Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for the Manufacture of Water Gas.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date o Application, 9th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 8th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 21st Dec., 1889
PROVISIONAL
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for the Manufacture of
Water Gas.
1
I, FRANK HERBERT BRIGGS, of Torquay in the County of Devon, Dentist, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its principal object a cheap, simple and effective apparatus
for making water-gas. It is designed to be practically continuous in action and to
be very much more compact than any existing apparatus for the purpose with which
I am acquainted. The generator consists in a series of retorts arranged preferably
vertically in the furnace or flue with their upper and lower ends exposed. These
retorts are arranged in series so that any one can at pleasure be thrown out of
the series and replenished. The superheater consists of a coil of pipe arranged
around the retorts in the same flue. The upper end of this coil is fed from the
bottom of a cistern placed above the apparatus, and the other end of the coil is
connected with the top of the same cistern so as to equalise the pressure. A cock
regulates the supply. As these pipes being composed of iron would rapidly
oxidize on the outside when exposed to the furnace heat, I cover them at start
with a closely adherent layer of magnetic oxide. This is done in the following
manner. The apparatus is first heated up to a very bright red or yellow
heat. The flue is then isolated so that no air can go in or out of it. It is then
filled with superheated steam and hydrocarbonaceous vapour or other aeriform
deoxidizing gas. The effect of the steam and the deoxidizing gas combined is to
cause a closely adherent layer of magnetic oxide to form on the surface of the iron.
This I expect will last for a long period, but if it be required to be renewed the same
process will renew it.
The mode of action is as follows:-The apparatus being heated to a bright red
heat by means of fire placed among the tubes and retorts if necessary or below them
or to one side, the water is let on in a regulated quantity. It is heated to a bright
red heat or disassociated in the tubes and enters the retorts full of carbon also
heated to a bright red heat. The steam passes down one retort up the next, down
the next and so on. In its passage the oxygen combines with the carbon to form
carbonic acid or carbonic oxide as the case may be. When the first retort is
expected to be nearly exhausted it is thrown out of the series, another added to the
series and this retort is then filled to take its place when the next of the series
becomes exhausted. The charge is then withdrawn from the bottom and the retort
filled with fresh carbon and closed. One advantage of this invention is that the
passage from the superheater to the retorts being in the furnace there is no chance
of the steam or its disassociated gases cooling or reassociating while passing through
the retorts.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for the Manufacture of
Water Gas.
I, FRANK HERBERT BRIGGS, of Torquay, in the County of Devon, Dentist, 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 has for its objects a cheap,' simple and effective apparatus and

page_text: process for making water-gas. It is designed with the object of being practically
continuous in action and of being more compact than existing apparatus.
Referring to the drawings:-
Figure 1 is a vertical section; and Figure 2 a front elevation of my experimental
plant.
Figure 3 a vertical section of a plant conducted on a large scale.
The generator consists of a series of at least two retorts or chambers arranged
preferably vertically in a furnace or flue, or forming itself a vertical furnace. In a
case where iron or clay retorts, however, are used the upper and lower ends are
exposed. The retorts or furnaces are arranged in series so that any one can be
thrown out from gas producing and be re-charged or re-heated up at pleasure, while
others of the series are giving forth gas.
The superheater consists of a coil of pipe arranged around the retorts in the same
flue in small apparatus, arranged between the chambers alternately so as to form a
flue in the case of large apparatus. The upper end of this coil is fed from the bottom
of a cistern placed above the apparatus where convenient, or heated by the effluent
gases in any case. The other end of the coil is connected with the cistern or is so
arranged as to equalise the pressure. In very large plant, steam only is let into the
coil from the boiler. In this case no equalising would be necessary. A cock regulates
the supply of steam. As these pipes being composed of iron would rapidly oxidize
on the outside when exposed to the furnace heat, I cover them at start with fire-
clay, magnesia, chalk or lime or other solid material not destroyed by the heat used,
or acting deleteriously on the pipes.
The mode of action in my experimental apparatus is as follows:-
:-
The apparatus being heated to a bright red heat by means of fire placed among the
tubes and retorts if necessary or below them, or to one side, water or steam is let into
the tube in a regulated quantity. In practice, I find however that the water is
preferable entirely in the form of steam so that it need only be superheated in this
apparatus, the waste gases from the superheater boiling the water for this purpose.
The steam is heated to a bright red heat or disassociated in the tubes and enters a
retort full of carbon also heated to a bright red heat. The steam passes through one
retort and then through the next and through the others successively arranged in the
same series if there be more than two. In its passage the oxygen combines with the
carbon to form carbonic acid or carbonic oxide as the case may be. When the first
retort is expected to be nearly exhausted it is thrown out of the. series, and another
added to the other end of the series. The charge is then withdrawn from the
exhausted retort at the bottom, and the retort filled with fresh carbon from the top
and closed. In large apparatus however where large chambers or furnaces are used
instead of retorts the chambers are fired up in the usual manner and each in the series
is successively used for producing gas, the remaining one or ones being employed in
getting up their heat and heating the steam.
.
In order that my invention may be more fully understood, I will now describe the
three figures set forth in my drawings.
Referring first to Figures 1 and 2-
A A indicates the walls of the apparatus, containing the fire bars B, having a
door 6 opposite them. B¹ is the ashpit with its door or opening 62. An ordinary
bridge or baffle A' is located in the furnace. The retorts (C (in this case) pass front
to back of the furnace, projecting slightly at each end, as shown. They are preferably
made of iron and of tubular form, and their front ends are provided with lids C
which are supported on pivotted bridle pieces carrying screws to tighten the said lids
down when in place. Any other ordinary fastening device may be used instead, if
desired.
The back ends of the retorts are covered by means of suitable caps, and where
four retorts are used as shown they are coupled up in pairs by means of pipes c
passing through the said cap.
Above the furnace is the boiler D from which steam is supplied to the retorts, and
which is provided with a water gauge d and safety valve d³.

page_text: The steam from the boiler D) passes through the superheating coil E to the two-
way cock F by means of which it may be directed to either one of the pairs of
retorts CC, as desired.
The last of each pair of retorts C is provided with a pipe C for the exit of the
water-gas. The superheating coil E and the retorts C, if made of iron, as preferred,
require to be protected from oxidation, and this I do by means of chalking their
surfaces, or I may employ a layer of fireclay or other fireproof substance, such as a
protecting coat of black oxide, but I prefer chalk.
Referring now to Figure 3-
CC are two large chambers used for a similar purpose to that of the retort C
already described, but instead of being heated from outside as in small apparatus they
are heated by combustion in the retorts themselves. El is a superheating coil used.
for the same purpose and in the same way that the superheating coil in the first two
Figures is employed, and cocks F¹ F' regulate the admission of the steam into one or
other of the furnaces in the same manner that cock F regulates the admission into
the retort C. The coil E¹ is supplied with steam from any suitable boiler. G is a
tube which can be used or not as desired for heating air. Previous to its passage into
the retort C, the air is regulated by valve H. I is the pipe corresponding to pipe C2
in the previous described apparatus for drawing off the water-gas into hydraulic
main J.
Referring now to my experimental apparatus, Figures 1 and 2, I will describe the.
manner of actuating it :-
Two of the retorts CC being filled with carbon or a substance composed chiefly
of carbon, such as coke, and the boiler being supplied with water, a fire is lighted in
the furnace which heats the retorts and their contents, and also the superheating coil
and the boiler. Steam being generated in the latter passes along the coil E, and is
there superheated, and is directed by the cock F into the upper one of the two filled
retorts, passing along to its rear end and back along the lower retort. The super-
heated steam being kept in contact with the heated coke parts with its oxygen, which
combines with the carbon of the coke to form carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide,
and this gas passes off with the hydrogen, which is liberated, and thus forms
water-gas.
While this process is being carried out, coke is placed in the two remaining retorts,
and when that in the first is exhausted, the cock F is turned so as to guide the steam
into them, when a similar action takes place, the two first used retorts being cleared
of refuse and refilled with coke ready for another operation.
The mode of actuating the apparatus on a large scale is precisely similar. The
two chambers Care filled with fuel from above through hoppers K, and air
admitted at first through manholes L. The heat from this furnace passes through
cocks F and tubes M to the chamber or flue O, so as to heat the coils E¹ and G,
when these coils and one furnace are sufficiently heated, the cock F¹ of the latter
furnace, which had hitherto, with the other cock F', remained in the position shown
in the drawing for the left hand cock, is turned into the position shown on the
right hand side in the drawing. The steam from E' then at once enters the furnace C¹.
The hot air from G is turned off by the cock H as shown, so as to allow the hot
air to enter ouly the left hand furnace. The steam passing through the right
hand furnace gradually cools the latter by forming water-gas which passes through
the pipe I to the main J.
By the time that this furnace has become sufficiently cooled to supply no more
water-gas, the other furnace, or one of the other furnaces if there be more than one,
has been hot enough and the hot air is shut off from this second furnace and the
steam run into it while the steam is shut off from the first furnace and the hot air
run into it.
It will be seen from the above description that the process with either apparatus
is practically continuous. While I have described only two ways of carrying my
invention into effect, it is obvious that retorts can be placed in long rows and heated
by a single or separate fires, and thus retorts may be worked in series, that is,

page_text: every third retort, for instance, may be disconnected when emptying or filling, the
remainder being in. use. When the coke in the first one of every pair is exhausted,
the steam is turned off from it to the one just filled. Then when the coke in the
second one is spent, it is in its turn disconnected, and the first, which has in the
meantime been refilled, is utilised, and so on in regular succession.
Furthermore, where furnaces are used instead of retorts, they can be arranged
not merely in pairs as set forth in the drawing, but in any desired number round a
superheater.
One advantage of this invention is that the passage from the superheater to the
retorts being entirely in the furnace or as much in the furnace as possible, there
is little or no chance of the steam or its disassociated gases cooling or re-associating
while passing through the retorts..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. In an apparatus for manufacturing water-gas, a number of retorts or chambers
adapted to contain the carbonaceous material under treatment, the said retorts or
chambers being coupled in series in such manner that the entrance of steam to
any one or more may be cut off to allow of replenishing or re-heating, while the
other or others are still producing water-gas, whereby the manufacture may be
continuous, substantially as described.
2. In an apparatus for manufacturing water-gas the arrangement of a series of
two or more retorts or chambers fed from a steam coil (or superheater) common
to all, in such manner, that each in turn receives the steam from the coil, and
the products of combustion of the fuel used in heating the retorts or chambers are
used to heat the steam coil and to raise the steam.
3. An apparatus such as described for manufacturing water-gas, in which a steam
coil or superheater in close proximity to the gas chambers or retorts is exposed to the
heat of the furnace gases and is covered with a thin protective coating of chalk, fire-
clay, or other material practicably unalterable by the heat employed, and not acting
chemically upon the tubes, whereby the steam is either dis-associated or very highly
heated immediately before entering the chambers or retorts, substantially as
described.
4. The water-gas plant arranged as a whole substantially as described.
5. In a water-gas apparatus, the combination of a superheater kept at a steady
uniform heat throughout the operation, substantially as described, with a water-gas
producer, whereby the steam enters the gas producer throughout at its maximum
temperature instead of as in existing plant gradually cooling down to the end of the
operation and thus using up more heat in the gas producer per unit of gas-as the
heat therein decreases.
Dated this 6th day of November 1880
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.