Improvements in Gas Apparatus and Process for Generating Illuminating Gas.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Jan., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 18th Feb., 1887.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas Apparatus and Process for Generating
Illuminating Gas.
1, ARTHUR KITSON, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS APPARATUS AND
PROCESS FOR GENERATING ILLUMINATING GAS, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention has reference to a process and apparatus for producing light; and
consists in certain improvements all of which are fully set forth in the following
specification and shown in the accompanying drawings which form part thereof.
My invention contemplates the production of a very white brilliant light from
non-luminous gases such as hydrogen, carbonic oxide, marsh gas, and mixtures of
these. Broadly considered my process consists in subjecting these gases to an intense
heat and then passing them over solid hydrocarbons which become gaseous from heat
and the carburetted non-luminous gas thus produced being then quickly burned in an
atmosphere of heated air or otherwise. The non-luminous gas may be essentially
water gas, or a natural gas, or what is known as Siemen's heating gas, the former
being preferable. When the gas is generated by artificial means and where the
distance it is to be conveyed is considerable it is preferably conveyed to the place of
carburation and combustion, in its heated condition, by being caused to pass through
pipes covered with a non-conductor of heat and thus allow its natural heat to be
available and to assist its heat of combustion. When dealing with non-luminous gas
such as natural gas or water gas it becomes necessary to heat it to a most intense heat.
before causing it to pass through the carburetter whereby its own contained heat
shall be sufficient to volatilize or expand the hydrocarbon and convert the gas in a
measure into a dense and partly fixed illuminating gas which is instantly burned. If
now I were to treat the ordinary coal illuminating gas by the intense heat before
burning it we would find that the gas was injured and its illuminating power greatly
reduced owing to the rarifaction which necessarily takes place. Also to the fact that
the carbon which is the light giving substance becomes dissociated from the gas and
deposits in the tubes.

page_text: Illuminating gases depend upon the presence of Olefiant gas, Ethene etc. for their
illuminating power. The larger proportion there is of these gases the higher the
candle power and vice versa, but if heat he applied to them before they are burned
they become rarified and the luminosity is reduced. It is my object to heat the
non-luminous gases to the highest possible degree and cause the heat therein contained
to volatilize and expand the hydrocarbons and form in a measure a fixed gas which is
instantly burned at the burners before any deposition of carbonaceous products can
take place. This method of producing a luminous flame gives the very highest
results. As the temperature of combustion is raised to the highest degree and the
proportion of solid carbon particles which become incandescent is the greatest possible,
a beautiful white dazzling light is formed without the least tendency to smoke.
This same action applied to coal gas would decrease the luminosity and cause intense
smoking.
Heretofore it has been necessary to convert ordinary water gas Seimen's gas or
natural gas into a luminous gas to carburet it at the place of its generator substantially
as is well known in the art. "By my method and with my apparatus I am enabled to
use these gases for all industrial purposes and simply carburet that portion which is to
be used for illumination at the burner..
In the drawings:-
Fig. 1 is an elevation of suitable apparatus for carrying out my improved process.
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation upon line showing the construction of the burner.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the carburetting receptacle of the burner removed, and
Fig. 4 is a cross section on line yy of the main gas pipe. A is the generator and
may be constructed in any well known manner, consisting essentially of a generator
chamber provided with a blast pipe B and steam pipe- at the bottom which are used
alternately to heat up the coal in the generator, and to generate water gas. When
heating up, the products of combustion are allowed to pass through the valve e into
the chamber (. When gas is being generated steam is turned on by pipe b, air blast
is shut off and the water gas so produced passes down by pipe D through the water-
seal d and thence into the regulating holder E. From the holder E this gas, which is
essentially hydrogen and carbonic oxide, passes through the main F. which if of
considerable length may be covered with a non-conductor (see Fig. 4). This non-
luminous gas may be used to heat a building by means of a stove R or other suitable
apparatus, for cooking, for industrial purposes, and for lighting.
GG represent two carburetting gas burners suitable for burning gas of this nature.
These burners are clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. is a non-luminous gas supply
pipe and is connected with the central heater gas pipe, H by a valve connection
which valve may be operated by a suitable chain. Surrounding this heater pipe H is
a metal casing K preferably having a lining K of asbestos or other good non-
conductor of heat. The non-conductor as a rule is a good radiator and hence the
radiant heat from this lining maintains a constant temperature of the pipe H
irrespective of variations in temperature of the passing products of combustion
through the annular passageway k. This gas pip. K is centered at the top by a
heal which is made open on its surface within the casing as at j, and at the bottom
by a hell which is also made open within the casing as at 7. From this con-
struction it is seen that the products of combustion from the burners may freely pass
up through the casing, and the construction is such that all of the hot products of
combustion are passed through the passageway & formed by said casing. A most
intense temperature is required and also a constant one hence the advantage of the
above described construction. I is the twisted ribbon of metal which is inserted in
the heater pipe to insure a proper mixing and uniform heating of the water gas before
it passes to the carburetter N. M is a coupling piece secured to the bottom of the
pipe H and receives the mouth piece m of the carburetter N which is removable
therefrom for replenishing with the carburetting medium. I arrange the burner tips
around the periphery of the carburetter itself whereby the shortest possible passage.
between the carburetter and flame will be formed, preventing any tendency to
depositions of carbonaceous material and obviating the necessity of a needlessly

page_text: circuitous rout for freshly carburetted gas, and lastly and of most importance
obviating the necessity of lifting the heavy hydrocarbons to an appreciable height
above the carburetting material. But even in this intensely heated condition the
mechanical mixture is exceedingly feeble and only exists at all in the immediate
vicinity of the surface of the hydrocarbons. I therefore form the vessel in the
peculiar shape shown in the drawing so that the orifice leading to the burners is
within an inch or so from the surface of the liquid. It will be noticed also that the
incoming heated gas is caused to sweep over an extended surface of the hydrocarbon
and to push out the vapor mechanically at the orifice leading to the burners.
Encircling the carburetter and burners is a hot air casing O forming an annular
passageway which is slightly obstructed by screens Q to insure a proper heating and
distribution of the ascending air. As the air rises through the passageway Pit
becomes heated and increases a luminosity of the flame.
The flame may be made very steady by the use of a globe O' which fits between the
casing O and bell L, and if desired the air passage may be made between the top of
the globe and hell, in which case the annular passageway P might be dispensed
with. If the air was admitted above the globe only, it would descend to the
burners and finally rise with the products of combustion being thus heated before
being burned.
From the foregoing it will be observed that the non-luminous gas is first heated
to the highest possible degree and thereby vaporizes hydrocarbons and converts
them into a temporarily fixed gas which is instantly burned in an atmosphere of
heated air. These actions produce an extremely white luminous flame. Further my
object is to convey the water gas directly to the burner with all the heat that it
carries off from the generator whereby a less duty is required at the burners to bring
the temperature of the gas to the required degree. In place of the water gas
generator A it is evident that a Siemen's producer or a natural gas well might be used
but we prefer to construct the isolated plants for heating, light, and industrial
purposes in the manner herein set out.
The composition of the gas formed by my process is entirely novel, and differs
materially from ordinary illuminating gas. It consists of the very lightest gases,
(whose combustion give the intensest heat) and the heaviest hydrocarbon such as
pitch where the number of carbon atoms is nearly double that of those of hydrogen
the specific gravities of which are much greater than that of air. Ordinary illumi-
nating gas consists of mixtures of heating gases such as Marsh gas, hydrogen &c.,
and hydrocarbon such as Ethene where the number of atoms of hydrogen is double
that of those of carbon, and specific gravities of which are about the same or less than
those of air. Substances used by me are those which become refuse in ordinary coal
gas processes.
While I prefer the construction shown I do not limit myself to the details thereof as
they may be modified.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
:-
1st. The herein described process for producing illumination, consisting in gene-
rating a non-luminous gas then conveying it to the burner, then heating it to an
intense degree, then vaporizing hydrocarbons by the heat contained in the gas
and mixing the hot non-luminous gas with the hydrocarbon vapor, and instantly
burning it.
2nd. The herein described process for producing illumination consisting in gene-
rating a gas then conveying it to the burner, then heating it to an intense degree,
then vaporizing hydrocarbons by the heat contained in the gas and mixing the hot
non-luminous gas with the hydrocarbon vapor, instantly burning it in an atmosphere
of heated air, the heating of the non-luminous gas and air being performed by the
luminous flame produced.
3rd. The herein described process for producing illumination consisting in gene-
rating a non-luminous gas in a heated condition then conveying the gas in its heated

page_text: condition to the burner, then heating it to an intense degree, then vaporizing
hydrocarbons by the heat contained in the gas and mixing the hot non-luminous gas
with the hydrocarbon vapor, and instantly burning it at the burners.
4th. The herein described process for producing illumination consisting in heating
a non-luminous gas to an intense degree by the luminous flame, then vaporizing a
hydrocarbon and making a partially fixed illuminating gas by the heat contained in
the non-luminous gas, and finally burning said carburetted gas immediately upon its
generation.
5th. The herein described process for producing illumination consisting in heating
a non-luminous gas to an intense degree by the luminous flame, then vaporizing a
hydrocarbon and making a partially fixed illuminating gas by the heat contained in
the non-luminous gas, and finally burning said carburetted gas immediately upon its
generation in an atmosphere of heated air.
6th. The combination of a generator for the manufacture of a non-luminous gas, a
gas main leading to the burners and a gas burner consisting of a heater for the non-
luminous gas, a carburetter for same, burner tips opening from said carburetter, the
products from the burner tips passing freely over the gas heater, and a hot air casing
to supply liot air to the burner tips.
7th. The combination of the central heater pipe H, a carburetter N detachably
connected to said heater pipe at the bottom and having the burner tips n, the casing K
made open at top and bottom, surrounding the pipe H and situated over the
burner tips.
8th. The combination of the central heater pipe II, a carburetter N detachably
connected to said heater pipe at the bottom having the burner tips n, the casing K
made open at top and bottom, surrounding the pipe H situated over the burner tips
and the interior lining K' of a non-conductor of heat.
9th. The combination of the central heater pipe H, a carburetter N detachably
connected to said heater pipe at the bottom having the burner tips 72 arranged about
its periphery and upon the body of the carburetter receptacle so as to be near the
hydrocarbon, and the casing K made open at top and bottom surrounding the pipe. H
and situated over the burner tips.
10th. The combination of the central heater pipe H a carburetter N detachably
connected to said heater pipe at the bottom having the burner tips », arranged about
its periphery upon the body of the receptacle forming the carburetter so as to be
near the hydrocarbon, the casing K made open at top and bottom, surrounding the
pipe H situated over the burner tips and the hot air case ( forming a passageway P
to heat and guide the air to the burners.
11th. The combination of the central heater pipe H, a carburetter N, detachably
connected to said heater pipe at the bottom having the burner tips n, arranged about
its periphery upon the body of the carburetter receptacle so as to be near the
hydrocarbon, the casing K made open at top and bottom, surrounding the pipe H
situated over the burner tips, the hot air case O forming a passageway P, to heat
and guide the air to the burners and the interior lining K of a non-conductor of
heat.
ARTHUR KITSON.
Haseltine, Lake & ('v.,
15, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.