Improvements in or relating to Oil-fired Furnaces, and the Feed-apparatus thereof.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 19th July, 1895-Accepted, 24th Aug., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Oil-fired Furnaces, and the
Feed-apparatus thereof.
I, CHARLES HECTOR BACHY, Engineer, of Sirault, in the Kingdom of Belgium,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in furnaces and the feed-apparatus thereof
for the generation of heat by means of hydrocarbonaceous matters such as those
produced from schist, boghead, or such as petroleum or other hydrocarbons and the
like. In furnaces constructed according to my invention radiation is diminished
very considerably, as compared with the radiation from like furnaces as hitherto
usually constructed.
According to my invention the furnace is composed of a flat bottom with borders
upon this bottom is extended a layer of cotton, asbestos, felt or other appropriate
porous matter bathed in the oil; an injector tube provided with a pressure pump
serves to feed the furnace; a slide which opens and shuts according to the need for
increasing or diminishing the fire completes the furnace which may be applied to
locomotives, steamers, existing furnaces, and other apparatus where coal and space
are scarce and where a high temperature is required.
The invention comprises also safety oil-feed apparatus which ensures the proper
working of the apparatus and prevents all possible accident.
Such apparatus may be arranged as follows;-
The liquid hydrocarbon coming from a reservoir runs through a hermetically-
closed tube; it is introduced in this latter through a syphon dipping in water.
At
any time communication between the reservoir and the tube can be cut off by two
means vis. by means of a discharge valve and by means of an obturator.
The tube is provided with a gauge glass and the liquid may be at any time and
instantaneously drowned by means of a constant water level reservoir. A pressure
can even be effected upon the tube.
A pressure roller may act upon the layer of cotton or the like in the furnace so
as to squeeze out the hydrocarbon which impregnates it.
The oil reservoir is closed by means of one or more sliding covers provided with
handles. The bottom of the furnace reservoir is provided with small furrows or
gutters into which runs the liquid hydrocarbon coming through the feed pipes.
Small pipes can be placed at the bottom of the furnace through which hot or cold
air can be sent into the middle of the flame produced by the combustion of the
hydrocarbon, so as to accelerate the combustion. These air injectors are operated
from the exterior by means of appropriate taps which can be opened or closed at
will so as to regulate the fire. The sliding covers aforesaid are used to regulate the
size of the furnace; they may be of any fire-proof material and they may be provided
with any obturators, borders, compressing rollers, or other devices.
The liquid hydrocarbon can be fed to the furnace in any convenient way;
practical arrangement preventing all accidents that could occur during the working
of the apparatus, is as follows;-
The liquid hydrocarbon is introduced into an oil reservoir or tank made of sheet
ron; another similar reservoir or tank is filled with water, these two reservoirs are
Supported upon convenient brackets. A pipe provided with a tap starts from the
bottom of the oil reservoir and penetrates into a pressure reservoir where it

page_text: terminates in the form of a syphon. A pipe provided with a tap starts from the
bottom of the water reservoir and terminates near the bottom of the pressure
reservoir. In this pressure reservoir. there is a constant level; the hydrocarbon is
compressed therein by a pressure resulting from the elevation of the water
reservoir. A pipe having at each end a tap starts from the superior part of the
pressure reservoir and terminates at the inferior part of the injector. This latter
is a cylinder in which moves a piston conveniently weighted. This cylinder is filled
with sponges or other porous and elastic matter. The weight of the piston is
regulated so as to permit a convenient flow of the hydrocarbon into the pipe and
thence into the furnace. The reservoir is provided with a water gauge, man-hole,
and other usual fittings.
Dated this 25th day of March 1895.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to Oil-fired Furnaces, and the
Feed-apparatus thereof.
I, CHARLES HECTOR BACHY, Engineer, of Sirault in the Kingdom of Belgium,
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 new furnace arrangement for the rational utilisation of the liquid hydro-
carbons in the heating of steam generators, of metallurgical furnaces, and generally
of all industrial heating furnaces which forms the subject of this invention, is
characterised by the direct and radical combustion of such said products, without
necessity of their being preliminarily dispersed, vaporised or gasified by any special,
supplementary plant, thus obviating the inconveniences and risks inherent to the
systems named; while at the same time being thus reduced to the simplest expression,
in construction, it offers considerable advantages in the way of economy, calorific
power, and notably as regards their capability of being substituted for the solid fuel
combustion furnaces at present in use, without any difficulties whatever and without
necessitating important modifications.
These manifold results are realised in principle by the special mode of presenting
the liquid matters for combustion in the form of a sheet of large superficial area and
that not directly but after the absorption by a layer of permeable material in which
it ascends by capillary action and on the surface whereof it is consumed radially
under the action of natural or forced draught as may be required.
A furnace established on this basis is shown by way of example in the accom-
panying drawings, wherein
Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved furnace showing the surface of the burner
or furnace not covered by the permeable layer.
Figure 2 is a cross section of the same,
Figure 3 a longitudinal section showing the construction of the furnace with
a sliding cover as a simple regulating apparatus for furnaces devoid of blowing
apparatus.
Figures 4 and 5 represent the construction of the slide in the form of a multiple
tuyere, and
Figure 6 shows the fitting and arrangement of the continuous feed.
The furnace itself consists essentially in a horizontal reservoir or flat basin B of
quadrangular form and provided peripherally with channels it is crossed by grooves r
running in the longitudinal direction so as to discharge in these channels in front
and in rear of the furnace-basin.

page_text: The ridged and furrowed bottom K is covered with a sheet of felt. or." amianth” F¹
(flexible asbestos) or other the like permeable material. through which the liquid
hydrocarbon supplied by. means of the external canals R and uniformly spread or.
distributed by means of the longitudinal grooves r, ascends by capillary action, as
its fixed level in the said grooves is always maintained at but never rises above that
of the ridges of the bottom. F..
It will be easily understood that on applying a light. to the permeable surface of
F' a formidable sheet of flame of considerable area will be obtained, which however
will need regulation at pleasure by contracting its extent and also enlarging it, if
necessary, with a view to any need ful decrease or increase in the heat developed in
the furnace in accordance with requirement..
This means of regulation is afforded by a front air or blast plate G which covers
the basin throughout its entire extent, and rests upon the tops of the lateral walls,
being guided in its sliding movement by any ordinary known means.
At its posterior end this air-slide G is provided with handles P by the aid of
which it can be opened and closed at pleasure, thus regulating the surface or extent
of the sheet of flame which it is desired should be active. But the slide alone would
be insufficient. to secure the attainment of this end inasmuch as the fire might find
an outlet towards the rear, under the plate itself, a possibility which must. be
avoided.
For this purpose the anterior part of the lower surface of the air-slide G carries.
a roller or cylinder. c made of some uninflammable refractory material, which roller
extends across the entire width of the basin B and rotates on journals carried in,
depending lugs on the slide while running (in close contact) over the permeable felt,
bottom of the basin, thus constituting an enclosed space between the cylinder.
and the rear end. wall of the basin B (Figure 3) where no fire can exist and the
flame is necessarily extinguished, lacking the air necessary to support combustion.
so that in fact in.exact proportion as the roller is advanced or drawn back, i.e. as
the air-slide is closed or opened, the sheet of flame is decreased or increased at
pleasure. This arrangement has also the advantage of enabling the fire itself to be
instantaneously extinguished, even if the entire permeable surface of the felt were
to catch fire; inasmuch as for this purpose, it would simply suffice to push the roller
quickly forward, by closing the air-slide rapidly, and thus cover up and close the
entire area of combustion or surface of the basin.
The air-slide or basin-cover G is guided and supported in the rear when open,
by the slide-bars g or in any other convenient and suitable manner, in such manner
as to prevent its bending or dropping downwards when it is more than half-open.
The kindling of the furnace is also quite as instantaneous. The basin in fact while.
covered up and closed, becomes charged with, a certain accumulation of hydro-
carbon gas or vapour underneath the covering slide, such gas or vapour, being there,
confined and retained, by reason of the perfect joint through. close fitting of the
several parts; so that in order to rekindle the fire it suffices. to. slightly withdraw.
the air-slide or cover and to strike a match over the opening, to, ensure. the
immediate inflammation of the accumulated gas-an advantage of the utmost.
importance for all industrial purposes..
The furnace thus constituted, of the dimensions conformable to the purpose for
which it is required, may easily be introduced or inserted into the furnace-
chamber of any existing system of heating, however applied; for example, in the
fire-box of a locomotive, wherein it simply takes the place of the fire-grate, where
it develops a vast layer or body of fire and flame, of high calorific power, the
liquid hydrocarbon (petroleum) being vaporised with the utmost facility under
the influence of the permeable bottom, and being rapidly consumed under the
action of the air entering by the front end of the furnace.
For the purpose of augmenting the calorific power and effect, as for instance in
special cases of furnaces for industrial purposes requiring excessive heat, it will
suffice simply to send into the furnace a draught or current of hot forced air
applied close above the flames; and this can be most rationally effected by

page_text: constructing the interior of the air-slide or cover G with tuyeres L running
longitudinally from end to end, open in front and connected up at the posterior
end of the cover by a transverse channel, common to them all, and fed by means
of a flexible tube K communicating with an air-compressor or blowing apparatus,
as may be convenient and suitable. For this, of course, the cover is made of
greater depth, with a top and bottom and divided by longitudinal partitions into
the requisite number of air-conduits or tuyeres (Figures 4 and 5).
The supply-feed of petroleum (or other liquid hydrocarbon) to the peripheral
channels R may be effected in any convenient and suitable manner, either inter-
mittently, by the aid of injections, or continuously, by the aid of communicating
vessels at one constant level, of which one practical application is represented at
Figure 6 on the accompanying drawings, in virtue of the extreme facility and
rapidity with which instantaneous extinction may be brought about by the feed
itself.
This device (Figure 6) is essentially composed of a cistern O hermetically closed
throughout, into which discharges after the manner of an inverted syphon the
feed-supply tube M of petroleum, from the petroleum reservoir J situated above
the cistern by the side of a water reservoir D whereof the delivery pipe N dips
straight into the cistern O, both pipes M and N being controlled by the stop-
cocks M' N'. The water being admitted into the cistern O up to a certain level,
the cock N' is closed and the cock M opened for the admission of petroleum which
floats on the water until it attains a height in the cistern corresponding to maximum
resisting power of the compressed air in the cistern to the difference of level or
head between the cistern and the reservoir above it. At some convenient point in
the petroleum region of the cistern, the pipe I is secured (with a tight joint) to
the cistern O, and communicates with the furnace B (as shown in Figure 1) which
is then kept constantly fed with petroleum under the influence of the pressure from
the compressed air in the cistern O, the flow of the liquid hydrocarbon being
regulated in accord with the actual demands of the combustion, proportioned to
the work to be done, by means of the cock I'.
If now a sudden extinction of the petroleum flame becomes necessary in case of
accident e.g. if the fire, owing to the radiation of heat, were to cause the petroleum
in the cistern to burst into a flame, it suffices to suddenly open the water stop-
cock N whereby the water would at once flow into the tank, arresting the arrival
of the petroleum, and submerging the whole and extinguishing the flames by the
suppression of the petroleum in the cistern.
These safety-feed devices and arrangements are evidently not necessary where
there is plenty of room, and the feeding cisterns can be kept at a distance away
from the furnace; but only needed where, for want of such room, these appliances
must be located in close proximity to the furnace. Therefore, as a general rule, it
suffices to employ an ordinary well-known apparatus of constant feed-supply.
As a result of the foregoing, one cannot but recognise the advantages offered
by the improved system of heating for hydrocarbon, under all points of view ;-
economy in installation; considerable calorific power; saving in fuel; perfect and
radical combustion; absence of troublesome residues; no cleansing necessary;
facility of application in all cases of metallurgical industries, old or new, such as
glass-making, fixed boilers, locomotives, marine boilers, etc.; absence of all risk,
easy regulation and rapid extinction of the fire; and lastly, instantaneous
re-lighting.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is ;-
1. A furnace for hydrocarbons characterised by its arrangement as a burning
surface covered by a permeable or porous layer, through which the liquid hydro-
carbon ascends by capillary action to be kindled and gasified over the entire
surface.

page_text: 2. A modification of the furnace described in Claim 1 characterized by a flat
basin with ridged and furrowed bottom having peripheral channels for the reception
of the liquid fuel communicating with a series of parallel longitudinal grooves from
end to end of the basin for the uniform distribution of the petroleum beneath the
permeable or porous surface by which the bottom is completely covered.
3. In the hydrocarbon furnace described in Claims 1 and 2 a system of regulating
the intensity and spread of the fire surface characterised by a sliding cover or air-
plate longitudinally adjustable over the basin and provided with an extinguishing
cylinder rolling over the entire surface of the permeable or porous layer and
preventing the fire from propagation backwards underneath the said sliding plate.
4. For the injection into the furnace described in Claims 1 2 and 3 of a forced
draught the construction of the solid air plate in hollow form with longitudinal
partitions dividing it into a series of tuyeres suitable for the purpose and com-
municating with any air compressor or blowing apparatus to drive a current of hot
air through the tuyeres on to the combustion surface.
5. In combination with the furnace described in the preceding claims a feed
device of constant flow characterised by the compression of a layer of air by the
liquid combustible admitted to the vessel above a column of water by an inverted
syphon pipe the two liquids being admitted from reservoirs at a higher level to
allow of the immediate displacement of the petroleum by the sudden opening of
the water reservoir. The whole substantially for the purposes indicated and as
herein before described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 19th dor of Iul 1905
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.