Improvements in the Manufacture of Illuminating Gas from Hydrocarbon or other Oils and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Illuminating Gas from
Hydrocarbon or other Oils and in Apparatus therefor.
I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn, in the county of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF ILLUMINATING GAS FROM HYDROCARBON OR OTHER OILS AND
IN APPARATUS THEREFOR" (a communication from John Hanlon of New York,
United States of America, Gas Engineer) and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to the manufacture of a fixed illuminating gas of high
candle power by continuous process from hydrocarbon and other oil, and a small
portion of steam to supply sufficient hydrogen to act as a carrier for the rich
carbureted hydrogen whereby deposits of lamp-black or hard carbon in the gas
producer is prevented, and all the oil fed to the apparatus is converted into
valuable illuminating gas and whereby better combustion and a whiter light are
secured at the burners.
The object of the invention is to provide a compact very efficient, easily
operated and economical apparatus adapted for making a rich gas for factories,
hotels and light houses for compression into tanks to supply railway cars and
steamboats and for towns &c.
The steam decomposing and oil vaporising retorts, the steam-superheaters and the
gas fixing chambers are heated by the combustion of hot gaseous products from a
gas producer forming part of the apparatus. The retorts and superheaters are
heated continuously and one of two fixing chambers is always being heated while
the other is being used for fixing gas so that one chamber is always in operation
for fixing gas.
The fixing chambers are filled with refractory brick work loosly laid up the
form of regenerator furnaces and are heated by internal combustion. The
connecting pipes between the generating retorts and the fixing chambers are
fitted up with conveniently operated reciprocating water cooled valves, whereby
illuminating gas is shut off from number one and admitted to number two chamber
and heating gas is admitted to the former and shut from the latter by one
movement of a valve lever for each operation.

page_text: The process of producing gas and the parts and combination of parts constituting
my invention will be pointed out in the claims.
The apparatus is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which :-
Figure 1. represents a vertical longitudinal section of the producer furnace,
the retort chamber and retorts and the fixing chamber in elevation on line x. x.
figure 7.
Figure 2 represents a horizontal section of the apparatus on line x. x figure 6.
Figure 3. represents a vertical transverse section through one of the retorts on
line y. y. and looking to the left in figure 7.
Figure 4. represents the pair of fixing chambers in elevation and a view cross
section of the water-cooled valve and connecting pipes on line y y figure 7.
Figure 5. represents a transverse vertical section through the fixing chamber on
line z. z. figure 7.
Figure 6. represents a side elevation of the apparatus.
Figure 7. represents a plan or top view of the apparatus.
In the following description the same letters designate like parts on all figures
of the drawing.
The
gas producer furnace A for generating heating gas used in heating the retorts
and fixing chamber, and the retort chamber B. are built in one fire-brick structure
covered by a tight jacket of boiler iron and the connected fixing chambers HH'
containing loosely laid brick-work are built as separate structures each having an
iron jacket as shown or they may be built in a single structure surrounded by one
iron jacket and separated from each other, by a brick partition wall through which
extends a tight iron plate riveted to the top plate of the chamber. This latter
construction it is thought will often be found preferable as by it heat will be
saved and utilized. The fuel chamber of producer A is erected upright as shown,
and either round or rectangular in cross section and is separated from retort
chamber B by vertical partition a having passage a' in its upper part leading into
chamber B A short stack or mouth piece d having a tight fitting cap is fitted to
the top of chamber A and its lower end is provided with an ash pit x having the
usual openings and tight fitting door and separated from the fuel chamber by
the usual grate bars. Two retorts C as shown or other desired number are set
vertically in chamber B. resting at their lower ends on brick supports O and secured
by flanges and screw bolts to the mouth pieces c and top plate of the chamber at
their upper ends the mouth pieces are closed by tight fitting lids secured by yokes
and screws. At the lower end of the retort a horizontal passage projects through
the front wall of chamber B where to its flanged end is secured by screw bolts
mouth pieces closed by a tight-fitting lid f¹ the main body of the retort is divided
by partition C into two chambers (figures 2. and 3) a large fuel and steam
decomposing chamber e for containing charcoal and a small oil vaporizing chamber e¹
into which extends oil supply pipe q...
The partition c¹ has an opening c¹ in its lower end forming a communicating
passage from one chamber to the other. An iron plate forms the extension of
partition through mouth piece c Steam superheating coils of pipe I, I, are
located in the base of chamber B. as shown or in other convenient part thereof and
receive steam from a boiler through inlet pipe and discharge superheated steam
through pipes which connect with the upper end of fuel chamber e of the retorts
preferably entering the mouth piece as shown partitions may be placed in chamber B.
for suitably deflecting the hot gases and products of combustion so as to uniformly
beat the retorts. An air blast pipe K. having valve k connects with the base of gas
producter A and air blast pipes K' having valves k¹ connect with the upper part of
retort chamber B. for supporting combustion of hot gas from the producer. To the
outlet at top of oil chamber e of each retort the gas eduction pipe N' connects
extending to fixing chamber H¹ and a branch pipe N. connects with chamber H
each pipe has a water cooled gate valve P. P¹.
Pipes R. R¹ for products of combustion connect with the base of chamber B, and
the bases of fixing chambers H. H' and each has a water-cooled gate valve Q.Q
The
1

page_text: These two sets of valves are operated in pairs, and each pair is connected so as to
reciprocate Valves P. P¹. are pivotally connected by rods p. p¹ to lever or beam E
which is pivoted on n¹ to standard G and its bracket b¹. The extended end of
beam E. has pivotally connected to it the pendant rod m³ which is linked to arm m¹¹
of crank lever m pivoted in frame u-Valves Q. Q¹ are in like manner pivotally
connected by rods q q¹ to beam F which is pivoted at o to standard G. and its
bracket b. and the extended end beam has pivotally connected or linked to it the
pendant rod O' which is linked to arm Oil of crank lever O also pivoted in
frame u.
The water cooled valve here shown has proved very efficient in practical operation
and forms the subject of an application for patent filed by me March 1884, and
bearing serial number.
Fixing chambers H, H³ are fitted with fire-brick loosely laid in in the form of
regenerator furnaces, they are provided with short stacks m. m¹ opening below
smoke funnels above. Stacks m. m' are provided with a pair of reciprocating
weight valves or stoppers S. S' having ground faces and sliding on guides S. S¹, the
stoppers being connected by bars S" yoke and rod t is pivotally connected to
stopper S. and to lever t¹ which latter is pivoted at 1 to bracket r. forming the
mechanism for operating stoppers S. Blast pipes L. L¹ having valves . 11 connect
respectively with the bases of super-heaters H. H for supplying air to support
combustion of gaseous products when heating up the chambers. Gas eduction
pipes T. T¹ connect the bases of chambers H. H¹ with the hydraulic seal box or
main U and pipe V leads from such box to the service pipe or first to a washer
if desired.
Having described the construction of my improved gas apparatus I will now
describe its operation as follows:-
A fire is first kindled in gas producer A and when a sufficient bed of fuel is
formed the valves Q. Q¹ on pipes connecting with the bases of the superheater and
stoppers S. S' on the stacks are opened and the air blast is admitted to chamber A
by pipe K for making heating gas and such gas containing a large per-cent. of
carbonic oxide is partially burned in retort chamber B by admission of air blast
through pipes K¹, K', and the combustion of such gas is completed in the fixing
chambers H. H¹ by air blasts admitted through pipes I. I' as the heating up
proceeds valve Q' and stopper S¹ are closed and valve Q. and stopper S. are opened
as shown in figures 4 and 5 and valve on air blast pipe Lis closed and the
combustion of heating gas is continued in chamber H till it is heated to the proper
temperature for fixing gas to be generated in the retort.
As soon as the retorts and steam superheating coils are heated to the proper
temperature the generation of illuminating gas is commenced, and at the same time
valves P. P and Q, Q¹ and stoppers S. S¹ are reversed by the proper movement of
the connecting levers so that valve P on pipe N. conducting illuminating gas to
chamber H shall be open and valve Q. and stopper S. on connections of chamber H
shall be closed and so that valve P¹ shall be closed and valve Q1 admitting heating
gas to chamber H¹ and the stopper S' in the stack of chamber H₁ shall be open at
the same time air valve is closed and air valve is opened. For generating
illuminating gas superheated steam is admitted in small quantities into the tops of
the retorts and passed down through the heated charcoal where it is decomposed,
and the resulting gas is passed through opening cl into chamber e¹ where it mixes
with and carries forward the hydrocarbon vapor generated from oil admitted by
pipe g the mixed gases being passed into the heated fixing chamber H where a
fixed gas is produced which is passed to the main by pipe T.
While gas is being fixed in chamber H. the chamber H₁ is being heated up by the
combustion of heating as therein as above described and as soon as chamber H is
reduced too low in temperature to properly fix the gas the valves and stoppers are
again reversed so that illuminating gas is passed into chamber H¹ to be fixed and
heating gas is passed into chamber H. for heating it up. Gas is generated
continuously in the retorts and continuously fixed in one or other of the fixing

page_text: chambers and the fixing chambers are really heated by gaseous products from
the retort chamber which would otherwise be wasted. The air blasts are applied
continuously to producer A and retort chamber B. The use of charcoal in the
decomposing retorts is advantageous for the reason that the gas produced with
it is not contaminated with sulphur impurities and therefore requires little or
no purification by lime-The waste ash and cinders are removed through leg Cl
by removal of lid f at the base of retort C.
Oil is supplied to the vaporizing chamber through pipe q. from an elevated tank
or from a tank below by air or water pressure and inlet pipe q. is projected into
chamber e a greater or less distance as required for vaporizing the oil. The
superheated steam by being passed down through the charcoal is better spread out
through the entire area of the retorts and brought into contact with all the carbon
surfaces whereby it is thoroughly decomposed and the resulting hydrogen mixes
with and carries forward the oil vapors preventing formation of soot or hard
carbon. The illuminating gas being also passed down through the fixing chambers
is better brought into contact with heated brick and therefore uniformly and
completely fixed.
The handles of the valve levers are brought together in a convenient position on
one side of the fixing chambers as shown in figure 4. so that the valves may be
quickly shifted.
Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by letters
patent is
1. The process of generating illuminating gas which consists in continuously
heating the generating retorts and by means of the waste or partially burned
gaseous products alternately heating internally two fixing chambers first one and
then the other generating gas continuously in the retorts and fixing it continuously
in the fixing chambers alternating the heating up of one chamber with fixing gas
in the other chamber as described.
2. The process of continuously generating gas which consists in heating the
retorts externally and continuously supplying steam and oil to them as described
and fixing the resulting gas by passing it through one or the other of two fixing
chambers which are alternately heated.
3. The process of generating gas which consists in superheating steam passing it
down through a body of charcoal where it is decomposed, passing the resulting gas
up through the vaporizing chamber where oil is admitted thereby intimately
mingling gas and oil vapor and carrying the latter from the retort and then
forming a fixed gas by passing the mixture of gas and vapor through a heated
chamber.
4. The combination of the producer A and connected retort chamber built in one
structure and the contained vertical retort.
5. The combination of the heating gas producer, the connected retort chamber
and retorts and the gas fixing chamber connected internally with the retort
chamber and one or more of the retorts whereby it may be heated by waste gaseous
products from the retort chamber and then serve for fixing gas as described.
6. The combination of the retort chamber and contained retorts means for
heating them a fixing chamber connected both with the retort chamber and the
retorts and a valve on each containing pipe whereby hot gaseous products may
be passed from the retort chamber to the fixing chamber for heating the latter and
when such products are shut off illuminating gas may be passed into such chamber
to be fixed as described.
7. The combination of the retort chamber and one or more contained retorts
with two fixing chambers connecting pipes from the retort chamber and from the
retorts to both fixing chambers, and reciprocating valves on all the pipes whereby
heating gas may be conducted to one chamber while illuminating gas to be fixed
may be conducted to the other chamber and the flow of each kind of gas changed
from one chamber to the other as desired.
J

page_text: 8. In combination with a continuous gas generator two fixing chambers and
pipes having connected reciprocating valves connecting the generator with such
chambers and means for admitting heating gas to each chamber.
9. In combination with two fixing chambers two inlet pipes for heating gas,
having a pair of connected reciprocating valves two inlet pipes for illuminating gas
also having a pair of connected reciprocating valves and a pair of connected stopper
valves in the stacks for the purpose described.
10. The vertical retort having an opening at top and bottom and having a
vertical partition provided with an opening at its lower end.
11. The vertical retort having an opening and lid at each end a vertical partition
having an opening, a steam inlet pipe connecting with one chamber, an oil inlet
pipe connecting with the other chamber, and a gas outlet pipe leading from the oil
vaporizing chamber,