Improvements in Carbonic Acid Gas Engines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 29th June, 1899-Accepted, 29th Sept., 1900
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COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carbonic Acid Gas Engines.
We, JOHN CAILE SCOTT, of Oyster Bay, in the County of Nassau and State of
New York, United States of America, Coal Merchant, and JOHN CARLOS
HENDERSON, of 243, West 99th Street, in the City, County and State of New
York, United States of America, Engineer, respectively, 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:-
The invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in utilizing
incombustible, non-inflammable and non-explosive gases, such as carbonic acid
gas, and other media, for the transformation of heat into motive power, and the
apparatus for utilizing the same; and the objects of my invention are to cause
the media used to make a complete, continuous operation, assuming in one cycle
four phases, namely:
First. The rarification or evaporation produced by heat direct from action of
fire, or from flue gases, waste steam, direct steam, hot water, electric current
or other well known methods of heating liquids and gases.
Second. The operation of the motor, connected with and operated by the
rarification and evaporation of the medium employed.
Third. The refrigeration and condensation carried on by currents of water,
air or other cooling media, through tubes or chambers internal or external.
Fourth. The replacement of the medium employed, which operation is carried
on either by the motor, or by the separate and independent action of the gas, or
by any outside application thereof.
The use of carbonic acid gas as a medium for the conversion of heat into
motive power or mechanical motion is, not new; this having been accomplished
principally by the alternate heating and cooling of the gas, either in a compressed
condition, or allowed to expand to atmospheric pressure, and lost or again com-
pressed to be returned and worked over again, all of which methods have been
so far, but partially successful.
The invention however, consists in the employment of a complete cycle of four
phases, and of continuous operation at and above the liquefaction point; thus
doing away with the loss in re-heating and cooling the different parts of the
apparatus, as well as the loss of time expended in intermitting or alternating
operation, as heretofore practised and carried out by others also doing away with
the necessity of reheating and expanding the gas.
In carrying out our invention, the carbonic acid gas may be used either alone,
or combined with some other liquid, or liquids, gas or gases as water, acetylene,
glycerine petroleum and air always at or slightly below or above the temperature
and pressure of the critical point of carbonic acid gas through the four phases
of different temperatures, and throughout the one continuous cycle.
The following is a description of the apparatus I employ for operating upon
the gas or liquid elected for use, and for attaining the objects mentioned.
Figure 1 of the drawings is a side view of the apparatus:
Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the evaporizer or heater:
sectional view of the motor and parts connected with the evaporize

page_text: and with the air cushion and condenser also a sectional view of the replacing
pump and connections thereof, and
Figure 4 is a sectional view of the condenser and its connections.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
The rarefier, evaporizer or heater A is connected at its top and bottom to the
heated air, or gas chamber F, by means of inlets F1, F2 in which are located
dampers II, the damper 13 in the lower horizontal extended portion of the
heated air or gas chamber F3, while damper I' is placed in the vertical extended
part of the chamber; F F is the outlet leading from the evaporizer or heater A.
The damper I is located in the passage of the air or gas chamber F.
The air or gas chamber F may be connected to a furnace, or to a waste fluc,
the waste gases from boilers driers, or the like may be utilized by being passed
through the chamber as well as the waste heat, and gases from sugar refineries,
and from other manufacturing plants; and, the chamber F may be provided
with a damper I to regulate the passage of the heated air or gas therethrough;
all of the dampers above mentioned are provided with crank arms or bell cranks
suitably connected by links or rods so that the dampers may be operated as
desired.
The letter G represents the by-pass flue connecting the two portions of the
air chamber F3 and F.
Inside of the evaporizer are arranged the flue plates k, k; a, a, are tubes
through which the gas or liquid employed circulates from the evaporizer to the
motor, from the motor to the elastic cushion c¹, from the elastic cushion c¹ to
the condenser C, from thence to the replacing pump D, through the interchanger E
to be carried again to the evaporizer or heater A.
P represents a safety valve, upon the by-pass connection P¹ P¹ between the
evaporizer A, and the elastic cushion c¹ and the condenser C.
3 is the main stop valve located in the pipe a, leading from the evaporizer A
to the motor B.
c is an elastic cushion connected with the pipes a, a, leading from the motor B
to the condenser C and P2 is a safety valve in connection with the one of said
pipes a, leading from the motor B to the elastic cushion c¹.
C is the condenser, through which the water R, or any other cooling agent is
caused to circulate, by means of the inlet pipe I and out of the condenser C
by means of the overflow pipe M, to the interchanger E and thence out through
the overflow pipe o, or the interchanger may be supplied independently with a
cooling agent by means of a, pipe which may pass out through the over-flow
pipe o.
D is the replacing pump for returning the liquefied gas from the condenser C
to the evaporizer A through the interchanger E.
2 is a stop cock in the pipe a, leading from the condenser C to the replacing
pump D and N is a regulating valve located in the pipe M, leading from the
condenser C to the interchanger E, and R represents water or the cooling agent
employed.
The apparatus operates in the following manner: Liquid carbonic acid gas
starting in the evaporizer A under a nearly uniform pressure, but with rising
temperature, thus causing a continuous and gradually increasing tension proceeds
in the cycle of operation to the motor which absorbs as much of this increasing
tension as is required by the outside resistance or work of the motor by inter-
mittent charges, in a reciprocating or a continuous flow, as in motor of a rotary
or turbine type and the gas continues on, or exhausting into the condenser C,
below and under a cushion of atmospheric air or gas in the elastic cushion c¹ or
nearly uniform pressure, but of lowering temperatures, thus gradually decreasing
in tension, until the liquefaction point is again reached, and continuing on to
the replacing pump D, through the cooling chamber E, to the evaporizer A, its
starting point; and this completing the cycles or continuous increasing and
decreasing tensions for power or motive purposes.

page_text: The evaporized carbonic acid gas in its passage from the motor
pe a, to the condenser C has exerted upon it a constant continuous, elastic
essure by means of the column of atmospheric air or gas in the elastic cushion c¹
cated between the motor B and the condenser C and above the line of travel
the carbonic gas, each molecule of this gas, in its continuous cycle of travel
om motor B to the condenser C, is ever subjected to the constant continuous
astic pressure of the column of atmospheric air or gas in the elastic cushion c¹.
The gas employed for motive and power purposes is heated to about 125°
ahrenehit, and to about eighteen hundred pounds pressure and when released,
fter having performed the necessary work, is subjected to a constant, elastic
pressure of about one thousand pounds; it is then cooled, returned to be again
reheated and reused.
By changing or substituting heated water, or other media, for flue gases,
air and like agents, the same operation takes place.
and
This cycle can be made to generate mechanical power from a number of sources
as for instance waste heat from products of gas retorts, exhaust steam from high
pressure engines, or waste water from condensing engines escaping flue gases
after leaving the boilers, and before entering the stack, reflected and concentrated
solar rays, in tropical climates or other suitably conditioned situations.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
to be performed, we declare that what
invention, and in what manner the same
we claim is :-
1. The method of evaporating and energizing carbonic acid gas for the purpose
of obtaining power, which consists in developing its energy by heating the gas,
partially releasing the same for producing power, subjecting the gas so relieved
to pressure and replacing the same for a renewal of its power, substantially as
described.
2. The method of obtaining the energy from carbonic acid gas for power
purposes, consisting in heating the gas, partially releasing the same for obtain-
ing power, and constantly condensing the same, cooling the gas, and replacing
the same for a renewal of its power, substantially as set forth.
3. The method of obtaining the energy from carbonic acid gas for motive
power, first heating the gas, partially releasing the same for producing work
keeping the gas constantly subjected to an elastic pressure, cooling the same
35 and returning the gas for the purpose of re-energizing and renewing of its power
substantially as described.
4. The method of producing energy from carbonic acid gas for motive power
which consists in heating the gas to about eighteen hundred pounds pressure
partially releasing the pressure in obtaining work or energy therefrom, subjectin
40 the released gas to a constant pressure, of about one thousand pounds per squa
inch, cooling the same, returning the gas for the purpose of reheating and r
using the same as herein set forth.
5. The method of evaporating and energizing carbonic acid for pow
purposes, consisting in increasing its temperature to about 125° Fahrenheit a
about eighteen hundred pounds pressure for obtaining power, continuous
45 decreasing its temperature and subjecting the gas to a continuous pressu
further decreasing its temperature and liquefying the gas, re-heating and
converting to the gaseous state for re-use, substantially as described.
1000
Dated the 29th day
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham.