Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Gas from Petroleum Oil.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1891
Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Gas from
Petroleum Oil.
A communication from abroad by GEORGE SMITH SANFORD, of Mount Clemens,.
in the County of Macomb, and State of Michigan, United States of America,
Inventor.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street,.
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the.
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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 :-
It is the purpose of this invention to produce an apparatus for the manufacture
of gas from petroleum oil, and the invention consists essentially in the combina--
tions of devices and appliances as hereinafter specified, and more particularly pointed
out in the claims.
The prime features of the invention are essentially as follows:-
A retort in which the ingredients are converted by heat into a gaseous state,.
and a mixer whereby the oil is discharged into the retort in connection with any
desired proportion of steam and air, with means for regulating, as may be required,
the portions of either air, steam, or oil, and the production of heat for heating the
retort by a mixer of the same character employed as a burner, also, the sub-
sequent treatment of the gas thus generated to prepare it for burning as an
illuminant.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a sectional view illustrating the invention.
Figure 2 is a separate view of one of the burners or mixers, in vertical-
longitudinal section.
Figure 3 is a front view of same.
In carrying out the invention, A, is the shell or case of the mixer. A¹ is its
outer face plate, provided with air registers A2 and A³. B is the oil distributing
chamber connected by pipes B' with an oil chamber B2 adjacent to the discharge
end of the mixer. B³ represents nozzles leading from the chamber B2 into the
retort. C represents a steam pipe, and C¹ several branches therefrom, which lead
forward and discharge into the chamber C² just back of the chamber B²..
C³ represents nozzles leading therefrom, and projecting preferably into the.
nozzles B³. D represents a central air passage through which air may be passed
to the centre of the series of nozzles B³.
The operation of this mixer is substantially as follows:
Steam introduced through the pipes C and C enters the chamber C² and passing
thence through the nozzles C³ is discharged through the nozzles B³ into the retort..
This action of the steam draws oil into the oil distributing chamber B, thence
through the oil pipes B' into the oil chamber B2 at the discharge end of the burner,.
and operates as an ejector to force the same out through the nozzles B³, and the
blast of steam thoroughly atomizes the oil and commingles therewith, and the air
entering through A2 and through A³ likewise becomes thoroughly commingled with
the oil and the steam.
This
E represents a retort. F represents a burner for heating the retort.
burner is in all respects essentially the same as the mixer above described, except.
the issuing mixture of steam oil and air is designed to be burned at the discharge
ends of the nozzles B³. This serves to heat the retort to a high degree. E¹
represents a conduit leading into and discharging through perforations at E2 into.
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page_text: the base of a washing tank G. E is a conduit leading from G, and discharging
at E into the base of a purifier H, which may be charged with lime or with any
of the other purifying substances designed to extract, from the gas, acidulous and
other impurities. E is another conduit leading from the purifier and discharging
into a storage reservoir J, and a pipe E taps the gas space of this reservoir and
leads the gas off to the burners E, wherever they may be.
The operation of this gas apparatus will now be understood; the burner F
having been brought into action to heat the retort, steam is introduced through
the pipe C of the mixer, and, in the manner previously explained, the atomised
mixture of air, oil and steam is projected into the retort E. The retort being
very hot, this mixture is converted instantly into a gaseous form, and the high
heat serves to convert it into a fixed gas. In this condition, it is passed through
the washing chamber G, and thence through the purifier H, and into the gas
holder J, after which it may be burned from burners E', wherever the same may
be located. The valves in the oil pipe band in the steam pipe C may serve to
regulate the relative proportion of steam and oil as may be found most desirable.
So also, the registers A² and A³ may in like manner serve to regulate the amount
of air that is introduced into the retort. All of these proportions may be varied
so as to produce the most beneficial result.
Again, the gas thus produced may be employed either as illuminating gas or as
fuel gas, and it may be found that the illuminating gas may produce a richer and
brighter flame by limiting or entirely excluding the air; while, for fuel purposes,
the air might be introduced in greater quantities.
The oil and the steam both for the mixer and for the burner may be supplied
from the same feed pipes. There is thus produced a very cheap and effective gas
generating apparatus, adapted for use in all localities where oil is employed as a
fuel, or where oil can be readily furnished to the mixer. K represents a check
valve to prevent back-flow from the chamber G when the gas in the retort is at a
lower pressure than the gas in the reservoir.
One great advantage possessed by this apparatus is that the heat of the retort
can be regulated to any desired extent by simply regulating the burner F, since,
with a certain regulation, the burner will produce a constant and uniform heat in
the retort. The temperature of the retort may therefore be regulated to such a
degree as will produce the most beneficial results.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. Apparatus for making gas from petroleum, consisting of the combination with
a retort of a burner for heating the same, and a mixer adapted to discharge into
the said retort a mixture of air, steam and petroleum, and means for regulating
the proportion of each said ingredient, substantially as described.
2. Apparatus for manufacturing gas from petroleum, consisting of the combina-
tion of a retort, a mixer for delivering, into said retort, air, steam and oil in an
atomized form, and means for regulating the proportion of each, and, in connection
therewith, apparatus for washing, purifying and storing the gas generated, and an
oil burner adapted to heat the retort and fix the gas prior to its discharge from
the retort substantially as described.
3. The combination, with a gas retort of a mixer, consisting of case A with its
air register, steam conduits C, C, C, C³, oil conduits B, B1, B2, B3, valves for
regulating the proportions of steam and oil, and an oil burner adapted to heat the
said retort, substantially as described.
Dated this 16th day of February 1891.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.