Improvements in Methods of Vaporising Inflammable Oils and Storing the Vapour or Gas Produced at Constant Pressure for Use in Heat- ing, Lighting, and Gas Motors.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 13th June, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 12th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 2nd June, 1899
Improvements in Methods of Vaporising Inflammable Oils and Storing
the Vapour or Gas Produced at Constant Pressure for Use in Heat-
ing, Lighting, and Gas Motors.
I, WILLIAM DONALDSON, Civil Engineer, 38, Parliament Street,, Westminster,
London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The improvements relate to methods of vaporising the inflammable oil by
placing it in a partial vacuum produced by a vacuum pump which discharges
the vapour or gas produced into an ordinary gas holder subject to a constant
pressure and of automatically making the average rate of supply of the vapour
or gas equal to the average rate of its consumption so that the vapour or gas is
practically used as fast as it is produced before an appreciable amount of con-
densation can take place.
The equality of the rate of production to the rate of consumption is effecte!
by the rise and fall of the gas holder, which when it reaches its highest point
lifts a valve, which opens free communication between the pump and the vacuum
chamber and stops actual pumping. Before reaching its lowest point the valve
between the pump and the vacuum chamber is closed and actual pumping again
commences.
Dated this 13th day of June 1898.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Methods of Vaporising Inflammable Oils and Storing
the Vapour or Gas Produced at Constant Pressure for Use in Heat-
ing, Lighting, and Gas Motors.
I, WILLIAM DONALDSON, Civil Engineer, 38, Parliament Street,. Westminster,
London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
sume is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
The improvements are as follows reference being made to the accompanying
sheet of drawings in which like letters describe like parts. Fig. (1) is a plan of
the apparatus with the cover of the gas heating chamber & removed. Fig. (2)
an elevation of the same, Fig. (3) a sectional elevation through the gasholder and
regulating valve and Fig. (4) a vertical section through centre of heating chamber.
O is the vacuum vaporising chamber into which the oil is poured through the
funnel connected with the vacuum chamber by the passage, I, which is pro-
D

page_text: vided with a stop-cock. P Figs. (1) and (2) is the vacuum pump provided with
an inlet valve V and an outlet valve V2. L Fig. (3) is a hollow vessel with a
closed top surrouned by an annular space, A, filled with water. The height
of the top of the outer ring of the annular space above the closed top of the
vessel L must be equal to the height of a column of water necessary to overcome 5
the pressure of the gas. G is the gasholder, which is capable of moving freely
up and down with its sides immersed in the water contained in the annular space A.
SFig. (2) is a bar of suitable shape attached to the vessel L and passing over the
top of the gas holder for the purpose of carrying a pulley, g. This bar is provided
with a slot exactly over the centre of the gasholder through which a cord attached
to the guide bar, s', which is fixed to the top of the gasliolder moves freely and
passes over the pulley, g, and through another slot in the bar S and is attached
to balance weights adjusted so as to maintain any degree of gas pressure in the
gasholder. Figs. (1) (2) and (3) is a valve by which the pump P can be put in
free communication with the vacuum chamber 0 by means of the pipe p' and the
passage el. B is a bar with two arms bent at right angles. The upper horizontal
arm, which is firmly attached to the guide rod s must be of sufficient length
to allow the vertical part joining the two horizontal arms to move freely up and
down outside the vessel L. The lower horizontal arm must be provided with a
slot exactly over the centre of the valve V3, through which the rod ², which
has its lower end connected with the spindle of the valve V3 by a broad union
screw can freely pass. The upper end of the rod is prevented from slipping
downwards through the slot in the lower arm of the bar B by a nut N or other
suitable contrivance. The valve V2 Fig. (1) is connected with the gasholder G
by the pipe p', which passes through the top of the vessel L. The gas is con-
veyed from the gasholder by the pipe p2, which also passes through the top of the
vessel L. 7 Figs. (2) and (4) is a guage glass to shew the depth of the oil in the
chamber O. T Figs. (1) & (2) is a tap or pump for drawing off the tar and also
the unvaporised oil, when it is necessary to clear out the vacuum chamber O and c¹
the door of an opening through which the tar and solids deposited during evapora-
tion, which cannot be discharged by the pump or tap T can be removed Q Fig. (2)
is a pulley attached to the crank shaft of the vacuum pump driven by a belt, which
passes over a pulley actuated by a motor. H is a loose handle for working the
pump by hand for filling the gasholder with gas before starting in those cases
in which the motor itself is actuated by the gas generated by evaporation.
The gasholder G is not provided for the storage of gas in large volumes. It
has to effect two objects (1) to keep the gas at constant pressure (2) to insure the
average rate of production being equal to the average rate of consumption. The
actual rate of production must be slightly in excess of the rate of consumption so
that during the period of effective pumping the gasholder will keep continually
rising until the lower arm of the rod B comes in contact with the nut N and
raises the valve V³. The instant this is done actual pumping of gas into the
gasholder ceases and the gasholder begins to fall into its lowest assigned position.
When the gas holder approaches its lowest assigned position the lowest
arm of the bar B comes in contact with the union screw U and causes
the valve V3 to close, after which actual pumping into the gasholder again com-
mences. The lowest assigned position should be at a sufficient height above
its lowest possible position to prevent sensible loss of pressure before actual pump-
ing recommences.
Condensation may be prevented, whatever may be the temperature of the
external air by lighting a gas jet or lamp in the chamber, M, Fig. (4) placed
inside the vessel 0 immediately underneath the gas heating chamber X, through
which the gas flows before it enters the pump and in which its temperature may
be raised to any desired degree above the flash point without raising the tem-
perature of the inflammable oil in the vacuum chamber 0. The heated air from
the chamber M should be conveyed to the chamber L beneath the gas holder G
either by means of an independent pipe or partly by means of an independent

page_text: pipe Fig. (1) and an annular space surrounding the pipe p'. From the
chamber, L, the heated air can be conveyed through an annular space, ², round the
pipe to the point where the gas is to be used, in the ease of the gas motor as
far as the gas valve and where this is not immediately connected with the
cylinder in the gas engine beyond the valve and afterwards discharged into the
chimney and an efficient draught in this way secured. The space between the
top of the pot in chamber M, and the top of the heating chamber X must be of
such capacity and designed in such a way as to secure the requisite degree of
superheating of the gas before it enters the pump. It has been ascertained that
in the case of the elements of petroleum most liable to condensation, such con-
densation is effectually prevented by thoroughly mixing the vapour with a sufficient
volume of permanent gases immediately after the gas is generated. No conden-
sation will therefore take place in the air and gas mixing chamber of a motor.
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 what I claim is :-
;--
(1) The use of a vacuum pump and partial vacuum chamber containing inflam-
mable oil for converting the oil into vapour for the purpose of providing motive
power for gas motors and for heating and lighting.
(2) The combination of a vacuum pump and gasholder provided with a regulating
valve actuated by the rise and fall of the gasholder for the purpose of making
the average rate of supply equal to the average rate of consumption substantially
as illustrated and described in the drawings and specifications.
(3) The combination of a vacuum pump, gas holder provided with a regulating
valve actuated by the rise and fall of the gasholder for the purpose of making the
average rate of supply equal to the average rate of consumption and the arrange-
ment for heating the vapours produced before they enter the pump and keeping
them at a temperature higher than the flash point of the oil contained in the
vacuum chamber in the pipes which convey the vapours to the gasholder and
from the gas holder to the mixing chamber of a gas motor or to other apparatus
adapted for its use substantially as illustrated and described in the drawings and
specifications.
April 12th 1899.