Improvements in or relating to High and Low Pressure Gas Generators.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd June, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 25th Mar.. 1896-Accepted, 23rd May, 1896
Improvements in or relating to High and Low Pressure Gas
Generators.
I, JOHAN MATHIAS KAREL PENNINK, of 9 Kenaustraat, Haarlem in the
Kingdom of Holland, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in a high and low pressure gas generator,
which improvements are specified below:-
I arrange the generator so, that the explosive mixture is produced within the
rotary drums instead of without the apparatus, so as to prevent any explosion from
taking place before the time, when it is wanted. I further provide a device,
whereby liquid fuel may be employed for the production of the explosive mixture
and ignited. Finally I arrange the apparatus so, that the heating of its parts is
lessend and the required quantity of the cooling fluid thereby reduced.
The casing of the bigh and low pressure gas generator having an inlet piece for
the compressed explosive mixture, three outlet pieces for high pressure gas, low
pressure gas and rest of explosion products respectively, and on both sides annular
faces with four lengthy openings leading into the said pieces, is modified in the
following manner: The inlet piece or receptacle is designed for conducting hot
compressed air to the rotary drums. The igniting chamber arranged between the
inlet piece and the first outlet piece is replaced by a box, hereinafter called "H,"
partly adjoining to the first outlet piece, hereinafter called "M," in order that its
walls may be heated by the hot explosion products passed from the drums through
the outlet piece M. In every annular face of the casing is an opening, hereinafter
called "K" provided, which leads into the box H. Instead of the tap with the
two imbedded wires, at the ends of which electrical sparks were kept passing over,
a fuel inlet valve box is inserted in the said box H. It is arranged for receiving
liquid fuel at a high pressure and contains two cylindrical fuel inlet valves.
These valves are moved up and down alternately from the driving shaft by some
suitable means, such as eccentrics or cams, levers, rods and so on. Every valve
extends through the valve chamber and works, with its tapered end in a chamber,
hereinafter called "K," of equal. diameter. The fuel inlet valve box is provided
with narrow holes, which put the chambers KK into communication with the
openings K2 K2 in the annular faces of the casing. When each valve goes up, it
will admit through the small annular aperture round its tapered end or through
small cuts a certain quantity of the liquid fuel into the chamber K below. Here
the liquid fuel is heated by the walls of the box H enclosing the fuel inlet valve
box, so that it is brought to a considerably high temperature. The fuel inlet
valve on going down presses out the liquid fuel from the chamber K in a ray
through the narrow hole.
In the openings K2 K2 plates, hereinafter called "LL," are inserted and so
arranged, that their suitably shaped faces receive the rays of liquid fuel emerging
from the said narrow holes and turn them off through the openings K² K². There
are openings in the walls of the outlet piece M giving the hot explosion products
access to the plates LL, whereby the latter are made to glow.
The liquid fuel on meeting the glowing plates L L will therefore be further
heated and partly vaporised.
The two rotary drums mounted on the driving shaft on both sides of the casing

page_text: and having on the outside annular ribs for increasing their cooling surfaces are
lined internally with fire clay or other non-conducting material for the purpose of
holding together the heat produced therein. Every drum is divided by partition
walls into explosion chambers. At the face touching the casing each drum is
provided with suitable openings leading to each explosion chamber, the one opening
corresponding to that K2 at the casing and the other opening corresponding to
those openings at the casing, which lead into the inlet piece and the outlet pieces.
The openings at each drum and those at the casing are so arranged, that, when the
respective opening of any drum chamber is over the opening K at the casing, the
said chamber is shut off from both the inlet piece and the outlet piece M, and
besides this, that no drum chamber can communicate either with the inlet and one
outlet or with two of the outlets at a time.
The apparatus is worked in the following manner:
In some tank or vessel the liquid fuel is compressed by a suitable machine,
until it attains a high pressure, say 15 or 20 atmospheres. The tank or vessel being
connected to the fuel inlet valve box by a pipe, the compressed liquid fuel fills up
the valve chamber round the valves.
From some source hot compressed air of about 8 or 10 or more atmospheres is
conducted by a piping to the apparatus and enters its inlet piece. For the sake of
clearness only one chamber of the one drum is now taken into consideration.
When during the revolution of the drum the respective opening of the chamber
comes over that of the inlet piece, the drum chamber is filled up with hot
compressed air from the inlet piece. This air is further heated by the hot walls
of the drum chamber up to 400 to 750 degrees Fahrenheit. The rotary drum
moving on, the communication between the chamber and the inlet piece is
intercepted.
The respective fuel inlet valve having meanwhile gone up and admitted a
certain quantity of liquid fuel into the chamber K below, where it is heated, is now
going downwards and cuts the supply off.
When the other chamber opening comes over the opening K2 at the casing, the
fuel inlet valve is still continuing its downward course and presses the liquid fuel
out in a ray. The liquid fuel on meeting the glowing plate L is further heated
and partly vaporized, while the ray is being turned off and spread out, so that the
liquid fuel is finely divided. The spread out ray enters the drum chamber and
the finely divided liquid fuel mixes up with a part of the hot compressed air
contained in the drum chamber. The mixture becomes explosive and is ignited at
the high temperature of 400 to 750 degrees F., whereupon the explosion or
combustion takes place. As in proportion to the amount of liquid fuel admitted
the quantity of hot compressed air is large, the force of the explosion is diminished
by the excess of the air remaining after the combustion and also the temperature
of the explosion products is reduced owing to its repartition over the whole
contents. The walls of the drums will therefore be less heated than is the case
with the original generator, so that the quantity of the required cooling fluid is in
proportion reduced.
As the drum further revolves, the chamber opening leaves the opening K²,
whereby the communication between the drum chamber and the opening K³ is
intercepted. After this the drum chamber is put into communication with the
three outlet pieces in succession to discharge a part of the explosion products at a
high pressure into the first line of piping, another part at a low pressure into the
second line of piping and the rest into the atmosphere. On the drum again
attaining its original position, the whole of the described occurrences will be
repeated over during the following revolution. The same is the case with respect
to the other drum chambers and also to the chambers of the other drum.
Owing to the construction of the apparatus as described, the finely divided and
partly vaporized liquid fuel will be ignited under any circumstance, either by
the glowing plates L2 L2 or by the hot compressed air contained in the drum
chambers.

page_text: Hitherto each drum chamber was assumed to have two openings, but the latter
may be changed into a single one, if the openings at the casing are arranged
accordingly. Also each drum chamber may have more than two openings.
Dated this 18th day of June 1895.
JOHAN MATHIAS KAREL PENNINK.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to High and Low Pressure Gas
Generators.
I, JOHAN MATHIAS KAREL PENNINK, of 9 Kenaustraat, Haarlem in the
Kingdom of Holland, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in a high and low pressure gas generator,
such as is described in my Patent Specification No. 2594 of the 6th February 1895.
The improvements are specified below :-
I arrange the generator so that the explosive mixture is produced within the
rotary drums instead of without the apparatus, so as to prevent any explosion from
taking place before the time when it is wanted. I further provide a device,
whereby liquid fuel may be employed for the production of the explosive mixture
and ignited. Finally I arrange the apparatus so, that the heating of its parts is
lessened and the required quantity of the cooling fluid thereby reduced.
•
I will now proceed to describe my invention, reference being had to the figures
and letters marked on the three sheets of drawings accompanying this my
Complete Specification, in order that this invention may be fully understood and
readily carried into effect.
Hio is a vertical longitudinal coation of the annoratus taken in the plane of
Improvements in or relating to High and Low Pressure Gas
Generators.
I, JOHAN MATHIAS KAREL PENNINK, of 9 Kenaustraat, Haarlem in the
Kingdom of Holland, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in a high and low pressure gas generator,
such as is described in my Patent Specification No. 2594 of the 6th February 1895.
The improvements are specified below :-
I arrange the generator so that the explosive mixture is produced within the
rotary drums instead of without the apparatus, so as to prevent any explosion from
taking place before the time when it is wanted. I further provide a device,
whereby liquid fuel may be employed for the production of the explosive mixture
and ignited. Finally I arrange the apparatus so, that the heating of its parts is
lessened and the required quantity of the cooling fluid thereby reduced.
•
I will now proceed to describe my invention, reference being had to the figures
and letters marked on the three sheets of drawings accompanying this my
Complete Specification, in order that this invention may be fully understood and
readily carried into effect.
Fig 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the apparatus, taken in the plane of
the line m-n in Fig. 2;
Fig. 2 a horizontal section taken in the plane of the line o-p in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 a vertical cross section on the line q-r in Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 a vertical cross section on the line s-t in Fig. 1;
Fig. 5 a vertical cross section on the line --v in Fig. 1;
Fig. 6 a vertical cross section on the line w-x in Fig. 1;
Finally Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal section, the middle part of which is
taken in the plane of the line y- in Fig. 3 and the end parts in the plane of the
line m-n in Fig. 2.
The casing of the high and low pressure gas generator described in the said
Patent Specification No. 2594 of 6th February 1895 as having an inlet piece for
the compressed explosive mixture, three outlet pieces for high pressure gas, low
pressure gas and rest of explosion products respectively, and on both sides annular
faces with four lengthy openings leading into the said pieces, is modified in the
following manner: The inlet piece or receptacle G is designed for conducting ho
compressed air through the openings G2 to the rotary drums PP. The igniting
chamber arranged between the inlet piece G and the first outlet piece Mis
replaced by the box H, which partly adjoins to the first outlet piece M, in order
that its walls may be heated by the hot explosion products passed from the
drums PP through the outlet piece M. In every annular face F1 of the casing F
is an opening K2 provided, which leads into the box H. Instead of the tap with
the two embedded wires, at the ends of which electrical sparks were kept passing
over as in the said original generator, the fuel inlet valve box H' is inserted in the
box H. It is arranged for receiving liquid fuel by the pipe H' at a high pressure
and contains two cylindrical fuel inlet valves II. These valves are moved up and
lown alternately from the driving shaft T by some suitable means, such as

page_text: eccentrics or cams, levers, rods and so on. Every valve I extends through the
cylindrically bored valve chamber I¹ and works with its tapered end in the
chamber K of equal diameter. The fuel inlet valve box H is provided with
narrow holes K'K' (Fig. 2), which put the chambers KK into communication
with the openings K2 K2 in the annular faces F' F¹ of the casing F. When each
valve goes up, it will admit through the small annular aperture around its
tapered end or through small cuts 12 12 (Fig. 7) a certain quantity of the liquid
fuel into the chamber K below. Here the liquid fuel is heated by the walls of the
box H enclosing the fuel inlet valve box H', so that the liquid fuel is brought to a
considerably high temperature. The fuel inlet valve I on going down presses
out the liquid fuel from the chamber K in a jet through the narrow hole K¹
(Fig. 2).
In the openings K2 K2 the plates L L (Figs. 2 and 4) are inserted and so
arranged, that they may be extracted, when wanted. They are provided with
suitably shaped tongues or shells L' L², which serve for receiving the jets of liquid
fuel emerging from the narrow holes K¹ K' and for turning them off through the
openings K2 K2. There are openings L' L' (Figs. 2 and 3) in the walls of the
outlet piece M giving the hot explosion products access to the plates LL, whereby
the latter are made to glow. The liquid fuel on meeting the glowing
tongues L2 L2 at the plates L L will therefore be further heated and partly
vaporized.
The two rotary drums P P, mounted on the driving shaft T on both sides of the
casing F and having on the outside annular ribs P¹ P¹ for increasing their cooling
surfaces, are lined internally with fire clay or other non-conducting material S S
for the purpose of holding together the heat produced therein. Every drum P is
divided by the partition walls P³ P³ (Fig. 5) into the two explosion chambers QR.
At the face touching the casing F each drum P is provided with openings Q1 Q2 and
R¹ R2 leading into the chambers Q and R respectively. The openings Q' and R'
register with that K'(Fig. 4) at the casing F and the other openings Q2 and R² register
with those G2 M² N' O³. The openings Q1 Q2 and R¹ R at each drum are so
placed, that, when the one opening Qor R¹ of any drum chamber is over the
opening K² (Fig. 4) at the casing, the other Q2 or R² respectively is between the
openings G² and M³ as is indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 4. At this monent
the drum chamber Q or R is shut off from both the inlet piece G and the outlet
piece M. Besides this, the openings at each drum P and those at the casing Fare
so arranged, that no drum chamber can communicate either with the inlet and one
outlet or with two of the outlets at a time.
The apparatus is worked in the following manner :
In some tank or vessel the liquid fuel is compressed by a suitable machine, until
it attains a high pressure, say 15 or 20 atmospheres. The tank or vessel being
connected to the fuel inlet valve box H¹ by the pipe H2, the compressed liquid fuel
fills up the valve chambers l'I' around the valves I 1 (Fig. 7).
From some source hot compressed air of about 8 or 10 or more atmospheres is
conducted by the piping G₁ (Fig. 3) to the inlet piece or receptacle G of the
apparatus. For the sake of clearness only the chamber Q of the left drum P
(Fig. 1) is now taken into consideration. When during the revolution of the
drum P the chamber opening Q2 comes over that G2 of the inlet piece (Figs. 4
and 5), the drum chamber is filled up with hot compressed air from the
inlet piece or receptacle G. This air is further heated by the hot walls of the
drum chamber up to 400 to 750 degrees Fahrenheit. The rotary drum P
moving on, the communication between the chamber Q and the inlet piece G is
intercepted.
The left fuel inlet valve 1 Fig. 7), having meanwhile gone up and admitted a
certain quantity of liquid fuel into the chamber K below, where it is heated, is now
going downward and cuts the supply off.
When the other chamber opening Q' comes over the opening K2 (Fig. 4), the
left fuel inlet valve 1 is still continuing its downward course and presses the liquid

page_text: fuel out in a jet (Fig. 2). The liquid fuel on meeting the glowing tongue L³ at the
plate L is further heated and partly vaporized, while the jet is being turned off and
spread out, so that the liquid fuel is finely divided. The spread out jet enters the
drum chamber through the opening Q¹ and the finely divided liquid fuel mixes up-
with a part of the hot compressed air contained in the drum chamber. The mixture
becomes explosive and is ignited at the high temperature of 400 to 750 degrees F.,
whereupon the explosion or combustion takes place. As in proportion to the
amount of liquid fuel admitted the quantity of the hot compressed air is large, the
force of the explosion is diminished by the excess of the air remaining after
the combustion and also the temperature of the explosion products is reduced
owing to its repartition over the whole contents. The walls of the drums will
therefore be less heated than is the case with the original generator, so that the-
quantity of the required cooling fluid is in proportion reduced.
As the drum further revolves, the chamber opening Qleaves the opening K2,.
whereby the communication between the drum chamber and the opening K2 is
intercepted. After this the drum chamber is put into communication with the
three outlet pieces in succession to discharge a part of the explosion products at a.
high pressure through the outlet piece M into the adjoining piping M', another
part at a low pressure through the outlet piece N into the adjoining piping N¹ and
the rest through the outlet piece O into the atmosphere. On the drum again
attaining its original position, the whole of the described occurrences will be
repeated over during the following revolution. The same is the case with respect
to the other drum chamber R and also to the two chambers Q R of the other
drum.
Owing to the construction of the apparatus as described, the finely divided and
partly vaporized liquid fuel will be ignited under any circumstances, either by the
glowing tongues L2 L2 or by the hot compressed air contained in the drum:
chambers.
The plates L L may be made in one piece with the tongues L' L² or they may
be shaped in any other suitable manner.
The fuel inlet valve box H is so constructed, that there will always be a certain
difference between the pressures in the drum chambers filled with hot compressed
air and in the valve chambers I' filled with compressed liquid fuel, so that no fuel
or flame can be thrown back.
The drum openings Q¹ and R' are shown to be smaller than those Q2 and R'..
Where it is so preferred, however, the openings Q' and R¹ may be made larger or
lengthy, so as to leave more time to the jets of liquid fuel for entering the drum
chambers. In this case, of course, the length of the opening G2 will require to be
reduced accordingly and the distance between the openings G² and M² will have
to be increased so as to prevent the drum chambers QR from communicating with
the inlet G and the first outlet M or with either of them and with the opening K²
at a time. If the openings K2 K2 are set higher up, so as to approach to the
dotted lines in Fig. 4, the chamber openings Q'Q' and R' R' may eventually be
changed into single ones. Also each drum chamber may have more than two-
openings.
In case the generator is provided with one drum P only, as described in
the said Patent Specification No. 2594 of 6th February 1895, the fuel inlet
valve box H' may be modified by replacing the two fuel inlet valves II by a
single one.
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. In a high and low pressure gas generator the combination with a box H or
its equivalent partly adjoining to the first outlet piece M, so as to be heated by
the hot explosion products passing from the drum or drums P P through said.
outlet M, of one or two fuel inlet valves II or their equivalents moved up and

page_text: .
down by suitable means to admit liquid fuel into the chamber or chambers K K
below and to press it out therefrom through narrow holes K' K', for the purpose
of first heating and then injecting the liquid fuel into the drum or drums P P,
substantially as shown and described.
2. In a high and low pressure gas generator the arrangement, use and application
of a detachable plate L and a tongue L2 or their equivalents in the opening L¹
between the first outlet piece M and the opening or channel K³, so as to be made
glowing by the hot explosion products passing from the drums P P through said
outlet M, for the purpose of receiving the jet of liquid fuel emerging from the
hole K and turning it off, while at the same time further heating and partly
vaporizing the liquid fuel, substantially as shown and described.
3. In a high and low pressure gas generator the combination consisting of an
inlet piece or receptacle G for receiving hot compressed air, three outlet
pieces M N O for high pressure gas, low pressure gas and rest of explosion
products respectively, an injecting device described in the first claiming clause
between the inlet piece G and the first outlet piece M, and one or two annular
faces FF having each openings G2 M² N2 O2 set at equal distances from the
centre and leading into said pieces G M N O, also an opening K2 set at a distance
different from that of the openings G' M² N' O' and leading into the box H of
the said injecting device, the whole forming a casing F, substantially as set forth.
4. In a high and low pressure gas generator the combination with the casing F
described in the third claiming clause of one drum P revolving at the one face Fl
or two drums PP revolving on both sides of the casing F at the two faces F' F¹ and
having chambers Q R and openings Q'Q' R' R² or their equivalents, leading into
the chambers Q R and registering with the openings G² M² N2 O2 and K'
respectively at the casing F, for the purpose of receiving hot compressed air from
the inlet piece G, mixing it with finely divided hot liquid fuel injected from the
openings K2 K2, sustaining the explosion of the mixture and discharging the
explosion products successively into the outlet pieces M N O, substantially as set
forth.
5. In a high and low pressure gas generator the arrangement, use and application
of an internal lining of fire clay or other non-conducting substance inside the
rotary drums P P for the purpose of holding together the heat produced therein,
substantially as set forth.
Dated this 23rd day of March 1896.
JOHAN MATHIAS KAREL PENNINK.