IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING HEAT AND MOTIVE POWER FROM ELECTRICITY
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Henry Johnson at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th October 1883. Communicated to
him from Henry de Montessus de Ballore a person resident at Lyons in the
Republic of France.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING HEAT
AND MOTIVE POWER FROM ELECTRICITY a communication [to him] from Henry
de Montessus de Ballore a person resident at Lyons in the Republic of France
This Invention relates to obtaining motive power by decomposing water by
means of an electric current into its constituent elements Oxygen and Hydrogen
and using these gases to generate steam as hereinafter described
According to this invention an electric current which may be generated at a
distance by a dynamo electric machine worked by a hydraulic or other motor is
caused to pass through and decompose acidulated water contained in a suitable
vessel. The gases generated by this decomposition of the water are conducted to a
burner where they are consumed. The heat generated by the combustion of these
gases is utilized to evaporate or convert into steam water in a boiler arranged
above the burner. This steam on leaving the boiler is employed to drive an engine
in the same manner as in an ordinary steam Engine.
In carrying out this Invention water is decomposed in a vessel provided at
opposite sides with an insulated terminal one of which is connected with the
negative and the other with the positive pole of the Dynamo electric machine or
generator by suitable conductors. These terminals project into the interior of the
vessel where they make contact with the water as hereinafter described-Inside
the vessel is an inner vessel closed at the top and open at the bottom supported by
a ring of angle iron fixed to the inside of the outer vessel. This inner vessel is
supported in such a position that its lower edges are at a short distance from the
bottom of the outer vessel. A flange provided on the sides of the inner vessel
rests upon and is bolted to the ring of angle iron hereinbefore referred to suitable
packing being placed between the ring and the flange.
-
The gases are liberated in the space enclosed by the inner vessel. For this
purpose a vertical partition plate is rivetted to the sides of the inner vessel and
divides the latter into two compartments The compartment on the side connected

page_text: to the negative pole where the Hydrogen is liberated has double the capacity of
the compartment connected to the positive pole where the Oxygen is liberated-
Inside each compartment is a conducting bar supported in insulating sockets
attached to the sides of the compartments-One end of each bar is provided with
a strip of copper whose free end is bent round and brought out through holes in
the sides of the inner vessel and connected to the projecting ends of the terminals
herein before referred to which are thus connected to the bars-Electrodes
consisting preferably of platinised Carbon are suspended from the rods and the
lower extremities of these Electrodes dip into acidulated water contained in the
lower part of the vessels.
The acidulated water is introduced into the outer vessel through a supply cock
and rises to a suitable level inside the inner vessel where it is decomposed into
Hydrogen and Oxygen by the current entering through the electrodes in the
respective compartments.
The gases thus formed pass through openings in the upper part of the bell or
inner chamber to a distribution valve worked by a hand wheel arranged
externally. Here the two gases meet and enter a burner where they are burned as
they issue in jets from nipples preferably of steel The mixture of gases is cooled
on its way to the burner by passing through wire gauze.
Above the chambers hereinbefore described is fixed a boiler arranged over the
burner This boiler is provided with a gauge glass a manometer and a supply cock
The products of combustion from the burner hereinbefore described enter a worm
or coil of pipes passing through the boiler and thus effectually heat the contents of
the latter. The said products of combustion consist of steam which when brought
to a suitable temperature may be utilized for feeding the boiler Each compartment
in the Bell is provided with a safety valve communicating with the atmosphere and
preventing excess of pressure. In place of these safety valves a commutator or
device controlled by the pressure of the gases may be employed to regulate the
current automatically.
Access is obtained to the interior of the apparatus by means of a suitable door.
The pressure of the gases upon the liquid in the Chamber being balanced the
level of the water in this chamber may be ascertained by means of two glazed slots
in the side of the vessel Either a horizontal vertical or other boiler may be
employed by suitably modifying the connections
The distribution valve may be arranged externally and is so constructed as to
supply the gases to the burner in the unvarying proportion of two volumes of
Hydrogen to one of Oxygen This result is obtained by means of two cone valves
carried upon a screwed rod working in a nut and provided with a hand wheel.
This valve case is provided with a guide for the valve rod which works in a
stuffing box and a partition provided with a stuffing box and separating the gases
in the valve case.
In order that one movement of the valve rod or spindle may have the effect of
opening two passages of unequal section for the two gases the sides and seats of the
two cone valves are preferably inclined at different angles to the axis of the valve
the angle of the seat of the valve controlling the admission of Hydrogen being less
acute than that of the valve controlling the admission of Oxygen thus enabling the
gases to be supplied to the burner in the desired proportion in every position of the
valves.