Process and Apparatus for Removing Graphite Orusts from the Interior of Gas Retorts.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 17th Apr., 1897
Process and Apparatus for Removing Graphite Orusts from the
Interior of Gas Retorts.
I, ADAM ROEDEL, Gas Engineer of Worms on the Rhine, in the Empire of
Germany do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
The methods hitherto employed for removing graphite incrustations from the
interior of gas retorts consist mainly in introducing hot air, steam or a mixture of
both into the retort and thus burning off the crust. Various apparatuses have been
employed for the purpose; they consist mainly of a pipe, which is passed into the
retort and provides as large an area as possible for the hot air, steam, or mixture of
both, so that the graphite will be gasified as soon as possible and eliminated from
the retort.
Of later years the graphite formed in gas retorts has become an important
article of commerce for electrical and other purposes and the object of the
present invention is to extract the graphite from the walls of the retorts quickly
and conveniently, but in pieces of considerable size, which may be of use in
commerce.
The process forming the object of the present invention consists in introducing
cold air into the retort, through a pipe having a cold water or other cooling jacket
the cold air being passed through to the extreme interior of the retort. The cold
air passes over the hot graphite and is conducted off by means of a pipe. The
result is that the graphite will be sharply cooled down on the interior surface, whilst
the surface adhering to the walls of the retort remains very hot. The graphite thus
partially cooled will contract unevenly, crack and fall of the walls of the retorts in
pieces. These pieces can easily be taken out of the retort.
In the accompanying drawings, an apparatus is illustrated by means of which
the present process may be carried out. Similar letters of reference denote similar
parts throughout.
Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of a retort with the apparatus attached thereto
and Fig. 2 is a section on line a-b of Figure 1.
The tube which is introduced into the retort is provided with a cooling jacket,
the pipes being detachably connected so that they may be easily taken apart in
order to clean off the scale. Fresh air passes through the tube to the rear end
of the retort. The rear ends of the interior and exterior tubes are connected by
means of a ring m, the front ends of both tubes being fixed together by means of
flanges n', n. Between the walls of the double tube thus formed, a pipe r having
cock d is arranged which extends from the cold water inlet pipe T to the rear end
of the retort. O is the pipe through which the water is conducted off from the
cooling jacket.
The operation of the apparatus is very simple. The air, which is cooled
along the whole length of the tube L passes out at the rear end of the same
and back through the retort along all the walls of the same.
It thus rapidly
cools down the inner surface of the graphite G which cracks and falls off the walls
of the retort and may be easily removed from the interior of the same.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.-
1. A process for removing graphite from gas retorts which consists in introducing
air cooled by suitable means, into the hot retort, and thus causing the graphite
caked on the retort to crack and fall from the same, in the manner substantially as
described.
2. An apparatus for removing the graphite from gas retorts which consists of a
pipe adapted to he introduced into the retort means for cooling said pipe and
means for allowing a current of air to pass through said pipe substantially as
described.
Dated this 25th day of February 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.