Improvements in and in Apparatus for the Manufacture or Production of Gas.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 8th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 9th Apr., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in Apparatus for the Manufacture or Production
of Gas.
I, VIVIAN BYAM LEWES, of The Royal Naval College, Greenwich, in the
County of Kent, Professor of Chemistry, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
I have found by experiment that water gas, hydrogen, or mixtures of the two,
when carburetted by the vapours obtained by decomposing hydrocarbons, yield a
flame, which although it may be of high illuminating value, is far shorter and
smaller than the flame obtained from ordinary coal gas, and that in consequence
of this it has to be burnt in larger quantities in order to obtain a flame, which
I have discovered that this is due to
shall in appearance equal that of coal gas.
the coal gas containing from 36 to 46 per cent. of methane or light carburetted
hydrogen, which gives body and length to the flame, and which only exists
in carburetted water gas or hydrogen to the extent of from about 16 to 26 per cent.
Now this invention has reference to an improved method of and apparatus
for making gas, specially suitable for the manufacture or production of illuminating
gas rich in methane, and therefore more closely resembling coal gas in this respect
than the illuminating gas heretofore produced from liquid hydrocarbons.
For making such as gas, I employ apparatus of the kind described in the
Specification of Letters Patent granted to me No. 16258 of 1892 but which is
constructed with a second injector or row of injectors arranged at a lower level
than the oil injectors shown in that Specification. By means of such lower
injector or injectors, I inject tar or heavy hydrocarbon oils by means of steam,
which may be superheated, into the hottest part of a mass of fuel, previously
raised to a state of incandescence by blowing air through it, whereby the said tar
or heavy hydrocarbon oils will be decomposed, carbon being deposited and added to
the bulk of the fuel, whilst large volumes of methane and hydrogen will be generated.
When this injection of tar or heavy hydrocarbon oils has gone on for a sufficient
length of time to partly reduce the temperature of the fuel, I then inject into the
said fuel by the upper injector or row of injectors lighter hydrocarbons which, not
being decomposed to so great an extent as the others, yield ethylene and other
In this way it is possible to
bodies of high illuminating value to the gas obtained.
use three gallons of tar, to one gallon of hydrocarbon oil to make an illuminating
gas of high value.
When tar is used in large quantities for the purpose mentioned, a certain
amount of fuliginous matter is carried over with the gas, and where stoppages are
likely to be produced from this cause, I propose to use a modified construction of
apparatus.
This modified apparatus comprises a gas producer provided with suitable inlets for
air, steam, and hydrocarbon, as in the apparatus described in my said former Specifi-
cation, and a regenerator charged with refractory material arranged chequer-wise, this
regenerator being in communication at the top with the gas producer, and at the
bottom with a gas outlet and with a tar well or vessel, the arrangement being such
that when the fuel in the gas producer is being raised to a state of incandescence by the
passage through it of air, hot gases and products of combustion will pass through the
regenerator and heat the contents thereof to a high temperature, after which

page_text: the hydrocarbon gas produced by injecting the hydrocarbon into the incandescent
fuel will be led direct through the heated regenerator wherein it will be heated, and
become more or less converted into a permanent illuminating gas, which will escape by
a suitable outlet to a sealed hydraulic main, whilst any products that might become
condensed will pass out through an overflow. To assist the passage of the hydro-
carbon gas through the regenerator and to prevent stoppage, a suitably arranged
steam jet is or may be provided. The regenerator may be advantageously arranged
to form part of the same structure as the gas producer, and the chequer-work therein
may be composed partly of fire-brick and partly of small pigs of iron, the latter being
arranged at the lower part of the regenerator.
The outlet pipe from the bottom of the regenerator may be inclined, its
upper side being provided with an outlet pipe for the escape of producer gas
during blowing, and its lower end being in connection with the seal, suitable
removable covers or plates being provided to admit of the pipe being cleared when
necessary.
To enable the gas producer to be raised to a suitable state of incandescence
in a quicker and more uniform manner than has heretofore been usual, the said
gas producer is or may be constructed with one or more air inlets at different
levels, in addition to the inlet at the bottom of the gas producer, so that two or
more blasts of air will be injected into the fuel simultaneously at different points
in its height. This arrangement of air blasts may advantageously be used in
connection with gas producers for producing gas other than oil gas, as for example
water gas.
Dated this 9th day at Tatum 1004
Improvements in and in Apparatus for the Manufacture or Production
of Gas.
;
I, VIVIAN BYAM LEWES, of The Royal Naval College, Greenwich, in the
County of Kent, Professor of Chemistry, 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 :-
I have found by experiment that water gas, hydrogen, or mixtures of the two,
when carburetted by the vapours obtained by decomposing hydrocarbons, yield a
flame, which, although it may be of high illuminating value, is, for a given rate o
consumption, far shorter and smaller than the flame obtained from ordinary coal
gas, and that in consequence of this it has to be burnt in larger quantities in order
to obtain a flame which shall equal, in appearance, that of coal gas. I have
discovered that the longer flame obtained with coal gas is due to presence therein of
from about 35 to 40 per cent. of methane or light carburetted hydrogen, which give
body and length to the flame, and which only exists in carburetted water gas or
carburetted hydrogen to a considerably less extent than in coal gas say from about
16 up to 26 per cent., instead of 35 to 40 per cent.
Now this invention has reference to an improved method of and apparatus for
making gas, specially suitable for the manufacture or production of illuminating gas,
rich in methane and therefore more closely resembling coal gas in this respect than
the illuminating gas heretofore produced by the admixture of water gas or hydrogen
with the gas obtained from liquid hydrocarbons.
For making such improved gas, I employ apparatus of the kind described in the

page_text: Specification of Letters Patent granted to me No. 16258 of 1892, but which is
constructed with a second injector or row of injectors arranged at a lower level
than the oil injectors shown in that Specification. By means of such lower injector
or injectors, I inject tar or heavy hydrocarbon oils by means of steam, which may
be superheated, into the hottest part of a mass of fuel, previously raised to a state
of incandescence by blowing air through it, whereby the said tar or heavy hydro-
carbon oils will be decomposed, carbon being deposited and added to the bulk of
the fuel, whilst large volumes of methane and hydrogen will be generated. When
this injection of tar or heavy hydrocarbon oils has gone on for a sufficient length of
time to partly reduce the temperature of the fuel, I then inject into the said fuel
by the upper injector or row of injectors, lighter hydrocarbons, such as paraffin,
which, not being decomposed to so great an extent as the others, yield ethylene and
other bodies of high illuminating value to the gas obtained. In this way it is possible
to use three gallons of tar, to one gallon of lighter hydrocarbon oil to make an
illuminating gas of high value.
When tar is used in large quantities for the purpose mentioned, a certain amount
of fuliginous matter is carried over with the gas, and where stoppages are likely to
be produced from this cause, I propose to use a modified construction of apparatus,
designed to obviate such stoppages.
This modified apparatus comprises a gas producer provided with suitable inlets
for air, steam, and hydrocarbon, as in the apparatus described in my said former
Specification, and a regenerator charged with refractory material arranged chequer-
wise, this regenerator being in communication at the top with the gas producer, and
at the bottom with a gas outlet and with a tar well or seal, the arrangement being
such that when the fuel in the gas producer is being raised to a state of
incandescence by the passage through it of air, hot gases and products of com-
bustion will pass through the regenerator and heat the contents thereof to a high
temperature, after which the hydrocarbon gas produced by injecting the hydro-
carbon into the incandescent fuel will be led direct through the heated regenerator
wherein it will be heated, and any hydrocarbon which may have escaped gasification
in the generator, become converted into a permanent illuminating gas, which will
escape by a suitable outlet to a sealed hydraulic main, whilst any products that
might become condensed will pass out through an overflow. To assist the passage
of the hydrocarbon gas through the regenerator and to prevent stoppage, a suitably
arranged steam jet is provided, the steam decomposing the fuliginous matter with
formation of water gas. The regenerator may be advantageously arranged to form
part of the same structure as the gas producer, and the chequer-work therein may
be composed partly of fire-brick and partly of small pigs or bars of iron, the latter
being arranged at the lower part of the regenerator and serving to produce hydrogen
as in the process described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me
No. 21598 of 1891.
The outlet pipe from the bottom of the regenerator may be inclined, its
upper side being provided with an outlet pipe for the escape of producer gas
during blowing, and its lower end being in connection with the seal, suitable
removable covers or plates being provided to admit of the pipe being cleared
when necessary.
To enable the gas producer to be raised to a suitable state of incandescence
in a quicker and more uniform manner than has heretofore been usual, the said
gas producer is or may be constructed with one or more air inlets at different
levels, in addition to the inlet at the bottom of the gas producer, so that two or
more blasts of air will be injected into the fuel simultaneously at different
points in its height. This arrangement of air blasts may advantageously be used in
connection with gas producers for producing gas other than oil gas, as for example
water gas.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 shows partly in front elevation and partly in longitudinal vertical section;

page_text: Fig. 2 in end elevation, apparatus suitable for carrying out my present invention
and designed to obviate stoppages due to fuliginous matter carried off by the gas
produced.
1 is a gas producer comprising an outer metal casing lined with refractory
material such as firebrick and provided with inlets 2 for fuel and outlets 3 for
clinker, these inlets and outlets being normally closed by doors 2 and 3*
respectively. 4 is a pipe through which and the branch pipes 4ª air can be
blown from time to time, into the bottom of the gas producer below the grate
bars therein, for the purpose of raising the fuel therein to a state of incandescence.
5 and 5" are additional air inlets arranged respectively at the upper and lower parts
of the gas producer, and 5° are intermediate air inlets, each in communication by a
branch pipe 6, with the main air pipe 4, so that several blasts of air can be injected
into the fuel simultaneously at different points in its height for the purposes
herein before mentioned. 7 is a steam superheating pipe of serpentine form
embedded in one of the end walls 1 of the gas producer. One end of this pipe
is connected with a steam generator, not shown, and its other end with a pipe 8
provided with a valve 9. 10 are the upper injectors, of which four are shown,
through which a light hydrocarbon such as paraffin, supplied by a main oil pipe 11
and branch pipes 11 is blown into the mass of incandescent fuel in the gas
producer 1 by means of superheated steam supplied from the steam pipe 8 by
vertical and horizontal branch pipes '8", 8" respectively. 12 are lower injectors, of
which five are shown, through which ordinary coal tar or heavy hydrocarbon oil
such as furnace oil or crude oil, supplied by a main supply pipe 13 and branch
pipes 13* is blown into the hottest portion of the mass. of incandescent fuel in the
producer by means of superheated steam supplied from the said steam pipe 8 by
the vertical branch pipe 8" and a horizontal branch pipe 8°. 14 is a regenerator
that is arranged to form part of the same structure as the gas.producer 1. It is
charged with refractory material arranged chequer-wise, the upper portion 14* of
such material being composed of fire-brick, whilst the lower portion 14b consists
of small pigs or bars of iron. The regenerator is in communication at the top by
a passage 15 with the gas producer, and at the bottom by an outlet 16 and tar well
or vessel 17 with a gas outlet 18. The tar well or vessel is provided with a vertical
division 17, the lower end of which is sealed by liquid in the said tar well. 19 are
steam jets connected with the steam pipe 8 and whereby jets of superheated steam
can be introduced into the regenerator for the purpose of assisting the hydrocarbon
gas, coming from the gas producer 1, to flow downward through the regenerator
and thence to the gas-outlet 18. 20 is a vertical pipe to serve as a chimney to
facilitate the lighting of the fuel in the gas producer at starting. This pipe is
normally closed by a snift valve 21. 22 is an outlet pipe in direct communication
with the outlet 16 of the regenerator and through which, upon opening the
valve 23 with which it is provided, producer gas is permitted to escape when
blowing the gas generator with air to raise the fuel therein to a state of
incandescence. 24 is a door by removing which access can be gained to the
regenerator for cleaning or other purpose, and 25 are removable covers or plates to
admit of the outlet 16 and pipe 18 being cleared when necessary.
The gas producer may be provided on both sides with air inlets and steam and
oil injectors; also the air blast pipes or passages may be formed in the lining of the
gas producer if desired.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-Carbonaceous fuel such as coke
is introduced into the gas producer 1, ignited and then raised to incandescence by
air forced through the air inlets 4, 5, 5 & 5' from the blast main 4, the products
of combustion thereby produced, and consisting largely of carbon monoxide and
nitrogen, being led away through the outlet 15 down through the regenerator 14,
and thence through the outlet pipe 22 the valve 23 of which is then opened.
this means the refractory material 14, 14° in the regenerator, and the end wall 1
of the gas producer containing the steam superheating pipe 7, are raised to the
required high temperature, and iron oxides on the pigs or bars 14, reduced to
By

page_text: metallic iron. The air blast is then cut off and ordinary coal tar, or heavy
hydrocarbon oil such as hereinbefore mentioned, is introduced through the lower
set of injectors 12 by means of superheated steam from the pipe 8, into the lower
and hottest part of the mass of incandescent fuel in the gas producer, where it will
be decomposed, into gas and carbon, the gas, containing large quantities of
methane and hydrogen, escaping through the heated regenerator 14, and the
carbon being added to the fuel in the gas producer 1. During this operation, the
flow of gas through the regenerator is assisted by jets of steam from the nozzles 19,
the escaping gas displacing the liquid seal in the left hand side of the tar well 17
sufficiently to enable it to pass under the division 17ª and thence to the outlet 18;
any matters condensed from the gas falling into the tar well from which they
ultimately pass away by an overflow 17%. Owing to the great heat of the
regenerator 14, part of the steam admitted thereto from the nozzles 19 will be
decomposed, and by combining with fuliginous matter carried over with the
escaping gas, will form an additional quantity of gas and at the same time prevent
choking of the regenerator.
After this operation has gone on for a sufficient time to partly reduce the
temperature of the fuel, the supply of tar or heavy hydrocarbon oil and steam to
the lower row of injectors 12 is or may be cut off, and lighter hydrocarbon such as
paraffin, is injected by means of steam into the upper portion of the mass of red
hot or incandescent fuel through the upper row of injectors 10 whereby ethylene
and other bodies of high illuminating value are produced, which escape through
the regenerator, tar well and outlet pipe 18 and are mixed with the gas containing
imethane and hydrogen previously produced. This generation of gas is continued
until the temperature of the fuel in the gas producer has fallen below the required
point. The steam and hydrocarbon are then shut off, and air turned on to the
various air inlets 4, 5, 5 and 5 so as to again raise the fuel to a state of
incandescence, any hydrocarbon remaining in the gas producer assisting the carbon
monoxide generated by the action of the air on the fuel, to reduce to the metallic
state any oxide of iron that may have been formed on the pigs or bars of iron in
the regenerator by the action of the steam admitted to such regenerator by the
nozzles 19, so that such pigs or bars of iron will be ready for re-use when again
generating illuminating gas. Instead of injecting the tar or heavy hydrocarbon
oil and lighter hydrocarbon alternately into the gas producer, the injection of the
former may be continued after the supply of the latter has been turned on, so that
at this time both light and heavy hydrocarbon will be injected simultaneously into
the gas producer.
When working with a gas producer 1 having the following internal dimensions
viz. 12 feet high, 12 feet wide and 8 feet from front to back, I have obtained
satisfactory results by using three gallons of tar to one gallon of paraffin, the
injection of the former taking about 5 minutes and the injection of the latter about
the same time, the steam used being at a pressure of about one hundred pounds to
the square inch and heated to a temperature of about 400° C. The relative
quantities of steam and hydrocarbon admitted through the injectors into the
incandescent fuel should be so regulated that the gas generated in the gas producer
shall be of a brown colour. This may be ascertained and provided for in the manner
described in my said former Specification No. 16258 of 1892.
The generation of water gas from the steam used for injecting the hydrocarbons,
serves to prevent over-cracking of such hydrocarbons by the mass of incandescent
fuel, and the heat of the regenerator serves to fix the gas and enable a permanent
illuminating gas to be obtained, as in the manufacture or production of illuminating
gas according to my said former Specification.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1 In the manufacture
ди
production
mising th
sexhumetted mate

page_text: gas or carburetted hydrogen or a mixture of the two produced from liquid hydro-
carbons of low specific gravity, a gas rich in methane produced by injecting tar or
heavy hydrocarbon oil by means of superheated steam iuto a mass of fuel raised to
a state of incandescence by blowing air into the gas producer from time to time, as
set forth.
2. The herein described method of manufacturing or producing illuminating gas
by injecting tar or heavy hydrocarbon oil with superheated steam into a mass
of fuel previously raised to a state of incandescence by blowing air through
it, and after the temperature of the fuel has been in this way partly reduced,
injecting a lighter hydrocarbon such as paraffin with superheated steam into
the said mass of fuel, as set forth, the gas produced by the two operations being
led through a heated fixing vessel and mixed together, and the fuel being again
raised to incandescence after each double operation by blowing air through it, as
set forth.
3. In the manufacture or production of gas according to the preceding claims,
causing the gas produced by the injection of tar or heavy hydrocarbon oil with steam
into a mass of incandescent fuel to pass through a highly heated regenerator charged
partly with refractory material such as firebrick and partly with iron and into
which steam is injected, whereby fuliginous matter carried into the regenerator by
the escaping gas is converted into additional gas and stoppage of the apparatus
prevented, substantially as herein described.
4. My improved apparatus constructed arranged and operating substantially as.
described and shown for the manufacture or production of illuminating gas rich in
methane from liquid hydrocarbons in the manner set forth.
Dated this 8th day of December 1894.
VIVIAN B. LEWES.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.