Improvements in Gas-producing Plant.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 4th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 21st Oct., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by RICHARD NICKERSON OAKMAN, the Younger,
of Greenfield, in the State of Massachusetts, United States of America,
Gentleman.]
Improvements in Gas-producing Plant.
•
I HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of The Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane in the County of London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the.
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a simple plant for making ordinary
producer gas, water gas, and producer gas of better quality, for some metallurgical
work where water gas is not needed, and producer gas of the ordinary quality will
not answer.
To this end, two generators placed side by side are employed, which I will refer
to hereafter as No. 1 and No. 2.
These two generators are enclosed in one shell, have an opening at top, and are
connected together by passages in the upper part of the division wall.
Below the grate, each generator is in connection with the outer air by a passage
in the division wall, the inlets being provided with shut-off valves.
Each generator is also connected below the grate with a cooler of the usual type,
and these, in turn, with one washer or scrubber, beyond which is an exhauster.
The coolers are provided with pipes by which the steam generated therein is
conveyed to the generators, both below the grate, and into the fire box above the
grate.
Shut-off valves are provided between each cooler and the washer.
The working is effected as follows:-The fuel in both generators is brought to
incandescence, and at the same time, by drawing the air in at the top and down
through the fuel. In this way the ordinary producer gas is obtained. Com-
munication between, say, generator 1 and the washer, now shut off, and the top
of both generators closed. Steam is then introduced to generator 1 below the
grate, and is drawn up through 1 into and down 2, through cooler of 2, and passed to
holder.
The water-gas is thus produced. After a few minutes run, blasting up is again
effected, as before described, for the purpose now well understood, the next lot of
water-gas being produced in the reverse direction, viz., up 2 and down 1.
If producer gas of good quality is required, then, after blasting up, the tops of
generators are closed, and generator 1 is shut off from washer.
The air passage in partition wall to generator 1 is opened, and steam is also
admitted to 1. The amount of both steam and air admitted is comparatively
small.
Steam may also be admitted at the hot belt of the fuel, if desired.
The operation may then be reversed, after further blasting up has taken place.
By these means, an excellent quality of both water gas and producer gas can
be made, and the fuel bed kept in good condition.
Debu 1000
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas-producing Plant.
I, HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of The Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane in the County of London, Patent Agent, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide a simple plant for making ordinary
producer gas, water gas, and producer gas of better quality for some metallurgical
work, where what gas is not needed, and producer gas of the ordinary quality will
not answer.
To this end, two generators, placed side by side, are employed.
These two generators are preferably enclosed in one shell, have each an opening
at top, and are connected together by a passage or passages in the upper part of the
division wall.
Below the grate, each generator is in connection with the outer air by a passage
in the division wall, the inlets being provided with shut-off valves.
Each generator is also connected below the grate with a cooler of the usual type,
and these, in turn, with one washer or scrubber, beyond which is an exhauster.
The coolers are provided with pipes by which the steam generated therein is
conveyed to the generators below the grate, and into the fire-box above the
grate.
•
Shut-off valves are provided between each cooler and the washer.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1, Sheet I, is a plan view of the improved plant, with one generator and
cooler in section.
Fig. 2, Sheet II, is a side elevation of the plant with a generator in section; and
Fig. 3, Sheet III, is a transverse sectional elevation of the two generators.
A A² represents the generators, which may be enclosed in one shell, and have an
opening a at top. A* is the grate, which may be of any convenient form. The
generators are separated by a partition wall A³, in which are openings b, at top,
connecting two generators, and passages 2 connecting each generator, at bottom,
below the grate, with the external air.
B' B² are coolers, connected at bottom, by means of a tube or passage c with the
generators below the grates. These, which act to cool down the gases passing
away from the generators, act also as boilers to produce the steam for working an
engine and for making water gas.
Each cooler is connected at top by a pipe, d, common to both, with the bottom
of a washer C, and the washer is connected at top by the pipe with an exhauster D,
by which the various gases produced are forced through suitable connections to
separate holders for subsequent use. The various connections between the respective
parts of the plant are provided with valves.
gg are steam inlets to the generators below the grate, and are steam inlets in
the fire-box above the grate.
In operating this plant, the doors a, at the top of the generators A' A³, are both
left open, the generators being charged with fuel and ignited. The valves between
generators and coolers are open, and the exhauster being started, air is drawn
down through both fuel beds, until the coal is well ignited and brought to
incandescence. Both valves to air inlets at 6'6 are closed. After the coal has
been brought to incandescence, the top doors a a are closed, and the valve to
couler B¹ is also closed. Steam is admitted to the bottom of generator A', at g,
and is drawn up through fuel bed in A*, through ports b, b, into A', and down
through bed therein, the resultant water-gas being drawn away through cooler B³,
to washer, exhauster, and holder. When the fuel beds are cooled down, the valve to
cooler B is opened, the top doors a a are opened, and the coal is blasted again

page_text: to the proper temperature, by drawing the air down through it. The valve of
cooler B2 is now closed, steam admitted at the bottom of generator A³, at g, is
drawn up through A, down through A' and cooler B', to washer, exhauster, and
holder, as before, the operation being reversed from time to time.
If a producer gas of good quality only is wanted, then, after blasting up both
fuel beds, by taking air in at the top, the top doors a a are closed, the valve to
cooler B is closed, the air valve to is opened, and steam is admitted into bottom
of A', at g, a small quantity of steam and very little air. This will allow a longer
run, that is, before reversing. After a suitable time, the air valve at b is closed,
the valve to cooler B' is opened, the top doors a a opened, to blast up again, and
steam is shut off from bottom of A'.
up
The top doors a a are opened to admit of a down draught of air to blast the
fuel, and the run of water gas is made the other way, the top doors a a being
closed, of course, and air and steam being admitted into the bottom of A².
In this way, an excellent quality of both water gas and producer gas can be
made, and the fuel bed kept in good condition. Any kind of fuel can be used.
The steam pipes at h h are the same as shown on the older type of generators, and
are to admit steam at the hot belt of the fuel from time to time, as may be
required.
°
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me from
abroad, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The method of manufacturing gas, which consists in heating two bodies of
fuel in separate chambers to incandescence, by draughts of air drawn downward into
the fuel through the open tops of the chambers, and by drawing off the gaseous
products by an exhauster at the base of the chambers, to be stored for subsequent
use; then shutting off the air, and admitting steam, which is decomposed by its
passage up through one body of incandescent fuel, drawing the resulting impure
gases and vapors therefrom, and down through the other body of incandescent
fuel, and drawing the resulting fixed and purified gas off at the base thereof,
by the continued operation of the exhauster, substantially as herein shown and
described.
2. The two down draught gas generating furnaces, having air openings at the
top, and a pipe connecting them together near the top, in combination with steam
supply pipes connected with their bases, gas outlet pipes from their bases, two
coolers connecting at their lower ends with such, gas pipes, an exhauster, pipes
provided with valves connecting the tops of the coolers with said exhauster, and
two valved pipes, one for producer gas and one for water gas, leading from the
exhauster substantially as described.
3. The gas plant constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as herein
shown and described. .
Itated this 4th day of September 1893.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.