Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Gas and to Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1898

page_text: Communicated from abroad by FRANK LEROY SLOCUM, of Pittsburgh, Penn-
sylvania, United States of America, Chemical Engineer.
Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Gas and to Apparatus
therefor.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention, consists in generating gas, such as by passing air through a
body of carbon and so forming generator gas, separating the by products, such
as tar and ammonia, from the resultant gas, by passing the gas first upwardly
through a water shower and then upwardly through an acidulated water shower;
the purified gas usually containing a large proportion of carbonic acid, and then
reheating the purified gas and the watery vapour taken up, and passing the same
through a body of incandescent carbon, and at the same time blasting up another
body of carbon and burning the resultant blast gases and carrying them around
pipes through which such purified and watery vapour are passing to the body
of incandescent carbon, and finally carrying the finished gas, after its passage
through the body of incandescent carbon around other pipes through which the
purified gas and watery vapor are passing to the body of incandescent carbón ;>
such purified gas and watery vapor being therefore highly heated both by the
blast gases and the finished gases; so that the vapor is raised to superheated
steam, and in the passage through the incandescent carbon the carbonic acid
is converted into carbonic oxide, and the steam generates water gas; and the
steam of purified gas and steam being carried alternately through one or the
other body of carbon, while the blast gases and outgoing finished gas are reduced
in temperature by heating the incoming purified gas and vapor.
The apparatus consists in two generators side by side having valve controlled
pipes between them at the upper and lower ends, the valve system at the lower
end being connected either to an air blast pipe or to a pipe carrying gases to be
treated and having valves to throw the current into one or the other generator
and the pipe system in the upper part of the generator providing for the outward
passage either of blast gases or finished gases and having valve to direct the
flow of the same; the pipes carrying either the blast gases or finished gases leading
to a recuperative system for the incoming gases to the generators formed of a
series of vertical return pipes surrounded by other pipes so as to form annular
spaces around the inner pipes, pipe connections for carrying the blast gases to
the annular spaces around some of the pipes, and pipe connections for carrying
the finished gases to the annular spaces around other of the pipes of the recupera-
i

page_text: tive system, so that the incoming gases can be heated by both the hot blast gases
and the hot finished gases.
Dated this 19th day of October 1898.
Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Gas and to Apparatus
therefor.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45, Southampton Buildings, in the. County of Middlesex, 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 the manufacture of gas, its object being to provide
for the recovery of the by-products from the greater portion of the fuel used
in the generation of the gas, so as to cheapen the cost of the same and at the
same time where the invention is employed in connection with the generator or
producer gas to so bring up the efficiency of this class of gases after the separation
of the by-products therefrom as to raise the gas to a high-quality gas-that is,
one which has such a high percentage of combustible that it will burn without
reheating and is therefore proper for distribution for domestic and like purposes.
The invention is well illustrated in connection with what is known as the
"Mond" system of gas manufacture and will be described in connection there-
with, though it is applicable for the treatment of other gases from which the by-
products have been obtained.
The invention consists, generally stated, in first generating gas from a body of
carbons, then separating the by-products therefrom, and then passing this gas
so relieved from its by-products through a body of incandescent carbon to break
up the steam or water vapor taken up by the gas in connection with the separation
of the by-products therefrom and to reduce the carbonic acid of the gas to
carbonic oxid, it being found that when this invention is applied to the Mond
producer gas above referred to its efficiency is doubled and a gas produced of
high heating power, much richer in hydrogen, and having the non-combustibles
reduced from about sixty (60) per cent. of the gas to less than one-fourth (4)
thereof, while the percentage of carbonic oxid is quadrupled.
The invention consists in certain other improvements, all of which will be
hereinafter described and claimed.
Referring to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a side view of the apparatus for practicing the invention, illustrating
in connection with the same the ordinary Mond gas-producing apparatus. Fig. 2
is a top or plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-section on
the line 33, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section on
the line 4 4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-section on the line 5 5, Fig. 1.
Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-section on the line 6 6, Fig. 1.
Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each of the figures.
As the invention is intended principally to be practiced in connection with
the making of Mond producer gas, the apparatus illustrated in the drawings
and the general steps of the making of that gas, will be described and then the
other steps in the carrying out of the process involved in the present case.

page_text: The principle of manufacture of Mond gas consists in the carrying back of the
heat into the generator or producer in such a way that there is little loss of heat,
while the air used for. blasting up the producer and the steam or watery vapor
carried by that air are both highly heated, so as to obtain as high efficiency of
generator or producer gas as practicable, while the by-products are removed from
the gases produced and are saved. The drawings illustrate the approved form
of this apparatus, in which A is the producer, from which the gases pass through
the pipe a, through a series of vertical return-pipes a¹, a³, a³, and a into the
spray washer as, the usual Mond construction, such as illustrated in prior Patent
No. 12440, A.D. 1893, to L. Mond, being employed in connection with this pipe
system, and the pipes a¹ a³ a³ being formed of outer air-pipes inclosing inner
gas-pipes, as illustrated in dotted lines, Fig. 2, so that while the gas is passing
through these pipes the air traveling in the annular space between the two
pipes will become heated and carry the heat back to the producer, the gas after-
ward passing through the separate spray washer a³, in which the soot and some
of the tar are separated therefrom and in which a cloud of spray is maintained by
means of rotary beaters operated by a suitable engine, as at a". The gas then
passes through the pipe a' into the acid-scrubber B, in which as the gases rise
through the same the ammonia contained in the gases is absorbed by dilute
sulphuric acid, the gases then passing by the pipe b to the base of the scrubbing-
tower and rise in an upward course through the same, meeting in this course'a
current of cold water, which to some extent condenses the watery vapor taken up
by the gas in the rotary scrubber and. serves to separate all the tar from
the gas, means being thus provided for the recovery of both the ammonia and the
tar from the outgoing generator-gas. It might incidentally be stated that for the
purpose of carrying back the heat so taken up. by the water from the gas the
water passing downwardly in the tower is carried to the top of the air-heating
tower and descends through the same in opposite course to the incoming air,
which enters through the pipe d and rises through the tower D in contact with
the water, the cold air absorbing the heat from the hot water and reducing. it to
proper, temperature for again treating the gas while taking up a large portion
of vapor therefrom and the. air which thus becomes heated passing through the
pipe over to the return-pipe system between the generator A and the. rotary
scrubber, where it communicates with the space between the outer and inner
pipes, the air then passing around the outgoing gas and entering. the producer,
as above described."
"3
The gas coming from. this Mond producer after separation of the by-products
This. gas
therefrom of course contains a certain proportion of watery vapor.
can be used for many purposes in the arts, though it has not been found advan-
tageous to transport it long distances, and therefore it has not had extended
use for domestic consumption. This Mond gas system illustrates well the first
steps of the present invention, which consists in generating the gas preferably
by an air-blast and separating the by-products from the gas produced, and it
is considered the best illustration of such first steps, because it provides. for
such a generating of the gas without the employment of too high heats, and
therefore gives a greater proportion of by-products. Any other suitable system
for these steps may of course be employed in making so-called "generator-gas
or other gas from which the by-products can be removed. The gas as so produced
has generally a large proportion of carbonic acid and also contains a large volume
of watery vapor or steam, taken up in the separating process, and by the other
steps of the invention this gas is enriched and the watery vapor broken up, so as
to produce a gas of high efficiency. For this purpose the apparatus illustrated in
the drawings is preferred, and will now be described in detail. It preferably
consists of a series of gas-heating pipes to reheat the gas before it enters the
cupola-generator and of two generators of suitable valve connections, so that when
the gas is passing through one such generator to complete the process the other
generator. may be blasted up and the blast-gases used for heating up the gas

page_text: before it enters the generator, while, further, as part of the system the finished
gas itself after passing through the generator is utilized for heating the incoming
gas in part of its course to the generator. For this purpose the generators E F,
are employed which may be of the usual form of cupola-generator, having a suit-
able grate and suitable charging-hoppers, as at E¹, none of such parts needing
special description. The gas-heating system will first be described in its course
as it leads to these generators and then the other steps of the process as practiced.
Leading from the scrubber c is the pipe g, which leads to the series of vertical
return pipes G, which, as shown, consists of six vertical pipes, the inner ones of
which are marked g¹, g², g³, g‘, g³ and g. The inlet-pipe g leads to the base of
the pipe g', which is connected by a cross pipe i at its upper end to the cross-
pipe g, the lower end of such pipe g² being connected in like manner, as illustrated
in dotted lines, to the pipe g³, as at i', whose upper end communicates with the
pipe gat, the lower end of the pipe g* communicating with the pipe g, as shown
by dotted lines at 3, the upper end of the pipe g communicating with the pipe ge
at, while the lower end of the pipe 96, communicating with the pipe h, leads
to a point above the lower valve system K, communicating with the base of the
two generators E and F. This system, which carries the gases into the lower
ends of the generators, consists of the forked pipe h', leading to the valves h² h³,
which communicate with the inlet-pipes e and f, said pipes opening directly
into the two generators. As the blast-gases also enter the lower ends of the
generators, they must also lead to the entrance-pipes e and f, and the construction
employed is as follows: The blast-inlet communicates with the forked pipe k¹,
which in turn communicates with the valves and 3, communicating with the
pipes e and f. The construction so provided enables the operator to direct the
incoming gas into one or the other generator and to direct the incoming air into
the generator through which the gas is not passing. For example, by opening
the valve h and closing the valve the gases are directed into the pipe e³ and
generator E, and at the same time by opening the valve 3 and closing the
valve h³ the air-blast is directed into the generator F. The system then provides
for the carrying of both the finished gases and the blast-gases in such course as
will utilize these gases for heating the incoming gas from the Mond or other
producer, and the arrangement is practically as follows: Opening from the upper
end of the generators E and F are pipes el and f¹, which communicate with a like
valve system M, as the system K. For example, the pipes el fi lead to
valves m2 m³, which lead to forked pipe m', from which the pipe m leads to the
annular pipes nn' formed around the gas-pipes g3 and g, communicating with
the annular space between the pipes g³ and g and n and n¹, and the finished
gas leading from the generator passing from the pipe m upwardly through the
pipe and around the pipe g and through the annular space between the cross-
pipe and the cross-pipe n² and downwardly in the annular space between the
inner or gas-pipe 3 and the outer pipe 1, passing out through the finished
gas at the pipe ³, from which it leads to the storage tank. In like manner on
the other side of the pipes e¹ flare the valves 2223, leading to the forked pipes p¹,
which in turn communicate with the pipe p, which leads downwardly' and then
in a horizontal course to carry the blast-gases to the vertical return-pipes for
heating the producer-gas. To carry these blast-gases around the pipes con-
taining the incoming producer-gas, I employ the same kind of inclosing pipes
as those above described, the piper inclosing the gas-pipe and the pipe r
inclosing the pipe ³, the pipe inclosing the pipe 92, and the pipe enclos-
ing g', these several pipes being connected by cross-pipes r4, r³, and 6, surround-
ing the like connecting-pipes and . The pipe communicates with the
annular space between the pipes r and the gas-pipe 96, and the gases then pass
through the annular spaces formed by means of these sets of pipes around the
pipes 95, 9, and 9' successively to the blast-gas outlet s.
the heated finished gas is utilized for heating the incoming gas passing through
It thus appears that
the pipes and g, while the blast-gases are utilized for heating the incoming

page_text: gas in the pipes g¹, g³, g³, and 96. To utilize all the blast-gases for this purpose, a
suitable air-inlet 2 may communicate with the blast-gas pipe 7, so as to furnish
sufficient oxygen for the combustion of these blast-gases. The blast-gases leading
from the exit-pipe s may be carried to any suitable steam-generator for generating
the necessary steam for the running of the plant. With this apparatus the steps
of the gas-making process not heretofore described are carried out as follows:
Supposing that the generator E is blasted up and ready for passing the gas through
the same, the valve h² is open and the valve h³ closed, the valve m³
open and the
valve m³ closed, and at the same time the valve closed and the valve ³ open,
and the valve 2 is closed and the valve p³ is open. As the Mond gases pass from
the scrubbing-tower C after the removal of the by-products therefrom, they
usually consist of about ten (10) per cent. carbonic oxid, twenty-seven (27) per
cent. hydrogen, two (2) per cent. hydrocarbon gas, and about sixty (60) per
cent. of non-combustible, consisting of nitrogen and carbonic acid. Other gases
will of course differ in proportion of their elements; but any system where the
gas is formed at the comparatively low temperatures necessary to obtain the
by-products will contain a large proportion of non-combustible. In addition
to this the gas contains a large volume of steam or watery vapor, as above stated.
The gas and vapor pass in regular course from the pipe g through the series
of vertical pipes from gl to g6 successively, and then pass by the pipe h, forked
pipe h, valve 2, and pipe e into the generator E. The gases then pass upwardly
through the generator E, escaping by the pipe c', passing through the valve m³,
pipe m', and pipe m. They pass through the annular space formed by the
pipes and around the pipes. and g. At the same time the blast is being
passed in the course above described through the generator F, and the blast-
gases are carried through the pipe and burned and passed through the annular
spaces formed by the pipes from to successively, extending around the other
vertical return gas-pipes g', g2 and 95 g. This course is followed continuously,
changing the course of the gas and air, respectively, through one or the other
generator E or F by the operation of the valves, as is found necessary with the
proper treatment of the gas. In this method of working the gas which leaves
the Mond apparatus at about fifty degrees (50°) Centigrade is heated to about
five hundred degrees (500°) Centigrade before it enters the cupola-generator, so
that the watery vapor is converted to steam and the steam superheated and the car-
bonic-acid gas present is in condition to take up another portion of carbon and be
reduced to carbonic oxid, while at the same time the gas is increased in volume
by the generation of hydrogen gas and carbonic oxide from the superheated steam,
and this without rapid loss of heat in the generator, because of the high heat to
which the incoming gas and steam are raised before passing through the same.
The finished gas comes from the generator and enters the annular pipes for
reheating the incoming gas at a temperature of about six hundred degrees (600°)
Centigrade and passes to the holder in the neighborhood of eighty degrees (80°)
to one hundred degrees (100°) Centigrade, the remaining heat being absorbed by
the incoming gas. The blast-gases which are burned generate a heat of about
twelve hundred degrees (12000) Centigrade before passing in the annular space
around the vertical return-pipes and escape at a temperature of about ninety
degrees (90°) Centigrade or are carried to a suitable steam-generator, being at a
sufficient heat to generate the steam for operating the air-blast employed in the
entire system and for running any necessary pumping-engines.
The resultant Mond gas produced is raised from an efficiency of about forty (40)
per cent. combustible to an efficiency of over seventy-five (75) per cent. com-
bustible, while at the same time its volume is largely increased, the resultant
gas having over forty (40) per cent. carbonic oxid and over thirty (30) per
cent. hydrogen and the remainder being hydrocarbons and nitrogen. These
proportions will of course vary according to the fuel and the method of operating
the system, and will also vary where other gases are treated in accordance with
the invention, though it has great value even in treating of water-gases, which

page_text: are correspondingly lower in nitrogen, because it enables a water-gas plant to be
operated at such low temperature as to provide for the recovery of the by-products,
which has not usually been the case, while the entire system can only lead to the
With Mond and like producer-gases the gas
enriching of the resultant gas.
is raised to such high efficiency or percentage of combustible that they can be
used for general distribution and combustion, therefore rendering it possible to
use such gases for domestic heating purposes. By the apparatus described means
are also provided for utilizing the heat both of the finished gases and of the
blast gases in such a way as to reheat the incoming gas after the removal of the
by-products therefrom to a point close to the proper temperature for treatment. in
the generators, so that reversals of this part of the apparatus need only be made
atlong intervals and there is little or no waste of heat.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
claim is:
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what
1. The method of making gas consisting in generating gas, separating the tar
and ammonia from the resultant gas, and then passing the gas through a body
of incandescent carbon, substantially as set forth.
2. The method of making gas consisting in generating gas, separating the tar
and ammonia from the resultant gas and then reheating the gas and passing it
through a body of incandescent carbon, substantially as set forth.
3. The method of making gas consisting in passing air through a body of
carbon and so forming generator-gas, separating the tar and ammonia from the
resultant generator-gas and then passing it through a body of incandescent car-
bon, substantially as set forth.
4. The method of making gas consisting in generating gas, separating the by-
products from the resultant gas, passing the gas through a body of incandescent
carbon and subsequently heating the gas in its course to the body of incan-
descent carbon by means of the outgoing or finished gas passing from that body,
substantially as set forth.
5. The method of making gas consisting in generating gas, separating the
ammonia from the resultant gas by means of a watery shower, whereby the gas
takes up steam and watery vapor and passing the combined gas, steam and
watery vapor through a body of incandescent carbon, substantially as set forth.
6. The method of making gas consisting in generating gas, separating the
ammonia from the gas by means of a water shower, whereby the gas takes up
steam and watery vapor, and then heating up the gas, steam and watery vapor
and passing the resultant gas and steam through a body of incandescent carbon,
substantially as set forth.
7. The method of making gas consisting in generating gas, separating the by-
products from the gas by passing the gas first upwardly through a water shower
and then upwardly through an acidulated water shower, and then passing the gas
together with the watery vapor taken up through a body of incandescent carbon,
substantially as set forth.
8. The method of making gas consisting in generating gas, separating the by-
products from the gas, and passing the gas through one body of incandescent
carbon and at the same time blasting up, another body of carbon and burning
the resultant blast-gases and reheating the gas by means of the resultant products
in its course to the body of incandescent carbon, substantially as set forth.
9. In gas-making apparatus, the combination of two generators and a series
of vertical return-pipes leading thereto and surrounded by other pipes so as to
form annular spaces around the inner pipes, and pipes leading from the generators
and communicating with the annular spaces between the two sets of pipes, so as
to heat the gases or vapors passing to the generators by the gases leading from
the generators, and valve connections for reversing the currents between the
generators, substantially as set forth.
3

page_text: 10. The combination of two generators, a series of vertical return-pipes leading
to the generators, said pipes having inclosing pipes forming annular spaces around
the same, valve connections between the generators for carrying the gas to and
from either generator and thence to the annular space around one or more of the
pipes carrying gases passing to the generators, and carrying blast to either
generator and the resultant blast-gases to the annular space around another of the
pipes carrying gases passing to the generators, substantially as set forth.
11. In gas-making apparatus, the combination of two generators, a recuperative
system communicating therewith having passages for the gases passing to the
generators, passages leading from the generators for carrying the finished gas
in course to heat part of the recuperative system for the gas on its way to the
generators and passages leading from the generators to the remainder of the
recuperative system for the gas on its way to the generators, substantially as
set forth.
12. In gas apparatus, the combination of generators E and F, the valve
systems K and M, the valve system K communicating with the bases of these said
generators and having valves controlling the inlet of gas thereto and blast thereto,
the valve system M communicating with the upper parts of the generators and
having valves, controlling the outlet of finished gas therefrom and of blast-gas
therefrom, and a recuperative system for the gas on its way to the generators to
part of which recuperative system the finished-gas pipe leads, and to part of
which the blast-gas pipe leads, substantially as set forth.
13. In gas apparatus, the combination of generators E and F, the valve
systems K and M, the valve system K communicating with the bases of these
said generators and having valves controlling the inlet of gas thereto and blast
thereto, the valve system M communicating with the upper parts of the generators
and having valves controlling the outlet of finished gas therefrom and of blast-
gas therefrom, and a series of vertical return-pipes g¹ gª g³ g' gg, all of said
pipes being inclosed in other pipes forming annular spaces around the same, and
the pipe for finished gas communicating with some of those annular spaces,
while the pipe for blast-gases communicates with other of said annular spaces,
substantially as set forth."
Dated this 4th dox of Tuly 1900
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.
Agents for the Applicant.