IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING ILLUMINATING AND HEATING GASES AND USEFUL PRODUITS EDAV BAL
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hartley Kenyon of Altrincham in the County of Chester
Manufacturing Chemist for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD
OF AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING ILLUMINATING AND HEATING GASES AND
USEFUL PRODUITS EDAV BALT
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hartley Kenyon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th October 1883.
HARTLEY KENYON of Altrincham in the County of Chester, Manufacturing
Chemist, " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING
ILLUMINATING AND HEATING GASES AND USEFUL PRODUCTS FROM COAL AND OTHER
MATTERS
"
In the production of gases I employ retort chambers which are arranged to be
worked in pairs and are built up with fire bricks and blocks. Each retort may be
about twenty to thirty feet long eight to nine feet high and two to five feet wide
with an arched roof. Below the floor of each retort is a vaulted furnace chamber
in which gas to heat the retort is burnt. The sides and party walls of the
retorts are formed for a part of their height with passages which are broken up
by means of thin division walls and projecting bricks or floors with openings so
as to obtain a large heat absorbing surface. The products of combustion are
conveyed to and fro through these passages hot air being supplied to ensure
complete combustion of the carbon the gases passing into a lower vaulted flue
below the furnace chamber. In this flue pipes for the heating of air are arranged.
Above the crown of the furnace chamber and in or below the floor of the retort
pipes for the superheating of steam are arranged. The retorts are provided with
outlet passages and valves for illuminating gas and with connecting pipes and
valves whereby at certain stages of the operations gases and vapours from one
retort can be conveyed into the other and at other stages can be conveyed from
either retort into absorbers or chambers. I select coal which is rich in nitrogen,
carbon and hydrogen and has a minimum of ash and iron. Supposing illuminating
CD 031

page_text: gas to have been driven off from a retort in a pair for a suitable time the gas
valve is closed and highly superheated steam alone or in company with heated air
is discharged into the incandescent coke and into the upper space superheated
steam, ammonia and waste gas from the flues are discharged. Water, gas and
carbonate of ammonia are evolved and are passed into an absorber containing a
solution of salt. The said absorber is by preference egg-shaped in section and has
in the lower part a revolving screw agitator and in the upper part a revolving
agitator having arms which pass between partitions which dip into the solution.
The gases in passing from one compartment to the other become washed.
Bi-carbonate of sodium falls down and is removed by the screw. Chloride of
ammonium is formed and passes into a second absorber which is charged with
soda waste or lime. From this absorber sulphide of ammonium or caustic
ammonia passes, chloride of calcium and insoluble matter remaining. The sulphide
of ammonium is conveyed into sulphurous acid sulphur falling and ammonia being
liberated. I pass the ammonia into the retorts to absorb carbonate of ammonia
as hereinbefore mentioned. Such carbonate may be used to decompose salt or be
passed into sulphuric acid to form sulphate of ammonia. At a suitable stage in
the process when the other retort has been re-charged the valve leading to the
absorber is closed and the gases are conveyed through the charge in the other
retort to heat the same the ammonia passing in with the superheated steam being
in excess of the carbonic acid and sulphuretted hydrogen, whereby I obtain a gas
free from carbonic acid and sulphuretted hydrogen. The gas passing through the
hydrant is led into a vaulted chamber or washer and is washed with ammonia
liquor benzol being afterwards removed by suitable means. In some cases I inject
into the coke chloride of zinc or of iron by means of the superheated steam in
place of ammonia. The coke may be withdrawn from the retort and quenched or
superheated steam and hot air may be passed in until ashes remain. I may
charge the retorts with coal and woolen shoddy or with shale in place of coal. To
draw the retorts I employ mechanical rakes actuated by means of chains which
draw the coke in opposite directions towards discharge openings at the front and
back of the retort and deliver the coke into wagons which may be moved by chains
to subject the coke to the water spray. To charge the retorts I employ boxes or
scoops which are pushed in from the back and front upon guides or rails and
inveited. The carriages which sustain the rakes and chargers run upon rails and
are actuated by power the front and back carriages being connected together over
the retorts. The rakes, shafts or frames are pivoted and are acted upon by cranks
so that when pushed in the rakes are forced down into the coke.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Hartley Kenyon in the Patent Office on the 17th April 1884.
HARTLEY KENYON of Altrincham in the County of Chester, Manufacturing
Chemist "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING
ILLUMINATING AND HEATING GASES AND USEFUL PRODUCTS FROM COAL AND OTHER
MATTERS"
In the carrying into effect of my invention I distil coal and other substances in
furnaces of improved construction and obtain illuminating and heating gases and
also ammoniacal gases which I use in the production of ammoniacal salts carbonate
of sodium and other useful products and coke available for use in the manufacture
of iron or for other purposes.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I have attached hereunto
three sheets of drawings marked with letters of reference. Referring to sheet 1 of
the said drawings Figs. 1 and 2 represent sectional elevations of parts of two ranges
of retorts or ovens constructed in accordance with my invention Fig. 3 in sheet 2
being a longitudinal vertical section on the line * in Fig 2 the said Figs being
made to a scale of about half an inch to the foot. In Fig: 1 A, A are retorts
designed more particularly for use in the production of illuminating and heating
gases. The retorts B B in Fig: 2 have less height and are intended to be used in
the production of coke as well as of gases. The retorts A A are arched chambers
formed of fire bricks and fire clay lumps and are separated by walls a, a in which
are formed flues through which heated gases are caused to circulate in a circuitious
direction. Slabs or partitions of fire clay a¹ project across these flues and cause
the heated gases to traverse to and fro and projecting bricks check the flow of the
gases and act as heat absorbers whereby the walls a become highly heated. Two
combustion chambers b, b, having arched crowns are formed below the floor of each
retort and are separated by means of a cavity wall b₁ formed in a similar manner
to the walls a. The formation of the flues in the said walls is indicated in the
lower part of Fig. 3 Below the said combustion chambers are formed air inlet
flues c, c, from which air is supplied to the flues in the wall b the air flowing
through the said flues in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig: 3 and
becoming highly heated escapes through openings formed at intervals in the floor
of the retort as indicated by the arrows. Heating gas is admitted to the chambers b
and is burnt therein with the aid of illuminating gas which is also admitted through
a pipe or jet and is kept burning to ensure the combustion of the heating, gas,
The burning gases heat the floor of the retort and also the side and partition walls
of the said chambers. In the two side walls b¹ of the chambers air flues are also
formed and the air heated by flowing through the said flues is admitted through
openings in the walls at the front ends of the chambers and mingles with the gases
admitted to the said chambers as aforesaid thus ensuring the complete combustion
of the gases. At times I admit superheated steam into the flues in the walls b¹
through a pipe leading into the lower part of each flue. The heated gases resulting
from the combustion of gases in the said chambers pass out at the back ends of the
chambers into the flues in the walls a and by flowing through the said flues as
aforesaid heat the said walls. The passages through which the gases flow from
the chambers b to the flues in the walls a appear at e in the cases of the retorts B
the section of the latter being taken at the rear ends of the retorts. The foregoing
description applies to the retorts B equally with the retorts A. In the crown of
each retort at or near the front end thereof is a pipe f and at or near the other end
is a second pipe g. The pipe f is provided with a branch h which extenda into a

page_text: box h¹ and with a second branch i which extends into a box i¹. The box h¹ is
connected with a gas pipe or main j and the box with a similar pipe. The
boxes act as valves each box permitting the flow of gas when empty and stopping
the flow when filled with water. The pipes g serve to connect together the
two retorts in each pair the retorts being arranged to work in pairs. The said pipes
open into a box which can be sealed with water as in the case of the other boxes.
When the boxes are emptied the gases from one of the retorts in a pair can be
passed into the other retort. The retorts A are provided with doors n for the removal
of ashes and residue the retorts B being provided with large doors o for the
removal of coke. A pipe to deliver ammonia vapour enters one end of each
retort and each retort is provided with a sight hole m covered with mica. The
retorts are charged with coal slack or coal. With the coal I may use woolen
shoddy peat shale or other suitable nitrogenous matters. Supposing one of the
retorts in a pair to have been charged the distillation commences. For a time I
open a passage through g, g, and cause the highly heated gases from the nearly
spent charge in the one retort to pass into the other and thereby to assist in the
heating of the charge and in the production of gas. So long as illuminating gas is
produced I keep the passage into the illuminating gas main say the main jopen
the passage through the box il being sealed with water. During the operation I
admit ammonia vapour resulting from operations to be described into the retort in
order to regulate the heat and to absorb carbonic acid and decompose sulphide of
hydrogen. When the production of illuminating gas of the desired quality ceases
I close the passage through the box h and open the passage through the other
box. The gas will now pass into the heating gas main. The gases pass into the
latter main at a great heat and before the gas is used this heat may be utilised by
passing the gas below evapouring pans or by other means. Gas from the main
is led into the combustion chamber to heat the retorts as aforesaid. In the cases
of the retorts A the operation is conducted until the carbon is consumed but in the
cases of the retorts B the charges are withdrawn when coke of a suitably good
quality has been produced. In some cases all the retorts may be of the A
construction being worked only for the production of gas or they may all be of
the B class producing coke of good quality in addition to gas. In the production
of carbonic oxide water gas or heating gas after the emission of illuminating gas
steam is discharged into the lower part of the flue in the wall b¹ and passing
through the said flue becomes highly superheated and escapes upward through the
openings in the floor of the retort into the incandescent charge absorbing nitrogen
and sulphur. The steam by causing a slight pressure within the retort prevents
the inlet of air. I may however in some cases adinit heated air with the steam.
The gases from the main not required in the heating of the retorts I use in the
processes now to be described or I use the said gases in the heating of puddling or
smelting furnaces or for any other purposes for which such gases are suitable.
working the B retorts I also discharge superheated steam alone or in company
with heated air into the body of coke after the closing of the passage into the
illuminating gas main but I suspend the operation when the coke has become free
or nearly free from sulphur and withdraw the charge. Sheet 3 contains a ground
plan indicating the arrangement of plant suitable to be used in the said processes.
In the said sheet C is the condenser into which the illuminating gas is passed.
The deposited hydro carbons flow into the ammonical liquor and tar well D. The
gas passes to the washer E the deposits from which are carried by the wash water
into the well D. The gas may also be washed in a coffey still F to eliminate
benzol and be passed into the gas holder. The ammoniacal liquor from the well D
is pumped to the top of a tower or scrubber G which is filled with broken bricks or
with suitable substances. From this tower liquor passes into the ammonia stills H
which are heated by means of heating gases from the retorts: The steam and
ammoniacal gases are passed into the bottom of the tower G and ascending
therein heat the descending ammoniacal liquor. Ammonium sulphide and
ammonia carbonate pass out in a state of vapour. The fixed ammonical
In

page_text: salts pass from the bottom of the tower into the stills and from thence into
a lime decomposer I containing milk of lime. From this caustic ammonia is
driven off and is passed into the retorts as aforesaid. When not so used the
caustic ammonia is conveyed to the foot of the tower. The ammoniacal vapours
issuing from the top of the tower can be washed in a sulphuric acid tower J or in
a saturator K containing sulphuric acid thereby producing sulphate of ammonia.
Or the ammoniacal vapours may be conveyed by means of a Roots blower L or by
other suitable means into clarified salt brine contained in absorbers M, M to be
hereinafter described. The carbonate of ammonia and carbonic acid decompose the
chloride of sodium and bi-carbonate of soda is precipitated, chlorides of ammonium
and sodium and carbonate of ammonia being retained in solution. This solution is
conveyed into an absorber N by means of a pump o or by other means and is
charged with carbonic acid gas which is drawn from a finishing furnace P by
means of an air pump R. I also pass into the absorber N the products of
combustion from the heating Blues of the stills H which are heated by the gases
from the flues of the retorts these gases being rich in carbonic acid. The said
gases are compressed to some extent and passed through a refrigerator S into the
absorbers wherein the carbonic acid precipitates bi-carbonate of soda leaving a
minimum of chloride of sodium in solution. The solids and liquids may be drawn
off without reduction of pressure and be passed into hydro-extractors q of a
suitable construction. The precipitate obtained from the hydro-extractors is washed
and passed to the finishing furnace P wherein the ammonia and one equivalent of
carbonic acid are driven off and conveyed to the absorber N as aforesaid. The
liquid from the hydro-extractors is conveyed into the evaporating pan U to be
concentrated. The ammoniacal vapours rising from the said pan are conveyed to
the tower G. The concentrated salts from the said pan collect in a hopper U¹ at
one end of the said pan the bottom of the said pan inclining towards the said
hopper. The salts are conveyed by means of a worm from the said hopper to
subliming pots V wherefrom sal ammoniac is sublimed and condensed by suitable
means. The residuum I add to salt brine. The carbonate of soda precipitates
magnesia and iron. The supernatant liquor is passed into a vaccum filter to
separate the magnesia and iron and is then passed or pumped into a coffey still W
to wash the gases arising from the absorbers M N after the said gases have been
passed through an elevated coffey still X which is charged with clarified salt brine.
The liquor from the coffey still W is filtered and supplies coffey still X with the
clarified salt brine. In place of the described treatment of the salts withdrawn
from the hopper U₁ as aforesaid I may mix the said salts with an excess of dried
chalk and convey the mixture into revolving furnaces. The gases from these
furnaces are passed into the absorber N and thence into the absorbers M. The
residuum obtained from the furnaces contain chloride of calcium and sodium. The
construction of the absorbers M and N is illustrated by Figs. 4 and 5 in sheet 2,
Fig: 4 being a vertical cross section and Fig 5 a longitudinal vertical section of one
end of the apparatus. In the said Figs. p is a cylindrical chamber which is divided
into compartments by means of partitions q which dip into the liquid contents.
Only two compartments appear in the drawings but there may be four or more
according to the length of the chamber. A shaft r extends throughout the chamber
and passes out at each end or at one end through a stuffing box. Upon this shaft
are fixed agitators 8, 8 consisting of arms to which are fixed a circular bucket rim
in which are buckets or compartments S¹. The shaft r is caused to revolve by
means of suitable gearing. The vapours are conveyed into the absorber by means
of a pipe the spent gases passing out through a pipe at the other end of the
chamber. Brine is conveyed or pumped into the absorber. As the agitators
revolve the buckets carry the gaseous vapours below the surface and the said
vapours escaping through apertures in the buckets bubble up through the brine.
The buckets also lift the brine and allow it to fall through the vapours. Each
partition is bent at its lower edge so as to extend within the plane of the edge of
the agitator which is on the inlet side of the partition so that vapours escaping

page_text: through apertures in the side of the agitator will in passing upward enter the next
compartment. In this way the gaseous vapours whilst being brought into intimate
contact with the brine are also passed from one compartment to the other towards
the outlet. The bi-carbonate of sodium settles in a trough w which extends from
end to end of the chamber. A revolving screw y propels the salt towards an
outlet at one end of the chamber. I do not confine myself to the special
construction of the absorber as any suitable agitating apparatus which will bring
the gaseous vapours into intimate contact with the brine may be used.
considerable heat is generated in the absorbers I may enclose or partly enclose
them within water jackets through which brine or water is caused to circulate.
Ag
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of my said invention and
the manner in which I carry the same into practical effect I would have it to be
understood that I claim :-
First. The retorts formed with combustion chambers and with hollow walls or
partitions for the heating of the retorts and of air and steam, for use in the
distillation of coal, coal slack and other indicated matters substantially as and for
the purposes set forth and indicated hereinbefore and in and by the accompanying
drawings.
Secondly. Admitting ammoniacal vapour into retorts in the process of distilling
coal shale slack and other indicated matters for the purposes substantially as
set forth.
Thirdly. The retorts arranged to be worked in pairs so that gases and
ammoniacal vapour from one retort are passed into the other retort at suitable
times substantially as and for the purposes set forth and indicated.
Fourthly. The process for producing illuminating gas free or nearly free from
carbonic acid and sulphuretted hydrogen substantially as set forth and indicated.
Fifthly. The production of gases for heating purposes having a small proportion
of nitrogen by the destructive distillation of coal slack coal peat and other
indicated matters superheated steam being delivered into the incandescent charge
substantially as set forth and indicated.
Sixthly. The treatment of ammoniacal vapours derived from the distillation of
coal peat slack and other indicated matters with salt brine to obtain bi-carbonate
of soda and residual liquor. containing chloride of ammonium substantially as set
forth and indicated
And lastly. The absorbers or apparatus for agitating salt brine in company with
ammoniacal vapours and carbonic acid or spent heating gases substantially as and
for the purpose set forth and indicated.
In witness whereof I the said Hartley Kenyon have hereunto set my hand
and seal this sixteenth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty four
TTA DITT DV DENVAN
Signed sealed and
delivered in the
presence of
}
EDWARD K. DUTTON
41 John Dalton St, Manchester.
(Agent for the Patentee)
TTA DITENVAAT
LAMAYAWAY
(in.c.)