication with the tank 26 by means of open-
ing 32, while chamber 31 communicates with chamber 30 by a very small
aperture 33, the ends of which are preferably covered by screens 34 to prevent it
becoming choked. In the chambers are floats 35 and 36, each of which
is connected to a valve 37 or 38 controlling the passage from the
receptacle 26 to one of the two gas-holders, so that on one of the floats
rising the valve with which it is connected will be closed, and when the float
falls such valve will be opened. The floats 35 and 36 are prefably connected
by a rocking lever 39 so that when one rises the other falls, and vice versa.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
In one of the gas-holders-say that controlled by valve 38-low pressure or a
partial vacuum is maintained, so that gas may readily pass into it from the
receptacle 26, while in the other gas-holder controlled by valve 37 greater
pressure is maintained, so that gas may be forced back from the holder into the
tank when the level of the liquid in the latter falls. The level of the liquid
in the two chambers 30 and 31 approximates or tends to equal that of the liquid in the
tank. In chamber 30, which is freely connected with the latter through opening 3ª
the level will be always the same as in the tank, but in chamber 31, whi
connected with chamber 30 through the small aperture 33 above referred. to
changes in level will not take place so quickly as they will in the tank, sc
when the level of the liquid in the tank is rising as represented in Fig. 2
701

page_text: level in chamber 30 will as shown be above that in chamber 31. The relative
levels of the floats 35 and 36 correspond with those of the liquid in the cham-
bers 30 and 31, so that when the level of the liquid in the receptacle 26 is rising the
valve 38 controlling the passage leading to the receiving gas-holder will be
opened, so that gas can pass from the tank into same. When on the other
hand the level of liquid in the tank is falling, the level in chamber 30 will be
below that in chamber 31, so that valve 37 will be opened, thus permitting gas
to pass from the other or delivering gas-holder into the tank.
An arrangement of a similar nature and for a similar purpose to that above
described is shown in Fig. 3, in which however one gas-holder only is employed.
In this case the chambers 30 and 31 with apertures 32 and 33, floats 35 and 36,
and rocking lever 39 will be arranged as above described, but the
floats, instead of actuating two valves on pipes connecting the recep-
tacle 26 with the two gas-holders, will actuate valves 40 and 41,
the former connecting a water vessel 42 on the top of the gas holder 29
with a tank 43 or other source of supply at a higher level, and the latter con-
necting such vessel 42 with a discharge pipe 44. The tank 43 may be supplied
with water from any suitable source, such supply being controlled by a ball-cock
or other suitable means for cutting same off on the water reaching a certain level
in such tank. The upper part of the receptacle 26 would be ordinarily in free
communication through pipe 28 with the gas-holder 29, but a valve may be pro-
vided so as to close the communication in case of need.
The action of the floats 35 and 36 in this arrangement will be the same as
already described in connection with Fig. 2; but in this case when the level
of the sewage in receptacle 26 is falling the result of the movement of the floats
will be that the valve 40 will be opened, thus allowing water or other liquid
to pass from tank 43 through pipe 45, valve 40, pipe 46, and flexible connecting
pipe 47 into the vessel 42 on the top of the gas-holder, thereby causing the latter
to descend and so forcing the gas contained in same back into the receptacle 26
through pipe 28. On the other hand when the level of the liquid in the tank is.
rising, as represented in Fig. 3, valve 40 will be closed and valve 41 opened,
so that the liquid in the vessel 42 can escape through flexible connecting pipe 47,
pipe 46, valve 41 and discharge pipe 44, thereby lightening the gas-holder which
will then ascend to receive the gas from receptacle 26.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. The utilization of gas generated in covered tanks from sewage or other
decaying organic matter, substantially as specified.
2. The combination of a covered tank for receiving sewage or other decaying
organic matter with a gas-holder or gas-holders for receiving and storing the
gas generated from the sewage, substantially as specified.
3. The combination of a covered tank for receiving sewage or other decaying
organic matter and one or more gas-holders for receiving and storing the gas
generated, with means for returning gas into the tank to admit of the fall of
the level of the liquid in the latter, substantially as specified.
4. The combination with a receptacle containing sewage or other decaying
organic matter from which gas is generated, of two chambers, one in free communica-
tion with the receptacle and the second communicating with the first through
a small aperture, and floats placed in such chambers and connected to valves
so that the valves to which they are connected will be operated by the differences
in level consequent on the rise and fall of the liquid in the receptacle, substan-
tially as and for the purpose specified.
5. The combination of a receptacle for receiving sewage or other decaying
organic matter, and two gas-holders in communication therewith through pipes
atrolled by valves operated by the rise and fall of the level of the liquid in the

page_text: <
receptacle, so that when one valve is opened gas will pass from the receptacle to
one gas-holder, while when the other valve is opened gas will pass from the
second gas-holder to the receptacle so as to admit of the fall of the liquid in the
latter substantially as specified.
6. The combination of a receptacle for receiving sewage or other decaying
organic matter and a gas-holder connected therewith, and valves operated by the
rise and fall of the level of the liquid in the receptacle whereby water or other
liquid is allowed to flow into or out of a vessel mounted on the gas-holder, so as
to vary the pressure of the latter on the contained gas, substantially as specified.
Dated this 4th day of October 1898.
ALLISON BROS.;
Agents for the Applicants.