Improvements in Apparatus for Making Generator Gas.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Mar.. 1896
Complete Specification Left, 7th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 17th Oct., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Making Generator Gas.
I, JOSEPH EMERSON DOWSON, M.I.C.E. of 39 Old Queen Street, Westminster
in the County of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The improvements relate to apparatus to be used for the production of
combustible gas formed by passing air only or steam and air together or
successively, through incandescent fuel in a gas generator or producer.
One part of my invention relates more particularly to a generator in which hard
fuel, such as anthracite or coke is used. Another part of my invention relates
more particularly to a generator in which softer fuel is used, such as semi-bituminous
or bituminous coal, lignite etc.
The first named generator for hard fuel may be made in the usual way with an
iron body lined internally with refractory bricks or in any other suitable way, with
a feeding hopper on or near the top and a fire grate and doors near the bottom. It
is also provided with suitable means for the supply of air or of steam and air to be
used together or successively as preferred. Such steam and air being provided in
any of the well known ways, or in any other manner.
The improvements in this generator consist chiefly in having a grate the area of
which is appreciably smaller than the sectional area enclosed by the brick or other
lining of the generator on the level of the grate or immediately above it. By
this means I am able to make the bulk of the steam or air or of the steam and air
together pass upwards through the middle portion of the fuel. In this way less
clinker is produced near the lining of the generator and I am able to work with
a comparatively low grade of fuel, while at the same time the gas produced is
improved in heating power.
The grate may be made of one or more pieces of perforated plate, or of grate
bars of any suitable form. From the level of the grate downwards to the bottom
of the generator there may be a brick or other lining of about the same width or
diameter internally as that of the grate, so that the sectional area enclosed by the
lining below is smaller than that enclosed by the lining above the grate.
If the generator is lined below the level of the fire-grate, this part of the lining
need not be solid; it can be hollow throughout or in part, and the steam and air
together or the steam only or the air only can be passed through this hollow space
before one or both go up through the grate. In this way the overheating of the
lower lining can be prevented and the steam and air, or the steam or the air, can
be raised in temperature before reaching the fuel.
Instead of the lower part of the generator being lined, it can be without a
lining, provided there is a horizontal plate or other contrivance at or near the grate
level, to prevent steam or air reaching the fuel except through the openings in the
grate and immediately surrounding the same.
When fuel softer than anthracite or coke is used the lower part of the generator
may be constructed as above described, or with any other convenient arrangement
of grate and lining, but with the upper part of the generator improved as
follows:-Inside the upper part of the brick or other lining there should be an
inner casing preferably of iron, starting from the top of the generator and
extending downwards to about the level where gas of good quality can be drawn

page_text: off and outside this casing there should be a space between it and the lining into
which the good gas to be drawn off for use should pass, before it reaches the
outlet of the generator. The inside of the said casing should be kept nearly filled
with fuel, by means of a feeding hopper, and as the casing will be heated partly
by the hot fuel at its base, and partly by the circulation of hot gas round the outside
of the casing, condensable vapours will be formed in the whole or part of the casing.
An outlet is provided in the upper part of the casing, and this outlet is connected
with an injector by means of which the stean forced into the lower part of the
generator (when steam is used) may draw in with it all or a portion of the
vapours etc. which accumulate in the upper part of the casing. When air only is
used, the injector may be worked by means of air at any convenient pressure, and
when air and steam together are used, a jet of steam may be made to draw in the
air required as well as the vapours from the said casing. In this way the
condensable vapours are drawn off and mixed with the steam or air, or with both,
before they pass through the grate, and the vapours are then burnt or converted
into fixed gases in the generator, instead of being allowed to form tarry and other
troublesome deposits. The condensable vapours can be conveyed from the upper
to the lower part of the generator (together with the steam or air, or both steam
and air) in a pipe outside or inside the generator; or instead of a pipe inside the
generator there may be any convenient form of channel or passage through which
the said vapours and the steam and air, or steam or air only, can pass.
The same arrangement may be adopted when coal or other fuel and oil are used
together for making gas.
Dated this 30th day of March 1896.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Making Generator Gas.
1, JOSEPH EMERSON DOWSON, of 39 Old Queen Street, Westminster, in the
County of London, M.1.C.E. 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 :-
The improvements relate to apparatus to be used for the production of
combustible gas formed by passing air only, or steam and air together or
successively, through incandescent fuel in a gas generator or producer.
One part of my invention relates more particularly to a generator in which hard
fuel is used, such for instauce as anthracite, coke, or the harder kinds of lignite or
brown coal. Another part of my invention relates more particularly to a generator
in which softer fuel is used, such for instance as semi-bituminous or bituminous
coal, shale, or the soft kinds of lignite or brown coal.
In the annexed drawing
Figs. 1 and 2 represent vertical sections on lines 1-1 and 2-2 respectively of
Fig. 3 which represents a horizontal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 of a generator
to be used for gassifying hard fuel.
Fig. 4 represents part of a vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. 3 of a modified
construction of generator for hard fuel.
Fig. 5 represents a vertical section on line 5-5 of Fig. 6: and
Fig. 6 represents a horizontal section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5 of a generator to
be used for softer kinds of fuel.
The generators may be made cylindrical or of other suitable form. In all the
figs. a represents the outer body or casing; the internal lining above the grate
level; c the internal lining below the grate level; d the space occupied by the
с

page_text: fuel; e the feeding hopper, the grate; g, g, doorways for raking the fire and
for removing the clinkers and ash; & the doorway of ashpit; the inlet for
air and steam together, or for air alone or steam alone; ; the outlet for gas.
The outer body or easing a of the generator may be made of iron or other
suitable material, lined internally with refractory bricks or in any other suitable
way.
Gas may be made by passing air only through the fuel, or air or steam together,
or air first, theu steam, then air and so on. The air or steam, or the air and steam
together may be forced through the fire in the generator in any of the well known
ways, or in any other manner.
One essential feature in these improved generators is that there should be a
central grate the area of which should be appreciably smaller than the sectional
area enclosed by the brick or other lining b, on the level of the grate f, or
immediately above it. By this means the bulk of the steam or air, or of the
steam and air together, is made to pass upwards through the middle portion of the
fuel, and the tendency is reduced for the currents of steam or air, or of steam and
air together to creep up the face of the lining b. The result is that the quantity
of clinker formed is comparatively small, and that little or none adheres to the
lining b, while at the same time gas of improved heating power suitable for
driving gas engines and other purposes can be produced with a comparatively cheap
grade of fuel.
Preferably the grate is made as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the number of
sections or parts into which it is divided depending on the size of the generator.
The grate can also be made of one or more pieces of perforated plate, or of
grate bars of any suitable form. The grate can be carried on a ring as shown in
Figs. 1 and 2, or on brackets or legs or in any other suitable manner.
From the level of the top of the grate f down to the bottom of the generator it
is best to have the brick or other lining c of nearly the same width or diameter
internally as that of the grate f, the essential point being that the sectional area
enclosed by the lining e shall be appreciably smaller than that enclosed by the
upper lining b. The lining e need not necessarily be solid, it can be hollow through-
out or in part, and the steam and air together, or the stean only, or the air only, be
passed through this hollow space before one or both go up through the grate. In
this way the beating of the lining c can be reduced, while the steam or air, or the
steam and the air can be raised in temperature before reaching the fuel.
Instead of the lower part of the generator being lined as at c, it can be without
a lining as in Fig. 4 provided there is a horizontal plate g or other contrivance at
or near the level of the grate f, to prevent steam or air reaching the fuel, except
through the openings in the grate and immediately surrounding it.
When gas is to be made with the softer kinds of fuel above mentioned the lower
part of the generator may be constructed as above described, or with any other
convenient arrangement of grate and lining, but the upper part of the generator
should be as shown in Fig. 5. From this it will be seen that in the space enclosed
by the upper part of the lining & there is an inner easing k open at the bottom
(made preferably of iron or fireclay) starting from the top of the generator and
extending downwards to about the level where the gas of good quality can be
drawn off. Outside the casing k there should be a space between it and the
lining b, into which the good gas to be drawn off for use should pass, before it
reaches the outlet j.
The space inside the casing k should be kept nearly filled with fuel, by means of
the hopper e or other hopper of suitable form, and as the casing k becomes heated
partly by the hot fuel at and near its base, and partly by the circulation of hot
gas round the outside thereof condensable vapours are formed in the whole or part
of the space within the casing k. An outlet m is provided in the upper part of
the casing k and this outlet is connected with an injector n on or near the top of
the generator. In Fig. 5 the injector a is shown with-au opening round the steam

page_text: nozzle r, so that air can be drawn in from the surrounding atmosphere. There is
also a channel or pipe o leading from the injector n to the space p under the
grate f. When steam and air together are used for making gas with the fuel in
the generator, the steam is forced through the nozzle of injector n, and this
draws in the air required from the atmosphere, as well as all or a portion of the
hydrocarbon or other vapours which accumulate within the upper part of the
casing k. This mixture of steam air and vapours is then forced downwards
through the channel or pipe o into the space p and finally up through the
grate f.
When steam only is used for making gas with fuel in the generator the injector n
is made without the air opening above described; and when air only is used for
making gas with the fuel it can all be forced through the nozzle r of injector n or
some of it can be forced through the said nozzle and the remainder can be drawn
in through the air opening above described.
In either of the ways above described the condensable vapours are drawn off from
the interior of casing k, and after being mixed with the steam and air, or with
steam or air only, and after passing through the grate f, they are burnt or
converted into fixed gases in the interior d of the generator, instead of being
allowed to form tarry and other troublesome deposits.
If preferred the channel or pipe o can be wholly or partly on the outside of the
generator, and the position of the injector n may be altered.
If oil or other solid or liquid hydrocarbon is to be used for enriching the gas it
can be fed into the space enclosed by the casing k in any convenient manner and the
vapours then given off will be drawn downwards through the channel or pipe o as
above described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A gas generator having a fire grate appreciably smaller in area than the
sectional area enclosed by the brick or other lining on the level of the grate or
immediately above it, substantially as described.
2. A gas generator as described in Claim 1 adapted to produce combustible gas
by means of air only passed through incandescent fuel.
3. A gas generator as described in Claim 1 adapted to produce combustible gas
by means of steam and air, together or successively, being passed through
incandescent fuel.
4. A gas generator as claimed above with a grate of the construction described or
with any other convenient form of grate.
5. A gas generator as claimed above with the brick or other lining below the
level of the grate made hollow instead of solid, for the purpose set forth.
6. A gas generator as claimed above without a lower brick or other lining but
with a horizontal plate or other contrivance at or near the level of the grate,
arranged so as to prevent the passage upwards of air, or of steam and air together
or successively, except through the grate and immediately around it.
7. A gas generator with lower part as above described, with a grate as
described or with any other convenient arrangement of grate, and with the
upper part of the generator constructed as described and substantially as shown
in Fig. 5.
8. A gas generator as described in Claim 7 adapted to produce a combustible
gas by means of air only, or steam and air together or successively being passed
through incandescent fuel substantially as described.
9. A gas generator as described in Claims 8 and 7 with a pipe and channel to
connect the top and bottom of the generator wholly or in part on the outside of
the generator.
10. A gas generator having in the lower part of the generating chamber, a

page_text: grate, one or more gas outlets below the top of said generating chamber, a
passage from the top of said generating chamber to below the grate and means
for drawing gases from the top of said generator into said passage, and for forcing
steam or air, either or both through said grate for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 7th day of August 1896.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C.,
Agents for Applicant.