Improved Means or Method for Controlling the Secondary Air or Furnace Gases in Generator or Regenerator Furnaces and Producers.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar.,
1899
Complete Specification Left, 20th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 10th Feb., 1900
Improved Means or Method for Controlling the Secondary Air or
Furnace Gases in Generator or Regenerator Furnaces and Producers.
I, JOHN ARMITAGE DRAKE, of Ovenden, Halifax, in the County of York, Gas
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates firstly to means to be employed for controlling the
secondary air or furnace gases in generator or regenerator furnaces and producers
where coke, coal, or other combustible material is used in connection with
metallurgical and other furnaces.
In carrying out this part of my invention I divide the oven, kiln, or muffle
to be heated into two or more sections lengthways as may be found necessary,
such sections to be controlled by an air channel or conduit from the front to
the back of the oven or kiln to the entrance of such chamber so that the means
of regulation may be exterior of such oven or kiln and easy of access for con-
trolling purposes. The oven or kiln may be divided into any number of sections
from such entrance to chamber, the air chamber being formed zig-zag from front
to back or side to side. The construction of the recuperative or regenerative
chamber is such that the whole of the surface of the heated brickwork may be
utilized in heating the outgoing supply of air. Any ordinary or well known
means may be employed for regulating the introduction of the secondary air but
preferably I adopt a suitably arranged number or series of sliding doors or valves
for controlling or regulating admission of secondary_air.
According to a second method of controlling the furnace gases, provision is
made over the top of the producer chamber, preferably by a hollow or chambered
wall, whereby the outlet for the furnace gases from the producer may pass through
or by way of the crown of said producer arch in the hollow or chambered wall
before mentioned, thence through suitably and properly grated apertures into
the combustion chamber, to meet the secondary air supply before mentioned
thereby establishing complete combustion. The opening or chamber in the wall
already referred to must be made of somewhat larger size than the aperture
leading from the producer into said chamber so that bricks of suitable sizes and
shape may be introduced in such a manner as to lie flat upon such surfaces so
as to effectually check or retard at will the passage of the furnace gases from
producer to combustion chamber which is done in order to prevent local or
unequal heating, of the parts.
101 day of March 1899
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Patent Agenta, Halifax Agents for Applicant.
Improved Means or Method for Controlling the Secondary Air or
Furnace Gases in Generator or Regenerator Furnaces and Producers.
I, JOHN ARMITAGE DRAKE, of Ovenden, Halifax, in the County of York, Gas
0 Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
'
My invention relates firstly to means to be employed for controlling the
secondary air in generator and re-generator furnaces and producers where, coal,
coke, or other combustible material is used in connection with metallurgical and
other furnaces.
In carrying out this part of my invention I divide the oven, muffle, or kiln to
be heated into two or more sections lengthwise as may be found
necessary, such sections to be controlled by an air channel or conduit,
from the front to the back of the oven or kiln to the entrance of such chamber so
that the means of regulation may be exterior of such oven or kiln and easy of
access for controlling purposes. The oven or kiln may be divided into any
number of sections from such entrance to chamber, the air chamber being formed
zig-zag from front to back or side to side. The construction of the recuperative
or re-generative chamber is such that the whole of the surface of the heated
brickwork may be utilised in heating the ingoing supply of air. Any ordinary
or well known means may be employed for regulating the introduction of the
secondary air but preferably I adopt a suitably arranged number or series of
sliding doors or valves for controlling or regulating admission of secondary
air.
According to my method of controlling the furnace gases, provision is made
over the top of the producer chamber, preferably by a hollow or chambered wall,
whereby the outlet for the furnace gases from the producer may pass through or
by way of the crown of said producer arch in the hollow or chambered wall before
mentioned, thence through suitably and properly grated apertures into the
combustion chamber, to meet the secondary air supply before mentioned, thereby
establishing complete combustion. The opening or chamber in the wall already
referred to must be made of somewhat larger size than the apertures leading
from the producer into said chamber so that bricks of suitable sizes and shape
may be introduced in such a manner as to lie flat upon such surfaces so as to
effectually check or retard, at will, the passage of the furnace gases from the
producer to the combustion chamber which is done in order to prevent local
or unequal heating of the parts.
In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention:
Fig. 1 is transverse sectional elevation taken on line A, A, of Fig. 2, of a
producer and recuperator having my improvements applied thereto:
Fig. 2 is longitudinal sectional elevation taken on line B, B, of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is sectional plan view taken on line C, C, of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is another sectional plan view taken on line D, D, of Fig. 1; and
Fig. 5 is enlarged front elevation, partly in section, of the lower part of the
oven or furnace.
Fig. 6 is transverse sectional elevation taken on line F, F, of Fig. 7 of a
generator furnace having my improvements applied thereto; and
Fig. is longitudinal sectional elevation of same taken on line E, E, of
Fig. 6.
Referring to the drawings which shew my improvements applied to a recupera-
tive or re-generative furnace of the type shewn and described in the Specification
and drawings of prior Letters Patent granted to me on the 16th day of March
A.D. 1898, No. 6160, letter a represents the furnace or producer chamber, the
retorts, ovens, kilns, or the like as the case may be, which are to be heated
thereby and the combustion chambers from which the products of combustion
pass direct to, and circulate around, the ovens, retorts, muffles, or kilns, in the
ordinary manner.
After performing their work in heating the ovens b, the waste gases or products
of combustion pass direct by way of channels d, d, and e, e, to the recuperator
tubes f, which convey them downwardly in a zig-zag course from back to front
and front to back alternately in a direction lengthwise of the furnace as indicated

page_text: by the arrows, as many times as may be desired, and finally deliver them into
the main flue or uptake g for discharge into the atmosphere. are transverse
fire brick walls covering the joints of the tubes f to prevent leakage arising from
shrinkage or settling down of the foundation work. These transverse walls i are
made solid from side to side of the recuperative chambers so as to divide the
secondary air spaces or passages k, up or through which the secondary air passes
and circulates around the recuperator tubes f, into several sections longitudinally
as shewn clearly at Figs. 2 and 3 such said sections being independent of or
having no communication with each other, and therefore differing in this respect
from all other constructions of recuperators. Leading to the lower or inlet ends
of each section of secondary air passages are air admitting channels or con-
duits m extending longitudinally from their respective secondary air passages to
near the front of the furnace, and terminating in a chamber or box m' provided
with sliding doors or valves m2 (see Fig. 5) for primarily controlling or regulating
admission of atmospheric air to said chamber or box. In addition to said sliding
doors or valves loose wedge shaped blocks n (Fig. 3) are provided which are
adapted to be moved into or withdrawn from the mouths of the air admitting
channels or conduits m and thereby contract or increase the space or area of same
through which air can pass from the chamber or box m¹ into said channels. By
adjusting the doors or valves over or away from the openings or opening into
the chamber m¹ the quantity of secondary air supplied to the recuperator and
therefore to the combustion chambers can be controlled and governed to the
greatest nicety to suit requirements. The quantity of secondary air admitted to
each of the several sections of the air passages k can also be regulated as is found
necessary by the wedge shaped blocks ; consequently I am enabled to supply a
properly distributed supply of heated air to the combustion chambers from front
to back thereof to meet the producer or furnace gases and ensure perfect
combustion.
Instead of employing the moveable blocks n I may in some cases continue the
channels or conduits m to the exterior of the recuperator and employ a separate
sliding door or valve m² to control the supply of air to each of said channels or
conduits and air passages.
The highly heated secondary air passes from the recuperative chambers or air
passages to the combustion chamber c through the flues or nostrils o.
The means I adopt for governing and controlling the supply of producer or
furnace gases admitted to the combustion chamber consist of a chamber p
formed in the supporting wall built on the crown key block of the arch of the
furnace or producer chamber « into which chamber all the producer or furnace
gases pass from the producer chamber a through openings a From this
chamber the gases emerge through lateral openings into the combustion
chamber to meet the heated secondary air supplies. The width of chamber p
is made rather larger than the width of openings a leading thereto from the
producer chamber a, in order to receive bricks or blocks of suitable size and
shape which lie flat upon the floor of such chamber p and are adapted to be
moved over or away from the openings a¹ and p¹ as required to effectually check
or retard, if found necessary, the passage of the producer or furnace gases to the
combustion chamber at any point longitudinally thereof, which is done in order
to prevent local or unequal heating of the parts of said combustion chamber.
Figs. 6 and 7 shew the application of my improvements to a generator furnace
where the waste products of combustion after heating the ovens. muffles, kilns,
or retorts are not employed to heat the incoming supply of secondary air but are
allowed to pass away into the main or exit flue.
In this class of furnace the secondary air is heated by causing it to travel in a
zig-zag manner over the surface of the heated side walls of the producer. Accord-
ing to my improved method of controlling the secondary air supply the transverse
walls are made solid from side to side of the secondary air chamber, thus forming
a series of separate and independent air passages & each of which opens respec-

page_text: tively at its inlet end into an air admitting channel or conduit m. The admission
of air to these conduits m is controlled by a sliding door or valve m³ (see Fig. 5)
at the inlet end of each of said channels or conduits or if desired the said channels
or conduits may open at their inlet ends into a box or chamber m' (see Fig. 3)
having sliding doors or valves m² to regulate the total quantity of secondary air
supplied to the furnace, and the admission of air to each individual air channel m
may be controlled and regulated by the wedge shaped blocks n (see Fig. 3).
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is ::
(1) In metallurgical and other like generator, re-generator, and recuperator
furnaces, ovens, or kilns, the employment of solid transverse walls i dividing or
forming the secondary air passages into separate and independent sections, or
compartments, longitudinally, air admitting channels or conduits m opening at
one end into the inlet ends of said sections of air passages, and at the other
into a chamber or box m¹ at the exterior of the recuperator, sliding doors or
valves m³ to such chamber or box for governing or controlling the admission of
air thereto, and moveable wedge shaped blocks or bricks n fitting within the
mouths or inlet ends of the air admitting channels or conduits to control or
regulate the area of same, and the admission of air into the conduits, sub-
stantially as herein described, and shewn in the drawings.
(2) In metallurgical and other like generator, re-generator, or recuperator
furnaces, ovens, or kilns, the employment of solid transverse walls dividing
or forming the secondary air passages into separate and independent sections or
compartments longitudinally, and air admitting channels or conduits m opening
at one end into the inlet ends of said sections of air passages, the other or
external ends or openings of said channels or conduits being controlled individually
by separate sliding doors or valves m² to control. or regulate the admission of air
thereto substantially as described.
(3) In metallurgical and other like generator, re-generator, or recuperator
furnaces, ovens, or kilns, the formation of a chamber p in the supporting wall r
above the crown of the arch of the furnace or producer which separates the
combustion chambers and supports the ovens, muffles, or kilns, openings or
passages of communication a¹ between said chamber p and the producer or furnace
through which the furnace gases may pass into said chamber, lateral openings pl
leading from the chamber p into the combustion chambers c on each side thereof.
and moveable bricks or blocks lying within the chamber and adapted to
control the area of the openings a leading from the furnace or producer into
said chamber, and of the openings pl leading from said chamber into the combus-
tion chamber to check or retard at will the admission of the furnace gases thereto
at any point longitudinally thereof, all arranged substantially as herein described,
and shown in the drawings.