Improvements relating to Gas Generators and the like for Indicating the Condition of the Fires in the same.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 14th July, 1896-Accepted, 12th Sept., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Gas Generators and the like for Indicating
the Condition of the Fires in the same.
A communication from THE UNITED GAS IMPROVEMENT COMPANY, a
corporation organised and existing under the laws of the State of
Pennsylvania, United States of America, and having its principal place
of business at Philadelphia, in said State.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111 Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
According to the well known Lowe process of producing carburetted water gas,
air is admitted to a generator either above or below a bed of fuel, the resulting
gaseous products being permitted to escape after being in part or in whole utilized
for the purpose of pre-heating the apparatus. Subsequently the supply of air is
cut off and steam is admitted to the generator and traverses the fire for the
production of water gas which may be subsequently carburetted. In such process
as well as in others it is important that the fire should be kept properly freed from
dirt, cinders, clinker and the like, or in other words, should be clean; otherwise the
best results cannot be attained.
It is the object of this invention to provide simple, reliable and efficient means
for indicating the condition of the fire within the generator, and to this end the
invention consists of the apparatus hereinafter described and claimed.
The nature, characteristic features and scope of the invention will be more fully
understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying
drawings forming part hereof and in which
Figure 1, is a sectional view illustrating a fire condition indicator and a water gas
generator embodying features of this invention, and
Figs. 2 and 3, are detached views illustrative of the mode of operation of the
invention and hereinafter referred to.
In the drawings, a, is a generator adapted to contain a bed of fuel b, and provided
with connections for introducing air or steam either above or below the fuel and
with an off-take for gas. As shown in the drawings the air and steam inlet
connections e and d, discharge into the generator beneath the bed of fuel b, and the
gas off-take e, is disposed above the bed of fuel b. Having thus described one type
of generator suitable for application in connection with the invention, a description
of the latter will now be given; although it must be borne in mind that other
types of generators may be employed in connection therewith. f, is a differential
pressure gauge communicating with the interior of the generator a, above and
below the bed of fuel b. The type of differential gauge shown in the drawings
comprises a U-shaped tube containing a suitable fluid, as mercury or water, and
having pipe connections as f¹ and f, from its respective legs to the interior of the
generator at points above and below the bed of fuel. These pipes may he provided
with valves intended for use in case of accident and normally open. 3, is a scale
that may be supplied for convenience of observation of the position of the fluid in
the tube of the differential pressure gauge f.
The mode of operation of apparatus embodying features of the invention may be
described with reference to the accompanying drawings as follows:

page_text: Assuming that air is being introduced through the inlet pipe d, the pressure
above the fuel will depend upon its freedom from dirt, cinders, clinker and the like,
or in other words, upon its condition. The pressure beneath the fuel is transmitted
by way of the pipe, to one side of the differential pressure gauge f, and the
pressure above the fuel is transmitted by way of the pipe f, to the other side
thereof, so that the pressure gauge indicates the difference in pressure above and
below the bed of fuel. If the bed of fuel is clean it may be assumed that the
pressure gauge would stand as shown in Fig. 1. If the bed of fuel is not clean, air
may not readily traverse it, so that the relative difference in pressure above and
beneath it will change and this change will be indicated by the differential gauge
which will stand, for example, as represented in Fig. 2, and would thus indicate by
its changed position to the attendant in charge that the fire or bed of fuel in the
generator was not clean and required attention before the process of gas-making
could be advantageously proceeded with. If the generator were constructed in
such manner that air or steam was introduced above the fire or bed of fuel then the
differential gauge would stand (subject to variations in the height of the fluid)
substantially as shown in Fig. 3, so that under these circumstances, the attendant
in charge would be able to ascertain by reference to the differential gauge the
condition of the fire within the generator.
It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains
that medifications may be made in details without departing from the spirit thereof,
hence the invention is not limited to the precise construction and arrangement of
parts hereinabove set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:
1. A fire condition indicator for gas generators comprising a generator adapted
to support a bed of fuel intermediate of its ends and of air inlet aud gas outlet
connections, and pressure pipe connections communicating respectively with the
interior of the generator near its ends and with a differential pressure gauge,
substantially as described.
2. A fire condition indicator for gas generators comprising a generator adapted
to support a bed of fuel intermediate of its ends, and pressure pipe connections
communicating respectively with the end portions of the interior of the generator
and with a differential pressure gauge, substantially as described.
Dated this 14th day of July 1896
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.