IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR ECONOMIZING FUEL, AND FULLY UTILIZING ITS CALORIFIC POWER, BY SECURING PERFECT COMBUSTION, AND TOTAL ABSENCE OF SMOKE
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas John Barnard at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th September 1883.
THOMAS JOHN BARNARD of Tower Chambers, Moorgate in the city of London,
Inventor and Patentee "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR
ECONOMIZING FUEL, AND FULLY UTILIZING ITS CALORIFIC POWER, BY SECURING
PERFECT COMBUSTION, AND TOTAL ABSENCE OF SMOKE
The object of this invention is to secure for every description of fire place
furnace or boiler the maximum calorific power contained in any class of fuel used
by its complete combustion at a minimum of cost.
To this end I propose instead of burning direct to employ the calorific power of
fuel in the form of gas manufactured by carbonization, together, with the
automatical consumption of the combustible residue which remains after the
volatile constituents or gases of solid fuel have been eliminated by the action of
heat. In order to accomplish my object I introduce into the arrangement of fire
places furnaces and boilers a novel construction and combination of parts whereby
I secure less waste ash pit and more fire room in order that I may fix or place a
retort or retorts in the furnace itself so as to supply gas direct as a heating power,
and thus greatly diminish the cost. I also dispense with what has proved to be
impracticable in numerous cases vic. condensers purifiers and gas holder.-The fire
is kindled in the ordinary manner which not only conveys the usual heat and
flame direct to the heating surfaces for which calorific power is sought but imparts
heat to the retort or retorts which are charged in the usual way with suitable kind
of solid or liquid fuels.-It is well known that a great waste of carbon as heat
from any description of fuel employed occurs in all steam generators and fire-
places in the form of either smoke sparks cinders or unconsumed gases, con-
sequently there is a wide margin for economy in preventing this waste and
securing perfect combustion.-In carrying my invention into practice assuming
Coal to be used for generating heat I place a retort or retorts in the furnaces
which are charged instead of feeding the fire with coal; the whole of the gases,
both volatile and permanent condensible and nou-condensible are simultaneously
as produced, conveyed for immediate consumption and are made to pass directly
through the body of fire, no efforts whatever being used to save instead of burn

page_text: any of the condensible gases, (except when calorific power is a secondary con-
sideration to the production of tar oil ammonia and other valuable ingredients
which are the result of the distillation of gases that by natural and chemical laws
must condense unless they are at once consumed whereby being burned in
conjunction with the permanent gases they add very materially both in quantity
and quality to calorific power)-By this method the full natural heating element
of every gas is obtained and utilized without a particle of waste, whilst the
combustible residue vis: Coko has a higher caloritic value by the combined
manipulations of my process as hereinafter explained than the original coal from
which it was produced and is used in the furnace to automatically assist in heating
the retorts for the generation of gas and fresh supplies of coke at the same time
imparting the maximum of heat for motive power or any other main element or
prime mover for which heat or flame is required at the minimum of cost, with
perfect combustion and total absence of smoke. In order to artificially and
chemically add to the amount of gas to be naturally produced from each ton of
fuel and more especially as the ash pit is very considerably reduced in extent.-I
am able to completely seal or close it at will, and therefore, since the exclusion of
air altogether would cause combustion to cease I convey a small jet of steam from
the boiler in use or from any other source into the retort or retorts either when the
coal is giving off its gas or after it is carbonized into coke which will without any
of the indirect or expensive special methods of manufacturing hydrogen gas
decompose the water, when highly heating gas combined with a little steam will
emerge from the retort and is then conveyed in any desired manner through the
body of the fire.-The small balance of superheated steam-not decomposed in the
retort, is effectually, decomposed in the fire and by affording pure oxygen as well
as hydrogen, assists in the combustion of the coke and the gases. To further
facilitate combustion and perfect draught at will, I cause a pipe or a series of pipes
open outside to the atmosphere and fitted with regulating valves or taps to be
passed through the fire to convey hot air under the firebars and into the furnace
which manifoldly compensates for the closing of the ash pit. Where crude oil,
naptha, paraffin or any other liquid fuels are not too expensive it will be found
advantageous to use the same in conjunction with the red hot coke in the retort
and added to the admission of superheated steam after the gaseous vapours of the.
coal have been driven off, the residue of the coke to be burned in the furnace,
whenever it is withdrawn from the retort to supply a fresh charge of coal.
Or by another plan and more particularly when calorific power is used for
generating steam, in order to relieve the boiler of extra weight or wear and tear
and to pass into and through it nothing but burning gas and flame I dispense
entirely with the present furnace employed and attach or build a special furnace or
retort stack in close proximity to and connected with the boiler, into which I place
a retort or retorts. The furnace is beated by the residual coke and the gases
generated in the retorts are conveyed direct and are used only in the Boiler, being
ignited by coming in contact with the heat and flame produced from the coke
under combustion in the furnace, the whole body of calorific power combining and
passing into the Boiler flues. It will be found that by working upon this plan the
full economical advantages of additional or manufactured hydrogen gas from water
as well as the natural carbon contained in the coke are obtained since both
mechanical and chemical means are at command to obtain the full calorific power
of fuel without direct action upon the boiler to secure any desired degree of
elevated temperature by closing the ash pit of the furnace and introducing steam
through the burning coke, in conjunction with hot air produced by placing pipes
through either the flame of the boiler or furnace or both in similar manner
substantially as hereinbefore described.-The most economical method is to allow
the gases generated in the retorts to become ignited only in the Boiler flue, but if
desired steam can be passed into the retorts as well as through the fire and the
gases with or without the admission of steam can be first used in the furnace.
When altering Boilers to adopt this plan the ordinary fire grato or furnace is of

page_text: course dispensed with, therefore the fire doors and fire bars are available for the
attached furnace which by my process is the means of more economically generating
heat and transmitting its calorific power in the form of gases and clean flame to
the boiler for the purpose of evaporation or steam.
This invention is also applicable to heating houses or rooms by fitting a
modification thereof to domestic hearths or fireplaces. In such cases I use the
novel construction and combination of parts substantially as hereinbefore described
but on a smaller scale. I arrange in an ordinary grate a small retort or retorts
which I charge with iron filings zinc carbon or any other suitable material for the
production of hydrogen, I apply heat in the ordinary manner beneath the retort
with coal, coke, gas, or otherwise and by the introduction, into the retort, of steam
passed through a worm conveniently situated in the fire I thus obtain a plentiful
supply of hydrogen gas which I then pass beneath the fire bars and thus obtain a
glowing and continuous heat at small cost caused by the combustion of the
hydrogen gas either in combination with ordinary carbon or artificial material used
as asbestos.
By my invention there is practically no waste of fuel or carbon, entire
combustion being secured as described The cost of labour is also diminished as I
in great measure dispense with the labour involved in coaling or feeding tires or
furnaces in the manner necessitated by existing systems.