Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Gas and to Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1893
VUMI LETE DECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Gas and to Apparatus
therefor.
* 1
I, JOSEPH ASKINS of Lima, County of Allen and State of Ohio, 'United
States of America, Gas 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 :-
of
My invention relates to an improved process and apparatus for the manufacture
gas, and it has for its object to provide for the expeditious and economical
production' of carbureted water gas as hereinafter set forth.
91
The invention consists in a process of carbureting water gas by bringing hydro
carbon vapors and water gas from different directions: and causing them to mingle
in divided currents in contact with highly heated surfaces, and it also consists in
the combination with a water gas generator adapted to receive hot hydrocarbon
vapors or gases from any convenient source, of a body of perforated tiles or
checker-brick-work supported in the upper part of the water gas generator and
forming therein a perforated fixing surface through which the hydrocarbon vapors
and gases introduced from the outside are passed horizontally and thus brought
into contact with the ascending currents of water gas in the water gas generator.
whereby the mixture of gases is fixed by contact with the heated surfaces of said
tiles or checker brick-work and thence conducted to a scrubber or to a suitable gas
receiver or directly to the place of consumption.
:
In the accompanying drawings forming part of this Specification-
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of my.improved gas making apparatus.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the same, taken on the line of Fig. 1.
Figures 3 and 4 are sectional views, taken at right angles to each other, of.a
modified form of my invention.
A is a water gas. generator having a suitable grate for supporting a coke fire
to which steam is admitted through a pipe B, as usual. C is a structure of spaced
apart tiles or refractory checker-brick-work supported in the upper part of the
water gas generator and D is a pipe leading into the generator opposite one end
of said brick checkerwork or structure of tiles, the said pipe being arranged as
an inlet for hot hydrocarbon gases or vapors from any suitable or convenient
source.
The tiles C may be about three inches thick and are built into the walls of
the generator as shown in Fig. 2, the opposite individual tiles or tile sections
being arranged to meet centrally, as shown. The tiles may be spaced apart, as
shown in Fig. 1, at intervals of about three inches. The tiles or tile sections, are
provided as shown in Fig. 2 with perforations e to permit the horizontal passage
of gases. The checker-brick-work, Figs. 3 and 4 is also arranged to permit the
horizontal passage of gas and vapor. The tiles or checker-brick-work C become
intensely heated by reason of proximity to the bed of incandescent fuel in the
generator, and the currents of water gas ascending from the fuel into the vertical
spaces between the heated tiles and thereby brought into immediate contact with
the currents of hot hydrocarbon gas or vapor admitted through the pipe D and
passing horizontally through the tiles or checker-brick-work. The water gas and
hydrocarbon vapors are thus thoroughly commingled and under the influence of
intense heat the various 'elements are re-combined to form a fixed gas suitable
for use as a fuel or for illuminating purposes. It will be observed that this
arrangement of tiles or checker-brick-work affords extensive heating surfaces for
* D
i

page_text: the thorough distribution and commingling of the gases and vapors so that they
will be rapidly converted into a fixed gas..
To permit the wholly unobstructed entrance of hot hydrocarbon vapors through
the pipe D into the water gas generátor the tiles C may be cut away, as at h,
opposite the end of said pipe. The tiles, tile sections or checker-brick-work may
be also cut away at h¹ below an outlet f arranged in the top of the generator.
This outlet is provided with a valve for use in the preliminary heating of
the apparatus preparatory to the making of water gas. For the purpose of
carrying off the fixed carbureted water gas produced in the apparatus, the valve f¹
being then closed, a gas outlet g is provided which may lead to a scrubber, a gas
holder or directly to the place of consumption.
The tiles C are each preferably provided with a metal rod ¨c embedded therein
to prevent the tile from falling to pieces if it should crack.
By the arrangement of the checker-brick-work or structure of tiles-in the upper
part of the generator and the extensive heating surfaces thus provided for the
passage of ascending currents of water gas in contact with horizontal currents of
hot hydrocarbon vapors the efficiency of the apparatus is greatly increased for the
production of carbureted water gas.
1. In operating this gas making apparatus the drafts of the water gas generator A
are opened while the said generator and the tiles. C in its upper part are being
heated, after which the valve f' is shut down. When the coke fuel in the
generator A has become incandescent steam will be admitted to the generator
through the pipe B and hot hydrocarbon vapors and gases are then allowed to pass
through the pipe D into the upper part of the water gas generator A in contact
with the intensely heated tiles or brick checker-work C through which said vapors
and gases pass in a horizontal direction. While thus passing horizontally through
the said tiles or brick checker work the hot hydrocarbon vapors are mingled with
the ascending water gas generated in the chamber A. and by contact with the
intensely heated tiles the said gases become fixed before passing off through the
pipe g. With this form of apparatus the blast usually employed in the process of
gas making is dispensed with and by reason of the location and arrangement of the
gas fixing surfaces or tiles, adjacent to the fire, they can be heated intensely in
much less than the length of time ordinarily required for such purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I déclare that what I
claim is :-
1. The process of carbureting water gas which consists in bringing together
water gas and hydrocarbon vapors from different directions in divided currents and
mingling them in contact with highly heated surfaces, substantially as described..
2. In a gas making apparatus, the combination with a water gas generator A
having at its upper end an inlet pipe D for admission of hydrocarbon vapors, of a
series of spaced apart tiles or brick checker work C supported in the upper part
of said generator opposite the inner end of said pipe D and adapted to permit the
horizontal passage of hydrocarbou vapors and gases in contact with ascending
currents of water gas whereby the water gas is carbureted and fixed, substantially
'as described.
3. In a gas making apparatus, the combination with the water gas generator A
having the inlet pipe D for admission of hydrocarbon vapors and the outlet pipe g
for exit of fixed gas, of the series of spaced apart tiles or tile sections C supported
in the upper part of the generator between the pipes D and 9 and having per-
forations for the passage of gas and vapor in a horizontal direction in contact with
ascending currents of water gas, substantially as described.
4. In a gas making apparatus, the combination of the water gas generator A
having the draft outlet in its top and the gas outlet pipe g leading from the
upper part of said generator on one side, the pipe D arranged to conduct hot
hydrocarbon vapors and gases into the water gas generator, and a series of spaced

page_text: apart perforated tiles or tile sections C supported in the upper part of the water
gas generator and reduced or cut away opposite the end of the pipe D and opposite
the outlet f, substantially as described.
Dated this 7th day of February 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.