An Improved Process of and Apparatus for the Utilization of the Smoke and Products of Combustion from Furnaces.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th May, 1895-Accepted, 22nd June, 1895
An Improved Process of and Apparatus for the Utilization of the
Smoke and Products of Combustion from Furnaces.
A communication to me from MAX RICHTER, of Mildenau, near Raspenau,
Bohemia, Manufacturer.
I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the Firm of Edwards and Co., Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 65 and 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, 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, and accompanying drawings, that is to say :-
The products generated when fuel is only partially consumed by fire, escape in
the form principally of smoke which essentially consists of soot, tar-vapours, and
dust-ashes.
Smoke will be formed when the products of combustion of the fuel have not
attained the proper temperature, and the fact that the cold atmospheric air, flowing
towards the fire, as well as the coal being placed in a cooled state on the fire,
strongly cool down the flame, contributes not a little to the generation of smoke.
A complete, smokeless, and at the same time profitable, combustion will be
obtained by the improved process and apparatus hereinafter described, in which the
departing smoke gases are conducted through a special fire-place, which for the
passage of the smoke gases may be made as deep as is desired, where they, as far
as they are altogether combustible, are consumed, and the heat generated is utilized
for the heating of the air, required for the principal fire-place, or in any other
manner, according to the circumstances, for instance for the heating of the boiler
feed water.
The heated air is preferably led under the grate of the smoke generating fire,
and this grate is at the same time provided with a contrivance to let the air when
necessary pass over the grate to the fire.
The smoke consuming apparatus,, which completely bars the smoke channel or
flue, consists, (as illustrated in the accompanying drawings) of a tube system, which
is arranged in such a way, that between every two rows of tubes the burning
material may be placed, whilst the smoke gases pass through the open adjoining
rows, and are burned in contact with the burning material.
This tubular system consists of an inner tube or conduit, through which the
boiler feed water may be made to pass, and of an outer tube or conduit, enclosing
It is evident that the
the former and serving as a passage for the combustion air.
two tubes or passages may be side by side instead of one within the other.
If the incombustible products of ignition, passing to the chimney, still retain, on
leaving the smoke consuming apparatus, such a high temperature, that it would be
wasteful to allow them to escape unutilized, these gases may be cooled down to any
required degree by extending the tube system of the smoke consuming apparatus
in the direction towards the chimney, without enlarging at the same time the heated
surface of the same.
The fuel to be used in the smoke consuming apparatus must burn without
smoke; but it may also be mixed with other materials, so that a non-smoking
combustible (such as coke) may be used, or such a one mixed with smoking com-
bustibles (such as coal, wood), or even wastes. In using such mixtures, the fuel
must be placed in the forepart of the smoke-consuming apparatus, so that the

page_text: products of combustion, passing through and generated in the smoke-consuming
apparatus, must pass through a layer of material burning without smoke, before
they reach the chimney. With the smokeless fuel in the smoke-consuming
apparatus may also be mixed heat retaining materials such as fire-brick, silicates
and the like, in not too large proportion, (say, about 50 per cent.).
The drawings shew a fire-place of suitable construction, but such method of
construction and of the details may be modified more or less without departing from
the principle of the invention.
The smoke and products of combustion leaving the fire F, of the fire-place of the
boiler, as illustrated in the drawings, pass through the flue R to the smoke con-
sumer K, which is traversed by tubes o, containing the boiler feed water. These
tubes o are enclosed by tubes k of much larger diameter, whose open ends lead to
the open air, whilst their other ends communicate with the air-conducting tuber,
which receives the combustion air heated in the smoke consumer, and conveys it to
the fire-place F.
The tuber ends under the fire-place F, and under the front grate of the same.
In front of this grate, there is a flap a, separating the fire-place from the ash-box.
which flap may be lifted by means of a hand lever for the purpose of securing the
arcess of the heated air to the fire when the grate is obstructed, or when the fire is
fed with fresh fuel, and the like.
A nearly complete combustion having been already effected in the fire-place F,
the smoke consumer K is able, even if the heating surface is not over large, to get
consumed all the combustible products of combustion conveyed to it, and to utilize
the caloric thereby set free for the heating of the feed water and air.
The fire-place construction herein before described will operate better (if the
diameter of the air-supply pipe is large enough) the more tightly the fire doors and
ash-box openings can be closed.
Figures 5 and 6 shew a form of construction of the smoke consumer, which will
be effective in most cases. The air and water conveying pipes and o, which
traverse the smoke consumer, are enclosed by walls, for the reception of fuel, in
such way that between the fuel receptacles there remain zig-zag passages for the
traversing products of combustion from the main fire-place F. In order to cause
these gases to stop as long as possible in the smoke consumer, the walls w of the
fuel receptacles, which face the openings for the departing gases, are constructed
solid, whilst the walls, turned in the opposite direction, are pierced. In order to
facilitate the introduction of fuel into the smoke consumer, it is covered with a
plate p, which is indented in a zig-zag shape. A lid e forms the upper cover, and
the ash-box s the lower closing of the smoke consumer.
For the regulation of the smoke passage is provided a damper z.
Hot air being conveyed to the smoke-forming fire, the generation of smoke is
diminished by complete combustion; and as the gases passing round the boiler
will thereby attain a higher temperature, the generation of steam will be increased.
Smoke may be looked upon as caloric escaping from the smoke-forming fuel; as
this is recovered by the process specified herein, a nearly complete utilization of
fuel is thereby obtained. As also the fuel of the smoke consumer burns without
smoke, the hot combustible smoke gases and the hot combustion air being
conveyed to it, all the caloric of the materials in the tubular system is utilized,
without a new production of smoke taking place. As also the feedwater is
conveyed to the boiler at a higher temperature, a smaller consumption of coal will
be the consequence. By consuming an equal quantity of coal, therefore, a larger
quantity of steam will thus be obtained, when making use of the improved process,
than without the use of such smoke-consuming and utilizing contrivance.
A small burning or hot surface of the smoke consumer would be sufficient for
the combustion of the incombustible ingredients of the smoke; but as such surface
is made large, to obtain a more profitable utilization, even with a very bad feeding
of the principal fireplace with fuel a complete consumption of smoke, and the
utilization of the caloric thereby set free, will be certain.

page_text: The smoke consumer must be fed independently and its fire lighted in sufficient
time, so that it may be ready to perform its duty at once, on the lighting of the
main fire.
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
1 claim is
1. A process for the utilization of smoke by combustion, in which the smoke is
conducted through a smoke consumer K, inserted in the exit flue R, and barring
the same completely, such smoke consumer consisting of a tube system conducting
air and water, and heated with combustibles burning without smoke, or with a
mixture of these with smoking combustibles or with heat-retaining materials, for
the purpose of converting into heat its combustible ingredients, which, properly
speaking, form the smoke; and to heat the air, which, as combustion air, is
conveyed to the main fireplace F, and further, to heat the feed-water in the tubes k
and o, substantially as described and illustrated.
2. A fire-place construction for the carrying into effect of the process claimed in
Claim 1, in which the combustion air is conducted, by means of the pipes k, through
the smoke consumer K, in order to be heated, and is then conveyed, by means of
the main pipe r, under the fireplace F, whilst the water-conducting pipes o are
arranged within the air-conducting pipes k, or are placed in juxtaposition, in the
smoke consumer, substantially as described and illustrated.
3. A smoke-consumer for carrying into effect the process claimed in Claim 1,
consisting of a tube system divided by partitions w and vinto fireplaces and gas
passages, which tube system is covered by a plate p, cut out in conformity with the
fireplaces and facilitating the conveyance of fuel, substantially as described and
illustrated.
4. In a smoke-consumer of the kind herein before described and claimed, the
arrangement of solid partitions won the side of the fireplaces directed towards the
chunney, and of perforated partitions v on the opposite side, substantially as
described and illustrated.
Dated this 15th day of Mov 1805
EDWARDS & Co.,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.