Improvements in the Method of Heating Gas Retorts.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Dec., 1889-Accepted, 25th Jan., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of Heating Gas Retorts.
GODFREY BAMBERG Gentleman 7 Holly Village Swains Lane Highgate Road
London N. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The retorts are placed in a well luted fire proof chamber, which chamber is nearly
filled with melted zinc (or other metal or mixture of metals volatile at full red heat).
The chamber is surrounded by the flames of a powerful furnace. As soon as the
temperature rises to full red heat, the metal boils and volatilizes and the heat of the
metal rises no higher. The vaporised metal is condensed in a condensing chamber
heated to 800°, and the still fluid metal is connected by a small pipe with the metal in
the retort chamber.
One application of this invention would be the production of Water Gas by a
continuous process, the retorts being filled with coke or charcoal and superheated steam
being injected alternately into the two retorts, the steam would be converted into
hydrogen and carbonic oxide. The carbon in the retorts being maintained at a full red
heat (for decomposing the steam) by the boiling metal outside the retorts.
Date 1
A 1 1000
GODFREY BAMBERG.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of Heating Gas Retorts.
I, GODFREY BAMBERG 7, Holly Village Highgate, 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 has for its object to heat retorts, more particularly such as are
employed for the manufacture of water gas in such a manner that they are maintained
at a full red heat and are at the same time prevented from being heated above that
point, and it consists in employing as a medium for transmitting the heat from a fire
to the retort, metallic zinc or other suitable volatilizable metal, which is maintained at
the temperature at which it is volatilized, provision being made for leading off the
zinc vapours as they are generated.
Under these conditions the temperature of the zinc will remain constant, no matter
how much the temperature of the fire employed for heating the same may rise above
its vaporizing point.
Thus by insuring that the zino is always maintained at the point of volatilization,
the retort and its contents which are heated thereby will always be maintained at the
constant temperature of a full red heat, which is essentially necessary in the
manufacture of water gas, in which superheated steam is introduced into a body of
incandescent carbonaceous matter.
The zinc vapour given off in the above process is by preference led to a suitable
condensing chamber where it is condensed at such a temperature as to reassume the
fluid metallic state and it is then passed back into the receptacle which is heated by
the fire.
For enabling the exact temperature which it is desired to maintain in the retort to
be varied according to requirements, other metals that volatilize at a higher or lower
temperature than zine may be added in varying proportions to the latter."

page_text: The metallic vapours given off might also be led away to be utilized in any known
manner, and the loss of zinc be made good by adding fresh metal, but I prefer to
condense the vapours and return tliem to the heated receptacle as described.
Apparatus for carrying out my above described invention may be variously
arranged according to the purpose for which it is to be employed.
On the
accompanying drawing I have shewn by way of example an arrangement suitable for
the manufacture of water gas. Fig. 1 shews a vertical section of the apparatus, and
Fig. 2 is a sectional plan.
An inner retort H is surrounded by an outer retort E of iron or other suitable
material and the space between, J, is nearly filled with melted zinc.
The zinc volatilizes at or about 1040° F. (a clear red heat) and however high the
temperature outside the outer retort may be, the heat inside the inner retort cannot
exceed such volatilizing temperature.
The zinc vapour is condensed into fluid zinc by a suitable condenser such for
example as that hereinafter described and returns to the retort chamber to be again
volatilized and recondensed, the entire action of the zinc being thus confined in a
closed circuit.
A fire is lighted in a furnace of any suitable construction A (provided with a
charging aperture & cover B) the combustible gases from which meet with a current
of air at C. The flames and products of combustion pass through the flues D
surrounding the outer retort E (which is by preference protected by a coating F of
suitable material) and thence to the outlet flue G. The space between the outer
retort E and the inner retort H is nearly filled with melted zinc J. The inner retort
is nearly filled with coke or charcoal K.
When the coke becomes heated to clear red heat a jet of superheated steam is
injected by a pipe L, which, passing upward through the incandescent coke is
decomposed and converted into a mixture of hydrogen and Carbonic Oxide (commonly
called Water Gas) which leave the retort by the pipe M to be used or stored as
required. A door N is provided at the bottom of the retort for the removal of ashes.
At the upper part of the retort is placed a hopper with lever arrangement or other
known feeding device for recharging the retort without stopping the process.
Connected to the retort at the upper end is the condenser P having tubes O
both ends, connected to the sides of the casing P so as to prevent any escape of
vapour.
open at
The air passing through these tubes and surrounding the vessel condenses the zinc
vapour, and the molten zinc flows back into the chamber J. A beavy moveable lid Q
with serrated edge is placed at top of condensing chamber P to relieve any excessive
pressure of the vapour which may occur, the lid being lifted by the pressure until the
vapours can escape by the serrations.
An opening R is provided at the bottom of the condenser for filling the space J
between the retorts with zinc.
I am aware that it has already been proposed to use molten metals as media for
transmitting fire heat to materials to be treated, and I do not claim this process
generally but only when the metal is heated to the point of volatilisation and the
resulting vapours are removed or condensed as they are generated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim
is :-
1. The method of maintaining a constant temperature within a retort by heating
the same through the medium of molten zinc maintained by external heating at the
temperature at which the metal volatilises, the zinc vapours being led off as they are
produced and either condensed and returned to the zinc bath, or otherwise utilized,
substantially as herein described.
..

page_text: A clerical error in the original Specification having been amended by the
Patentee, with the consent of the Comptroller, the printed Specification will now read
as shown below :-

page_text: 2. The use, for heating retorts, of a closed chamber surrounding the retorts and
charged with molten zine heated by external combustion to the temperature at which
it is volatilized, the zinc vapours being led off through a pipe or channel to apparatus
where they are condensed to the liquid metallic state again and whence the liquid
metal is made to flow back into the heated chamber, substantially as herein
described.
1000
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.