IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING HYDROCARBON GAS
Year: 1884

page_text: I EDWIN AMBROSE BRYDGES of the firm of Brydges & Co Engineers and Patent
Solicitors of 107 Königgrätzer Str: in the City of Berlin and German Empire do
hereby declare the nature of my Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS
OF MANUFACTURING HYDROCARBON GAS" a communication to me by William
Fitz Charles Mason McCarty of the City of St Petersburg in the Empire of Russia
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
The object of my invention is to cheaply obtain an illuminating gas pure and
free from oxygen and carbonic acid gas.
My invention consists in passing superheated steam over or in contact with a bed
of heated lime or its equivalent, by means of which oxygen and carbonic oxide
present in the superheated steam will, to a large extent, be absorbed; and thence
through or in contact with a heated mass of finely divided iron or other easily
oxidizable metal or material; and thence through or in contact with a bed of
charcoal, with the result that any oxygen or carbonio oxide which has failed to
have been removed from the steam in its passage over or through the mass of lime
will be taken up or removed by the metal or charcoal and a pure hydrogen gas be
obtained.
This gas is introduced into a mixing chamber into which a liquid hydro carbon
is injected, whereby a mixture of hydrogen and hydrocarbon gas is obtained.
This mixture is passed through a suitable heating coil or heating chamber
whereby the hydrogen and hydrocarbon gas become highly heated and fixed and
after proper purification or washing, suited for illuminating purposes.
An apparatus well adapted to carry out the process above indicated is shewn in
the drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the annaratne shown in Fienro 1

page_text: Figure 3 is a central sectional view through the furnace D and combustion qu
of Figure 1 and
Figure 4 is a detailed sectional view of the injecting device by means of which
the hydrogen gas and liquid hydrocarbon are introduced to the mixing chamber I
of Figure 1.
B, D and E are furnaces containing muffles C, F and G, the construction of these
three furnaces is similar, and may be understood by reference to Figure 3 in which
B represents the masonry of the furnace, C a muffle of boiler iron, which is
provided with shelves a b c and with induction and eduction pipes d and e. fis
the grate bar, and B' the combustion flue. The combustion Blues B' D' and E' are
respectively provided with dampers B" D" C". A is a steam boiler or superheater,
of any suitable construction, provided with an eduction pipe d opening into the
muffle C. e is a pipe leading from the top of the muffle C to the bottom of the
muffle F, and is a pipe leading from the top of the muffle F' to the bottom of
the muffle G.
is a pipe leading from the top of the muffie G and opening into a mixing
chamber I. The pipel at its discharge end m is enlarged and within this enlargement
is introduced the discharge end of the pipe n which leads from the hydrocarbon.
The construction is such that the passage of the hydrocarbon gas through a pipe Z
and around the discharge end of the pipe n, causes the ejection of the fluid hydro-
carbon supplied from the tank or vessel H into the mixing chamber I in a spray or
finely divided condition.
K is a coil leading from the mixing chamber H upwardly through a stack or
flue of masonry and thence by a pipe-K-downwardly into a second due or stack
having as a continuation of said pipe K' a second coil K". The latter coil by
means of the pipe KUI is caused to discharge into the bottom of a washer L set in
proper brickwork and provided with a grate or fire box M.
The washer L is provided with two circulating pipes N' and N" the lower open
extremities of each of which reach nearly but not quite to the bottom of said
vessel, the upper extremities being bent over and provided with rose ends or
openings.
M and M are perforated diaphragms or sieves.
o is a gas discharge opening, and Q is an opening for the discharge of the
products of combustion from the fire box M.
PP are pipes extending into the washer L and having their open ends therein
nearly but not quite in contact with the lower interior end of the said chamber,
the outer ends of said pipes being provided with suitable valves for closing the
Bлme.
The shelves a b c are provided with calcium protoxide (lime) and the muffle F is
upon its shelves provided with iron, copper or other easily oxidizable metal, in a
finely divided condition, while the inuffle is upon its shelves provided with beds
of charcoal. The materials are fed to said muflies by removing the plates from the
front ends thereof and the luting by which they are held in place, after which the
plates are replaced and luted in position.
The muffles C and F with their contents are heated by means of fire upon the
grate bars fand g in the combustion chambers B and D respectively.
I may here remark that the muffle of the furnace B may be charged with finely
divided iron or copper and the muffle in the furnace D with lime without changing
the nature of the process.
Steam is fed from the superheater or boiler A through the pipe d to the bottom
of the muffle C and passes backward and forward over and through the lime
contained upon the shelves of said muffle, whereby oxygen and such carbonic acid
as may be present in said steam, are to a large extent, absorbed and removed
therefrom.
The hydrogen resulting with such impurities as it may contain, is then conveyed
by the pipe e to the bottom of the muffle F where it is discharged and passes over

page_text: and through the heated finely divided iron or copper, or equivalent material,
contained upon the shelves thereof by which said gas is further purified from
oxygen and carbonic acid gas.
This purified gas is then, by means of the pipe k conveyed to the lower part of
the muffle G, at which point it is discharged in said muffle and passes over and
through the bed of charcoal contained upon the shelves thereof, whereby its
complete purification from oxygen and carbonic oxide gas is ensured-The purified
and highly heated hydrogen so obtained is then conveyed by the pipe to the
mixing chamber I and in its escape through the enlarged orifice m of the pipe
into said chamber causes the stream of liquid hydrocarbon fed by the pipe n from
the holder H to be forced into said mixing chamber I in a finely divided condition
of spray.
This mixture of hydrocarbon and hydrogen gases then passes through the coil k
which has been highly heated by fire upon the grate bars J, whereby said gases
become more or less fixed. From the coil K through the pipe K¹ this gas may be
conveyed to a second coil K" heated by fire from the grate J' whereby a perfect
fixing of the gas may be insured. The fixed gas so obtained is then conveyed
through the pipe K₁₁ to the washer L and discharged into said chamber at the
bottom thereof, said chamber having previously been supplied with hydrate of
lime, ammoniac and water, or other suitable cleansing solution, the passage through
which said gas purifies the same and fits it for use, the purified gas being removed
from said washer to a suitable storage reservoir through the orifice o.
The hydrocarbon gas introduced to the purifier L through the pipe K¹11 is caused
to come into more thorough contact with the cleansing solution in said chamber by
reason of the fact that the heat arising from the fire box M causes a circulation of
the bath in the washer L upwardly through the pipes N¹ N¹ and a discharge of
said mixture through the rose discharges on the upper ends of said pipes respectively
and a consequent trickling of said solution downwardly through the perforated
diaphragms M¹ and M by which the upward current of gas comes intimately into
contact with said purifying mixture.
The pipes p and p¹ may be used to free the purifier or washer L of its contents,
pressure applied to one of these pipes causing the contents of said purifier to be
ejected through the other.
B and D are flues connecting the combustion chambers of the furnaces B and D
and D and E respectively, said flues being provided with dampers. This construction
enables the retort of the combustion chamber E to be heated by causing the
currents of heat and the products of combustion from the furnaces B and D to pass
through the furnace E and be discharged through the smoke stack E¹ whereby the
charcoal of the muffle G may be purified of its oxygen and carbonic oxide, when
such purification becomes necessary, instead of removing said charcoal from said
muffle and replacing it by fresh supplies thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1 The process of manufacturing hydrocarbon gas, which consists in passing
superheated steam through or in contact with heated lime and through or in
contact with heated finely divided metallic iron or copper, then mixing the gas so
obtained with a liquid hydro-carbon and converting the mixture into a fixed gas
by heat as specified in the foregoing specification.
2. The process of manufacturing hydrocarbon gas, which consists in passing super-
beated steam through or in contact with heated lime, through or in contact with
heated finely divided metallic iron or copper, and through or in contact with a
mass of charcoal, then mixing the gas so obtained with a liquid hydrocarbon and
converting the mixture into a fixed gas by heat, as specified in the foregoing
specification.
3. The process of manufacturing hydrocarbon gas which consists in passing super-
heated steam through or in contact with heated lime, through or in contact with

page_text: heated finely divided metallic iron or copper, and through or in contact with a
mass of charcoal, then mixing the gas so obtained with a liquid hydrocarbon and
converting the same into a fixed gas by heat, and then purifying said gas by passing
the same through a washer, as specified in the foregoing specification.