Improvements in Gas-producing Plant.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 13th May, 1892-Accepted, 19th Nov., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATIVA.
Improvements in Gas-producing Plant.
I RICHARD NICKERSON OAKMAN the Younger, of Greenfield in the State of
Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentleman, 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:-
<6
This invention relates more particularly to the manufacture of what is known as
producer gas," the object of the invention being to provide a generator in which
gas of a more uniform character will be produced continuously, in a more economical
manner than heretofore, from soft bituminous coal.
In carrying out this invention, I make use of the "down draught," as described
in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to Burdett Loomis, and dated the
5th day of November 1888, No. 15983.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1, Sheet I, is a side elevation, partly in section, of the improved plant.
tion takan
an
Fig. 5 a section on the line wow, all of Fig. 1.
and
Fig. 6 is a plan view of the grate, taken on the line v v Fig. 1 1 ;
Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of part of the generator, showing the grate in front
view.
A is the generator, B is a cooler of any suitable construction. C is an exhaust
apparatus, preferably mechanical. D is a scrubber of any construction; and E is
a gas holder.
The gas is produced in generator A, and the hot gas is drawn by the exhauster
from the generator, up through the cooler B, where it renders up its caloric, more
or less, to heat water in the cooler, and produce steam, which is used in the produc-
tion of the gas.
The cooled gas is then forced by the exhauster, acting as a force pump, up
through the scrubber D, to be washed, and finally delivered to the holder E, to be
stored for subsequent use, either for gas engine or other purposes.
The gas is produced partly by raising coal to a state of high incandescence, and
partly by the introduction into the incandescent fuel of superheated steam, as is
now well understood.
The generator consists of a cylindrical metal shell a, lined with fire-brick b, and
having a charging opening e at top, a fire door d, a grate G, an ash pit e, and a gas
exit, from the ash pit, as heretofore.
In the walls of the generator, around the ash pit, and also around the hottest part
of the generator, I form air passages y and h, in which the air to support combustion
is heated.
The passage is provided with an external air inlet g¹ (see Fig. 3), and it is con-
nected with the passage by the vertical shaft g2 (see Figs. 4 and 2). The
passage is in connection, by a vertical-shaft and an opening i, with the
interior of the generator A, so that the air drawn in, under the influence of
the exhauster, will be more or less heated before it enters the generator.
In some cases, I may employ only one annular air passage, and preferably
the upper one
The cool air passing into this annular space, will not only
become heated in its passage through, but will also serve to cool down the wall
of the generator, and thus tend to obviate clinkering.
In a recess in the upper part of the internal wall of the generator, I place a
B

page_text: coil of pipe p, in connection with the cooler B. In this coil p, the steam
generated in the cooler (which thus serves as a steam generator), is superheated
before it escapes by the nozzle m into the generator. This coil of pipe may be
protected from the destructive action of the flame in the generator, by thin
plates of refractory material, as seen at Fig. 1.
In the manufacture of the producer gas, ashes are of necessity formed at the
bottom of the fire, and require to be removed from time to time. Now, in order
to remove these ashes without arresting the production of the gas, I employ a
movable grate, which is occasionally agitated, in order to loosen the ashes,
which will then fall through the grate into the ash pit, from which they may
be removed once or twice a day.
This grate, which is represented by the letter G in the drawings, is shown
in cross section at Fig. 1, in addition to the Figs. 6 and 7 before referred to.
The grate is formed with bars, rr, of some refractory material, and flanged
metal segments ss, these parts being braced together by bolts tt, which pass
through segments and the bars. The front segment s is provided with a toothe l
sector (see Fig. 7), into which gears a wheel 2 (Fig. 1) mounted on an axle
which passes through a stuffing box attached to the shell of the generator, and
is provided with a handle s³, by which the grate may, from time to time, be
oscillated to loosen the ashes.
This grate rotates on balls u u, which run on a flanged ring k, carried by
the walls of the ashpit. Stops are provided on this ring to prevent the move-
ment of the balls beyond a certain distance, and stops are also provided to limit
the travel of the grate to the length of the toothed sector, so that the driving
pinion shall not get out of gear.
The shell is provided with a door of sufficient width to allow of the grate
and its supporting ring & all being withdrawn, in order to renew the bars
from time to time.
The charging hole c of the generator is provided with a pirotted cover, which
can be readily moved to one side, to examine the state of the fire, and add fuel,
as may be necessary.
Although this gas plant is primarily intended to make producer gas, it will
be evident that the same plant may be used to make both producer gas and
water gas, as is now well understood.
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 :-
1st. A generator for making gas, consisting of a metal shell with firebrick
lining, having one or more annular air-heating passages within the lining, in
connection with the outer air, with one another, when there are more than one,
and with the interior of the generator at the upper part; a steam superheating
coil contained in a recess in the upper part of the generator; a rotatable and
removable grate, and a gas exit below the grate, substantially as herein shown
and described.
2nd. The rotatable and removable grate constructed and arranged substantially
as herein shown and described.
1271
1000
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.