Improvements in Reversing Regenerative Furnaces for Metallurgical and other Purposes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 20th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 12th Jan., 1835
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Reversing Regenerative Furnaces for Metallurgical
and other Purposes.
We SIDNEY TRIVICK, of 19 Clapham Park Road, and CASIMIR JAMES
ALPHONSO HEAD and PETER ARCHIBALD JOSEPH HEAD, both of 178 Clapham
Park Road aforesaid, in the County of Surrey, Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in means or apparatus for
economizing fuel and for effecting equalization of the heat in reversing regenerative
furnaces employed in metallurgical and other allied processes.
The invention is designed to simplify and facilitate the employment of gas firing
and to afford better regulation of the heated products of combustion and provide
means for the recuperation of the current thereof as it loses its heat energy.
The invention with such modifications as would be obvious to a practical
engineer is applicable to furnaces for smelting, steel or other melting operations,
balling or blooming, welding, pile heating, glass melting, firing gas retorts and other
analogous uses.
The furnace is constructed with a chamber or division in which when the current
of heating gases flows in one direction these products act upon the matters under
treatment and as these gases leave the operating chamber with their heat energy
lowered they are met by a current of highly heated gases produced by the com-
bination of air and gases supplied through a suitable port at that point and the
original current is raised thereby to its initial heat and is passed to operate in like
manner in another operating chamber and then away, or it may be again recuperated
by another similar recuperative supply of highly heated air and gas from a similar
port.
Although the heating of the inflowing air and gases may be effected through
regenerative, or accumulator, heating passages we prefer in most cases, to employ
passages which are arranged to supply gas from a producer furnace directly to the
operating chamber or hearth and the air is conveyed through accumulator passages
previously heated by the outflowing products of combustion. These accumulator
passages are arranged in two circuits, the incoming air heating and the outgoing
heat absorbing circuits and the two circuits are further arranged at each turn to
pass from one side to the opposite side as well as passing alternately under each
other-the currents flowing in opposite directions in adjacent passages.
Thus in a circuit of inflow passages arranged alternately both horizontally and
vertically with outflow passages-the right hand lowest passage with its accumulated
heat receives the inflowing air-this passage is connected to the second passage on
the left hand and again is connected to the third passage on the right hand and
thence passes to suitable air ports adjacent to the gas ports to be employed in
producing the requisite heat by combustion in the first operating chamber-the
products of combustion now pass into the second chamber through a suitable
opening in the separating wall.
At this point the products of combustion having lost a large proportion of their
heat, they are met at this point by a current of gas and a current of heated air from

page_text: the accumulator passages supplied through separate recuperative ports, and thereby
the heated current is again raised to about its initial temperature on entering the
first operating chamber.
The reversal of direction of flow of the gas in the passages is effected by means
of a pair of main reversing gas valves and the air flow by air reversing valves.
The recuperative air and gas passages are also controlled by other reversing
valves.
The chambers of accumulator passages are suitably packed with chequer brick-
work in usual or convenient manner.
On reversing the valves, the gas and air pass in the reverse directions the exit
port of the second chamber becoming the air inlet port and the current being
towards the first chamber, the flame burning in the direction of the draught and the
recuperative port furnishing its supply of recuperative heat at the division opening,
the products of combustion passing away along the passages which had previously
supplied and heated the incoming air. Said passages by their alternately lying
one superposed on the other and alternated, so that the currents in adjacent
passages are passing in opposite directions, are respectively acquiring and parting
with heat, or in other words the adjacent sections of passages are arranged
respectively, so that they each in turn, are alternately accumulating and diffusing
heat and great uniformity is attained. The air passing through the successive
chambers, or sections of either of the accumulator passages is gradually absorbing
the stored up heat therein as it passes onward whilst the intensely heated waste
products of combustion in the adjacent passages are inversely gradually giving up
their heat and the air heating channel where its climax of heating is reached is
adjacent to and heated by the hottest part of the outflow accumulator channel,
producing a compensatory device.
By these means the inconvenience and loss arising, with the ordinary construction,
from the constant variation of the heat of the incoming air, owing to the air in its
passage constantly reducing the temperature of the regenerator, or accumulator,
passages, by reason of its abstraction of the stored heat for which no compensation
is provided until the next reversal of the currents by the valves, is avoided.
For furnaces having both their main ports at one end of the furnace chamber the
arrangement of the accumulator passages may be horizontal and by connecting ways
the currents in adjacent sectious pass in channels contiguous but contrary as to
direction of flow.
By another arrangement especially adapted for larger construction, the
operating chambers or hearths may be three in number, or of other suitable
succession, and each bed or operating chamber is divided from its neighbour by a
division wall with openings through which the products of combustion leaving the
first bed at a reduced temperature are recuperated at that point by a recuperative
supply of gas and heated air by suitable ports and again at the point where leaving
the second bed the products of combustion have again lost their initial high
temperature they are again recuperated by another introduction of a recuperative
supply of gas and heated air by suitable ports, the directions of flow being regulated
and reversed as already mentioned before.
Dated the 20th day of January 1894.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in Reversing Regenerative Furnaces for Metallurgical
and other Purposes.
We SIDNEY TRIVICK, of 19 Clapham Park Road and CASIMIR JAMES
ALPHONSO HEAD and PETER ARCHIBALD JOSEPH HEAD both of 178 Clapham
Park Road aforesaid in the County of Surrey, Engineers, 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 invention relates to a new construction of and method of operating reversing
regenerative furnaces for metallurgical and other purposes.
The invention is designed to effect economy in fuel and facilitate the more
effectual employment of gas firing in such furnaces, and to promote better regulation
of the heated products of combustion in their passage from the furnace through the
accumulator or regenerative passages, to compensate for the abstraction of heat by
air on its way to furnace, and to provide recuperative currents of heated gas and
heated air to recuperate the products of combustion at the point where leaving one
chamber or hearth of furnace where they have operated on the metal or matter,
they enter another chamber or furnace where they perform the same operation on
fresh metal or matter.
hand.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line E E of Fig. 2 looking towards the right
hand.
Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line G G of Fig. 1.
Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line D D of Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken through the recuperative ports and passages on
the line K K of Fig. 5.
Fig. 8 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line OO of Fig. 9 looking to the
left, Fig. 9 is a transverse section on the line N N of Fig. 8 and Fig. 10 is another
longitudinal section on the line L L of Fig. 9 looking to the right and Fig. 11 is a
horizontal section taken on the line P P of Fig. 9, and Fig. 12, is a horizontal
section taken through the gas producer and chambers of a furnace having its beds
at right angles to one another, and the recuperative port situated at the apex of
the angle between the chambers or furnace hearths in front of which is the
communicating passage between the said chambers or furnace hearths.
Figures 8, 9, 10, and 11 shew the invention adapted to a furnace having both its
main ports at one end thereof and close to each other, with the modification of the
heat accumulators as may be applied to such a furnace.
The operation of our novel reversible regenerative furnace is as follows:-
The gas producer p (shewn in Figures 2, 3, 6, 7, 8 and 11) is charged with coal
or other fuel through the hopper o (Figs. 2, 3, 6 and 7) and ignited on the grates pl
(Figs. 3, 5, 6 and 12) the doors of the grates z (Fig. 6) are then closed, the
necessary air for combustion of fuel being admitted to grates through the steam
nozzle holes a (Figs. 2, 3, 6 & 7) the ash-pit doors 2 (Fig. 6) being closed.
The steam is used for the purpose of injecting air and steam to the producer p,
when the fuel is in a thoroughly incandescent state in order to form what is
commonly known as water gas
The
in addition to the ordinary producer gas.
gas generated in producer p on opening the valve for f' (Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6)

page_text: passes through the flues i or (Figs. 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 11 and 12) to the main ports borb
(Figs. 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11 and 12) and on opening the valve h (Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 7)
through the flue d¹ (Figs. 4, 5, 7, 11 and 12) to the small recuperative port d
(Figs. 1, 7, 9 and 11) when it meets the air in the small combustion chamber in
front of the port (Figs. 5, 7, 8, 11 and 12). The passage of the air to the ports is
as follows:-
The air reversing valve k (Figs. 1, 2, 8 & 10) on being opened the air enters
through the flue u or u¹ (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4) into the bottom or what we designate
the heat diffusing chamber t or t' (Figs. 2, 3, 4, 8, 9 and 10) of one of the heat
accumulators then it passes through the opening 2 or 4 (Figs. 2, 3, 4, 8 & 10)
to the middle or what we designate the heat compensating chambers or s
(Figs. 2, 3, 4, 8, 9 & 10) of the other heat accumulator, thence through the
opening 1 or 3 (Figs. 2, 3, 4, 8, 9 & 10) to the top or what we designate the heat
concentrating chamber r or r¹ (Figs. 2, 3, 4, 8, 9 & 10) of the first mentioned heat
accumulator, then through the flues or 1 (Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, & 12) to the
main port cor c (Figs. 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11 & 12) and by the flues m or m
(Figs. 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11 & 12) to the small recuperative port e (Figs. 1, 5, 7. 9. 11
& 12) the gas and air thus meeting and mixing in the small combustion chamber
situated in front of the main and recuperative ports, where ignition takes place and
then further combustion proceeds in the furnace chambers wand w¹ (Figs. 1, 8, & 9).
The products of combustion of the gas and air coming from the main ports, pass
along the furnace chamber to the entrance of the communicating passage
(Figs. 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11 & 12) through which they are compelled to pass where the
intense heat of the combustion of the gas and air from the recuperative port, forms
as it were a curtain or door of fire, the intense heat of which adds to every particle
of the intensely heated products of combustion a proportion of its heat on leaving
one chamber or furnace hearth wor w' to enter the other, to compensate for the
heat lost in the first chamber.
In this way the second cha...ber of the furnace is practically heated up to the
working temperature as the first chamber and the products of combustion leave
this second chamber w' at nearly the same working temperature as the products of
combustion of the first chamber w arrived at the communicating passage k¹, and
pass down the main air flue or of the second chamber to the heat accumulators.
It is evident that if the recuperative port were not placed at or near the communi-
cating passage k', it would not effect equally all the products of combustion passing
from one chamber to another, hence the result. would not be the same, the heat
would be local and diffused unequally throughout the chamber.
The products of combustion after leaving the furnace, first enter the heat
concentrating chamber or of one of the accumulators, thence through the
opening 1 or 3 to the heat compensating chambers or s¹ of the other accumulator,
then through the opening 2 or 4 to the heat diffusing chamber t or t' of the first
mentioned accumulator.
The products of combustion having on their way through the chambers of the
accumulators given up their heat to those chambers, thence passing through the
reversing valve k to the chimney flue (Figs. 2, 8 & 10) in which is situated
the chimney damper 9 (Figs. 2, 8 & 10) for the regulation of the outgoing
gases.
The chambers of the accumulators are packed with chequer brickwork in
the usual manner as shewn in the accompanying drawings (Figs. 2, 4, 8 & 9).
On reversing the valves ff and g, g¹ (Figs. 1, 5, 7, 11, & 12) and k, the gas and
air pass to the other main ports of the second chamber w¹ which then acts as the
first chamber w, had acted (the whole operation being reversed) the small recupe-
rative port at the communicating passage k¹ burning constantly, the flames
from both main and recuperative ports always burn in the direction of the
draught.
The like reversal of flow through the passages leading to the air port takes place
on the reversal of the valves. The air then entering by the reversing valve and

page_text: passing through the heat diffusing chamber of the one accumulator (which has
just been heated by the passage of the waste products of combustion) and
thence away to the heat compensating chamber of the other accumulator and then
to the heat concentrating chamber of the first mentioned accumulator and then in
an intensely heated state to the main and recuperative ports.
For the purpose, in first instance of giving the necessary working temperature to
the furnace and heat accumulators, the reversal may take place every two or three
hours, when once the working heat is attained, the charge intended to be worked
may be placed on the furnace hearths or beds a, a¹ (Figs. 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11 & 12)
of the chambers w, w'; reversal may then take place as occasion requires (according
to the nature of the charge) for maintaining and equalizing the difference in
temperature between the furnace chambers ir, w¹.
The gas to the main ports b or bis regulated by the steam and air injected
under the grate of producer and by the valve to the recuperative port.
The air to the main and recuperative ports is regulated by the valve k in the
usual manner. Thus the furnace chambers w, w₁ can be maintained at practically
the same working temperature.
It will thus be seen that the air passing through the heated chambers of the
accumulators is gradually absorbing the stored up heat of those chambers; but, by
the passage of the intensely heated waste products of combustion passing through
the chambers above and below the chambers in the accumulators through which the
air is passing to the furnace, the heat which is being absorbed by the air is thus
gradually being partly restored by conduction.
It is evident that in the ordinary form of accumulators or so called regenerators
the cold air entering the accumulator on its way to furnace is continually absorbing
the stored up heat of that accumulator, thereby constantly causing a variation of
intensity of heat in the air to the furnace between the reversing of the valves; the
air naturally being much colder at the end than at the commencement of the opera-
tion affecting the temperature of the furnace very materially which is highly
detrimental to its efficient working.
In our novel arrangement of the duplex system of heat compensating accumu-
lators, the variations in temperature of the air and consequently of the furnace, are
reduced to a minimum; adding very considerably to the efficiency of the working
of the furnace.
The object of the division wall n (Figs. 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, & 11) of our furnace is
for the purpose of causing all the products of combustion coming from the chamber
in which the gas and air from its main port is in combustion, to pass through the
divisional or communicating passage ¹, where it is met by the intense heat of
the combustion of the gas and air issuing from the recuperative port situated in
the communicating passage thereby adding to every particle of the products of
combustion on passing into second chamber or furnace, heat lost in first chamber or
furnace and at same time keeping up the necessary pressure, density, heat and
velocity of the gases in the furnace chambers.
In this way the whole of the heat of the products of combustion coming from
first chamber are utilized in a direct manner.
The modification shewn by sections 8, 9, 10, & 11 is for a furnace having its
main ports one end thereof, and close to each other, hence, the accumulators are
arranged side by side with both sets of flues to furnace at the same end, as the main
ports of furnace are situated.
The connecting passages between the accumulator chambers are shewn in
Figs. 8, 9 and 10.
The products of combustion after leaving the furnace pass down the main air
Hlue or (Figs. 8, 10 and 11) and enter the heat concentrating chamber r or
(Figs. 8, 9 and 10) of one of the heat accumulators, thence through the opening 1 or 3
(Figs. 8, and 10) to the heat compensating chamber of the other heat accumu-
lator s or s (Figs. 8, 9 and 10; then through the opening 2 or 4 (Figs. 8 and 10) to
the heat diffusing chamber t or t' of the first mentioned accumulator, thence through

page_text: the reversing valve k (Figs. 8 and 10) to the chimney flue x (Figs. 8 and 10)
where the chimney damper g is situated.
The dotted arrows on all the drawings shew path of products of combustion from
furnace to chimney, and full arrows path of air to furnace.
The gas and air ports in the furnace may be placed where most convenient and
effective for the work desired to be done and not necessarily as shewn in the
drawings, although we prefer to have the small recuperative ports in the wall or
walls at about the centre of the communicating passage between the furnace
hearths or chambers as most effective for reheating and adding to the products of
combustion.
The number of chambers in the heat accumulators, and form of accumulators and
chambers may vary according to circumstances, so long as the principle of the
compensation of the heat to the inflowing air is adhered to.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The method of and apparatus for effecting the recuperation of the heat of the
stream of products of combustion as they pass from one furnace chamber or furnace
where combustion proceeds to the next, substantially as set forth, by means of
recuperative gas and heated air ports and passages suitably applied.
2. The combination or arrangement and use of co-operating regenerative or heat
accumulative chambers in duplicate, so that they lie so disposed that the series of
passages or chambers through which the air is passing to the furnace and abstracting
the heat are in contact with the waste gases outgoing passages or chambers so as to
effect by conduction the partial equalization of the heating of the air current as
and for the purpose set forth.
3. The combination of the herein described method of and apparatus for
effecting the recuperation of the heat of the stream of products of combustion as
it leaves one hearth or furnace chamber to or about the working temperature
thereof, so that it may as effectually act on the contents of another hearth or
furnace chamber, with also the arrangement of compensating and equalizing
regenerative or accumulator chambers or passages substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
4. The general arrangement or combination of parts of the reversible regenera-
tive furnace hereinbefore described whereby the recuperation of the heat of the
products of combustion, as they pass from one furnace hearth or chamber to another
furnace hearth or chamber, to or about the working temperature of the first
furnace hearth or chamber and the partial equalization of the distribution of
heat to the incoming air through the accumulator or regenerator chambers, is
effected.
Dated the 10th of Ontahan 100%
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicants.