Improvements in Converting the Energy of Coal into Motive Power by the Combined Working of Gas Engines and Gas Generators.
Year: 1897

page_text: Complete Specification Left, 6th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 8th Oct., 1898
Improvements in Converting the Energy of Coal into Motive Power
by the Combined Working of Gas Engines and Gas Generators.
I, LUDWIG MOND, of 20, Avenue Road, Regent's Park, in the County of
London, Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows: --
In converting the energy of coal into motive power by gasifying the coal and
using the gas in gas-engines, a large amount of the energy represented by the
gas is lost in the hot exhaust gases issuing from the gas engine. I have in
previous Patents 16781/95 and 28588/96 proposed to utilize these hot exhaust
gases for producing a mixture of air and steam to he employed in converting
coal into gas for use in the engine.
My present invention relates to the further utilization of these exhaust gases"
in connection with the gas generators used for producing the gas consumed in
these engines with the object of obtaining a larger yield of gas, and consequently
a larger amount of energy from the coal gasified.
For this purpose, I force or blow into the gas generator a certain portion of
the exhaust gases of the gas engines simultaneously with air and steam. The
carbon-dioxide in these exhaust gases is thus reduced to carbon-monoxide by
contact with the incandescent coal, and becomes again available for combustion
in the engine. This reduction of the carbon-dioxide consumes calories and con-
sequently cools the gas generator and enables me to maintain it at the low tem-
perature required to produce a suitable gas for use in engines, with a much
smaller quantity of steam than I have to employ otherwise.
The quantity of exhaust gas used, must be regulated, so that the temperature
of the generator does not fall too low. The exhaust gas may be used hot, as it
emanates from the engine, or after its heat has been utilized for producing a
mixture of air and steam as described in my previously recited patents. In either
case the amount of gas obtained from a given quantity of coal is increased
approximately in the proportion of the quantity of carbon contained in the exhaust
gas (in the form of carbon-dioxide, or in other forms) to the carbon contained in
the coal gasified, and as the composition of the gas obtained (and consequently
its power value) remains practically the same, the power obtained from a given
weight of coal is increased in the same proportion.
Dated this 20th day of November 1897
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Converting the Energy of Coal into Motive Power
by the Combined Working of Gas Engines and Gas Generators.
I, LUDWIG MOND, of 20, Avenue Road, Regent's Park, in the County of
London, Manufacturing Chemist, 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 :-
In converting the energy of coal into motive power by gasifying the coal and
using the gas in gas-engines, a large amount of the energy represented by the
gas is lost in the hot exhaust gases issuing from the gas engine. I have in
previous Patents 16781/95 and 28588/96 proposed to utilize these hot exhaust
gases for producing a mixture of air and steam to be employed in converting
coal into gas for use in the engines.
My present invention relates to the further utilization of these exhaust gases
in connection with the gas generators used for producing the gas consumed in
these engines with the object of obtaining a larger yield of gas, and consequently
a larger amount of energy, from the coal gasified by utilizing the carbon dioxide
contained in these exhaust gases, which is now entirely lost, in such manner
that it is re-converted into carbon monoxide which can be used over again to
produce power by being exploded in a gas engine.
For this purpose I force or blow into the gas generator a certain portion of
the exhaust gases of the gas engines simultaneously with air and steam. The
,carbon-dioxide in these exhaust gases is thus reduced to carbon-monoxide by
contact with the incandescent coal, and becomes again available for explosion
in the engine. This reduction of the carbon dioxide consumes calories and con-
sequently cools the gas generator and enables me to maintain it at the low tem-
perature required to produce a suitable gas for use in gas engines, with a much
smaller quantity of steam than I have to employ otherwise.
The quantity of exhaust gases used, must be regulated so that the temperature
of the generator does not fall too low. In practice I find that good results are
obtained by introducing for every 100 volumes of air admitted into the gas
generator from 25 to 50 volumes of exhaust gas, varying with the amount of
carbon-dioxide contained in the exhaust gases and with the amount of steam
mixed with the air, and also with the temperature at which the mixture of air,
steam and exhaust gases enters the gas generator and with the quality of the coal
gasified. The exhaust gases may be used hot as they emanate from the engine, or
after their heat has been utilized for producing a mixture of air and steam as
described in my previously recited patents, or after charging them with water vapour
by bringing them into direct contact with water. In either case the amount of
gas obtained from a given quantity of coal is increased approximately in the
proportion of the quantity of carbon contained in the exhaust gas in the form
of carbon-dioxide, to the carbon contained in the coal gasified, and as the com-
position of the gas obtained and consequently its power value remains practically
the same, the power obtained from a given weight of coal is increased in the
same proportion.
In order that the invention may be better understood, I enclose the accompany-
ing diagrammatic drawing showing a front view of an arrangement for carrying
my invention into practice.
A is the gas generator.

page_text: D exhaust pipe from the gas engine leading to the receiver C which serves to
equalize the pressure of the exhaust gas and is provided with a conduit E and
valve F leading to the atmosphere, conduit G with a valve H leading to the
generator. This valve is so regulated as to allow the desired quantity of exhaust
gases to enter the generator. In giving this drawing, however, I do not bind
myself to this particular arrangement of apparatus as it can be very widely
varied, without interfering with the principle of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
The improvement in converting the energy of coal into motive power by the
combined working of gas generators, and gas engines, which consists in gasifying
the coal in gas generators, exploding the gases so obtained in gas engines and
returning part of the exhaust gases of the gas engine to the gas generator, and
passing them in admixture with air or air and steam through the incandescent
fuel whereby the carbon-dioxide contained in the exhaust gases is re-converted
into carbon-monoxide, which is used over again to produce motive power in the
gas engine.
Doted the 5th day of Suom 1908
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Patent Agents, of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London.