An Improved Method or Process of Carburetting Water Gas, and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Feb., 1895-Accepted 27th Apr., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method or Process of Carburetting Water Gas, and
Apparatus therefor.
We, ALEXANDER CROMBIE HUMPHREYS of 64 Broadway, New York, United
States of America, temporarily domiciled at 9 Victoria Street, in the County of
London, England, Engineer, and ARTHUR GRAHAM GLASGOW, of the same
addresses, Engineer, 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 :-
Our invention relates to the manufacture of carburetted water gas and has for
its object the more economical use of oils, and especially of difficult oils for
We employ an apparatus
carburetting the gas in the process of its manufacture.
including a water gas generator, a distilling chamber filled with checker-work or
equivalent refractory filling, and situated above and in communication with the
generator, so that liquids thrown into it will tend to flow down into the top of the
generator, a device for supplying liquid hydrocarbon to the top of the distilling
chamber and a gas outlet conduit leading from the top of the said chamber to a
carburetting and fixing chamber. which also forms part of the plant. Preferably
we also employ a conduit leading from the base of the generator to the carburetting
and fixing chamber, providing, of course, valves for regulating the course of the
gases from the generator, and in this case we employ, also, a steam supply pipe
leading into the top of the fixing chamber. In addition we prefer to employ a
surface condeuser or condensers through which the gases pass on leaving the fixing
chamber.
In its most complete sense our method consists in passing water gas through the
distilling chamber, the carburetting and fixing chambers and the surface condenser,
the distilling and carburetting and fixing chambers being preheated and preferably
to temperatures which do not substantially exceed those at which a gas having the
maximum illuminating effect is produced from the oil employed, we inject into the
top of the carburetting chamber a liquid hydrocarbon which is carried with the gas
through the chamber and into the top of the distilling chamber we inject the heavy
tarry oil condensed in the surface condenser, said oil percolating through the
fillng of the chamber in the opposite direction to the ascending gas and the portion
which is not vaporized falling onto the fuel bed in the generator where it forms a
valuable addition to the fuel supply.
Very valuable advantages are gained by our method of introducing liquid
hydrocarbons both at the top of the distilling chamber and the top of the
carburetting chamber causing part to pass in the opposite direction to the gas and
part in the same direction, and this is true where both oil supplies are of the same.
character as it enables us to secure a highly carburetted gas and without
overloading any part of the apparatus, thereby increasing the efficiency of the
apparatus in its treatment of difficult oils and especially in the production of high
candle power gas.
Where only heavy or difficult fluid hydrocarbons containing a large proportion
of pitch or carbon are used for carburetting we introduce them in the top of the
distilling chamber, the hot water gas sweeping the vaporized portions into the
fixing chamber while the decreasing residue percolates through the heated

page_text: refractory filling of the chamber undergoing a process of fractional distillation on
its way, and its unvolatilized residue finally falling onto the fuel to which it forms
a valuable addition. In this case we do not inject oil into the carburetting
chamber except when the current of gas is reversed in the generator and the oil
cut off from the distilling chamber as will be described.
Our improvement both in method and apparatus (and we have made several
mechanical improvements not above mentioned) will best be understood as described
in connection with the drawing which represents our apparatus in elevation and
partly broken away.
A is the generator, B the distilling chamber, filled with refractory material,
C the oil supplying device at top of chamber B, D and D' are fixing chambers or
rather, as shown, carburetting and fixing chambers of usual construction, connected
by conduit K, receiving gas by conduit E2 from the top of the distilling chamber,
and delivering it through conduit L. M is the opening through which the blast
gases issue to the stack N. At the head of chamber D we provide the oil supplying
device C¹, and, when it is in use, the chamber is what is generally called a
carburetter. A conduit E leads from the base of the generator to an annular
chamber E surrounding the base of chamber D and thence pipe flues e' lead
through the walls of D to its top. This construction is advantageous in saving
room, keeping the gases hot and introducing them in such a way that oil a
will not tend to run down in the conduit leading from the base of the
generator. Means as valves F and F¹ are provided for closing either conduit
leading from the generator. G is a steam pipe leading to the base of the
generator in the usual way and G₁ is a steam pipe leading into the top of
chamber B. H is the air blast main, a connection H leading to the base a
of the generator, a connection H H leading to the base of the chamber B,
a connection H³ leading to the head of chamber D and a connection H* leading to
the base of chamber D'. The air is admitted through these various conduits
for blowing up the fire in the generator and for heating the various chambers B, D
and D'. I is the level of the operating floor, and J the feed door of the a
generator.
The conduit L leads into the head O¹ of a surface condenser O, the body 0³ of.
which is kept full of cold water, while through it lead the pipes O' connecting the
head O' with the head O, an extension 05 of which passes down into the liquid
seal box P and below the level of the fluid therein which consists of heavy tarry
hydrocarbons condensed from the gas and which serves to prevent a backward
flow of gas as well as to scrub the gas and free it from the tarry condensed oils.
Having attained the desired level in box P the oils are permitted to escape through
bent pipe P into receptacle P³. P¹ is a water jacket surrounding box P and
serving to keep the oils in it cool.
4
From box P the gas passes through conduit Q into the head R' of the surface
condenser R, the body R³ of which, like that of O, is cooled by water through
which pass multiple pipes R' extending down into the head R' and below the level
at which the condensed heavy oils stand therein (said level being determined by
the escape pipe P') so that the gas issuing in numerous fine streams is exposed to a 4
peculiarly thorough scrubbing before it passes off through conduit R³. Of course
a single condenser can be used or both could be constructed like R, as should the
single one be if no other is employed, because the extension sub-division of the
body of gas in scrubbing it in the heavy oils is important.
In operation we bring the fuel charged into the generator through the door J to 5
a proper degree of beat by means of the blast and we pass the fuel gas generated
in this operation through the chambers B, D, D¹, admitting air in properly
regulated quantities to each chamber in order to insure a proper combustion and the
desired temperature in each. We then cut off the air blast and admit steam
through the pipe G, the valve F being closed and the valve F1 open. At the same 5
time we force liquid hydrocarbons (preferably-as described the oil tar which
remains after the more volatile parts have been driven off from lighter oils or any

page_text: oily matter containing a large percentage of pitch, or as we may term it, surplus.
carbon) through C into the top of the distilling chamber B and upon the refractory
filling thereof through which it gradually works down giving off its volatile parts
and undergoing a process of what we may call fractional distillation under the
influence of the heated filling and of the hot water gas from the generator which
sweeps upward through the chamber B and carries the vaporized oil with it into
the chamber D, while the non-volatilized residue after passing through the
chamber B falls upon the fuel in the generator and becomes a valuable
addition to it.
We prefer also to inject a lighter oil through C'into the head of the chamber D ;
this oil percolating downward into the same direction taken by the water gas and
being gradually volatilized under the influence of the gas and of the heated filling
of the chamber. The highly carburetted gas is fixed in its passage through the
chambers D and D', but, as we have already stated, we prefer that both these
chambers and also the chamber B should be maintained at a temperature not
materially exceeding that at which an oil gas of the maximum illuminating power
is produced from the oils used. This temperature is materially less than that
employed in what is now recognized as good practice, and as a result a smaller
proportion of the oil or oils is converted into a fixed gas than would be the case
were higher temperatures employed. Consequently the gases issuing from the
fixing chamber D₁ through pipe L are loaded with a considerable quantity of
condensible heavy oil, and in order to save this oil in good condition for reuse we
pass the gases through the surface condenser or condensers, a surface condenser
being used to avoid the admixture of water with the condensed oil, which, as is
well known, interferes with its profitable reuse as a carburetting fluid.
It is the oil collected in the seal box P coming partly from R which we
preferably inject into the distilling chamber B, using an ordinary oil of commerce
in the head of the carburetting chamber D.
The method and in some part the apparatus above described, by which the
carburetting and fixing chambers are maintained at a temperature not substantially
exceeding that at which oil gases of the maximum illuminating power are obtained,
and in which a surface condenser is used for recovering the unfixed portion of the
oil for reuse, form the subject matter of the Application for Letters Patent filed
by A. G. Glasgow No. 24005, Dec. 10th, 1894, and are therefore not claimed in
this application.
While, as we have stated, we prefer to inject the heavy oil into the distilling
chamber and a lighter oil into the carburetting chamber, it must be understood
that we claim as our invention the injection of the same oil into both chambers, a
pronounced advantage being gained in this case by the division of the oil supply,
causing a portion of it to travel against the gas current, and a portion with the
current, and thus obtaining more gasified oil for a given amount of uncarburetted
gas and for the temperatures employed than would be otherwise practicable.
In case, owing to the tarry nature of any hydrocarbons introduced to the
distilling chambers, a portion of the surplus carbon tends to cake upon the refractory
filling of the distilling chamber B it can be removed without loss by stopping the
supply of oil to the distilling chamber, closing the valve F1 opening the valve F
and turning on steam through pipe G'. The steam passing downward through the
distilling chamber will under the great heat of the chamber filling combine to a
considerable extent with the carbon, producing gases which continuing down
through the fuel charge of the generator will be further and completely decomposed
and the water gas resulting will pass upward through the conductors E, E', e¹, to
the head of the carburetting chamber D where oil may be injected to carburet the
gas; this treatment is advantageous also in regulating the incandescence of the
fuel in the generator.
It will be understood that carburetting and fixing chambers are not essentially
distinct, the same chamber generally serving both functions where oil is injected
into it

page_text: 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 carburetting water gas which consists in causing a portion of
the liquid hydrocarbons used for the enrichment of the gas to pass downwardly
through a preheated distilling chamber through which the gas is passing upwardly,
and causing a second portion of the liquid hydrocarbons to enter and pass downward
through a preheated carburetting chamber in the same direction as the gas issuing
from the distilling chamber.
2. The method of carburetting water gas which consists in passing the water
gas formed in the generator through a distilling chamber situated above the
generator, thence through carburetting and fixing chambers and thence through a
surface condenser or condensers, injecting into the carburetting chamber liquid
hydrocarbons and into the distilling chamber the heavy hydrocarbons condensed
in the surface condenser.
3. The method of carburetting water gas which consists in passing the water
gas formed in the generator through a distilling chamber situated above the
generator, thence through carburetting and fixing chambers, said chambers being
maintained at temperatures not substantially exceeding those adapted to produce
from the oil gases having the maximum illuminating effect, and thence through
a surface condenser or condensers, injecting into the carburetting chamber liquid
hydrocarbons and into the distilling chamber the heavy hydrocarbons condensed in
the surface condenser.
4. The method of utilizing heavy liquid hydrocarbons in the manufacture of
carburetted water gas, which consists in preheating a distilling chamber connected
with the gas generator, then passing water gas from the generator upward through
the distilling chamber and at the same time passing heavy liquid hydrocarbons
downward through said chamber and draining the heavy residue which is not
vaporized and carried off by the water gas into the generator and fixing the vapors
by passing the mixed gases and vapors through a heated fixing chamber.
5. The method of utilizing liquid hydrocarbons in the manufacture of carburetted
water gas, which consists in preheating a distilling chamber connected with the
gas generator then forcing steam into the base of the generator and passing water
gas from the generator upward through the distilling chamber and at the same
time passing liquid hydrocarbons downward through said chamber and draining
the heavy residue which is not vaporized and carried off by the water gas into the
generator, fixing the vapors by passing the mixed gases and vapors through a
beated fixing chamber, then cutting off the steam supplied to the base of the
generator and the supply of liquid bydrocarbons to the distilling chamber and
forcing steam into the top of the distilling chamber and down through it and the
generator from the base of which the resulting gases are carried to the fixing
chamber:
6. The combination with a water gas generator of a distilling chamber situated
above said generator, a carburetting chamber the top of which communicates with
the top of the distilling chamber and supply devices for liquid hydrocarbons
whereby they can be introduced into the tops of the distilling and carburetting
chambers.
7. The combination with a water gas generator of a distilling chamber situated
above said generator, a carburetting chamber the top of which communicates with
the top of the distilling chamber, a fixing chamber, supply devices for liquid
hydrocarbons whereby they can be introduced into the tops of the distilling and
carburetting chambers, and a surface condenser in communication with the fixing
chamber.
8. The combination with a water gas generator of a distilling chamber situated
above said generator, a fixing chamber, conduits between said fixing chamber the
top of the distilling chamber and the bottom of the generator, means whereby said

page_text: conduit can be closed at will means for injecting oil into the top of the distilling
chamber and steam pipes entering the base of the generator and the top of the
distilling chamber.
9. The combination with a water gas generator of a carburetting or fixing
chamber, a conduit leading from the top of the generator to the top of the
carburetting chamber, an annular chamber situated near the base of the
carburetter, a series of pipes leading from said chamber through the walls of
the carburetter and opening into the top thereof, a conduit leading from the base
of the generator to the annular chamber, valves whereby either conduit leading
from the generator can be closed at will, steam pipes leading into the generator
above and below its fuel bed, and means for supplying oil to the top of the
carburetting chamber.
10. The combination with a water gas generator of carburetting and fixing
chambers, a surface condenser or condensers communicating with said chambers
having a multiplicity of pipe flues through which the gases pass and a liquid seal
box in which condensed oil vapors are deposited and the liquid level of which is
above the delivery ends of the pipe flues.
1008
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.