Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Water Gas.
Year: 1898

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Water Gas.
I, JEAN BAPTISTE LAFOND, of Amplepuis (Rhone), in the Republic of France, Civil
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 :-
This invention relates to apparatus for the production of a mixture of carbonic
oxide and water-gas, whereby poor coals of inferior quality or small pieces of coke
may be used whereby, the cost of production is greatly decreased, such fuel being
cheap owing to the difficulty of utilising it for other purposes owing to its smallness
or poor quality.
Apparatus hitherto known can, on the contrary, only be worked with the purest
fuel, such, for instance, as anthracite from the Anzim basin, poor or hard English
coals or coke used for metallurgical purposes. This fuel has, moreover to be broken
into regular pieces and freed from dust so that its cost becomes comparatively
high.
Producer gas generators at present in use cannot work efficiently with impure coals
owing to the imperfections in the manner of cleaning. Some of them have a
horizontal or inclined grate on which the clinkers collect and clog, thus preventing
the passage of the injected air and interrupting the manufacture after a short period.
Other apparatus are provided with a conical hopper and a circular plate at the
bottom, replacing the ordinary grate, and which in some constructions, is caused to
rotate from without.
This last arrangement which theoretically seems more perfect than the preceding
one, does not however prove any better in practice owing to the clinkers adhering to
the walls of the working zone and preventing a uniform descent of the fuel, and, on
the other hand, owing to the rotation of the bottom plate being insufficient to break
up the clinkers which, as they are formed, spread horizontally at the bottom of the
column of fuel and clog the openings through which air is admitted.
Various other known constructions of furnaces, do not give any more satisfactory
results, on account of the difficulties of removing the clinkers.
The improved generator according to this invention does away with these draw-
backs, working in a thoroughly efficient manner and the clinkers which accumulate
in the natural way at the bottom of the furnace, do not in any way interfere with its
proper working.
The generator is, moreover, provided with devices for regulating the production
of gas and the supply of water, whereby it is rendered more perfect than those hitherto
used.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the generator,
Figure 2 a view of an arrangement of the generator and its accessories, and
Figure 3 a detail view of a device for regulating the supply of water.
The generator is constituted by a receptacle or chamber A of refractory brickwork
The chamber is preferably
of preferably rectangular horizontal cross-section.

page_text: surrounded by a sheet metal jacket B of a similar shape, a layer C of sand or other
insulating refractory material being interposed between them.
One of the sides of the chamber A is provided with an opening E of a suitable
height through which a mixture of air and steam may be introduced, from a pipe G,
into the furnace, where said inixture receives the combustible gases generated by the
combustion of poor or hard coal or small pieces of coke filling, or nearly filling, the
chamber A.
Opposite the opening E is situated on the other side of the furnace the opening 0
of a flue through which the combustible gases escape.
The opening E is covered outside by a door or cover P secured to the jacket B.
Across said opening are arranged a number of horizontal or inclined fire bars C of
metal or refractory material and supporting the fuel at the sides, and preventing it
from falling out of the chamber.
The lower bar C¹ which is larger than the others, forms, with the bottom of
the chamber A, a chainber D closed in front by a cover F preventing the
passage of the mixture of air and steain which passes exclusively through the
opening E. By opening or removing the door F, it becomes possible to remove
the clinkers accumulated on the bottom of the chamber A.
The conduit or pipe G is in communication with a mixing chamber V, surmounted
by a regenerating column T and communicating with a tube U, opening into the
upper portion of the apparatus and surrounding a concentric tube W communicating
with the flue O. The tube W opens into a box or compartment Y at the top of the
column T, an exhaust pipe Z communicating with said box Y.
Vapourising tubes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, the number of which may be any desired,
are suitably arranged in the flue O and communicate, at one end, through a pipe u
with the mixing chamber V and, at the other end, with the apparatus for regulating
the supply of water through a syphon tube s. This regulating device is con-
stituted by a reservoir q from the bottom of which extends a tube s the reservoir
receiving water from a pipe p. An overflow pipe r limits the level of water in the
reservoir q. In the centre of the tube or passage in the bottom of the reservoir
is placed a needle n secured at its other end to a diaphragm m forming the
bottom of a reservoir R communicating through a pipe S with the lower portion
of the regenerating column T. The reservoir R is provided at the top with
an aperture R¹ of suitable dimensions and a cap Q for preventing dust from
entering the reservoir R.
WORKING OF THE APPARATUS.
By reason of the opening E and orifice of the flue O being arranged opposite each
other and on the same level, the mixture of air and steam is forced to pass
through the fuel in a horizontal direction. This result is highly advantageous, as
the clinkers, which are formed in all gas generators, are formed in the generator
according to this invention in a horizontal plane parallel to that of the fire-grate and
as the cinders melt before forming clinkers and thus possess a certain degree of
fluidity, they do not remain in place but gradually slide in the plane of their
formation and accumulate in the lower portion of the chamber A whence they are
easily extracted by removing the door F.
The air injected or introduced in the manner hereinafter explained, passes through
the orifice R¹ into the reservoir R, down the pipe S and enters at the bottom of the
regenerating column T. It rises therein and then descends down the tube U into
the mixing chamber V whence it enters the generator through the pipe G.
•
Water from the reservoir flows through the tubes into the tubes 1-8 of the
vapouriser which is heated by the gases escaping through the flue O. The water
successively passes through the tubes 1, 2
8, each of which is hotter than
the preceding one, which is the condition of economic heating. From the last tube 8
the steam passes through the pipe u into the mixing chamber V where it meets the
air which has become heated in its' passage through the regenerating column, the

page_text: tube W of which is heated by the gases escaping from the generator. The mixture
of air and steam then passes into the generator where it combines with the combustible
gases and becomes converted into a mixture of carbonic oxide and water gas. The
steam cannot escape through the siphon s as it would have to overcome the pressure
of the water column and the syphon arrangement of the tube s prevents it, whereas
it is drawn in into the chamber V where a partial vacuum is produced by the suction
or draught.
The pipe Z leads the gas produced into a scrubber H whence it passes into a
purifier I and finally into a gas-holder J, first passing through an "extractor" K
placed in any desired point of its path, as for instance between the purifier and gas-
holder as shown in Fig. 2; said extractor K consists simply of a suction or forcing
fan driven by a pulley K¹ to which movement is communicated in any desired
manner.
The central tube W in the regenerating column seldom consists of a single.tube,
there are preferably several of them arranged in the same plane and set with their
ends in two perforated plates.
The air-inlet R¹ being of a certain fixed cross-sectional area, if the quantity of gas
required from the generator increases, a partial vacuum will be produced in the
chamber R, said vacuum being the more complete the greater the suction, and
the diaphragm m together with the needle n rises to an extent corresponding to the
degree of vacuum, that is to say to the volume of air drawn in. The discharge orifice
of the tubes for water consequently opens to a corresponding extent and the quantity
of water supplied to the vapourisers is therefore always in proportion to that of the
air supply, the result being that the mixture and, consequently, the gas produced
have a constant composition.
When the generator is at rest, the needlen and the diaphragm m redescend owing
to their own weight and the needle n closes the orifice of the tubes and stops the
discharge of water.
The same principle of utilising a vacuum or partial vacuum for regulating the
mixture can be utilised with a modified apparatus as shown in Fig. 3, in which a
cone a closes, when at rest, the orifice of the air-reservoir n. This cone a is raised
by the action of the partial vacuum produced by the suction and acts through a
beam c on the water-supply cock d, the plug of which is provided with an arın and
balance-weight.
The regulating devices hereinbefore described may be arranged at any point of
the gas-pipe, in front of the extractor, instead of placing it at the beginning of said
gas-pipe. In this case they are arranged so as not to place the interior of the gas-
pipe in communication with the atmosphere, in order to avoid the entrance of air.
In such cases, therefore, a receptacle would be used provided with a diaphragm, or a
cylinder with a manometric spring-controlled piston. The receptacle or the cylinder
being simply placed in communication with the gas-pipe.
The bell of the gas-holder J becoming emptier and consequently descending as the
consumption increases, and rising as it diminishes, said movements of descent and
ascent are utilised to regulate the production of gas according to consumption. To
this end a branch-pipe J¹ placed behind the extractor K, terminates at K2 on the pipe
in front of the latter. This branch-pipe is provided with a valve L the operating
lever of which, provided with a balance-weight is connected by a cord to a
balance-weight resting on the top of the bell of the gas-holder J. The parts of
this device are so regulated that the valve I closes the tube Ji when the bell is at
the bottom of the reservoir, and gradually opens said tube J¹ as the bell rises. Con-
sequently a certain quantity of gas will return through the tube J¹ into the extractor
which will then draw from the generator A only the quantity of gas required to
maintain the hell at a suitable height.
As regards the gas-generator it will be understood from the preceding description
that the introduction of the mixture of air and steam injected into the furnace will
never be stopped by the clogging of the fire-grate, as the clinkers sink by gravity

page_text: thus cleaning the grate and maintaining the path followed by the mixture, sufficiently
clear.
Moreover, the passage of air from E to O being ensured and easy, no clinkers will
be produced above the upper fire-bar, as in other gas-generators in which the air
follows a vertical path, said clinkers adhering to the refractory wall and being
difficult to remove and preventing a regular descent of the fuel.
Finally, another advantage of the new generator consists in the fact that the store
of fuel above the upper level of the opening E, does not in any way participate in the
reactions taking place in the apparatus. The upper portion of the chamber A acts
simply as a storage place, the large dimensions of which enable the charging opera-
tions to be less frequent, without the uniform working of the generator or the quality
of gas produced being affected, as the injected mixture of air and steam always follows
the same path, E O, and always has to pass through the same quantity of fuel.
In all other apparatus, on the contrary, the injected air has to follow an upward or
downward vertical path, but always in the direction of the height of the column of
fuel, the composition of the gas produced constantly varies between each two charges
as the height diminishes as the combustion proceeds and consequently the air passes
through a layer of fuel constantly varying in size.
Moreover, in some of the generators a new charge introduced gives off its smoke
and its impure products of distillation which escape with the gas generated, whereas
in the new generator the hot gases do not pass through new charges, which conse-
quently are heated only by conductivity aud distil slowly through their lower portion.
The gases thus generated can only escape through the orifice of the flue O and
consequently are obliged to pass, near said orifice, through a highly heated zone
which dissociates then whereby they are purified, rendered smokeless and their
calorific power increased.
The gas-generator is completed by one or more charging apparatus A¹ similar to
those with which generators of other constructions are provided. It may be provided
besides with a device for recovering the heat of the escaping gas, so that in this way
the mixture injected-which may be simply air supplied by blowers instead of being
a mixture of air and steam-is heated without any extra expense. But it is prefer-
able to mix with the air a certain quantity of steam in order to increase the calorific
power of the gas. The advantages of the new generator from the point of view of
economy are very great.
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 1
claim is
1. A gas generator the grate of which has horizontal fire-bars arranged in the same
vertical plane at the air-admission orifice, the outlet for the gas being arranged
opposite the air inlet and communicating with a flue containing water vapourising
tubes communicating with the furnace, and also with a regenerating column having
at its top an outlet for the gases and an external sheath in communication with the
atmosphere.
2. In a gas-generator of the kind described, a device for regulating the supply of
water to the vapouriser, consisting of a diaphragm forming the bottom of an air-
chamber and provided with a needle valve arranged in the centre of the opening of a
tube connected to the vapourising tube.
3. In a gas-generator of the kind described, a modified construction of the water
regulating device consisting in the arrangement in the centre of the air-inlet orifice,
of a valve connected by a lever to the operating arm of a cock arranged on the water-
pipe connected to the vapouriser.
4. In a gas-generator of the kind described a gas extractor consisting of a blower,
the suction pipe of which communicates with the gas generator and the discharge
pipe with another pipe which communicates on the one hand with the discharge pipe
of the generator, and on the other hand with the suction pipe, a communication cock
arranged between the two latter points having its operating lever connected by a cord

page_text: to the bell of the gas-holder, so as to be operated thereby substantially as and for the
purpose described.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete gas
generator substantially as described or illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying
drawings.
6. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete gas plant
substantially as described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated 100th
تعمل
Nataka 1000
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.