Improvements in the Manufacture of Generator Gas and in Apparatus used therewith..
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st June, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 21st Mar., 1900-Accepted, 21st Apr., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Generator Gas and in Apparatus
used therewith..
I, JOSEPH EMERSON Dowson, M. Inst. C.E., of 39, Old Queen Street, West-
minster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to the production of combustible gas made by passing
air only or steam and air together or successively through incandescent fuel
in a gas generator or producer. It also relates more particularly to the produc-
tion of such gas from bituminous coal, or other fuel which gives off condensable
vapours when subjected to heat.
When the fire in a generator rests on a horizontal grate or hearth in the lower
part of the said generator, when the feeding hopper is on or near the top and
the gas outlet is near the said top, and when currents of steam and air, or of air
only, are forced upwards through the said fire, it follows that when raw coal
is put on the top of the fire condensable hydro-carbon and other vapours are
given off and mix with the gas produced as it escapes through the said outlet
near the top.
One effect of this is that when the gas is cooled it is fouled with tar and other
troublesome products.
I have endeavoured to overcome this by having a vertical firegrate" on one
side of a generator and the gas outlet opposite to and on the same level as the
said grate, so that the currents of steam and air and of the gases produced by
them may travel in a horizontal direction from the grate to the outlet. In this
way I hoped to maintain a sufficiently high temperature in the lower strata
of the fire to insure the decomposition there of the condensable vapours from the
fuel in the upper part of the generator, as they could only escape by passing
downwards to the gas outlet through some of the hot fuel. I found this system
of working attended with several drawbacks and the quality of the gas was poor.
The temperature of the fuel on the level of the bottom of the said vertical grate
was distinctly lower than the temperature at the level of the top of the said
grate. It was also necessary to rake the fire frequently to allow fresh fuel to
descend and take the place of the spent fuel and ash. If this were not done
some of the steam and air would pass through the spent fuel and ash.
In my present invention I begin by passing the currents of steam and air or
of air only upwards through a portion of the ruel resting on a horizontal grate;
the said currents and the gases produced by them are then made to travel in
a horizontal or inclined direction for a certain distance across the generator,
and they leave the generator through one or more outlets in the lower part of
the generator, through the back end or through one or both sides thereof, or
they go downwards and escape through one or more outlets in or near the
bottom of the generator. By using a horizontal grate and passing the currents
of steam and air through it, in an upward vertical direction a greater uniformity
is maintained in the condition of the fire over the whole of the grate area, and
there is greater facility for removing the clinkers and ash in fact many of the
well known advantages of working a gas generator upwards are retained. After

page_text: the said currents have passed upwards for a certain distance it is advantageous
to let them travel in a horizontal direction through the lower strata of hot fuel,
as the density and temperature of the fuel at the points traversed by the said
currents are then fairly constant. It is also an advantage to have the gas out-
let at a low level, so that the.condensable vapours from the fuel in the upper part
of the generator may have as long a travel as possible through the hot fuel.
Preferably the gas generator is rectangular, but it may be of any convenient
shape.
Preferably it has an iron casing, and inside this there is a lining of firebrick
or other refractory material. Inside the generator, at one end of it, there is
a grate or a series of firebars which are horizontal or nearly so and under the
said grate or firebars there is a suitable ashpit. There is a doorway at the
front end of the generator near the said grate or firebars, so that the fire can
be raked and the clinkers and ash removed, or there may be a door on one or
both sides of the generator for the like purpose. The floor of the generator
between the said grate or firebars and the opposite or back end of the generator
is made of brickwork or other suitable material, or partly of brickwork and
partly of grating or bars. There are also one or more doorways in or near
the back end of the generator so that ash and clinkers can be removed at this
end as well as at the front end of the generator. When the gas goes down-
wards before it leaves the generator the gas outlet may be arranged in the
following manner: there is a grating or opening in the floor of the said
generator near the back end, and this leads to a chamber below the said grating
or opening, and this chamber has one or more outlets. The gas which leaves
the generator passes downwards through the said grating or opening, then
through the said chamber and finally through the outlet or outlets leading from
same. One or more feeding hoppers with suitable valves are provided on the
top of the generator, and by their means a suitable supply of fue!
put into it.
In some cases it is desirable to have a ridge of brickwork or a bridge across
the floor of the generator near the grate or firebars where the steam and air
enter, to insure the currents of steam and air going up high enough in the
fuel column and to prevent them passing through dead or spent fuel and ash
on the floor of the generator.
In some cases to assist the decomposition of condensable vapours from bitu-
minous coal I have a wall or partition across the said generator at a convenient
distance from the back end thereof, and extending downwards so as to leave a
suitable passage between the underside of the said partition and the floor of the
generator.
The portion of the generator between the said partition and the back of the
generator can then be charged with coke or other carbonaceous fuel which is
not bituminous, and in this way the condensable vapours from the bituminous
coal in the other part of the generator must pass under the said partition and
through the hot coke or other non-bituminous fuel before it leaves the generator.
Dated this 21st day of June 1899.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant,
COMPLETE SIEUIFICATION...
Improvements in the Manufacture of Generator Gas and in Apparatus
used therewith.
I, JOSEPH EMERSON DOWSON,
M.I.C.E., of 39, Old Queen Street, West-
minster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to the production of combustible gas made by passing
air only or steam and air together or successively through incandescent fuel
in a gas generator or producer. It also relates more particularly to the produc-
tion of such gas from bituminous' coal or other fuel which gives off condensable
vapours when subjected to heat.
When the fire in a gas generator or producer rests on a horizontal grate or
hearth in the lower part of the said generator, when the feeding hopper is on
or near the top thereof and the gas outlet is near the said top, and when currents
of steam and air, or of air only, are forced upwards through the said fire, it
follows that when raw coal or other fuel containing hydrocarbons is put on
the top of the fire condensable hydrocarbon and other vapours are given off and
mix with the gas produced as it escapes through the said outlet near the top of
the generator. One effect of this is that when the gas is cooled it is fouled with
tar and other troublesome products.
I have endeavored to overcome this by having a vertical firegrate on one side
of a generator and the gas outlet opposite to and on the same level as the said
grate, so that the currents of steam and air and of the gases produced by them
may travel in a horizontal direction from the grate to the outlet of generator.
In this way I hoped to maintain a sufficiently high temperature in the lower
strata of the fire to insure the decomposition there of the condensable vapours
from the fuel in the upper part of the generator, as they could only escape by
passing downwards to the gas outlet through some of the hot fuel. I found this
System of working attended with several draw-backs and the quality of the gas
was poor. The temperature of the fuel at the level of the bottom of the said ver-
tical grate was distinctly lower than that of the fuel at the level of the top of
the said grate. It was also necessary to rake the fire frequently to allow fresh
fuel to descend and take the place of the spent fuel and ash. If this were not
done some of the steam and air would pass through the spent fuel and ash and
there would be bad gas.
In my present invention I have a horizontal grate at one side or end of the
gas generator and a gas outlet at the opposite side or end thereof, the said out-
let being at about the same level as the grate. I begin by passing the currents.
of steam and air or of air only upwards through a portion of the fuel resting
on the horizontal grate; the said currents and the gases produced by them then
travel in a horizontal or inclined direction through the incandescent fuel in
the generator, and finally leave the generator through any suitable outlet in
the lower part of the generator at or near the end opposite the end where the
grate is. By using a horizontal or nearly horizontal grate at one end of the
generator and passing the currents of steam and air through it, in an upward
vertical direction a greater uniformity is maintained in the condition of the fire
over the whole of the grate area, and there is greater facility for removing the
clinkers and ash; in fact many of the well-known advantages of working. a gas
generator upwards are retained. After the said currents have passed upwards
for a certain distance it is advantageous to let them travel in a horizontal or
inclined direction through the lower strata of hot fuel, as the density and tem-
perature of the fuel at the points traversed by the said currents then remain
fairly constant. It is also an advantage to have the gas outlet at a low level,
so that the condensable vapours from the fuel in the upper part of the generator
may have as long a travel as possible through and in contact with hot fuel, on
their way towards the outlet of the generator.
In the accompanying drawing, Figs. 1 and 2 represent the vertical and hori-
zontal sections of one arrangement of gas generator, and Figs. 3 and 4 the vertical
and horizontal sections of another arrangement thereof.
Preferably the gas generator is rectangular, but it may be of any convenient

page_text: shape. Preferably it has an iron casing a, and inside this there is a lining
of firebrick b, or other refractory material.
In Figs. 1 and 2 inside the generator, at one end of it, there is a grate or
a series of firebars which are horizontal or nearly so and under the said grate
or firebars there is a suitable ashpit d. There is a doorway e at the front end
of the generator near the said grate or firebars, so that the fire can be raked and
the clinkers and ash removed, or there may be a door on one or both sides of
the generator for the like purpose, as at ee in Figs. 3 and 4. The floor of the
generator f between the said grate or fire-bars and the opposite or back end
of the generator is made of brickwork or other suitable material, or it may be
made partly of brickwork and partly of a grating or bars, as at f g in Figs.
and 4. There are also one or more doorways h in or near the back end of the
generator so that ash and clinkers can be removed at this end as well as at the
front end of the generator. The gas outlet may be at i on one or both sides
of the generator, or it may be as at i in Figs. 3 and 4 or it may be arranged in
any other convenient and suitable manner. When the gas goes. downwards
below the level of the floor f before it leaves the generator, as in Figs. 3 and 4
the outlet may be arranged in the following manner; below the grating g near
the back end of the generator there may be a chamber or pit and this chamber
has one or more outlets i i. The gas which leaves the generator then passes
downwards through the said grating or opening g, then through the said
chamber and finally through the outlet or outlets ii leading from same.
or more feeding hoppers kk with suitable valves of any known construction are
provided on the top of the generator, and by their means a suitable supply of
fuel is put into it.
One
In some cases it is desirable to have a ridge or bridge of brickwork across
the floor f of the generator near the grate of firebars c as shown in dotted lines,
to insure the currents of steam and air which pass through going up high
enough in the fuel column and to prevent them passing through dead or spent
fuel and ash on the floor f of the generator.
In some cases to assist the decomposition of condensable vapours from bitu-
.minous coal or other fuel in the upper part of the generator, I have a wall or
at a convenient distance
partition m across the said generator as shown in Fig.
from the back end thereof, and extending downwards, but leaving a suitable
passage for the currents of vapour and gas between the underside of the said
partition m and the floor of the generator.
In some cases it is desirable that all or a portion of the space between the
said partition m and the back of the generator should be charged with coke
.or other carbonaceous fuel which is not bituminous, so that the condensable
vapours from the bituminous coal in the part 1, of the generator must pass
under the said partition and through hot coke or other non-bituminous fuel
on their way towards the outlet of the generator.
Steam and air or air only may be introduced at n or o or at any other con-
venient point near the grate c.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and 'in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
"
˚C.
1. The construction of a gas generator or producer with a horizontal or nearly
horizontal grate at one side or end thereof and a gas outlet at the opposite-side
_or_end thereof the-said-outlet-being on or near the same, level as the said, grate.
2. The construction of a gas generator or producer as described in Claim:1,
but' with the addition of an internal cross wall or partition at a convenient
'distance from the back end of the generator and extending downwards, but
leaving a suitable passage for the currents of vapour and gas between the
underside of the said wall or partition and the floor of the generator.
3. The construction of a gas generator or producer as described in Claim 1

page_text: or 2 with the addition of a ridge or bridge across the floor of the generator near
the fire grate thereof.
4. The production of generator or producer gas in a generator as described
in Claim 1, 2 or 3, the currents of steam and air or of air only being passed
upwards through the grate at or near the side or end of the generator and then
allowed to travel horizontally or obliquely through the fuel in the direction of
the gas outlet in or near the back end of the said generator.
5. The production of generator or producer gas in a generator constructed
preferably as described in Claim 2 with bituminous coal or fuel in the part
nearest the front or grate end thereof and non-bituminous or partly bituminous
and partly non-bituminous fuel in the part nearest the back or outlet end thereof,
so that the condensable vapours from the bituminous coal or fuel first mentioned
may pass through hot non-bituminous fuel on their way towards the outlet of
the generator.
6. The combination and arangement of parts substantially as described and
as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3,, and 4.
1000
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant,
18, Buckingham Street Strand, W.C., London.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant,
18, Buckingham Street Strand, W.C., London.