Improvements in the Process of and Apparatus for Manufacturing Gas.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Dec., 1889-Accepted, 1st Feb., 1890
[Communicated from abroad by THE FUEL GAS AND LIGHT IMPROVEMENT COMPANY
OF AMERICA (Incorporated), of No. 32, Park Place, in the City of New York,
United States of America.]
Improvements in the Process of and Apparatus for Manufacturing
Gas.
I, HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the county of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the sanie is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to the manufacture of gas both for use as fuel and for
illuminating purposes, both of which gases may be made in the same apparatus,
either together or separately as desired.
In carrying out this invention, apparatus is employed comprising a shell or body
lined with refractory material. Within the shell or body is a fixing chamber within
which there is placed a mass of fragmentary refractory material. Below the mass
of fragmentary material is an outlet for permenent gas. Above the fixing chamber
is a converter or decomposing chamber communicating with the fixing chamber..
An injector is employed by which mixed hydrocarbon, steam, and oxygen, or air,
are injected into the converter or decomposing chamber. A carbureter may be
employed for carbureting or carbonizing the gaseous products from the converter
or decomposing chamber before said products reach the fixing chamber. A portion
of said products may be conveyed away before being carbureted or carbonized.
With the above apparatus, a fuel gas may be produced composed of hydrogen
and carbonic oxide, but which is not a permanent or fixed gas. An illuminating
gas may be also produced composed of hydrogen, carbonic oxide, marsh gas, and
carbon or illuminants. Both these gases are made of variable amounts of liquid
hydrocarbon, water in the form of steam, and oxygen or air.
It will also be possible to produce a fixed or permanent fuel gas composed of
carbonic oxide. This gas is made from liquid hydrocarbon and steam.
All of these operations are completed without the use of retorts or their equivalent
in the form of checkerwork or similar heated surfaces. Hydrocarbon and steam
may be supplied from separate apparatus or not, as desired.
The invention is particularly for use in factories and other places where two kinds
of gas are wanted.
In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical section of gas apparatus
embodying the improvements, and suitable for producing the different kinds of
gases above mentioned. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section thereof, taken on the plane of
the line x. x of Figure 1.
Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.
A designates the shell or body of the apparatus, which shell or body is provided
with a lining A' of fire-brick or other suitable material of any desired thickness.. In
the lower portion of the body A, is formed a chamber A2, from which extends an
outlet pipe a provided with a valve a¹.
Extending from the pipe a is a stack a², provided with a valve or damper a³.
Above the chamber A², there is shewn a grating A³, which may be supported in the
lining A. Upon the grating A³ is placed a mass of fragmentary refractory material C.
This material may be fire brick. It is arranged in a fixing chamber C¹.
D designates a converter or decomposing chamber located in the upper portion of
the shell or body of the apparatus. This converter is covered by a top or crown of
sufficient thickness to prevent loss of heat by radiation, and is provided with an
Price I

page_text: outlet d upon its upper side, which may be closed by a cap or cover d¹.
converter combustion takes place.
In this
Into the converter D is injected a mixture of liquid hydrocarbon, steam, preferably
superheated, and oxygen or air.
It is preferred to introduce this mixture by means of an injector comprising a
pipe d provided with a cock d'. With the injector communicates a pipe d³ provided
with a cock 8, and through which the liquid hydro-carbon is drawn by the entering
steam. At the same time oxygen or air in suitable quantities is drawn in through a
pipe d, in which is a cock d³. The mixing of the hydrocarbon, steam and air, or
oxygen, occurs outside the converter D, and they enter the latter through an opening
or tuyere d in a thoroughly mixed condition. The converter and decomposing
chamber communicates with the fixing chamber by means of a passage E, here shown
a's of less diameter than the said chamber.
E' designates an inlet pipe for hydrocarbon, which may be either in a liquid form
or vaporized, as desired. The hydro-carbon delivered through the inlet El passes
into a vapour chamber, E2, which chamber surrounds the mixing chamber E,
and communicates therewith through a number of passages or tuyeres e. The
chambers E E' constitute in effect, a carbureter and carbonizer.
F designates an outlet pipe for gas, which may be conveyed away to be used
as fuel previously to being carbureted or carbonized. This pipe is provided with
a. cock f, and opens at its inner end into the chamber E above the vapour
chamber E².
More than one injector for introducing hydrocarbon, steam, and oxygen or air to
the chamber D, may be used, if desired.
Although the apparatus is represented as extending vertically, so that products of
combustion pass downwardly, it might of course be arranged in other positions, and
such products be otherwise directed.
In starting the apparatus, the cover d' is raised, and the mixed hydrocarbon, steam
and air or oxygen is ignited. When thoroughly ignited, the cover d' is closed, and
combustion then takes place in the converter. The intensely heated products of com-
bustion pass downwardly through the passage E, which in this instance forms a mixing
chamber. At this time the valve a' in the pipe a is closed, and the valve or damper a³
in the stack a² is opened. The products of combustion from the chamber
downwardly through the mass of refractory material C, thence into the chamber A²,
and thence out through the stack a². This preliminary operation is for the purpose
of thoroughly heating the converter D and the refractory material C, and in carrying
it out, it is preferred to use only a limited amount of steam and a certain amount of
hydrocarbon.
•
pass
A proper degree of heat having been obtained, as previously described, the supply
of steam & liquid hydrocarbon to the chamber D, is somewhat increased.
Hydrocarbon is also admitted through the pipe E to the vapor chamber E2, and
passes from thence through the passages c, in fine jets, into the mixing chamber E,
whereby the lean gas from the chamber D, which may pass downwardly through the
mixing chamber E, becomes enriched.
In the converter D, the oxygen, or the oxygen of the air, and steam, combine with
the carbon of the liquid hydrocarbon to produce combustion and decomposition, thereby
liberating the hydrogen from the steam, and hydro carbon by decomposition,
whereby carbonic acid and hydrogen are produced.
Additional carbon or hydrocarbon admitted through the pipe d³, absorbs the oxygen
from the carbonic acid, thereby forming carbonic oxide. If this additional carbon or
hydro-carbon were not thus introduced, however, the carbonic acid would be absorbed,
while the gas from the converter was passing through the mixing chamber E, there
producing the same result. The hydrocarbon from the vapor chamber E², by being
brought into atomized contact with the hydrogen and carbonic-oxide when those
gases are incandescent, or at a very high temperature, undergoes destructive distillation,
and is converted into a permanent gas.

page_text: The valve a¹ in the pipe a being opened, and the valve or damper a³ in the pipe a²
being closed, such gas as passes downwardly into the chamber will then pass
through the mass of highly heated refractory material C into the chamber A2, and
thence out through the pipe a to be used as illuminating gas.
A portion of the gas from the chamber D may be carried off, if desired, directly
through the pipe F, to be used for fuel without being carbureted, the valve f being
opened for this purpose.
If it is desired only to use the gas for fuel, the valves a¹ a³ may be closed, and the
supply of hydro-carbon to the vapour chamber cut off, and then all the gas may pass
outwardly through the pipe F. If, on the other hand, it should be desired to use
only illuminating gas it would be necessary only to close the cock in the pipe F.
If any carbon should remain unconverted, it may be condensed out by an ordinary
condenser, and used over again.
When nitrogen is present or produced, as when air is used, it is neutralized by the
hydrocarbon.
The illuminating gas, after leaving the chamber A², is conveyed away to be washed,
scrubbed, purified, and otherwise treated in the usual manner.
A fixed fuel gas may also be made in the above described apparatus in the following
manner. The operation just described, down to the point where a proper degree of
heat has been obtained in the converter and decomposing chamber and the fixing
chamber, is first carried out. The cock in the outlet pipe F is then closed, and the
supply of hydrocarbon cut off from the pipe E'. When this is accomplished, the
supply of air or oxygen is shut off, but the supply of steam and hydrocarbon is
continued in somewhat increased quantities. The valve a¹ is opened, and the valve a³
closed. The products of combustion pass downwardly, as before, through the highly
heated fragmentary mass C. The carbon of the hydrocarbon, and the steam, are
practically burned together, producing carbonic acid and liberating the hydrogen. A
portion of the oxygen of the carbonic acid absorbs carbon from the hydrocarbon,
converting it into carbonic oxide. The permanent fuel gas is delivered into the
chamber A², and passes out from thence through the pipe a.
The operation is continued until the heat of the mass of material C is reduced to
a point where it will cease to be effective, & the operation of reheating is then
repeated as previously described, omitting the opening of the cover d', which is only
necessary when igniting the gas for preliminary heating.
Although it is preferred to shut off the air or oxygen during the making of the
permanent gas, it may be employed, and when air is used, the nitrogen will be
neutralized by the addition of a very limited quantity of carbon. By the use of
separate superheating devices, the different elements might be raised to a temperature
such that a very limited quantity of air would be required for the maintenance of the.
heat, and consequently very little nitrogen would be produced.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
from abroad, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a gas apparatus, the combination with a shell or body, of a converter or
decomposing chamber near its upper end, a passage by which mixed hydro-carbon,
steam, and air or oxygen is admitted to said converter or decomposing chamber, a
carbureter and carbonizer below said converter and decomposing chamber, comprising
a vapour chamber for hydro-carbon, and a mixing chamber communicating therewith,
a passage for the products of combustion from the converter & decomposing chamber
opening above the vapour chamber, an inlet pipe for hydro-carbon communicating
with the vapor chamber, loose refractory material contained in a fixing chamber
below said carbureter and carbonizer, and through which the gas from the latter will
pass downwardly, and an outlet pipe for the gas below said refractory material, sub-
stantially as specified.
2. The process of making both fuel gas and illuminating gas in the same apparatus,
consisting in first converting hydro-carbon, steam, and air or oxygen, by combustion,

page_text: into carbonic acid and hydrogen, next passing the product over refractory material
to heat the latter to a high temperature, next, when the refractory material has
become sufficiently heated, carbureting, and carbonizing a portion of the gaseous
product, and passing such portion over the incandescent mass, to convert it into a
permanent illuminating gas by contact with the heated material, and at the same
time conveying away the other portion of the gaseous product, uncarbureted and
uncarbonized, to be used as fuel gas, substantially as specified.
3. The process for making fuel gas consisting in first converting hydrocarbon,
steam, and air or oxygen, by combustion, into carbonic acid and hydrogen, next
passing the product over refractory material, to heat the latter to a high temperature,
then discontinuing the air or oxygen, and increasing the quantity of hydrocarbon,
next burning this mixture, and passing the products of combustion over the incan-
descent mass, to convert them into a permanent gas by contact with the heated
material substantially as specified.
Doted this 21st day of Decemben 1000
NEWTON & SON,..
Agents for the Applicant.