Process of Generating Electricity by Gas. Batteries.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Process of Generating Electricity by Gas. Batteries.
I, OLOF DAHL, of Allegheny in the County of Allegheny and State of Penn-
sylvania, United States of America Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :--
My invention relates to a process of generating electricity from fuel-such as coke
or coal-by chemical means; and its object is to produce electricity by the principle
of the gas-battery in a cheap and practical manner.
The principle of the gas-battery is well known to be that when hydrogen and oxygen
or certain other gases are brought into contact each with one of the two electrodes of
a battery immersed in acidulated water, and the electrodes are the terminals of a closed
circuit, a current will flow in said circuit. The same result can be obtained with a
battery in which one of the active bodies is gaseous, while the other is liquid.
Heretofore the gas batteries have not received much application, owing to the want
of cheap and practical ways of producing the gases, especially the hydrogen.
This invention contemplates an electricity-producing process, which utilizes a new
and economical way of producing hydrogen together with ways for manufacturing
oxygen or equivalent gas, gas-battery or gas-batteries, and a working circuit or
circuits.
In the drawing the figure represents the apparatus embraced by my invention in
conventional form.
1 will now describe the process, which is as follows:
This is
Referring to the drawing by letter, A represents a furnace similar to those used in
making water-gas, which is charged with coke, coal or other suitable fuel.
fired and brought to a certain temperature, more specially defined herein below, by the
aid of an air-blast supplied by the blower B. While the fuel is rising to the required
temperature a gaseous product, commonly known as "Siemens generator" or producer-.
gas, is generated and passes through the pipe to the gas-holder C, whence it may be con-
ducted to other furnaces hereinafter mentioned, and used as fuel or conducted to other
places for sundry use. The supply of air is shut off and steam admitted to the incandescent
fuel when it has reached such a temperature that the admitted steam will be decom-
posed and a mixture of hydrogen and carbonic acid gas formed, the liberated oxygen
from the steam having been combined with carbon from the fuel to carbonic acid.
This is attained at a temperature of about 500 degrees Centigrade with coke and
550 degrees Centigrade with coal. To be able to know, if the temperature of the fuel
is too high, in which case part, or all, of the carbonic acid first generated would be
decomposed and carbonic oxide formed-a sample of the gas mixture from the furnace
is caused to pass through a solution of chloride of copper in muriatic acid, which
absorbs the carbonic oxide that might be present, thereby lessening the bulk and weight
of the sample, indicating too high temperature. Simultaneously or nearly simul-
taneously with the admitting of the steam to the incandescent fuel, the outlet to the
gasholder C is cut off and the production of the decomposing of the steam is led off

page_text: through a condenser F, wherein the steam that might have escaped undecomposed is
condensed to water and the gases washed. The gas mixture next passes to a purifier G,
containing chemicals, such as hydrate of lime or solutions of carbonate of sodium or
potassium, which absorb the carbonic acid and allow the hydrogen to pass to the gas-
holder H. The drawing shows a purifier of suitable construction for hydrate of lime.
When impurities are present in the gas-mixture, they are caused to be absorbed by
suitable substances, such as oxide of iron for sulphur compounds before the gas-
mixture enters the purifiers proper, thereby rendering it easier to revivify the carbonic
acid absorbing chemicals. After a short time the action of the steam upon the incan-
descent fuel in the furnace will have so lowered the temperature that the manufacture
of gas cannot be successfully continued, and it becomes necessary to discontinue the
current of steam and to renew the supply of air in order to repeat the process,
alternately producing producer gas and hydrogen.
Oxygen may be produced by any well known method. I prefer to produce it by
heating in earthenware tubes I, in a current of steam, sodium manganate, (Na Mn A)
which then gives off free oxygen to be led off to the gasholder J, forming caustic soda
(Na A H) and lower oxide of manganese, (Mn O₁) These products, when again
heated in air from the blower B, absorb oxygen, the manganese being reproduced; so
that the same portion may be used over and over again. By repeating the process a
regular production of oxygen can be obtained from a small quantity of chemicals.
The gases having been inanufactured and stored in the separate holders H and J,
they are separately conducted to the opposite chambers of the battery K. The battery
may be of any suitable construction and of any number of cells and the cells may be
joined in intensity or in quantity or in combinations of both. The battery shown in
the drawing consists of a jar, of glass or other suitable material, airtightly closed at
the top and having a dividing-wall that has an opening at the bottom. The jar is
partly filled with acidulated water reaching over the opening in the dividing-wall,
closing off two separate chambers containing the gases. Each of the chambers also
contains an electrode of platinum or other suitable material partly immersed in the
acidulated water. The electrodes are electrically connected with each other outside
the battery through the working circuit or circuits..
Instead of oxygen, certain other gases, mixture of gases or liquids such as chlorine
bromine or nitric acid may be used.
In all the processes herein described it will be seen that the only thing of value
which is consumed is the fuel. The charges of chemicals may be revivified and used
over and over, and after the first charge need never be renewed. It is to be under-
stood, of course, that suitable ducts or pipes connect with the several chambers, and
that each is connected with a valve. All this is shown in the drawing and need hardly
be described. It will thus be seen that by keeping up the fires and attending to the
supply of air and steam electric currents may be generated direct from the fuel.
-
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1
1. The process of generating electricity herein described, consisting in, first, raising
the temperature of a body of fuel to incandescence by the aid of atmospheric air,
utilizing the gases evolved in this operation for fuel and other purposes; second,
shutting off the air and admitting steam to the incandescent fuel when it has reached
such a temperature that the admitted steam will be decomposed and hydrogen and
carbonic acid formed; third, separating the carbonic acid from the hydrogen by causing
suitable chemicals to absorb the carbonic acid, and conducting the hydrogen to one
electrode of a gas battery or gas batteries; and fourth, producing oxygen or equivalent
gas or liquid and conducting it to the other electrode of the abovementioned gas
battery or gas batteries.
2. The process of generating electricity herein described, consisting in, first, raising,
the temperature of a body of fuel to incandescence by the aid of atmospheric air, and
utilizing the gases evolved in this operation for fuel or other purposes; second, shutting

page_text: off the air and admitting steam to the incandescent fuel when it has reached such a
temperature that the admitted steam will be decomposed and hydrogen and carbonic
acid formed; third, passing the gases through condensers and purifiers to take up
impurities and condense the steam that might have escaped undecomposed; fourth,
separating the carbonic acid from the hydrogen by causing suitable chemicals to absorb
the carbonic acid and conducting the hydrogen to one electrode of a gas battery or
gas batteries; and, fifth, producing oxygen or equivalent gas, mixture of gases or
liquid and conducting it to the other electrode of the abovementioned gas battery
or gas batteries.
4h 15h dow of
1800
OLOF DAHL.