IMPROVEMENTS IN PROMOTING OR ACCELERATING COM- BUSTION IN FURNACES OR FIRE-PLACES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROMOTING OR ACCELERATING COM-
BUSTION IN FURNACES OR FIRE-PLACES."-A. communication from abroad by
CharlesJoseph Léopold Maire and Jean Baptiste Frederic Jules Vallée,
of Tours, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 20th April 1860, and dated the 7th November 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 7th November 1859.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROMOTING OR ACCELERATING COM-
BUSTION IN FURNACES OR FIRE-PLACES," to be as follows:-
This Invention of improvements in promoting or accelerating combustion in
furnaces or fire-places, relates to a mode of applying water or steam as an
auxiliary combustible or artificial fuel in the arts and manufactures, such as
in metallurgicoperations, high furnaces, retorts, ovens, reverberatory, puddling,
or heating furnaces, generally in the furnaces of locomotive, stationary, or
marine steam engines.
It is well known that the highest possible temperature which is obtainable
by means of combustion is produced by the combustion of hydrogen gas in
the presence of oxygen, the heat thus produced being sufficient to melt the
[Price Sd.]

page_text: most refractory bodies, even those which are not affected by the greatest heat
which can be produced in ordinary furnaces. To obtain this end, which is
desirable for many industrial purposes, it is requisite to produce hydrogen and
oxygen gases at a cheap rate, and the object of the present Invention is to
effect this result by the decomposition of water. For this purpose the water
may be injected or blown in the form of spray into the furnace where it is
required to obtain an increased degree of heat. In some cases steam may be
employed instead of water.
In applying this Invention to the refining of iron the water is introduced in
combination with air and steam at the bottom of the saggar or melting pot
containing the melted metal, through a tuyère luted with clay during the
melting operation, the oxygen serving to decarbonize the iron, and the
bydrogen keeping up the temperature, and consequently maintaining the iron
in a state of fusion, the process of refining being by this means effected in a
uniform and regular manner. The iron thus produced will be homogeneous,
and of a steely quality.
It will, of course, be understood, that this Invention is applicable to the
furnaces of marine, stationary, and locomotive engines, or to any other purpose
where it is desirable to obtain great heat, the manner of adapting it being
varied according to the purpose to which it is to be applied. Water finely
divided in the form of spray may be forced into furnaces in combination with
air, or air and steam may be used in combination to promote or accelerate
combustion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 7th May 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,

page_text: should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN PROMOTING OR ACCELERATING COMBUSTION IN FURNACES OR FIRE-
PLACES," being a communication from abroad by Charles Joseph Léopold
Maire and Jean Baptiste Frédéric Jules Vallée, of Tours, in the Empire of
France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward
Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in
the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immedi-
ately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YF, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
It is well known that hydrogen gas when supplied with oxygen produces
the highest temperature which has been hitherto obtained by combustion, the
most refractory bodies being fused by it, even those which are not in the least
affected by the heat which is ordinarily provided in furnaces. The object of
the present Invention, therefore, is to effect in furnaces for manufacturing
purposes (whatever may be the fuel with which they are supplied) the
instantaneous and regular production of this powerful combustible; this is
effected by the employment of an element of nature, viz., water, and its
decomposition into hydrogen by means of another element, namely, fire.
Water is composed of two-thirds hydrogen, and one-third oxygen.
It has been proved, that water when injected in a divided state upon
incandescent coal or charcoal will be decomposed, the oxygen combining with
the carbon, and allowing the hydrogen to escape, and by uniting with the
oxygen of the atmosphere it will raise the temperature to its highest degree.
The production of hydrogen by the decomposition of water, and its
application to manufacturing purposes, having been effected by the Inventors
after careful experiments, and confirmed by those of Dulong, it has been
proved that the calorific power of hydrogen is 34-601°, that of carbon 7.295°,
or in the proportion of 4.74 for hydrogen to 1 for carbon.
The Inventors ignore the principle generally advanced hitherto, that " by
the decomposition of water a quantity of caloric is absorbed equal to that

page_text: which the gaseous elements of the decomposed water are capable of disengaging
on being burned." It is the promulgation of this chemical fallacy by even the
most eminent men, which has doubtless prevented the utilization for industrial
purposes of a principle in nature which was easy of access, but it was not con-
sidered available for the purpose, because it was deened an impossibility by
the most eminent scientific authorities.
The result of experiments proves the incontestable theoretical fact of the
increase of caloric produced by this Invention, by the employment of water_as
an auxiliary combustible in furnaces and fire-places, whatever may be the fuel
employed. Carbon absorbs during combustion 2.57 of its weight of oxygen,
or 72 parts for 28 of carbon. As, therefore, a determined quantity by weight
of charcoal absorbs 2.57 of its weight of oxygen, and water contains 88-88 of
this gas, it will decompose 2.90 of water, and give off 08. 32-248 of hydrogen
in a free state.
This quantity of hydrogen, Or. 32.248, will give in
caloric
at the expense of one gramme of carbon, the calorific
product of which is
Difference in favor of hydrogen
10.729°
7.295
3.434
quarts.
-
1242.50
621-25
From these data, the decomposition of a quart of water
by means of fire, gives in hydrogen
and in oxygen, which combines with the carbon

page_text: 1st. For locomotive or stationary engines.
2nd. For the furnaces of marine engines.
APPLICATION TO BLAST FURNACES.
This Invention admits of being readily applied to blast furnaces, and at a
very trifling expense. Water is drawn from a vessel in close proximity by
means of a pipe of very small bore (say th of an inch) so as to obtain a
pressure of, at least, 14 atmospheres. This water pipe is provided at its
extremity with an injecting and distributing nozzle for supplying the requisite

page_text: quantity to the fire-place. The extremity of this nozzle is introduced into the
blast pipe perpendicular to the direction of the blast at a distance from the
pipe varying from 8 inches to 3 feet, according to the pressure of the blast
which acts as a divider or distributor, and delivers the water in the form of
spray to the centre of the fire-place. A cock, adapted to the water pipe at
about four or five inches from the nozzle, allows of the supply of water being
cut off when required. The application of this Invention to blast furnaces,
besides economy of fuel and time resalting therefrom, presents another advan-
tage which is not without importance, viz, that of giving to the gases collected
at the mouth for heating the blast and the boilers a greater colorific
power.
.
APPLCATION TO CUPOLAS.
This Invention may be applied to cupola furnaces for smelting metals,
without any modification in the construction of the furnace or arrangement of
the tuyeres. Each of the two or six tuyeres has an aperture made in it at a
distance of from eight inches to two feet from the tuyere, for the purpose of
receiving the extremity of the nozzle for the injection of water, as has been ex-
plained with respect to the blast furnaces. The result of the operation in the
smelting of metals is economy of time and fuel in the proportion of at least
one-third.
•
According to the present Invention cupola furnaces may be converted at
pleasure, whatever may be their dimensions, into small blast furnaces for the
smelting of ores which are to be treated in the same manner as in blast
furnaces. The smelting of the most refractory ores may thus be effected with
facility by the employment of water as an auxiliary combustible in consequence
of the great heat resulting therefrom. After the metal has been run from
the ore the cupola may be immediately converted into a refinery furnace, and
the metal converted into refined iron or steel.
For these differentoperations of smelting and refining, the furnace must be
inodified as represented in the accompanying Drawing in which Fig. 1 is a
vertical section of a cupola, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of a crucible or melting
pot employed for refinery purposes in blast furnaces. In Fig. 1, A is the
blast pipe for supplying air; B is the water pipe leading from the water
reservoir C; D is the steam pipe; E is the tuyere employed for refinery
purposes; Vis the lower tuyere. The cupola K is provided with six tuyères,
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, set at three different elevations opposite to each other for the
injection of air; in each of the pipes which supply the six tuyères, and at a
distance which may vary from eight inches to two feet from the extremity of

page_text: the tuyère is the point for the introduction of the nozzle for supplying water
where the blast catches it, and carries it to the centre of the furnace in the
state of spray.
Each of the water pipes is provided near the injection nozzle
(say at about three inches therefrom) with a cock which allows of the injection
of the water being properly regulated; for at the commencement of the
operation the blast alone acts until the fire-place has reached a temperature
sufficiently elevated to effect the decomposition of the water. For the direct
refining of molten metal a simultaneous jet of air and water, and, if necessary,
of steam is introduced during the operation at the bottom of the furnace
through a tuyère of refractory clay T, luted with clay. The decarburation of
the metal is effected by the current of oxygen, the hydrogen serving to keep
up the temperature and maintain the metal in a molten state, so that by the
passage of the mixed currents, and boiling of the metal resulting therefrom,
the refining or decarburation of the metal may be completely effected. The
product of the refining operation will be nearly always a steely iron of very
homogeneous quality, which may be run off into moulds to cool. The metal
thus produced has all the best qualities of malleability and welding properties
possessed by metal produced by the ordinary processes. The final result of
this operation presents a striking difference to that of ordinary refinery and
puddling furnaces; after refining by this improved process the iron is in a
liquid state by reason of the high temperature at which it has been maintained
by the current of hydrogen and oxygen, whilst, by the ordinary processes, it
comes out of the furnace in a spongy and malleable state. By running the
molten metal into an open crucible or half cupola constructed in the proximity
of the blast furnace, the refining operation may be immediately proceeded
with by the injection of air, water, and steam; by utilizing the waste blast
during the twenty minutes the metal is run off, this time will be sufficient for
the operation, and will not retard in any way the working of the furnace
The crucible or half cupola must be narrowed at its upper orifice, and covered
with a perforated top for the disengagement of the gases as shewn in the
Drawing; its dimensions must be in accordance with those of the blast
furnaces.
APPLICATION TO REFINERY FURNACES WORKED WITH WOOD, AND TO OVENS FOR
PREPARATORY REFINING (MAZERIES).
In wood refinery furnaces the water is introduced through the tuyère as
expiained for blast furnaces and cupolas. In employing air as a divider or
distributor, the quantity of water necessary for successful and economical
operation is from 10 to 14 quarts per hour, according to the dimensions of the

page_text: fire-places and the pressure of the blast. By working in this manner an
economy has been effected of one-third in the quantity of charcoal, one-fourth
in the time necessary for the refining operation, from 5 to 8 per cent. in waste
metal, and very considerable improvement in the quality of the iron, which is
reduced to a state of perfect homogeneity and purity. The injection of water
may also be effected upon the fire-place so to to cover it horizontally and
uniformly with a fine spray in the proportion of about 25 quarts per hour, the
water pipe being opposite the tuyère. By proceeding in this manner the
economy of fuel and metal was the same, but with less economy of time. In
preparatory refinery ovens (mazeries) the water is also introduced in
quantity according to the dimensions of the fire-place.
APPLICATION TO REVERBERATORY, BALLING, AND PUDDLING FURNACES.
The most convenient and advantageous point at which the injection pipe
should be introduced in this case has not been finally determined; it may be
situate either above the door for feeding in the coal or opposite to it, or at an
angle near the fire bridge at an equal distance from the dome and the fuel,
but always in such a manner as to inject the water in as complete a state of
division as possible, and cover the whole surface of the fire-place. An economy
will be effected of one-third of the fuel and time necessary for the operation,
and from 3 to 4 per cent. upon the metal.
STEAM ENGINES-APPLICATION TO LOCOMOTIVES.
The pipe for supplying water in this case may be situate at either side of
the furnace, or the water may be introduced at both sides at the same time,
the necessary quantity being in that case divided between the two supply
pipes. They must take an oblique direction, and cross each other at a distance
of at least an inch and a half above the fuel opposite the angles of the fire
place, and in a direction opposite to that of the draft so as to cause the flame
of hydrogen to pass over the greatest possible extent of heating surface before
arriving at the tubes of the boiler. The water is supplied from the tender,
whence it passes into a cylinder or reservoir closed by a piston, upon which
steam from the boiler is caused to press so as to effect complete division of the
water injected into the fire-place, or this may be effected by any equivalent
mechanical contrivance.

page_text: conditions as those described for railway locomotives, either above the furnace
door or at the side. The application will be more easily carried out than in
railway locomotives, as the water may be supplied either from the feed pump
or the boiler.
The economy of fuel resulting from the employment of water as an
auxiliary combustible when applied to the furnaces of marine steam engines,
will present the important advantage of reducing to an equivalent proportion
the supply of fuel necessary for long voyages.
There are many other furnaces or fire-places to which this Invention may
be advantageously applied; besides those of stationary engines may be men-
tioned those of brewories, manufacturies of glass and porcelain, gas works, and
other factories in which the greatest requisite heat may be obtained by the
employment of water as above mentioned.
Having now described this Invention as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondents, I desire it to be understood, that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent I claim,-
1st. The employment of water as an auxiliary combustible to furnaces and
fire-places generally as herein set forth.
2dly. The general arrangements of parts above shewn and described or
any mere modification thereof whereby the object above set forth may be
effected.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)