Improvements in Water-gas Apparatuses for Distillation of the Fresh Fuel.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in Water-gas Apparatuses for Distillation of the
Fresh Fuel.
I, EDUARD BLASS, Engineer, residing in Essen on the Ruhr, Prussia, German
Empire, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the production of water-gas from mineral coal, and its
object is to distill off the volatile constituents of the coal by means of the heat
produced by combustion of the gases formed in the generator-furnace during the
blowing-period. The process employed for this purpose consists in transferring the
said heat to a regenerator, in superheating steam by the latter, and in causing a
portion of this steam to pass through the fresh fuel, while the remaining portion
thereof serves as usual for making water-gas. By the action of the steam on the
fresh fuel carburetted hydrogen gas is obtained, which, after having been purified,
may be employed as lighting gas, or for other purposes, and it may also be utilized
along with the solid fuel for the production of water-gas.
For carrying out any invention I use an apparatus consisting substantially of a
gas-generating furnace and a regenerator connected together at their upper ends by
a channel, means for blowing air from below into the furnace and from above into
the regenerator, and for introducing steam from below into the latter. The
particular new feature of the apparatus consists in an upward extension of the
furnace, which is so arranged (preferably by being made narrower than the furnace-
shaft) that, when the furnace is filled with fuel, an annular space will be formed
between the brickwork and the fuel, the said space communicating with the cannel
leading to the regenerator. From the top of the said extension a pipe leads to a
condensing-apparatus.
During the blowing-period the gas produced is burnt in the regenerator by the
air entering into the same from above, and the regenerator is thereby heated.
When the fuel in the furnace has become incandescent, all supply of air is stopped,
and steam is admitted to the regenerator, where it becomes superheated. This
steam then passes to the fuel in the furnace and is there converted into water-gas.
After the fuel has cooled down so much that the gas-making process has to be
stopped, the superheated steam is caused to pass into the aforesaid extension of the

page_text: furnace, where it drives out from the fresh fuel the volatile constituents, viz.
carburetted hydrogen gas, tar and ammonia. The vapours of tar and ammonia and
also the steam mixed therewith having then been separated out by condensation,
the gas may be employed for lighting purposes or otherwise. Preferably I utilize
the same by converting it into water-gas. This is accomplished by mixing the gas
with the steam for making water-gas from the solid fuel, and by conducting the
mixture through the heated regenerator, where carbonic oxyde and hydrogen are
formed therefrom. The process may be varied by simultaneously passing the
mixture partly through the fresh fuel and partly through the incandescent fuel.
11
1002

page_text: improvements in water-gas-apparatuses for Distillation of the .
Fresh Fuel.
I, EDUARD BLASS, Engineer, residing in Essen on the Ruhr, Prussia, German
Empire, 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 :—
My invention relates to the production of water-gas from mineral coal, and its
object is to distill off the volatile constituents of the coal by means of the heat
produced by combustion of the gases formed in the generator-furnace during the
blowing-period. The process employed for this purpose consists in transferring
the said heat to a regenerator, in superheating steam by the latter, and in causing
a portion of this steam to pass through the fresh fuel, while the remaining portion
thereof serves as usual for inaking water-gas. By the action of the steam on the
fresh fuel carburetted hydrogen gas is obtained, which, after having been purified
may be employed as lighting gas, or for other purposes, and it may also be utilized
along with the solid fuel for the production of water-gas.
For carrying out my invention I use an apparatus such as is represented on the
annexed sheet of drawings. The same comprises substantially a gas generating
furnace D and a regenerator connected together at the top by the channel S, the
furnace being provided with the pipe K for blowing in air from below, and the
pipe P for the outlet of the water-gas produced, while into the regenerator air may
be introduced from above by the pipe A and steam from below through the pipe H.
The particular new feature of the apparatus consists in the upward extension E of
the furnace, which extension is so arranged (preferably by being made narrower.
than the furnace-shaft) that, when the furnace is filled with fuel, an annular space F
will be formed between the brickwork and the fuel, the said space communicating
with the channel S leading to the regenerator. From the top of the extension E
a pipe R leads to an apparatus for the condensation of tar and ammonia of ordinary
construction. The pipe K is passed through a beating-chamber C communicating
at the bottom with the regenerator by a channel in which there is a valve I. This
heating-chamber may, however, be dispensed with. L, G and O are shut-off valves
in the pipes K, P, and R. The pipes and H likewise require to be provided
with cocks or valves.
During the blowing-period the valves G and O of the gas-eduction-pipes P and R
and the steam-cock are closed, while the valve L of the air-pipe K, the valve I and
the valve or cock of the air-pipe M are open. By means of the air supplied by the
pipe K to the coal in the furnace, generator-gas is produced, which passes into the
annular channel F and thence through the channel S into the regenerator, where
it is burnt by the air entering through the pipe M. The gases resulting from this
combustion give off heat to the regenerator and to the air-heater C, and thereupon
issue at N to the chimney.
When the fuel in the furnace has become sufficiently incandescent, all supply of
air is stopped, the valve I is closed and fresh coal is filled into the extension E.
The filling-aperture having then been reclosed and the gas valve G opened, steam is

page_text: admitted through the pipe H to the regenerator where it becomes superheated.
This steam then passes through the fuel in the furnace D, and is there converted
into water-gas, which is conducted by the pipe P to a gas-holder. After the fuel has
cooled down so much that the gas-making process has to be stopped, the valve G is
closed and the valve O opened. The superheated steam thereupon passes from the
annular channel F into the extension E of the furnace, where it drives out from
the fresh fuel the volatile constituents, consisting of carburetted hydrogen-gas and
vapours of tar and ammonia. These and the steam mixed therewith are conducted
through the pipe R to a condensing-apparatus where the vapours of tar and
ammonia and the steam are condensed. The gas thus purified may be employed
for lighting-purposes or otherwise.
Especially, however, I have in view the utilization of the said gas for the
production of water-gas. This may be accomplished by mixing the same with
the requisite quantity of steam, and by passing the mixture through a heated
regenerator or heated pipes. The carbon of the heavy bydro-carbon contained in
the gas thereby be caused to combine with the oxygen of the steam to form
carbonic oxide, while an equivalent quantity of hydrogen is set free.
The simplest mode of carrying out the conversion of the carburetted hydrogen-
gas consists in mixing the gas, as it comes from the condenser, by means of an
injector or other suitable contrivance, with the steam serving for the production
of water-gas from the solid fuel, and by conducting the mixture into the
regenerator B.
The process may be varied by carrying out the production of water-gas and the
distillation of the fresh fuel at the same time. In this case both gas-valves O
and G are opened simultaneously, so that the mixture of steam and carburetted
hydrogen-gas will pass partly through the incandescent fuel in the furnace D and
partly through the fresh fuel in the extension E.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In a water-gas apparatus comprising the furnace D with air-supply-pipe K and
gas-eduction-pipe P, and the regenerator B provided with pipes M and H for the
supply, respectively, of air and steam and with the valve I, and which is connected
to the furnace by the channel S, the arrangement above the furnace of an
extension E with eduction-pipe R, for the purpose of distilling off the volatile
constituents of the fresh fuel introduced into the said extensiou, substantially as
herein before described.
2. The process of producing water-gas from the carburetted hydrogen-gas
obtained by the distillation of the fresh fuel in the apparatus consisting of the
furnace D with upward extension E, pipes K, P and R, regenerator B with pipes M
and H, valve I and channel S, the said process consisting in mixing the carburetted
hydrogen-gas with steam and passing the mixture through the heated regenerator,
substantially as specified.