Improvements in the Process and Apparatus for Making Illuminating and Heating Gas from Water in Combination with Carbonaceous Substances.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 13th Mar., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Process and Apparatus for Making Illuminating
and Heating Gas from Water in Combination with Carbonaceous
Substances.
I SAMUEL HENRY LINN of the City of Rochester and State of New York, United
States of America, of 73 Moïka, St. Petersburg in the Empire, of Russia and of
55 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Doctor (communicated to me froni
abroad by Joseph Flannery of the City and County of New York in the State of
New York aforesaid) do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention consists of a new and original apparatus and process for producing
both heating and illuminating combustible gas, the peculiarities of which I will proceed
to describe.
By passing vapor of water through a mass of highly heated carbonaceous matter,
wherein the oxygen of the water combines with the carbon giving as a result, free
bydrogen, carbonic oxide and some carbonic acid gas; and further on to combine
the hydrogen, carbonic oxide and carbonic acid gas thus produced with any rich
hydro-carbonaceous substance such as petroleum, resin, cannel coal, asphaltum, coal
tar etcetera, by which means a gas for fuel purposes is produced or an illuminating
gas of any desired candle power, at less cost and at less cost of plant than heretofore
obtained.
It consists of four separate and distinct chambers with one hydraulic main, all
constructed of wrought and cast iron on a frame of angle or tee iron, the whole
firmly riveted and bolted together with suitable valves and connections for the
introduction of air steam and the hydro-carbonaceous material as well as for letting
off gas as produced through the hydraulic main, thence through the ordinary apparatus
pertaining to the gas works, thence to the gas holder.
The apparatus may be embodied in an installation which consists of four separate
and distinct chambers each lined with fire brick or other refractory material back of
which a suitable non-conducting material is placed, beyond which is the outer casing

page_text: of boiler iron or other suitable material. Within these outer casings of iron are the
two fire pots and two fixing chambers and supplementary fire pots, the latter in say
a rectangular retort channel. In the pipe is placed a suitable valve or gate by
means of which and through the retorts the chambers are connected or separated.
To operate and put in use, the chambers and fire pots have fire built in them.
They are then filled with coals or other suitable carbonaceous material, through two sets of
openings. The relief valve being open air is permitted to pass through the openings
in and through the coals in the chambers and fire pots. The products in the chambers
being carbonic oxide, free nitrogen and carbonic acid, pass through ducts into the
annular retort through the ports in and through the rectangular duct or retort over
the supplementary fires. Thence downward through the vertical ducts or retorts
through the ports at which point a supply of atmospheric air is provided through
the tuyeres which air unites with the carbonic oxide and combustion is obtained
below the arch; and up and through the partitions which practically absorbs all the
heat; thence the products of combustion consisting of carbonic acid and free
nitrogen, pass up the stand pipes out through the valves into the atmosphere. When
the conditions for producing gas are. obtained the air. supply is shut off.at the valves.
The relief valves are closed, steam is now put in or forced through all the steam
inlet openings, or steam inlets which in passing through the bed of incandescent
coal is decomposed and gives as a product free hydrogen, carbonic oxide and car-
bonic acid. Thence the gas is passed through the openings or ducts through which
the gases pass over the fixing chamber into the annular retorts, thence through the
ports into the rectangular retort. The object of the construction of the ducts,
annular retort and ports is to expose to great heat in a stratified form the water gas
produced in the chambers and particularly to decompose the carbonic oxide and to
convert it into carbonic acid by its taking from the excess steam an element of
oxygen, thus securing additional free hydrogen and carbonic acid; the latter, farther
on in the process, taking up the surplus tar and sedimentary carbon, left by the oil
or other carbonaceous material, used to convert the water gas into an, illuminating
gas, and thus becomes carbonic oxide, which is a valuable combustible
gas.
The effect of this treatment and its value is that 1 secure an additional quantity
of hydrogen and carbonic oxide gas and secure an 'illuminating gas free from tar and
sedimentary carbon.
The gas which is then produced passes on through the ducts or channels, through
the supplementary fire pots where the oil, resin, tar or other fluid hydro-carbon flows.
through the oil inlets or openings where it is by means of the supplementary fires
immediately volatilised, thus the otherwise heavy and unmerchantable oils can be
used for gas making. At the supplementary fire pots the water gas combines with
the oil vapor and with the latter passes through the rectangular retort and down the
retorts or ducts thence through the ports thence up through the spaces between the
corrugated brick partitions in the fixing chambers, thence through the stand pipes,
out through the pipe, down through the dip pipes, into the hydraulic main thence
out into the ordinary apparatus of the gas works through the take-off pipe. This gas
producing apparatus is preferably made in duplex in order that it may be operated
separately or jointly. The foregoing specifications describe the sections when working
singly, but the better way is to work them jointly, thus; when worked separately a
large amount of waste coal is had which is unfit for decomposing water but good
enough as a heat producer. When working the duplex apparatus jointly, I use in
one of the chambers, fresh coals, the waste from which will quite supply the other
chamber and the various parts following as before described. The diaphragm valve 5
connected with the stand pipe is closed to prevent the passage of steam or gas
through the hydraulic main. Now having the conditions for gas making I close the
air valves, also the relief valves, force steam through the one opening, other openings
being shut off. The steam going in at the opening passes down through the
tition into the fixing chamber thence through the ports thence up through the 5
vertical retorts in and through the rectangular retort, to the supplementary. fire pots
at which point the oil. or other carbonaceous. material is fed through the opening
par-

page_text: and is here volatilised when the steam in the operation arrives at the supplementary
fire pots it is highly super-heated if not disassociated; the carbon of the oil combines
with the oxygen of the steam, thus decomposition of both the steam and the oil aro
secured. The resulting gases being free hydrogen, marsh gas, carbonic oxide and
carbonic acid. This compound gas is carried forward through the retort in and
through the ports in and through the annular retort, through the duct into the dome
of the one fire pot chamber thence through the connecting pipe where the gases
from said chamber commingle with the gas produced in the other fire pot chamber as
first described.
I secure by this process, less cost in production than otherwise and excess of free
hydrogen and marsh gas, both of which gases, are desirable as a basis for making
illuminating gas of high order; all secured with an economy of fuel and carburetting
material greater than heretofore obtained.
It can be
Amongst the advantages that accrue from the invention are the following. A
machine such as described will produce in twenty four (24) hours one million
(1,000,000) cubic feet of gas, with the labor of three men in the day-time and three
men at night. When not in operation the machine takes care of itself.
put in operation in thirty (50) minutes or even less if desired. It produces a beautiful
gas of any desired candle power. Owing to the spread of the Electric Light,
a high candle power gas is a necessity hence many companies will adopt it for the
purpose of increasing the candle power of their gas, by mixing with coal gas made
in the ordinary way, using the coke from the retorts, in the water generators. To
produce for instance One thousand (1000) feet of thirty (30) candle power gas,
forty (40) pounds of coke are used in the generators and 4 American Gallons of
crude Petroleum or Naptha taking the substances named as commonly known in the
United States of America.
660
About
The condensing and purification is done in the ordinary way, the latter by oxide
of iron or lime, as preferred. In addition to the coke used as above stated ten (10)
pounds of fuel coal or coke-will be required for steam making purposes.
twenty five (25) pounds of Steam is required for each one thousand (1,000) feet of
Gas produced, which includes steam used in running engine which operates air
blast.
WM. BROOKES & SON;
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE. SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Process and Apparatus for Making Illuminating
and Heating Gas from Water in Combination with Carbonaceous
Substances.
I SAMUEL HENRY LINN of the City of Rochester and State of New York,
United States of America, of 73 Moïka, St. Petersburg in the Empire of Russia and
of 55 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Doctor (communicated to me from
abroad by Joseph Flannery of the City and County of New York in the State of New
York aforesaid) do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to he particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
My Invention consists of a new and original apparatus and process for producing
both heating and illuminating combustible gas, the peculiarities of which I will
proceed to describe.
In the accompanying Drawings,
Figure 1, is a Plan of the iron work.
Figure 2, is the front elevation of same.
Figure 3, is the rear elevation of same.
Figure 4, is the side elevation of same.
Figure 5, is a plan of tuyeres on the line A. A.
Figure 6, is a Plan of tuyeres on the line B. B.
Figure 7, is a Plan of Conduits on the line C. C.
Figure 8, is the longitudinal sectional elevation on the line D. D.
Figure 9 is a transverse sectional elevation of the chambers on the line E E.
Figure 10 is a transverse sectional elevation of fire-pots E', E³, on line F F.
EE are "fire pots." F F are air supply pipes.
G ducts through which gases pass over to fixing chambers P¹ P³.
Hannular retort. I ports.
J rectangular retort. K K K K supplementary fire pots.
L vertical retort. M ports.
N tuyeres. O corrugated brick partitions.
P spaces between partition walls 0. O. Q stand pipe.
gas outlet pipe. R¹ R2 fixing chambers.
R
S cleaning holes.
S¹ S' arch supporting walls 0 0.
TTTT air inlets. U U relief valves.
VV firing doors. W W cleaning doors.
XX stoking holes
Y Y cleaning doors to chambers R¹ R².
ZZZ Z doors to supplementary fire pot.

page_text: J' connecting pipe between mouth pieces I', I'.
.K¹ valve on connecting pipe J.
The purpose of the invention is to produce a combustible gas, by passing vapor of
water through a mass of highly heated carbonaceous matter, wherein the oxygen of
the water combines with the carbon, giving as a result, free hydrogen, carbonic
oxide and some carbonic acid gas; and further on to combine the hydrogen,
carbonic oxide and carbonic acid gas thus produced with any rich hydro-
carbonaceous substance such as petroleum, resin, cannel coal, asphaltum, coal.
tar, etc., by which means a gas for fuel purposes is produced or an illuminating
gas of any desired candle power, at less cost and at less cost of plant than heretofore
obtained.
. It consists of four separate and distinct chambers, with one hydraulic main, all
constructed of wrought and cast iron on a frame of angle or tee iron, the whole firmly
rivetted and bolted together with suitable valves and connections for the introduction
of air steam and the hydro-carbonaceous material as well as for letting off gas through
the hydraulic main as produced thence through the ordinary apparatus pertaining to
the gas works, thence to the gas holder.
The apparatus consists in the arrangement to be described, of four separate and distinct
chambers each lined with fire brick or other refractory material, back of which a
suitable non-conducting material is placed, beyond which is the outer casing of boiler
iron or other suitable material. Within these outer casings of iron are the two fire
pots E, E and two fixing chambers R₁ R² and K, K, K, K supplementary fire pots,
the latter, in the rectangular retort channel J on the line D D. In the pipe J' is
placed a suitable valve or gate, K' by means of which and through the retort J, J the
chambers E1, E2, are connected or separated.
To operate and put in use, the chambers E¹, E' and fire pots K, K, K, K have fires
built in them. They are then filled with coals or other suitable carbonaceous material,
through the openings V, V and Z, Z, Z, Z. The relief valve U¹, U' being open, air
is permitted to pass through the openings T, T, T, T in and through the coals in E', E³,
and K, K, K, K. The products in the chambers E', E' being carbonic oxide, free
nitrogen and carbonic acid, pass through the ducts G, into the annular retort H
through the ports, I, in and through the rectangular duct or retort, J, over the
supplementary fires, K, K, K, K. Thence downward through the vertical ducts or
retorts, L, through the ports M, at which point a supply of atmospheric air is provided
through the tuyeres N which air unites with the carbonic oxide and combustion is
obtained below the arch S¹ S¹ and up and through spaces P¹ between the partitions ()
which practically absorbs all the heat; thence the products of combustion consisting
of carbonic acid and free nitrogen, pass up the stand pipes Q', Q, out through the
valve U1, U2, into the atmosphere. When the proper conditions for producing gas
are obtained the air supply is shut off at the valves T, T, T, T. The relief valve U¹,
closed. Steam is now put in or forced through all the openings, A¹ to A', or steam
inlets, which in passing through the bed of incandescent coal at E', is decomposed
and gives as a product free hydrogen, carbonic oxide and carbonic acid. Thence the
gas is passed through the openings or ducts, G, into the annular retorts, H, thence
through the ports, I, into the rectangular retort J. The object of the construction
of G, H and 1 is to expose to great heat, in a stratified form the water gas produced
in the chamber E', and particularly to decompose the carbonic oxide and to convert it.
into carbonic acid by its taking from the excess steam an element of oxygen, thus

page_text: securing additional free hydrogen and carbonic acid; the latter, farther on in the
process, taking up the surplus tar and sedimentary carbon, left by the oil or
other carbonaceous material, used to convert the water gas into an illuminating
gas, and thus becomes carbonic oxide, which is a valuable combustible gas.
The effect of this treatment and its value is that I secure an additional quantity of
hydrogen and carbonic oxide gas and secure an illuminating gas free from tar and
sedimentary carbon.
The gas which is thus produced passes on through the channels G, G, retort H
through the supplementary fire pots K, K, where the oil, resin, tar, or other fluid
hydro-carbon flows through the openings B', B', where it is by means of the sup-
plementary fires immediately volatilized, thus the otherwise heavy and unmerchantable
oils can be used for gas making. At K, K the water gas, combines with the vapors
and with the latter passes through the rectangular retort J and down the retorts or
ducts I, thence through the ports M, thence up through the spaces P¹, between the
corrugated brick partitions O, in the fixing chambers R' thence through the stand
pipe Q, out through the pipe R, down through the dip pipe, El, into the hydraulic
main F, thence out into the ordinary apparatus of the gas works through the take
off G¹.
This gas producing apparatus is preferably made in duplex form in order that it
may be operated separately or jointly. The foregoing Specifications describe the
apparatus, when working singly, but the better way is to work them jointly, thus ;
when worked separately a large amount of waste coal is had which is unfit for
decomposing water but good enough as a heat producer.
When working the duplex apparatus jointly, I use in one of the chambers, E', fresh
coals, the waste from which will quite supply the other chamber, R2, and the various
parts following as before described. The diaphram valve D, connected with the stand
pipe Qis closed, to prevent the passage of steam or gas through the hydraulic main F.
Now, having the conditions for gas making I close the air valves, T, also the
relief valves U, open valve K', force steam through the opening A*, openings A', A°, A7,
being shut off.
The steam going in at A passes down through the spaces P¹ into the chamber R³·
thence through the ports M, thence up through the vertical retorts, L, in and through
the rectangular retort, J, to the supplementary fire pots K, K, at which point the oil
or other carbonaceous material is fed through the opening, B2, and is here volatilized.
When the steam in the operation arrives at K, K it is highly superheated if not
dissociated the carbon of the oil combines with the oxygen of the steam, thus
decomposition of both the steam and the oil are secured. The resulting gases being
free hydrogen, marsh gas, carbonic oxide and carbonic acid. This compound gas is
carried forward through the retort, J, in and through the ports I, in and through the
annular retort, H, in the dome of the chamber E³, thence through H' to the connecting.
pipe, J, thence the gases from E' are commingled with the gas produced in E¹, as first
described.
The condensing and purification is done in the ordinary way—the latter by oxide of
iron or lime is preferred.
.
I secure by this process, less cost than otherwise and excess of free hydrogen and
marsh gas, both of which gases, are desirable as a basis for making illuminating gas
of high order; all secured with an economy of fuel and carburetting material, greater
than heretofore obtained.
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:
First, in the gas producing apparatus the combination of four separate and distinct
chambers connected with one hydraulic main, substantially as shown.
Second, in 'the gas producing apparatus the combination of four chambers, connected:
together by the pipe, J, and at the hydraulic main by the stand pipes, QQ, and the
pipes R, substantially as described.

page_text: Third, in the gas producing apparatus, composed of a series of chambers, in com-
bination with ducts G, annular retort, H, fire pots K, rectangular retort, J, the
vertical ducts or retorts L, the ports I, and the corrugated brick partitions O and the
tuyeres N, in the four chambers substantially as shown and described.
Fourth, a process for producing illuminating or fuel gas, which consists in
introducing steam and commingling it when superheated with oil and passing same
through the pipe J', from the chamber E2, to the chamber E', where the mixture
combines, with the gas produced in E', and thus a gas of fine quality and high candle
power is produced, substantially as described and specified.
Dated the 21st day of January 1889
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.