Improvements in and connected with Regenerative Gas Furnaces.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 28th Mar., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Regenerative Gas Furnaces.
1, ALBERT MÜLLER, of 34, Friedensstrasse, Berlin, in the German Empire,
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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in and connected with regenerative gas
furnaces, and has for object to effect the complete combustion of all the combustible
materials contained in the fuel used (generally coke) and at the same time to use a
quantity of air just sufficient to effect this combustion so that the gases given off
only contain, besides nitrogen and a little sulphurous acid, carbonic acid in a fairly
large quantity.
With furnaces at present in use for obtaining carbonic acid gas from burning
coke, ouly a partial conversion of carbonic oxide to carbonic acid gas takes place so
that the gases given off still contain an appreciable quantity of carbonic oxide
which is useless for the production of carbonic acid gas, whereby the amount of the
latter produced by the coke is lessened and the cost of such production increased.
According to my invention instead of, as in the older well known arrangements,
causing the gases evolved to stream through the layer of fuel and to pass through a
passage situated above the same to the place of combustion where they are ignited,
and instead of, as in Siemen's and Liegel's arrangement, causing the fuel to descend
or sink on to the fire bars thereby causing the incandescent layer to increase and
decrease in thickness, and of introducing the air into the hearth through openings
arranged laterally and at different distances from the fire-bars, I employ a furnace
in which the fuel is fed from above and replaces the fuel already used up and
I conduct the gases directly, whilst still retaining the whole of their heat, to the
combustion chamber which is situated near by, the said gases being cause l
immediately on their entrance into the same to mix with air and to ignite.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:-
―:
Figure is a vertical section of my improved furnace shewn in combination with
a tubular boiler:
Figure 2 is also a vertical section of the furnace on the line A-B, Figure 1,
shewing the grate and the inlet for the gases:
Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line E-F of Figure 1 shewing the form
of the grate and the path of the passages or flues for the gases and air and the
outlets for the same:
Figure 4 is a vertical section on the line C-D, Figure 1, shewing the gas passages
and the entrance of the same into the furnace.
a, a are the gas passages, b, bare vertical flues which unite above into the tube
or pipe is the air passage and d, d are the outlets of the air flue c.
The height of the incandescent layer on the grate corresponds with the upper
edge of the gas flue and is 50 calculated that nearly the whole of the carbonic acid
gas formed by the combustion on the grate is reduced to carbon monoxide by the
properly calculated height of the glowing layer and escapes through the gas
Hues a, a.
Immediately in front of the openings of the latter I arrange the
outlets d, d for the already warmed air in such a manner that the latter cuts off
the flow of the gas, whereby the two bodies (gases of combustion and air) are
thoroughly mixed and the whole of the combustible materials is ignited and gives
up all the beat evolved in the grate.

page_text: In cases in which it is necessary to quickly interrupt the process arrange a
cover on the pipe which can be opened so wide that the fire in the furnace bas
just sufficient draught to keep it going for the desired time. The consumption of
fuel is thereby reduced to a minimum but at the same time sufficient heat is
evolved to keep the air flue which is kept closed during the stoppage by means
of a valve arranged at the air inlet so warm that when the apparatus is again
employed, that is to say, when the pipe ♬ is again closed and the regulating valve
for the entrance of the air again opened, complete combustion will at once
recommence.
"
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 |
claim is :-
1. In gas regenerative turnaces the arrangement of the outlets for gases of
combustion and air relatively with one another and with the grate in such a manner
that the whole of the combustible gases is caused to ignite by means of intimate
mixture with air, and the incandescent layer of the fuel is kept continuously of the
same thickness substantially as, and for the purposes, hereinbelore described.
2. In furnaces of the kind described in Claim 1 the arrangement of an outlet
pipe or tube which is closed when the furnace is in use, and opened during the
stoppage of the same in such a manner that the fire can be kept up sufficiently to
prevent the furnace becoming cooled substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
3. The improved apparatus hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawing.
Dated this 15th day of October 1895.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.