IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HYDROGEN, AND OF HYDROGEN MIXED WITH OTHER COMBUSTIBLE GASES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Cornelius Hessel, of No. 38, Palmerston Road, Kilburn,
•
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HYDROGEN,
AND OF HYDROGEN MIXED WITH OTHER COMBUSTIBLE GASES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Cornelius Hessel at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd September 1880.
IMPROVEMENTS IN
CORNELIUS HESSEL, of No. 38, Palmerston Road, Kilburn.
THE MANUFACTURE OF HYDROGEN, AND OF HYDROGEN MIXED WITH OTHER
COMBUSTIBLE GASES."
"
My Invention relates to the production of hydrogen by the joint decomposition
of water and hydro-carbons at an elevated temperature.
To effect this decomposition I inject or otherwise introduce water or steam
together with hydro-carbons into a heated retort, superheater, or other generator.
The two constituents may be in liquid or vapour form, or one liquid and the
other as vapour; but if liquid I introduce them in the generator in the form of
drops or spray.
By increasing the interior surface of the superheater, retort, or generator by
extension of surface, or otherwise, I assure the complete decomposition of the
introduced substances.
I employ for my process any of the hydro-carbons, but if they are solid I
render them, first, fluid by fusion, or by dissolving them in another liquid hydro-
carbon.
By regulating the quantity of water or steam according to the composition of
the special hydro-carbon employed, I am able to obtain in two ways a perfect
decomposition of both.
This decomposition I effect by regulating the relative quantities of the two
constituents, so that I obtain the following decompositions
Firstly. I add sufficient water or steam to convert the whole of the carbon of
the hydro-carbon into carbonic acid, and thus liberate the hydrogen as well of the
water as the hydro-carbon, or
Secondly. I add only so much water or steam as is requisite to convert the carbon

page_text: of the hydro-carbon into carbonic oxide, and liberating the hydrogen of the water
and hydro-carbon.
The first process I use for the manufacture of a comparatively pure hydrogen, by
passing the products of decomposition, viz., the hydrogen and the carbonic acid,
through purifyers capable of binding or absorbing the carbonic acid. The hydrogen
which thus passes unabsorbed I collect, after washing the same, into gasometers.
But instead of proceeding according to the above manner I may alter the same
as follows:-I produce, first, the decomposition of the two constituents, as explained
in the second process, so that I get only carbonic oxide and hydrogen. These
gases I pass then into a second heated generator together with so much water or
steam as is required to convert the carbonic oxide into carbonic acid. I then pass
the gases through purifyers as before.
The gas mixture consisting of hydrogen and carbonic oxide, as obtained by the
second mentioned process, I apply for the different purposes of heating, lighting, or
reduction, either direct from the generators, or I pass the same through coolers or
washers and then into gasometers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Cornelius Hessel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd
March 1881.
CORNELIUS HESSEL, of No. 38, Palmerston Road, Kilburn.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF HYDROGEN, AND OF HYDROGEN MIXED WITH OTHER
COMBUSTIBLE GASES."
My said Invention relates to the production of hydrogen, and of hydrogen mixed
with other combustible gases, by the joint or mutual decomposition of water and
hydro-carbons at an elevated temperature.
To effect the said decomposition I inject or otherwise introduce water or steam
together with hydro-carbons into a heated retort, superheater, or other suitable
generator.
The water and hydro carbons can either be in the form of a liquid or of vapour,
or one can be in the form of liquid and the other in that of vapour; but when
liquid, I introduce them into the generator in the form of drops or spray.
By extending the interior surface of the superheater, retort, or generator, I
insure the complete decomposition of the substances introduced.
employ for the purposes of this Invention any of the hydro-carbons, but when
they are in a solid form I first render them fluid by fusion, or by dissolving them
in a liquid hydro-carbon.
By regulating the quantity of water or steam according to the composition of the
special hydro-carbon employed, I obtain, by two methods, a perfect decomposition'
of both.
First. I add sufficient water or steam, that is to say, for each atom of carbon of
the hydro-carbon used I add two atoms of water, or their equivalent of steam, to
convert the whole of the carbon of the hydro-carbon used into carbonic acid, and
thus liberate the hydrogen of the water and of the hydro-carbon.
Secondly. I add only so much water or steam as is requisite, that is, for each
atom of carbon of the hydro-carbon used I add one atom of water, or its equivalent
of steam, to convert the carbon of the hydro carbon into carbonic oxide, and thus
liberate the hydrogen of the water and of the hydro-carbon.
The first process I employ for the manufacture of a comparatively pure hydrogen,
by passing the products of decomposition, namely, the hydrogen and the carbonic
acid, through purifiers capable of binding or absorbing the carbonic acid. The
hydrogen which thus passes unabsorbed I collect in gasometers.
Instead of manufacturing hydrogen by the said first method, I, in some cases,
employ a combination of the two methods as follows:-Having by means of the
said second method obtained the carbonic oxide and hydrogen, I pass the same
into a second heated generator together with so much water or steam as is required
to convert the carbonic oxide into carbonic acid, that is to say, I add for each
atom of carbonic oxide one atom of water, or its equivalent of steam; I then
separate the hydrogen by passing the gases through purifiers, as hereinbefore
described.
The manufacture of hydrogen and mixture of hydrogen and carbonic oxide is, by
means of my said Invention, so extremely economical as to render the same
available for general use for heating, lighting, and other purposes, and I apply the
same for the different purposes either direct from the generators, or I pass the same
through coolers and washers and then into gasometers.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention and the
manner in which it is to be performed, I would observe in conclusion that what I
consider novel and original, and therefore claim as constituting the Invention
secured to me by the said herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The manufacture of hydrogen by the joint or mutual decomposition of

page_text: water or steam and hydro-carbons at an elevated temperature, substantially as
hereinbefore described and set forth.
Secondly. The manufacture of a mixture of hydrogen and carbonic oxide by the
joint or mutual decomposition of water or steam and hydro-carbons, substantially
as herein before set forth and described.
And, Thirdly. The manufacture of hydrogen from a mixture of hydrogen and
carbonic oxide, substantially as herein before set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Cornelius Hessel, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty eighth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
CORNETS HESSEL. (Tα)
CORNELIUS HESSEL.
(IS)