Improvements in or relating to Furnaces for Burning Petroleum and Hydrogen.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Sept., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 5th June, 1896-Accepted, 11th July, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Furnaces for Burning Petroleum
and Hydrogen.
A communication from CHARLES DUSAULX, of Suresnes, in the Republic of
France.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
In the production of commercial petroleum, the lighter gases are eliminated by
distillation; and at the same time the bulk of the hydrogen gases, which the raw
petroleum contains, also escape. Thus, the petroleum ought no longer to contain
gascous products which are vaporised at a temperature below 45°. The freed
hydrogen gases are a great source of caloric loss to combustion.
The object of the appartus forming the subject of this application is to restore to
the vapour of petroleum in combustion, hydrogen gas at the moment of its formation
by the decomposition of steam.
The principle of the apparatus is based upon the well-known chemical experiment,
that steam, brought into contact with an oxidising body is decomposed into
its constituent elements oxygen and hydrogen. The oxygen is absorbed in the
combustion, and the hydrogen also mixed with the carburetted gases, produces an
intense heat. Thus, with a determined quantity of petroleum, is obtained a greater
heat than with the gases from petroleum simply. Thence results economy in fuel
and a more rapid calorific effect.
The apparatus for which a patent is sought has, further, the advantage, over
petroleum or ordinary luminous gas furnaces, of giving a perfect and regular
combustion of all the gases evolved. Hence, there is neither formation of soot nor
emission of bad odours.
The apparatus comprises a reservoir of petroleum into which dips an annular
wick, which sucks up the petroleum by capillarity and delivers it at the top in
a state of extremely minute subdivision. This wick is lodged in annular tube
discharging at the top of a truncated cone. Within this tube is another tube ending
in a point and enclosing another wick. This latter tube is fed by another
petroleum reservoir, situated at such a higher level as to produce pressure and
fitted with a cock to regulate the flow through the tube. The top of this latter
tube discharges into an inverted truncated cone, whereof the upper part is provided
with side openings.
A bent plate or diaphragm is secured to a spindle above the top of the tubes
which is carried by devices resting freely on a circular seat; a small annular
receptacle for water is formed in a cast-iron cylindrical sleeve from which the
water escapes to feed an inner receptacle of water which is close to the upper cone
and with which it communicates by a tube which tube in its turn is provided with
a wick and a regulating cock.
Ou applying a lighted match to the top of the annular wick tube, a small flame
is created which will heat the upper part (or pointed end) of the inner tube. The
molecular petroleum gases contained in this latter, being thus heated, will be
transformed into carburetted vapours and be kindled by contact with the flame at
the top of the annular tube. A draught or current of air will thus be produced,
through the bottom as well as through the lateral openings of the upper and

page_text: inverted cone. The mixture of air and of inflamed gases being intimately and
rapidly effected, the combustion will, from that alone, become perfect.
After a short time, the water contained in the inner receptacle, becoming
heated to the boiling point, will be converted into steam, which, being carried along
by the draught, will be mixed with the carburetted gases. This mixture of
bydrocarbons from the petroleum with steam and air will strike upon the diaphragm
aforesaid; and as this is incandescent and covered with soot, the steam will be
decomposed in contact therewith; the oxygen will feed the combustion of the soot,
and the hydrogen will burn with the flames of the petroleum gases.
This flame, passing upwards round the edges of the diaghragm, will produce a
most intense heat.
The arrangement described above for a single flame is equally applicable to any
desired number of flames.
Dated this 6th day of September.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
and Hydrogen.
A communication from CILARLES DUSAULX, of Suresnes.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent 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 :-
In the production of commercial petroleum, the lighter gases are eliminated
by distillation; and at the same time the bulk of the hydrogen gases, which the
raw petroleum contains, also escape. Thus, the petroleum ought no longer to
contain gaseous products which are vaporised at a temperature below 45°. The
freed hydrogen gases are a great source of caloric loss to combu-tion.
The object of the apparatus forming the subject of this application is to restore
to the vapour of petroleum in combustion hydrogen gas at the moment of its
formation by the decomposition of steam.
The principle of the apparatus is based upon the well-known chemical experiment,
that steam brought into contact with an oxidising body, say with burning coal, is
decomposed into its constituent elements, oxygen and hydrogen. The oxygen is
absorbed in the combustion, and the hydrogen also mixed with the carburetted
gases, produces an intense heat. Thus, with a determined quantity of petroleum, is
obtained a greater heat than with the gases from petroleum simply. Thence
results economy in fuel and a more rapid calorific effect.
The apparatus for which a patent is sought has, further, the advantage, over
petroleum or ordinary luminous oil stoves, of giving a perfect and regular
combustion of all the gases evolved. Hence, there is neither formation of soot nor
emission of bad odours.
The accompanying drawing represents the improved apparatus in vertical central
section.
The apparatus comprises a reservoir A of petroleum into which dips a wick of
cane or rattan which sucks up the petroleum by capillarity and delivers it at the
top in a state of extremely minute sub-division. This wick is lodged in an annular
tube discharging at the top of a truncated cone C, as shown in the drawing.
Within this tube is another tube D, ending in a point and enclosing another wick
also made of cane or rattan. This latter tube D is fed by another petroleum
reservoir E situated at such a higher level as to produce pressure, and fitted with

page_text: a cock F to regulate the flow through the tube. The top of this latter tube D
discharges into an inverted truncated cone G, whereof the upper part is provided
with side openings g.
A bent plate or diaphragm H secured to a spindle above the top of the tubes
is carried by devices resting freely on a circular seat J; a small annular receptacle m
for water is formed in a cast-iron cylindrical sleeve M from which the water
escapes to feed an inner receptacle n of water which is close to the upper cone and
with which it communicates by a tube d which tube in its turn is provided with a
cane or rattan wick and a regulating cock.
On applying a lighted match to the top of the annular wick tube B, a small
flame is created which will heat the upper part (or pointed end) of the inner tube D.
The molecular petroleum gases contained in this latter, being thus heated, will be
transformed into carburetted vapours and be kindled by contact with the flame at
the top of the annular tube B. A draught or current of air will thus be produced
(as shown by the arrows) through the bottom as well as through the lateral
openings g of the upper and inverted cone G. The mixture of air and of inflamed
gases being intimately and rapidly effected, the combustion will, from that alone,
become perfect.
After a short time, the water contained in the inner receptacle n, becoming
heated to the boiling point, will be converted into steam, which, being carried along
by the draught, will be mixed with the carburetted gases. This mixture of
hydrocarbons from the petroleum with steam and air will strike upon the
diaphragm H aforesaid; and as this is incandescent and covered with soot,
the steam will be decomposed in contact therewith; the oxygen will feed the
combustion of the soot, and the hydrogen will burn with the flames of the
petroleum gases.
This flame, passing upwards round the edges of the diaphragm, will produce a
most intense heat.
The arrangement described above for a single flame is equally applicable to any
desired number of flames.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is ;-
1. In a petroleum-furnace or the like an arrangement permitting the formation
of steam, which is afterwards decomposed into oxygen and hydrogen whereof the
latter mixed with the hydrocarbon gases from the petroleum augments with the
current of air drawn in the intensity of the heat of the flame.
2. The employment of cane or rattan wicks to bring the water and the petroleum
in a state of minute sub-division to the top of the feed-tubes.
3. Truncated cones superposed as shown in the drawing to produce a draught of
air sufficient for the combustion the superior cone being provided with lateral
openings to produce a mixture of air and steam at the passage into the chamber
where the mixture with the petroleum hydrocarbons as well as the combustion
takes place.
4. The employment of a diaphragm against which is formed a deposit of soot
absorbing for its combustion the oxygen which is separated from the hydrogen at
the moment of decomposition of steam which diaphragm serves as an obstacle to
promote the perfect admixture of all the gases in combustion.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting a complete oil and
hydrogen furnace substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
בד
1000
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.