AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE PRODUCTION OF AMMONIA AND ITS COMPOUNDS DURING THE PROCESS OF MAKING COKE OR GAS"
Year: 1883

page_text: «
LETTERS PATENT to Henry Simon of St. Peter's Square Manchester and
Watson Smith of 11 Monmouth Terrace Duke St. Rusholme Manchester both
in the County of Lancaster for an Invention of AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE
PRODUCTION OF AMMONIA AND ITS COMPOUNDS DURING THE PROCESS OF
MAKING COKE OR GAS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Simon and Watson
Smith at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th October
1883.
HENRY SIMON of St. Peter's Square Manchester and WATSON SMITH of
11 Monmouth Terrace Duke St. Rusholme Manchester both in the County of
Lancaster "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE PRODUCTION OF AMMONIA AND ITS
COMPOUNDS DURING THE PROCESS OF MAKING COKE OR GAS
"
Our invention relates to means of producing Ammonia and its compounds during
the process of making coke or gas.
For this purpose, we inject into gas-retorts, coke ovens or gas producers provided
with arrangements for condensing by-products, steam along with bydro-carbons in
the liquid or gaseous condition, which hydro-carbons may be of the crudest and
cheapest kind.
By the reactions which ensue, whilst the oxygen of the steam unites with the
carbon, a portion of the hydrogen set free unites with the nitrogen of the partially
decomposed coal or coke, forming Ammonia, a portion also of the hydrogen unites
with the sulphur of the fuel, the quality of the coke being thus improved.
By the method of operating above described, it is possible to recover as a
constituent of Ammonia a very large proportion of nitrogen from the coal, and
the Ammonia thus produced can be condensed and collected in the usual way.
71

page_text: The injection of the steam and bydro-carbon oils may be commenced preferably
about the the middle of the coking or gas making processes, and may be continued
to the end thereof, or even after coking is completed.
In order to allow of increased injection of steam and hydro-carbon, without such
cooling as might interfere with the distillation, the steam employed may be
superheated.
The matters injected should be distributed as uniformly as possible over the
incandescent fuel, atmospheric air being carefully excluded. The injection may be
effected by Steam injectors drawing the hydro-carbon from a reservoir, the
quantities being regulated by suitable cocks or valves.
Or regulated quantities of hydro-carbon may be dropped on heated surfaces so as
to be vaporised, the vapour mixed with steam, which may be generated in a similar
manner, being distributed over the heated fuel.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Simon and Watson Smith in the Patent Office on the
12th April 1884.
HENRY SIMON of St Peters Square Manchester and WATSON SMITH of
11 Monmouth Terrace, Duke St, Rusholme Manchester both in the county of
Lancaster.. AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE PRODUCTION OF AMMONIA AND ITS
COMPOUNDS DURING THE PROCESS OF MAKING COKE OR GAS"
88
Our invention relates to means of producing ammonia and its compounds during
the process of making coke or gas.
For this purpose, we inject into gas retorts, coke ovens or gas producers provided
with arrangements for condensing by-products, steam along with hydrocarbons in
the liquid or gaseous condition, which hydrocarbons may be of the cheapest and
crudest kinds.
By the reactions which ensue, whilst the oxygen of the steam unites with the
carbon of the hydrocarbons at the high temperature, a portion of the hydrogen set
free unites with the nitrogen of the partially decomposed coal or coke, forming
ammonia; a portion also of the hydrogen unites with the sulphur of the fuel, the
quality of the coke being thus improved.
The
By the method of operating above described, it is possible to recover as a
constituent of ammonia a very large proportion of nitrogen from the coal, and the
ammonia thus produced can be condensed and collected in the usual way,
injection of the steam and hydrocarbon oils is commenced preferably somewhat after
the middle of the coking or gas making processes, as carried on in the usual way
and should be continued to the end thereof, and then further, that is, beyond that
stage in the ordinary process at which coking would be judged to be completed, the
continuation of the supply of steam and hydrocarbons being regulated by the
relative amounts and values of the products obtained. In order to allow of
increased injection of steam with hydrocarbon without such cooling as might
interfere with the destructive distillation, the steam employed may be superheated
in such cases as may be found desirable, as for example, in those where it is desired
that the tarry by-products shall be maintained as much as possible in the condition
usual with ordinary coal tar of the gas works. The matters injected should be
distributed as uniformly as possible over the incandescent fuel, atmospheric air
being carefully excluded. The injection may be effected by steam injectors
drawing the hydrocarbon from a reservoir, the quantities being regulated by
suitable cocks or valves. The proportions by weight of hydrocarbons to water
used as steam, found to answer best are about 58 parts of crude hydrocarbons,
whether as tars, oils etc, to from 75 to 82 parts of water, and the absolute quantities
of such mixture in about the above proportions are to be regulated and limited
according to the results obtained which are themselves dependent considerably on
the temperatures employed; the supply should however not exceed 580 lbs of
hydrocarbons to from 750 to 820lbs of water (steam) per ton of coal. We do not
confine ourselves to the above proportions of hydrocarbon to water as steam, but
simply indicate them as approximately those preferred by us. The regulated
quantities of hydrocarbons may be dropped on heated surfaces so as to be vaporised,
the vapor mixed with the steam, which may be generated in a similar manner,
being distributed over the heated fuel.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of our invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, We claim-
The simultaneous introduction at high temperatures of aqueous vapor or steam
and of hydrocarbons in the crude forms, or the vapours thereof, among the fuel
contained in gas retorts, coke ovens or gas producers that are provided with
apparatus for collecting and condensing the by-products, whereby an increased
yield of the nitrogen of the fuel in the shape of ammonia and ammoniacal
compounds, is obtained
In Witness whereof I the said Henry Simon have hereunto set my hand and
seal this tenth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred
and eighty-four.