IMPROVEMENTS IN THE GENERATION OF INFIAMMABLE GASES FROM COAL, WOOD, PEAT, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES CON- TAINING CARBON AND HYDROGEN
Year: 1871

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Edward Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 13th December 1871.-A communication from abroad by
William Elmer, of the City and State of New York, United States
of America.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE GENERATION
OF INFIAMMABLE GASES FROM COAL, WOOD, PEAT, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES CON-
TAINING CARBON AND HYDROGEN," to be as follows:-
-
The object of this Invention is to isolate and gasefy the hydrogen and
carbon contained in the volatile products given off from ordinary fuel by
distillation for the production of heat and light. By this means the
elements that are now wasted in the use of ordinary fuel and in the
manufacture of illuminating gas by the common method are utilized.
The materials usually employed for the production of artificial heat
and light are coal, wood, and peat, substances which though very dis-

page_text: similar in appearance are composed mainly of the same elements
namely, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
To accomplish the object of the Invention the fuel or other substance
containing hydrogen and carbon is subjected to a process of distillation
out of contact with the atmosphere at a low heat so as to form vapours,
which by means of a high heat are decomposed and converted into
permanent inflammable gases. By this means the heat producing
elements contained in the volatile products of the coal or other
substances containing carbon and hydrogen are entirely utilized for the
production of heat and light.
It is well known that when bituminous and cannel coals are subjected
to the process of distillation at a low red heat (700° to 800° F.) they yield
a variety of compounds, among which are aqueous vapor, free hydrogen,
carburetted hydrogen, carbonic anhydride, light volatile hydrocarbons,
condensable into spirit or oil; and as the distillation goes on other
condensable oils of different specific gravities are given off, among which
are heavy oils and what is called dead oil, which mix mechanically with
other products and settle to the bottom of the receiving vessel, and the
compound thus formed is called tar.
The condensable distillates which constitute the principal product of
the coal subside in the receiver into different strata according to their
specific gravities. The nitrogen' and sulphur present enter into new
combinations producing ammoniacal and sulphur compounds. In the
retort there finally remains a quantity of fixed carbon or coke con-
taining the ash, which usually consists of silica, alumina, lime, and the
oxides of manganese, iron, and some other substances. If the coal be
subjected to higher temperatures than those referred to, the products of
distillation are somewhat changed, a larger volume of gas is produced,
and less condensable matter and consequently more carbon remains in
the retorts.
1.
When bituminous and cannel coals are subjected to the process of
distillation under a full white heat, the products are chiefly hydrogen,
light carburetted hydrogen, and carbonic oxide, bisulphide of carbon,
sulphuretted hydrogen, ammonia-cyanogen NC2=CY, and sulpho-
cyanogen CNS,=OYS, are also formed.
The amount of carbonaceous matter left in the retort under a white
heat is much larger than under a red heat. Under the latter tempera-

page_text: ture from 40 to 50 per cent. of the carbon contained in the coal remains
in the retort, while under a white heat from 65 to 70 per cent. remains.
In addition to the carbon in the retorts, under both a high and low
temperature, free carbon or soot accumulates in the stand and bridge
pipes, often filling them up nearly solid.
It is evident from the nature of the products obtained from the
distillation of coal under various temperatures that neither a high nor
low heat alone is suited to the process of eliminating and gasefying the
heat and light producing elements contained in coal. Under the former
the products given off from the coal are mostly gaseous and solid; under
the latter fluid and solid.
7
The gases produced under a high heat, though much larger than
under a low heat, seldom amount to more than 10,000 cubic feet to the
ton of coal.
With a low heat the quantity of gas produced is small, though its
luminosity is good, with a high heat it is much larger, yet its luminosity
is very poor, while a medium temperature is attended with neither
economy or products of satisfactory character.
Wood and peat subjected to the process of distillation under various
temperatures yield similar products to those obtained from bituminous
coal under similar circumstances.
The charcoal contains the ash or inorganic constituents, which con-
sist of potassa, soda, lime, magnesia, sesqui-oxide of iron, sulphuric
acid, silica, carbon, anhydride, phosphoric acid, potassium chloride,
sodium chloride, and other substances.
•
The products resulting from the distillation of crude fuel, howover
numerous or subdivided, may be 'decomposed and converted into per-"
manent inflammable gases and used for the production of heat and
light, but not by any of the ordinary processes of distillation, since they
are produced by these processes.
By the present Invention the products given off from crude fuel by
the distillation are in the form of vapors, and therefore are compara-
tively few and less complicated than by the ordinary processes' of.
destructive distillation, and hence are more readily converted into gas
when subjected to the requisite degrees of heat. The carbon deposited
in the retorts may also be converted into gas by means of highly-heated
steam, so that coke and gas are the results of the process. To isolate,

page_text: gasefy, and utilize the hydrogen and carbon contained in ordinary coal,
wood, and other substances containing these elements constitutes the
nature of the present Invention.
In the practical operation of the Invention three retorts are employed
arranged in brickwork (denominated a bench) which is of sufficient
capacity for holding six retorts or two sets of retorts in one bench. One of
these three retorts is denominated the vaporizing retort, because the vapo-
rizing process takes place in this retort, which is of a much larger size
than ordinary gas retorts, it is separated from the other retorts by means
of a partition in order to control the degrees of heat required in this
retort. On one side of this retort is situated a gas producing retort,
which is in the form of a boot, having both a vertical and horizontal
position. The vertical section extends from the top of the bench down-
wards to nearly the bottom, and from thence turns outwards and extends
horizontally from the back part of the bench to the front, and protrudes
through the walls of the bench, both at the front and the top of the
bench, so as to admit of the attachment of mouthpieces. This retort is
denominated the gas retort, because in it the volatile matter displaced
from the coal is converted into gas. This retort is connected with the
vaporizing retort by means of a pipe at the front of the bench; through
this pipe the volatile matter (displaced from the coal) passes into the
gas retort. The third retort is denominated the enriching retort, because
it is charged when necessary or desirable with the materials for enriching
the gas so as to increase its illuminating power. This retort is con-
nected directly with the hydraulic main as is usual in gasworks. The
gas retort is also attached to the hydraulic main. These three retorts
occupy one half of the bench, while three other retorts arranged in the
other half of the bench precisely in the same way occupy the other half,
so that when the bench is completed it contains six retorts, and presents
the appearance of an ordinary bench of that description. A condenser
is also arranged above the hydraulic main and connected with it by
means of a pipe.
.
An apparatus of any convenient device situated or placed in any part
of the bench where it will be exposed to the greatest heat is used for the
purpose of heating steam.
In the commencement of the process the horizontal portions of the
gas retorts which are kept at from 2500° to 3000° Fah. are charged
with the coal or other material used for the production of vapors, and the

page_text: coal is subjected to distillation under a heat just sufficient to displace in
the form of vapors the volatile matter contained in the material, which
requires a red heat of from S00° to 1000° Fah., according to the nature
of the material employed. The volatile products produced in the
vaporizing retorts are divided into infinitesimal particles or streams, and
under the high heat they are decomposed and converted into gas. The
free carbon deposited from the decomposition of the hydrocarbon vapors
thus subjected to the process is retained in the retorts.
The aqueous.
vapor formed in the vaporizing retorts is also decomposed in the gas
retorts. If any of the hydrocarbon vapors should escape decomposition
in passing through the gas retorts they are condensed and again re-
vaporized at a later stage of the process.
When the material subjected to distillation in the vaporizing retorts
ceases to give off volatile products; then the condensable products which
have escaped decomposition in the gas retorts are returned to the
vaporizing retorts and again subjected to the process, and decomposed by
passing through the coke in the gas retorts which has become highly
heated. By this means the condensable matter is converted into perma-
nent inflammable gases. After these products have been subjected to
the process steam beated to redness is admitted in small and regulated
quantities into the vaporizing retorts, where a portion of it is decomposed,
forming the oxides of carbon and liberating hydrogen, but the greater
portion of the steam passes on in contact with the free carbon deposited
in the gas retorts, where a re-arrangement of the elements of steam and
the free carbon takes place, and which results in the formation of
permanent inflammable gases and the removal from the retort of the
free carbon there deposited, which would otherwise obstruct the action
of the retorts. During the removal of the free carbon by the decompo-
sition of steam the small retorts are charged with any substance capable
of yielding bicarburetted hydrogen or other hydrocarbon gas rich in
light giving material.