IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF LIGHTING GAS FROM GASOLINE AND OTHER LIGHT HYDROCARBON LIQUIDS, ALSO APPLICABLE FOR ENRICHING OTHER SUCH LIGHTING GAS
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Carl Kesseler at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 18th June 1880. A communication from
Paul Richter and Wilhelm Triebel, both of Berlin, in the Empire of Germany.
CARL KESSELER, of 63, Mohrenstrasse, Berlin, W., in the Empire of Germany, Civil
Engineer and Patent Solicitor. IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE
PRODUCTION OF LIGHTING GAS FROM GASOLINE AND OTHER LIGHT HYDROCARBON
LIQUIDS, ALSO APPLICABLE FOR ENRICHING OTHER SUCH LIGHTING GAS."
(A communication from Paul Richter and Wilhelm Triebel, both of Berlin, in the
Empire of Germany.)
"
Heretofore in such apparatus the degree of saturation of atmospheric air with
hydrocarbon gas has been determined by the position of a cock according to the
number of burners, but this gives not a satisfactory result; when employing scoop
elevator the gas is at first too intenso, about right in the middle, and too weak
towards the end of the process.
It would therefore be useful to regulate the hydrocarbon percentage in the gas
mixturo, but this is difficult, because the liquids used differ considerably in thoir
degree of fluidity.
According to this Invention the desired object is attained by the production of a
partial vacuum within the mixing vessel, so that the evaporation of the gas liquid
is always regulated accordingly. The vacuum is produced by two air pumps or
fans, of which one delivers tho required quantity of air into the apparatus, while
the other draws off the more, the moro hydrocarbon is evaporated.
The mixing vessel is connected to a blowing fan of any suitable construction,
which by a given number of rovolutions of its shaft delivers a certain quantity of
air into the mixing vessel.
The interior of the latter is also connected to a suction fan, which draws off the
mixture and delivers it into a gas reservoir. The relative motion or action of the
two fans is regulated as above described, and the driving mechanisms of same may
be so combined that the suction fan always draws off a defined greater quantity of
gus than the blowing fan delivers air. The difference is made up by the
evaporation of the light hydrocarbon, so that consequently the gas mixturo always
has a certain percentage of lighting gas.
But the liquid hydrocarbons used are not all of the same lightness, and hence
an irregularity in the illumination might arise. For this reason the interior of the
mixing vessel is provided with a regulating appliance.

page_text: The mixing vessel is formed with double walls in its upper part, and has besides
its outer lid also an interior lid, to which is fitted a central pipe which is connected
to a lower separate compartment of the vessel. The upper lateral intermediate
space is charged with gasoline, and in the latter dips a bell like a gasometer bell
forming a liquid lute. The aforesaid bottom compartment is filled with gasoline,
which by some suitable appliance is being constantly pumped into the upper part and
intermediate space of the mixing vessel; it flows into the space between the double
walls of the mixing vessel, and thence into the interior of samo. In the interior
there are trays, which are fixed alternately to the central pipe aforesaid or to the
inner wall of tho mixing vessel, overflowing from the outside of each of the former
kind of trays into the next or lower of the latter kind of trays, and cach of theso
latter overflowing near the centre into the next of the former; a circuitous passage
is thus secured to the gasoline, which thereby is spread over a large surface. Tho
atmospheric air entering from the blower first enters a funnel, escapos round the
central pipe through an annular slit into the interior of the mixing vessel, and in
rising therein it meets the gasoline dropping down, and passes also over the wholo
surface of it over the trays. The whole surface is so proportioned that the bydro-
carbons which evaporate with more difficulty give off the quantity of gas which
corresponds to the difference of the useful effect of the two fans. But if a lighter
hydrocarbon is used, more gas would under the same conditions be given off than
with the heavier, and hence an undue pressure be produced in the mixing vessel,
because the suction fan only draws off a certain quantity of gas. In order to
prevent this a regulating appliance is arranged, which is put into action by tho
gasometer like bell. The air charged with gas enters the central pipe by some
apertures, it then passes down through a series of valves, and passes off by the
suction pipe. If the pressure rises in the vessel the bell rises and with it à rod
pendant therefrom and guided below; by continued rising of the bell a cross peg on
the rod raises the uppermost valve from its scat, and opens communication between
the interior of the central pipo and the outside of same, so that the gas mixture can
enter the interior of the pipe without passing the uppermost tray, the air will thus
como in contact with a smaller surface of gasoline. Should this not be sufficient,
the bell continuing to rise, another peg on the rod will raise also the next lower
valve, and so on with the others as required, until the pressure falls and the bell
and the valves drop into their normal position.
In order that the bell shall be able to rise the air above it must not resist it; it
is therefore constantly drawn away by the blowing fan by a small pipe leading to
its suction side, and the amount of diminution of air pressure is regulated by a cock
thercon.
The appliance for bringing the dropping down gasoline into the lower compart-
ment of the vessel is such that the gradual lowering of its level does not influence
the degree of evaporation of the gasoline; it is in form of a half round funnel
which does not reach quite up to the top of the lower compartment, and hence the
gasoline dropping down from the trays and collecting in the funnel keeps the same
level therein as in the lower compartment. The air entering from the blowing
fan thus always meets the gasoline under the samo circumstances, so that the
evaporation is always the same.
The apparatus may also be applied to the enriching of weak air gas.