Improvements in Gas Generators, and Steam Boilers for use in Combination therewith.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Jan., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 13th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 18th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas Generators, and Steam Boilers for use in
Combination therewith.
I, LEON BEMELMANS, of Rue de l'Est 54 Shaerbeek Brussels in the Kingdom
of Belgium, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to gas generators as hereinafter described.
My said invention comprises an annular fire place contained between a stationary
core on the inside and an horizontally revolving envelope or case on the outside.
The said core is provided with a flue running through its axis and is rigidly secured
to the apparatus.
In large size producers the column is built of masonry bound together, the courses
of which are separated by sheet iron discs secured, together with the bricks, by
bolts which bind the cap to the foundation plate.
In small sized producers and occasionally in large ones, the central core is cast
with inside projections and is then cooled by the incoming blast which is made to
circulate by means of sheet iron partitions.
The envelope or case is built of canister form and contains a steam generating
coil partially embedded in the said envelope; it is enclosed and supported by a
tight sheet iron shell, and rests on a circular cast iron ring bolted to the shell. The
said envelope or casing is provided at the top with a conical ring and with a dome
which is bolted to the shell. The dome carries a lock chamber coal charger having
threaded cap and a cone attached to a rod passing through the top of the dome
and through a suitable guide for feeding fuel without letting down the pressure
of gas inside and for the purpose of spreading the said fuel close to the central
the coal, in the annular fire place rests on the clinkers which fill the fire
place up to the coil and the said clinkers are supported by two oppositely
inclined surfaces, the inner one is stationary and fast to the central core and the
outer one is fast to the envelope or casing and rotates with the aforesaid ring, the
shoe, the shell, the dome, and the charger. Both inclined surfaces are provided
with a few substantial spurs thus constituting a mill for disintegrating the clinkers
to a size suitable to pass into the ash pit. The rotating envelope or casing is
provided with man holes for repairs and with sight holes to enable the fire to be
kept at the proper level.
core;
The whole of the above described apparatus rests on a cast iron foundation piece
which encloses the ash pit provided with man hole. The inner shell is bolted to
the disc on which the core is built, it is also bolted to the inner inclined surface.
The outer shell is provided at the top with a suitable rail for the casters balls or
conical rollers to run on, and which support the rotary envelope or casing. Between
the inner and outer shells lies the bottom of the ash pit. It is strengthened by
shoulders and is made in two symmetrical inclines extending from a water pipe to a
water sealed pipe. The former pipe is adapted to receive from time to time, a
stream of water from a conveniently high reservoir which conveys the cinders
along the incline on both sides by the water sealed pipe into a cistern.
The central flue leads the fuel gas into sheet iron chamber and a part of the dust
conveyed through the flue settles there which is ejected from time to time through
a valve and the gas passes out from the generator by means of a pipe. Referring
now to the steam generator it is made of steel without joints like those used for
Linden ice machines. According to the diameter of the generator it is made of a
greater or smaller number of identical interlocked worms so that two concentric
spires of each coil alternate with the spires of the other coils by which means a

page_text: proper incline is secured, whatever the diameter of the coil, for a rapid discharge
of steam and circulation of water. Each coil is connected at both ends to an
outside small vertical reservoir fastened to the sheet iron shell. The lower end of
the coil is fastened close to the bottom of reservoir where it takes in the feed
water. The upper end of the coil discharges tangentially at the middle of the
said reservoir close to and over the water level. The mixture of water and
steam emitted from the coil impinges against the sides of reservoir which helps
the separation of steam and water, the water settles and again feeds the coils.
The steam collects above and is conducted away for the steam jet blowers or for
other uses.
This coil and outer reservoir are somewhat like a Hereshoff steam
generator except that the coil is fed from below and that it stands full of water.
This Hereshoff boiler is illustrated and described in Scientific American Supplement
March 29, 1879. A steam jet is projected into a pipe which conveys the steam to
the annular box acting as a distributor, in which is arranged the inclined plate
having narrow slits for the regulation of the air supply all round and for arresting
the moisture in the jet.
The reservoir not being exposed to the fire, may be made as thick as desirable
in order to carry very high pressure steam and thus obtain a high pressure
blast with a moderate amount of steam. I do not superheat the steam
because superheated steam acts injuriously on the fittings, but I condense
most of it in the box and in ash pit. When a cast iron central core is used the
dried blast is passed into said core and cools the iron before being admitted
to the fire. The upper rail carries a sheet-iron screen to keep the dust
from the rails. The outer edges of the upper and lower rails are each provided
with a circular flap of sheet rubber which being fastened tightly to said rail so
disposed that their free edges are turned inward and rest against each other being
made to form a tight joint by the pressure inside, like the lips of a Field valve.
This arrangement provides for the independent rotation of upper rail without loss
of pressure. The said joint may be replaced by a single flap which rests on the
inner edge of lower rail but this kind of joint wears quicker than the first one.
The rails are rough cast and any unevenness on them causes in the rotating
envelope or casing an horizontal shaking or jarring the effect of which is to settle
the coal in the fire place and close the air vents which may then exist in the fire.
The rotary motion of the envelope keeps the fire even all round, it breaks up
caking coal which otherwise might obstruct the blast, it disintegrates the pieces of
clinker too large for falling through into ash pit.
The annular shoe is provided with teeth which engages with a worm by which it
may be driven by manual or mechanical means as desired.
The operation of the improved generator is as follows:
The rubber valve is open all round for admitting air, the cap is removed and
cone lowered. Light clinker is then introduced into the dome to fill the annular
fire place up to steam generator coil. Light and porous coke from gas works is
then evenly spread on the clinkers and lighted kindling material is then introduced,
then light porous coke and finally fine soft or hard coal. The fire is allowed to
spread till steam rises to from 6 to 10 atmospheres (90 to 150 lbs. per square inch)
when the blast may be turned on. The rubber valve is closed, the cone below the
dome is raised to its seat, coal is loaded into the charger or dome and the cap is
secured. As the intensity of the fire increases the steam pressure also increases
and more coal is fed till good gas is delivered through the outlet and the desired
pressure is obtained. The coal falls against central core and forms a compact mass
around the same, the small bits of coal rolling down the natural incline collects
around the outer shell and forms a looser and more permeable mass near the said
shell. This arrangement of the coal drives the fire towards the steam generator
and protects the central core from the fiercest heat so that no clinker can stick
there. This also facilitates the use of a cast iron central core the said core being
further cooled by the blast which thus becomes heated. On the other hand no
olinker can stick to the steam coil which is cooled by the water inside so that all

page_text: the cinders rest on the inclined surfaces which reduces the said clinkers and allows
them to pass to the ash pit. Owing to relatively dry blast and to the high pressure
an intense heat is evolved in the lower zone of the fire place and practically all the
incombustible carbonic dioxide is reduced to carbonic monoxide.
Above this
reducing zone I admit into the fire through a perforated pipe as much more steam
as can be reduced into carbonic monoxide and hydrogen with but little carbonic
dioxide, that is to say, without lowering the heat too much. I may also admit at
or near this plane liquid hydrocarbons if desirable to enrich the gas.
In presence
of intense heat solid carbon and steam such hydrocarbons are made into gases but
that are permanent under the circumstances. Whatever heat remains in the gas
higher up, causes the distillation of the hydrocarbons and water contained in the
fuel employed.
The fuel gas escaping from the coal in fire place collects in the central flue then
passes to the box where part of the dust contained therein settles, it then passes
by a pipe to the place of consumption or to washers and purifiers as the case
may be.
I.
From time to time the dust valve is slightly opened and a few taps given to the
box in order to let out the dust
A small flame is burning close
carbonic dioxide in the fuel gas.
Sight holes admit of bringing the
surfaces.
to the dome as an indication of the presence of
This indicates that the envelope must be rotated.
fire to the proper level by rotating the inclined
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas Generators, and Steam Boilers for use in
Combination therewith.
I, LEON BEMELMANS, of Rue de l'Est 54 Shaerbeek Brussels, in the Kingdom
of Belgium, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
The gas producer forming the subject of the present invention relates to that
class of producers in which, jets of steam induce a current of air into the
ash pit.
The principal object of this invention is to enable the use of any kind of coal,
whether clean or dirty, fine or lumpy, bituminous or dry, and to produce a richer
gas, more even in composition and under higher pressure than is usual. To realize
these objects, the height of fuel is increased and the several zones of combustion,
of reduction and distillation are perfectly distinct. Steam is injected above the
reduction zone which thus remains hotter, but without lowering the temperature
below 1200 C., that is to say at such a heat that only carbonic monoxyde is
produced thus enriching the gas by what is usually represented by carbonic
dioxyde CO2 At the same time the coal is mechanically stirred shaken or
oscillated in horizontal planes or the sides of the fire-place vibrated so that the
formation of holes in the fire are prevented and a richer and more even gas is
obtained as the different zones of fuel are never mixed by stirring.
The producer in which these conditions are realized is represented in the
accompanying drawing in which
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the improved producer.
Figure 2 show partial horizontal sections of the producer taken on the lines ab
and cd respectively.
In carrying my invention into practice
The fire place A is made of annular form and is arranged between a central

page_text: core B and the envelope c this envelope having a rotary motion on wheels. K.
The lower part of the producer carrying the bearing wheels K, is fixed, together with
central core B.; and a tight joint is formed between the rotary part and the fixed one,
by means of a crown or strip of rubber A' kept tight by the internal pressure itself,
against a second similar strip without preventing the said strips of rubber sliding
one upon the other, one of the strips being secured to the rotary part while the
other is attached to the fixed part.
The sides B and c of fire place A are made of ganister and the side c may be
of fire-clay, but the central core B is hollowed to form a flue M lined with sheet
iron, the sheet iron cylinder being bolted to the base and carrying a loose flange
on the top. The envelope e is enclosed in a sheet iron, air tight cylinder which
carries the upper part of the producer. The said envelope c is provided in the
combustion zone, with a system of coiled pipes c¹ comprising several pipes
arranged side by side and coiled together. The number of pipes vary with the
diameter of the producer; the object of this arrangement being to obtain a
continuous lining for the ganister or fire clay and at the same time a sufficiently
inclined pipe for clearance. The upper outlet of each pipe c² c³ c is raised,
outside the shell c, before being fastened to the separator c, at the lower part of
which the coil feeds in order to obtain a quicker clearance.
The separator is the water and steam chamber as in the boilers known as
"Hereshoff's boilers." It is provided with feed, wash out and safety fixtures like
ordinary boilers and rotates with the shell c.
The coil of pipes in contact with incandescent coal is similar to those used in
certain other forms of boilers but the arrangements for increasing the clearance
are, I believe, new.
I always keep the fiercest fire next to the coil by means of arrangements herein-
after described so that I obtain a regular and intense production of steam which
could not be effected by the above mentioned boilers.
The object of the coil c¹ is to generate steam at high pressure for the use of the
revolving producer and to prevent clinkers from adhering to the shell c. .
On the outside of the coil c¹ is arranged another short coil c the object of which
is to dry and slightly superheat some of the steam taken from the separator c³ and
controlled by a valve, in order to distribute it around the fire, above its reduction
.zone, by means of small slits provided in upper ring of said coil.
The top P of the producer is secured to the shell c and rotates with it. The
said top is provided with safety valves ff and a lock loader chamber D, provided
with hopper D', into which the coal is fed from the floor D' or mechanically.
The top is also provided on the inside with a hanging sheet iron cylinder D³ which
has for its object to cause the falling coal to locate close to central core B so that
it becomes heaped around the said core and only passes to the side c by sliding on
its own natural incline, where most of the lumps will collect. The result of this
arrangement will be that the coal in the fire place A will be thinner, more loose
and more porous close to envelope c than at any other point, which causes the fire
to keep close to coil c¹ and prevents clinkers from adhering to the core.
C
The loader D supports an annular water tank D into which water is poured
from a stationary pipe with a valve regulated by a suitable float. This tank feeds
the injectors for separator or boiler c³..
The steam separated from the water in separator is used in the four or more
steam-jet air blowers R and also in the superheating coil c°. A. pressure of
375 lbs. to the square inch is preferably carried in order to obtain, without using
too much steam, a high pressure of air with the blowers, which causes a contraction
of the combustion and reduction zones in the fire place A and hence, less carbonic
acid CO in the gas which becomes so much richer in combustible elements.
The air thus blown into the apparatus spreads in the annular box R' which has
for its object to render the air pressure equal all round. R2 is a screen of
perforated metal, gauze or the like arranged in the said annular box R' and
provided with small holes through which the air passes into ash pit G so that the

page_text: greater part of the vesicular steam is caught upon the metallic surfaces, gathers
into drops and falls into the said ash-pit without passing to the fire place A.
From the ash-pit G, the air passes to the coal through the annular passage
between F and F', then through the cinders which fill the annular cone-shaped
space and into the coal.
The fire must always be clear above this space and its location is ascertained. by
means of sight holes m. If the fire should descend too low in the fire place A, the
rotary motion of the shell c is stopped for a short time by passing the belt onto the
loose pulley, as the two surfaces F and F of the cone-shaped space constitute a
cinder crusher, which is always in action when the shell c revolves. The part F' is
stationary and is provided with crushing teeth round its surface as represented in
the left hand half of Figure 2. The part F rotates with the shell C but carries
only two toothed plates of cast steel. As these two plates pass gradually in front
of the whole circumference of F, they effectually crush the clinker and drop the
cinders into the ash-pit G where the material is pushed alone by shovels G¹ till it
falls into the ash box L. For this purpose the shovels G' are fixed to the rotating
part of the producer.
The ash box L is provided with two doors L' L' one of which is always open
like a lock chamber, while the other one is closed. The ash-pit is provided with a
cover G which can be removed when desired to facilitate the inspection of the
ash-pit G.
The air forced into the fire place A, acting on the coals, produces first a zone of
combustion which will be more intense and condensed in proportion as a greater.
pressure is employed. The said pressure should be about equal to that used in
blast furnaces for the manufacture of pig-iron, so that at about 2' 6" above the base
of the fire, the reduction to carbonic monoxyde CO is as complete as in blast
furnaces. At this point the temperature will be still about 1480° C., and the
superheating coil will here inject superheated steam in sufficient quantity to
lower the heat to 1200° C., by reason of the heat absorbed in its decomposition.
The weight of steam, regulated by a valve, at should therefore be about
25 per cent. of the weight of fixed carbon burned in the zones below. A second
zone of reduction is thus induced for the reduction of steam into hydrogen and
carbonic oxyde CO, above which is the zone of distillation of the coal employed.
If the temperature is lowered below 1200° C. in the zone where steam is being
reduced, more or less carbonic acid CO2 will be evolved with carbonic
monoxyde CO. The analysis of the producer gas indicates whether too much
steam is given or too little.
All these generated gases meet under the cover P and by the central flue M,
pass to the dust box V where more or less of the conveyed dust settles and is
blown out from time to time through a valve O. From the box or chamber V the
gas is withdrawn for consumption through the pipe Pl.
The rotary motion is communicated to shell c by means of a worm e which
carries a fixed and a loose pulley, and a worm-wheel H whose axis is common to
one of the bearing wheels K to which is fixed a bevel wheel K' gearing with
5 teeth K* formed on the rotary part of the producer which is also provided with a
circular rail E upon which the wheels K rotate.
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 :-
0 1. In a gas producer, a fire place the sides of which whether vertical or inclined
according to the kind of coal to be gasified, move relatively to each other.
5
2. In a gas producer, an annular fire place limited by a stationary central
core and a rotary envelope, or inversely by a fixed envelope and a rotary
central core.
3. In a gas producer, the use of a cliuker breaker for a grate, adapted to support
the fire.

page_text: 4. In a gas producer fed by means of a steam-jet blast the condensation of, or
collection of moisture from the blast before it passes into the fire.
5. In a gas producer, preventing the clinkers from adhering to the central core
by causing the coal to be packed more tightly around the said core, as for instance
by causing it to fall around said core.
6. In a gas producer with central core, a central flue serving as a downward
passage for the gas.
7. In a gas producer operating under internal pressure, the formation of a tight
joint between the fixed and movable portions of the said producer, the said joint
consisting of two bands of rubber, each fixed by one of its edges to one of said
portions of the producer, the free edges of the said bands being in contact with
each other which contact becomes tighter as the pressure increases, without.
however preventing the free sliding movement of the bands.
8. In a gas producer, an air box, one or more sides of which are made with
gauze or perforated plates, in order to equalize the pressure and as a dryer for
the blast.
9. In a gas producer, the stirring of the coal or the shaking or oscillation of the
fire place sides, in order to pack the fuel and effectually prevent the formation of
holes in the fire.
10. A gas producer composed of an annular fire place A, with vertical or inclined
sides, the core B of which is stationary and made of ganister, and provided with a
central flue M lined with sheet iron as a passage to a dust box V provided with
blow-off valve O and gas outlet P₁; the envelope or shell c of the said fire place
which is of fire clay being supported by an air tight sheet iron casing and provided
inside with a system of metallic coils c¹ consisting of pipes connected at both ends
to an external separator ; the producer being provided with a cover P rotating
with the shell c, and provided with safety valves and f', a lock loader chamber D
and a fuel guiding iron cylinder D³; aunular fire place A supported by grinding
surfaces F Fi to break the clinkers in order to enable them to fall into a closed
ash pit G from which they are conveyed by rotary shovels G' to a lock chamber
ash box L having tight doors L' L' and a manhole G2; the rotary part of
producer being provided with a toothed crown K' gearing with toothed wheel K',
wheel H and worm e, having rail E bearing on wheels K; the steam evolved in
the coils c', liberated in separator c, feeding the steam jet blowers R and a super-
heating coil which distributes it, regulated by a valve, above the first zone of
reduction of fire place A and annular air box R' fitted with perforated plates R
for drying the injected air and delivering it evenly all round in the annular
ash pit G.
Dated this 13th day of October 1893
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.