Improvements in or connected with Motive Power Apparatus Consuming Liquid Fuel, such as Petroleum and Heavy Oils.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 11th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 17th Apr., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Motive Power Apparatus
Consuming Liquid Fuel, such as Petroleum and Heavy Oils.
I, HOWARD LANE of 184 Corporation Street Birmingham in the County of
Warwick, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The combustion of heavy oil such as petroleum in gas engines oil engines and
motors of that class has hitherto been attended with considerable difficulty, the
combustion being imperfect, vaporization only partial and a deposit of soot and
liquid resulting with much smell and smoke from the exhaust of such motors
causing annoyance inconvenience and loss of power and efficiency. Petroleum and
like liquid fuel consist of a chemical combination of hydrogen with a considerable
percentage of carbon.
My invention consists in appliances and methods of altering the nature of
petroleum by decomposing it with steam, aqueous vapor and carbonic acid. It is
a scientific fact that highly heated carbon on contact with steam or carbonic acid
combines with these substances in the one case producing a mixture of hydrogen
and carbonic exide and in the other case carbonic oxide alone. Neither hydrogen
nor carbonic oxide gases when undergoing combustion give off smoke or smell and
both gases are permanent or free from condensation when in a cold state. These
qualifications which petroleum and the like do not possess are of very great value
for actuating gas engines as combustion is more easy and perfect and there is no
deposit in the cylinders.
I use a metallic or other retort placed in a cavity or furnace lined with fire clay
or refractory substance and capable of being heated. In the upper part of the
retort I fix two inlet pipes with valves or cocks capable of regulation and also of
being completely closed by the application of a slight pressure. At the lower
portion of the retort where I arrange the most intense heat shall be applied I place
an outlet pipe with three branches or subsidiary pipes leading from it, two being
fitted with regulating valves and one being connected to a collapsible gas holder
such for small motors, as a bladder, rubber bag or the like, which can be loaded
with a weight or spring. Preferably I fill the retort with iron turnings or fragments.
to present a large surface. One of the inlet pipes at the top of the retort I connect.
to a petroleum or oil reservoir, the other one in some cases I connect to a reservoir
Of the two remaining
of water in other cases to the exhaust pipe of the motor.
outlets at the bottom of the retort 1 connect one with the furnace whereby the
retort itself is heated and the other one passes the gas inlet of the motor. The
furnace is provided with a chimney.
To operate the apparatus a little waste cotton or fibres in the furnaces and a
little oil admitted to the retort from the reservoir. This oil gravitates without
volatilization and drips into the furnace which is then ignited and the retort
gradually heated up. As soon as the retort is hot the water or exhaust inlet to the
retort is slightly opened and water or, when the motor is started, carbonic acid gas
aqueous vapor and nitrogen find their way with the petroleum into the retort.
the case of the water the oxygen of which it is partly composed now combines
with the carbon of the oil, forming carbonic oxide and the hydrogen of both the
lo

page_text: water and the oil is liberated in a free state. This also applies to the aqueous
vapor from the exhaust. The carbonic acid gas of the exhaust combines with the
carbon of the oil becoming carbonic oxide and liberating the hydrogen of the oil
in a free state. Nitrogen gas is unavoidable from the exhaust of the motor and
when it is used remains a neutral or diluting gas merely.
If the make of gas is in excess of the requirements of the motor the gas holder
expands and presses on the inlet valves supplying the retort and closes them
partially or entirely. The supply of gas to the furnace is adjusted by a valve and
is comparatively small in quantity. The apparatus consists in a combination of
oil and water reservoir with a retort set in a chamber and self heating, with a
collapsible and expansible gas holder acting automatically on valves connected to
the gas inlet valves of a motor and also in some cases with its exhaust.
Dated this 11th day of May 1896
JENSEN & SON,
77 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.
Improvements in or connected with Motive Power Apparatus
Consuming Liquid Fuel, such as Petroleum and Heavy Oils.
I, HOWARD LANE of 184 Corporation Street Birmingham in the County of
Warwick, Mechanical 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 :-
The utilization by combustion of heavy oils such as petroleum in gas engines,
oil engines, and motors of that class, has hitherto been attended with considerable
difficulty, the combustion being imperfect, the vaporization only partial, and a deposit
of soot and liquid resulting with much smell and smoke from the exhaust of such
motors, thus causing annoyance and loss of power and efficiency.
Petroleum and the like liquid fuel consists of a chemical combination of hydrogen
with a considerable percentage of carbon.
My invention consists in the construction of apparatus forming an adjunct or
attachment to motors of the class described and whereby I alter the nature of
petroleum and the like by decomposing it in a retort along with water or along
with gas engine exhaust products z. steam or aqueous vapour and carbonic
acid.
It is a scientific fact that highly heated carbon in contact with steam or carbonic
acid combines therewith, in the one case producing a mixture of hydrogen aud
carbonic oxide, and in the other case carbonic oxide alone.
Neither hydrogen nor carbonic oxide gases when undergoing combustion give
off smoke or smell and both gases are permanent or free from condensation when
in a cold state. These qualifications which are not possessed by petroleum and
the like when vaporized are of very great value for actuating gas engines as the
combustion of hydrogen and of carbonic oxide gas is more easy and perfect and
causes no deposit in the cylinder.
A suitable form of my apparatus is as follows:
I use a metallic or other retort placed in a cavity or furnace lined with fire clay
or other refractory substance and capable of being heated. At the upper part of
the retort provide two inlet pipes each fitted with a valve or cock capable of
regulation and also of being quite closed by the application of a slight pressure.
One inlet pipe I connect to a reservoir for petroleum or the like; and the other

page_text: inlet pipe I in some cases connect to a reservoir for water and in other cases to the
exhaust pipe of the motor.
At the lower part of the retort where I arrange for the most intense heat to be
applied I provide an outlet pipe leading to the gas inlet valve of the motor and a
branch pipe to a ring or other burner for heating the retort furnace; each of
these pipes is provided with a regulating cock or valve. I also provide a branch
pipe connected to a collapsible gas holder such for instance as used for small gas.
motors viz. a rubber bag or the like which can be loaded with a weight or
spring.
a
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a vertical section of one such form of
my apparatus. A is a retort set in a brickwork chamber B lined with refractory
material and containing at the lower part or furnace or heating apparatus of any
suitable kind. The retort is by preference fitted with iron turnings or fragments.
to present a large surface. C is the flue passing off to the chimney. The heating
apparatus is by preference ring burner D for gas. E is an oil reservoir and
Fa water reservoir; the pipe G. from the oil reservoir E is provided with a
valve H and the pipe I from the water reservoir F is provided with a valve K.
Both pipes are connected to the top of the retort A by the pipe L. The burner D
is lighted through a firing hole M. From the bottom of the retort a pipe N leads
off to the motor cylinder and is provided with a valve O. The burner D is.
supplied with gas by a branch pipe P with valve or cock Q. Another branch
pipe R leads to an expansible and collapsible weighted gas holder S which is.
connected by a lever T or other means to the valves H and K. The petroleum.
and the water may if desired be supplied by pumps instead of by gravitation;.
and in that case I regulate the rate of pumping automatically by the rise and fall
of the gas holder.
To operate the apparatus a little cotton waste is placed in the furnace and a
little oil admitted from the reservoir E into the retort by the valve H or by a.
separate valve. This oil gravitates without being volatilized and drips upon the
cotton waste in the furnace which is then ignited and the retort gradually heated
up. As soon as the retort is hot the water inlet valve K is also slightly opened.
The petroleum and the water together are now in the retort transformed into.
carbonic oxide and hydrogen because the oxygen of the water combines with the
carbon of the petroleum forming carbonic oxide, and the hydrogen both of the
water and of the petroleum is liberated in a free state.
In case the pipe I is connected to the exhaust of the motor and the latter is
started a mixture of carbonic acid gas, steam or aqueous vapour, and nitrogen.
finds its way from the exhaust through the valve I into the pipe L where
it commingles with the petroleum admitted by the valve H and enters the retort,
wherein the carbonic acid combines with the carbon of the petroleum forming
carbonic oxide and the hydrogen of the oil is liberated. The nitrogen forms a
neutral or diluting gas.
If the make of gas is in excess of the requirement of the motor the gas holder S.
expands and closes the valves K and H partially or wholly The supply of gas
to the furnace is adjusted or regulated by the valve Q and is comparatively small
in quantity.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section through an apparatus of a little different form, the
retort being in this case in the form of a pipe coil A.
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. The application and use in connection with a gas engine, oil engine, or the
like of an adjunctive apparatus or attachment for the production of a permanent
gas for use as motor fluid in the engine, said gas giving off neither smoke nor
smell nor causing deposit of soot such apparatus comprising a retort suitably set,
and heated, valves for supplying the retort with the petroleum and with water (or

page_text: with gas from the exhaust of the engine), and means for automatically regulating
the valves substantially as set forth.
2. Adjunctive apparatus or attachment to a gas engine, oil engine or the like
comprising a retort set in brickwork, valves for supplying the retort with
petroleum or the like and with water (or with gas from the exhaust of the
engine) an expansible and collapsible gas holder connected to the gas outlet pipe
from the retort, a gas burner device for heating the retort and a valve for
supplying the burner with gas from the said gas outlet pipe, substantially as set
forth.
3. The construction of apparatus shown and described.
Dated this Eleventh day of March 1897.
JENSEN & SON,
77 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.