Process and Apparatus for Producing Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Jan., 1897-Accepted, 6th Mar., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Process and Apparatus for Producing Acetylene Gas.
We, FRITZ TRENDEL and JOHANN MÜCKE of No. 12 and 14 respectively Holzmarkt
Strasse, Berlin Germany, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The present invention consists of a process and apparatus for producing a regular
and even supply of acetylene gas from calcium carbide.
Calcium carbide readily absorbs water decomposing into lime and acetylene gas.
The amount of water absorbed by the carbide depends however on the quality of the
latter, which absorbs more water the fresher it is.
When brought into contact with water the outer layer of the carbide will decompose
very rapidly but the lime formed by the decomposition offers steadily increasing
resistance to the water, so that the latter finds greater difficulty in penetrating to
fresh calcium carbide, and thus the production of acetylene gas decreases in proportion
as the carbide is partially decomposed.
This fact is of particular disadvantage when an exact and regular generation of
acetylene gas is required, because the water retained by the lime formed causes a
continued slow generation of gas after the fresh water has been prevented from
penetrating to the calcium carbide, thus rendering the employment of inproportionately
large gasometers a necessity. Another disadvantage is that this prolonged subsequent
generation of gas absorbs the water from the lime in the immediate neighbourhood
of the fresh calcium carbide rendering the lime comparatively dry, so that when a
further supply of water is fed to the carbide, the same will at first find difficulty in
penetrating the comparatively dry lime and when it has at length succeeded in doing
so, the generation of gas will again become inproportionately rapid. This disadvantage
is noticeable in the water feed pipe in that a hollow conical body of lime will be
deposited at the mouth of the same. Thus on feeding fresh water to the calcium
carbide, it will at first not come into contact with the carbide at all, but will flow
over the lime deposit, softening or breaking the same, then suddenly coming into
contact with the carbide a rapid generation of gas will result, as long as the water
finds fresh carbide.
Even when the carbide is employed in layers insulated by suitable material or by
a layer of air, the same disadvantage exists in that at intervals a greater quantity of
gas than necessary will be generated and after this amount has been consumed
another rapid generating period will commence, so that no regular constant production
takes place.
These disadvantages have been reduced to a very slight extent by employing
porous carbide.
In order to render the present specification more easily intelligible reference is
had to the accompanying drawing in which similar letters of reference denote
similar parts throughout the several views:
Fig. 1 is a vertical section and Fig. 2 a cross section of a carbide cartridge having
a central pipe k through which the water is conducted to the carbide, which is
arranged in a series of perforated tubes ovu the said carbide being filled into
the same in proportionately small pieces, so that the water entering at the bottom t
of the cartridge can circulate freely and rise around the perforated tubes according
to the amount of gas required.

page_text: Fig. 3 shows an arrangement of the cartridge in which eight perforated cylinders
are employed, four of which are arranged one within the other, two such sets being
fitted one above the other (not shown) and a small space being left between the two
sets and at the bottom of the cylinders, so that water can circulate freely everywhere.
The particular form of the cartridge matters little as long as porosity of the cartridge
and of the lime deposits is attained, so that the water will always have free access.
to fresh carbide.
Since the quantity of gas produced depends upon the surface of carbide exposed to
the action of the water, it may be regulated by employing a number of smaller
receptacles arranged in the cartridge at varying heights, as at 1, 2, 3, 4 etc. and each
provided with a water inlet as at a ein etc. In this case the water feed should be
regulated so that the gas in the chamber 1 will be generated before the water lever
has reached the inlet to the chamber 2 and thus an even quantity of gas will be
eontinually generated from the carbide in each of the chambers successively.
way the subsequent or after development of gas will be reduced to one chamber,
such chamber being the one exactly under or previous to the chamber at the time in
action, since the others will have been under water a considerable time and will be
exhausted.
In this
Another difficulty in connection with acetylene gas generators is that the calcium
carbide is placed in the apparatus by the consumer in a free or uncovered state, which
in view of the sensitiveness of the carbide renders the development of gas in the
reservoir or even in the air.possible, this incurring considerable danger. The porous
form of cartridge enables the carbide to be brought on to the market in closed
casings or tins provided with orifices which may be sealed and when the cartridge is
used may be readily removed.
Again, if the water is allowed to enter the cartridge from the top damp lime will
be produced by the decomposition which is deposited on the fresh carbide surface.
The result is that water gradually sinks through the lime and finds access to the fresh
carbide whereupon an energetical development of acetylene gas will take place. If
on the other hand the water is fed to the cartridge from the bottom, the formation of
lime will begin at the bottom and a comparatively small after-development will take
place because the lime produced will lie under the water level and will be entirely
exhausted and as soon as the water feed has been cut off, the water will have no
means of soaking through to the surface of the fresh carbide. On the contrary, the
water in the cell or chamber will be decreased by the slight after-development of gas
due to the small quantity of non-decomposed carbide under the water level in the
lime. If water is fed to the bottom of the cartridge from a higher level than that of
the water inlet, the water in the feed pipe after the feed has been shut off, would
flow into the cartridge and produce after development of gas.
In order to avoid this
the pipe should be made to pass into the cartridge at the bottom, lead up to the
top of the cartridge and then down again to the bottom, at which latter. point the
outlet of water to the interior of the cartridge would take place.
Another advantage accruing from the employment of ready made carbide cartridges
for the gas generator is that the residue of lime will remain in the shell of the
cartridge and be removed from the apparatus therewith instead of remaining in the
same as hitherto.
In order to prevent pressure variations in acetylene gas generators the water
inlets g and k to the cartridge are separate from the gas inlet as shown at Fig. 1.
The apparatus illustrated in Fig. 5 is particularly advantageous for producing a
regular and even supply of gas.
The apparatus consists mainly of a water reservoir A having a guide frame D and
having therein a gasometer bell B with buckets and guide rod C, the gas
generators G and G¹ having water pipes and cocks P and P for the outlet and
water inlet cocks 00', gas outlet valves Z Z', bell H H with syphon cc', gas
dome d d' with gas pipe N N¹ extending up into the same, cartridges J and J' having
water inlet pipes M M and water outlets K and K', gas outlets L L³, gas pipe
system W leading to the gasometer bell and the point of consumption, a water

page_text: reservoir Q having float R and float valve S, water outlet pipe V water inlet U
from the reservoir T, condenser X with water outlet Y, dryers and purifier r.
In order to set the apparatus at work a cartridge is placed in the generator G,
the bell H covered over the same and the water inlet O opened. Hereupon water
is filled from the reservoir T through pipe U to the reservoir Q, through pipe V to
the cistern A and rises in the receptacles QA and G, until the water level in the
three receptacles has reached the height regulated by the float and valve R S, where-
upon the valve will close the water inlet.
The water rising in the generator G will force the air out of the same through
the syphon C. This syphon is so arranged as to form a water closure, shortly before
the water has risen sufficiently to enter the cartridge inlet, and thus the disadvantage
is obviated of having to drive the air out of the "bell H along the pipe system to the
gasometer bell, in which case explosions may easily occur. If a gas cock is now
opened, the water will enter the cartridge and the development or generation of
acetylene gas will begin. The gas leaves the cartridge at L passes into the dome d
and through the pipes NW to the gasometer B, in so far as it does not pass directly
to the consuming agents through the dryer s and the purifier r. The pressure of
the gas produced in the pipe system will be regulated, as long as the same is
consumed, by the height of the water column in the generator G above the inlet
opening K of the cartridge and in order to keep this pressure constant a cistern Q
with float and float valve R S is provided which regulates the water feed from the
reservoir T.
The float is adjustable in order to render the attainment of any desired pressure in
the pipe system possible. The water passes through pipe V to the gasometer A and
the gasometer bell B is weighted to exert the same pressure as that to which the
float valve is adjusted. Buckets fare arranged within the bell so as to render the
pressure in the pipe system greater when the bell rises. As soon as the consumption
of gas ceases the after production of gas will lift the bell and in the same measure
as the pressure of the bell increases, the water level in the generator will be depressed
below the level of the inlet opening of the cartridge, thus cutting off the water inlet
to the cartridge.
In order to prevent disturbances in the consumption any number of gene-
rators G G G etc. may be employed which may be started as soon as the cartridge
in G has been used up. The moment when the cartridge is exhausted may be
recorded by any suitable electric bell or other arrangement.
When the cartridge has been used up, the water cock O or O' should be closed
and the generator G is filled to a certain extent with water in order to allow any gas
in the bell H to pass through the dome D and pipes NW to the gasometer. As soon
as this has taken place.the gas cock Z is closed and the bell H taken out, the cartridges
removed and a part of the water let off through the cock P. Thus the escape of gas
into the air is prevented when the cartridges are renewed.
If it is required to employ small apparatuses such as table lamps and the like for
producing acetylene gas in which the bell H serves simultaneously as gasometer the
dome d would serve as outlet pipe and be provided with a cock and burner.
The burner would be provided with a jet day flame, which would burn automatically
as soon as the lamp has been extinguished and continue to burn till the lamp is again
ignited, and would be extinguished as soon as the inain cock is opened and the main
burner ignited, in order to save the trouble of repeatedly lighting the lamp when the
same is in use. A safety pipe F is taken through the bell H and prolonged almost
to the lower end of the said bell, which, in case the after production should be more
than the bell H can contain, would allow of the escape of the superfluous gas to the
day flame E where it would be consumed. The present apparatus has the advantage
that, in employing the process for producing gas described in the previous part of the
present specification, the gasometer bell will not rise and fall, since it will adjust
itself to allow the exact amount of water only, to enter the cartridge, thus 'the
production of gas will remain comparatively constant.
The gasometer bell merely serves to take up the after production, which according

page_text: to the present system is very small, consequently the gasometer may be proportionately
small. Experiments have shown that the favourable effect of the stepwise arranged
compartments is due to the fact that each compartment is completely surrounded by water
before it comes into operation and is therefore thoroughly cooled. The warmer
water will continually rise and thus the lower part of the cartridge will always be
surrounded by cooler water. Since water is continually fed to the generator from
the reservoir during the production of gas, and this water is forced to play over the
cartridge casing from the top to the bottom before it can come into contact with the
carbide, the casing will be subjected to a continual cooling not only by the water in
the generator but also by the water passing to the cartridge.
Thus the water in the cartridge in which the carbide cells are arranged stepwise,
will be continually cooled, and will in turn cool down the casing of the carbide, since
the water cannot enter the casing until it has risen to the top of the same where the
inlet opening is arranged.
By this arrangement the danger of over-heating and automatic ignition is obviated
and this danger is particularly noticeable in connection with apparatuses in which the
generators are arranged on the same level and the water is directly admitted to
the calcium carbide and conducted by overflow pipes from one generator to the
other.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
(1) Process for producing acetylene evenly, with a constant small after production
which consists in arranging calcium carbide in porous form in such manner that it
always offers to the water a large, free surface of contact, with but slight depth,
whilst the contact of the water with the calcium carbide takes place from the bottom
gradually rising upwardly.
.
(2) A calcium carbide cartridge in which the openings for the water inlet and gas
outlet are provided with easily removable closures and in which the residues of
production remain in the cartridge case and do not pass into the generator, and in
which the water inlet takes place from the top the water being conducted to the
bottom of the cartridge without, contacting with the carbide so that the contact of
water and carbide begins at the bottom as specified.
(3) In the employment of calcium carbide cartridges, the arrangement of a bell in
a generator, which is placed over the cartridges in such manner that on an increase of
gas pressure the water level will be depressed below the water inlet opening of the
cartridge, so that the water feed to the cartridge will be cut off substantially as
described.
(4) The arrangement of a syphon closure in connection with the apparatus covered
by Claim 3, which allows the escape of the air in the bell when the cartridges are
renewed and by forming a water closure prevents any further escape just before the
water reaches the carbide.
(5) In connection with the devices covered by Claims 2 and 3 the regulation of
the pressure of the gas produced-in the pipe system-by varying the height of the
water column above the inlet opening of the cartridge.
(6) In connection with the devices covered by Claims 2 and 3 the arrangement of
a gasometer bell in such manner that the same when rising shall exercise a greater
pressure, at a certain height, than the water column over the inlet opening of the
cartridge.
(7) The arrangement of a gas dome to receive an increased gas outlet in connection
with the apparatus covered by Claim 3, in order that when the cartridges are
renewed the gas present in the receptacle will be reduced to the smallest possible
quantity.
(8) In connection with the apparatus covered by Claim 3 the arrangement of a
safety pipe with a day flame, to consume any surplus gas produced.
(9) An apparatus for producing acetylene gas in which the calcium carbide

page_text: cartridges are arranged in the generator and covered by a bell, the gas produced being
conducted to a gasometer and water pipe connections between a water receptacle, in
which the gasometer bell is placed and the generator and a water reservoir with
float and float valve so that the water feed from the reserve cistern, the gas bell and
the generator will be regulated.
(10) The employment of a cartridge having water inlet from above characterised by
the stepwise arrangement of compartments having water inlets.
(11) The stepwise arrangement of calcium carbide compartments having inlet
openings from above arranged in such manner that each separate compartment
cannot operate until the water has risen around it up to the water inlet, and during.
operation will be cooled by the water around it substantially as described.
CASTLE SMITH,
"Invention " Office, Mitre Court, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,.
Agent for the Applicants.