Improvements in Gas Generators
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Gas Generators
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER, of 59, Lincoln's Inn, Corporation Street,
Birmingham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:---
This invention relates to the generation of gas by chemical action as distinct
from destructive distillation, and it relates more particularly to the generation
of acetylene gas from carbide of calcium.
The invention consists generally in arranging the substance from which the
gas is generated within a separate chamber from the liquid employed to produce
the chemical re-action, and in causing air, but preferably a quantity of the gas
itself, to pass through or over the liquid and pick up vapour from the same and
then pass the saturated gas through the substance so that chemical action ensues
and gas
generated, while, simultaneously, the gas is also dried. The dried gas
is again passed through or over the liquid to similarly pick up a quantity of
vapour and this process is arranged to take place continuously by a fan or
other suitable means.
In carrying the invention into effect as applied to the generation of acetylene
gas from carbide of calcium according to one modification the construction and
operation is as follows:-A water and a carbide chamber are arranged a certain
distance apart and are connected by suitable pipes in the manner hereinafter
described. The water chamber is only partially filled, the remaining space being
occupied by any hygroscopic, spongy, or pourous substance so that the water may
be distributed therein and present a large surface to the dry gas when drawn
through it. The carbide reservoir is preferably arranged with a perforated tray
carrying the carbide, and one pipe passes from the top of the carbide reservoir to
the top of the water reservoir, while a second pipe passes from the top of the water
reservoir to the bottom of the carbide reservoir and underneath the containing tray.
Preferably arranged in the circuit of the pipe leading to the bottom of the carbide
reservoir is a fan which is rotated in such a direction and whose vanes are so
constructed that a circulation of the gas is kept up in a direction along the bottom
pipe through the carbide and along the top pipe from the carbide reservoir and
down into the water reservoir. Any suitable stop cock may be employed to cut
off these reservoirs the one from the other.
The operation of the arrangement hereinbefore described is simple and effective.
The revolution of the fan causes any air or gas which may be present to be
drawn through the water reservoir and become impregnated with a certain
quantity of water vapour. The gas is then propelled forward underneath the
tray containing the carbide into that reservoir and up through the carbide, the
oxygen of the water vapour combining with the calcium while the hydrogen is
set free with the carbon. It is evident that the gas that is generated is dry
and if the fan is kept circulating a stream of dry gas is continually passing along
the top range of piping into the water reservoir becoming there impregnated
with vapour and then passing along the bottom range of piping into the carbide

page_text: reservoir where chemical reaction and the generation of gas takes place. Any
suitable means may be employed for taking off the generated gas to the point
of consumption.
It is clearly evident that other means to provide this continuous circulation
of dry and moist gas to effect further generation may be employed. As an alterna-
tive to the fan the water reservoir may be arranged vertically above the carbide
reservoir and two preferably parallel connecting pipes may be placed between those
two reservoirs, the one pipe having its exit in the carbide chamber underneath the
containing tray, the other pipe above the containing tray. The pipe above the
containing tray has an upward current of hot dry air, the heating being effected
by the chemical action, while the other pipe leading below the tray containing
the carbide has a downcast of cold damp air as the overhead water reservoir is
suitably packed with sponges or other suitable substances and the air becomes
cold and increased in weight. The circulation therefore in this arrangement
would be provided for by the difference in temperature and in some cases weight
of dry gas newly generated and the wet gas impregnated with water vapour.
In automatic generation of acetylene gas in either of the methods herein before
described it is evident that a diaphragm could be arranged on the range of piping
in the circulation carrying a small diameter valve in such a manner that when
the pressure exceeded a given amount this valve would interrupt the circulation
in the range and therefore stop the further generation of gas.
This method of generating acetylene gas by the passing of water vapour through
the carbide may also be employed for the purpose of enriching any given gas by
suitably arranging alternate reservoirs of water and carbide so that the gas
would be alternately moistened and increased in richness and dried.
A further advantage of this method of producing acetylene gas lies in the fact
that where water is directly used on carbide, gases of the benzine series are
produced with more or less tarry compounds so that the fine nozzles in the burners
employing the gas are often chocked up. With the present method no such
tarry compounds or other complex gases are produced.
It is to be understood that this method of generating gas may be employed
where any substance is chemically re-acted upon by the addition of a liquid in
which case the vapour of that liquid is circulated from a separate reservoir through
the other reservoir containing the said substance.
Dated this 23rd day of November 1898
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.
Improvements in Gas Generators.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCHESTER, of 59, Lincoln's Inn, Corporation Street,
Birmingham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:.
-
This invention relates to the generation of gas by chemical action as distinct
from destructive distillation, and more particularly to the generation of acetylene
gas from carbide of calcium.
The invention consists in providing the substance from which the gas is
generated in a chamber separate from that in which the liquid employed to
produce the chemical reaction is contained and in causing air or gas to pass

page_text: through or over the liquid, becoming thereby saturated with vapour and passing
through the substance so that chemical action ensues and the gas is generated
and simultaneously dried. The gas may again be passed through the liquid
becoming saturated with vapour, thence passing through the substance and so on
continuously, the gas being caused to be withdrawn or circulated continuously by
a fan or other means.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings
in which:-
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of one form of my improved gas generator,
while,
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of another form of my improved generator,
and.
Figure represents a sectional elevation through part of a series of alternate
reservoirs of water and carbide provided for the purpose of enriching gas.
In carrying the invention into effect as applied to the generation of acetylene
gas from carbide of calcium according to one modification as illustrated in
Figure 1 the construction and operation are as follows:-A water chamber and
a carbide chamber are arranged at a certain distance apart and are connected by
suitable pipes in the manner hereinafter described. The water chamber A is
only partially filled, the remaining space being occupied by any spongy or porous
substance so that the water may be distributed therein and present a large surface
to the dry gas when drawn through it. The carbide reservoir B is preferably
arranged with a perforated tray C carrying the carbide, and one pipe 1) passes
from the top of the carbide reservoir B to the top of the water reservoir A,
while a second pipe E passes from the top of the water reservoir A to the bottom
of the carbide reservoir B and underneath the containing tray C. Arranged in
the circuit of the pipe E leading to the bottom of the carbide reservoir B is a fan F
which is rotated in such a direction and whose vanes are so constructed that a
circulation of the gas is kept up in a direction from the water reservoir A along
the bottom pipe E through the carbide reservoir B and along the top pipe D and
returning down into the water reservoir A. Any suitable stop cock H may be
employed to cut off these reservoirs the one from the other.
The operation of the arrangement hereinbefore described is simple and effective.
The revolution of the fan causes any air or gas which may be present to be
drawn through the water reservoir A and become impregnated with water vapour.
The gas is then propelled forward underneath the tray C containing the carbide
into that reservoir and up through the carbide, the oxygen of the water vapour
combining with the calcium while the hydrogen enters into combination with the
carbon producing acetylene. It is evident that the gas that is generated is
dry and if the fan F is kept circulating a stream of dry gas is continually passing
along the top range of piping D into the water reservoir A becoming there
impregnated with vapour and then passing along the bottom range of piping E
into the carbide reservoir C where chemical reaction and the generation of gas
again takes place. Any suitable means may be employed for taking off the
generated gas to the point of consumption. The gas is preferably led off at I.
It is clearly evident that other means to provide this continuous circulation
of dry and moist gas to effect further generation may be employed.
Figure 2 illustrates an alternative to the fan F, the water reservoir A being
arranged vertically above the reservoir B and two preferably parallel connecting
pipes D E are placed between those two reservoirs, the one pipe E¹ having its
exit in the chamber B underneath the containing tray C, the other pipe D¹ having
its inlet above the containing tray. The pipe D' above the containing tray has
an upward current of hot dry air or gas, the heating being effected by the chemical
action in the chamber B, while the other pipe Ei leading below the tray C has
a downcast of cold damp air or gas as the overhead water reservoir A is suitably
packed with sponges or other suitable substances and the air or gas becomes cold
and increases in gravity. The circulation therefore in this arrangement would

page_text: be provided for by the difference in temperature. Such an arrangement would
be suitable for the production of gases of low specific gravity where the low
density of the water vapour would suffice to induce and maintain the circulation.
Otherwise such means as a fan could be employed as in the modification of Figure 1
or the pipe D might be slightly heated so as to maintain the circulation.
In automatic generation of acetylene gas in either of the methods herein before
described it is evident that a diaphragm I (Figure 1) could be arranged on the
range of piping D in the circulation carrying a small diameter valve J in such
a manner that when the pressure exceeded a given amount this valve J would
interrupt the circulation in the range and therefore stop the further generation
of gas.
The method of generating acetylene gas by the passing of water vapour through
the carbide may also be employed for the purpose of enriching any given gas
by suitably arranging alternate reservoirs of water and carbide A B as illus-
trated in Figure 3 so that the gas would be alternately moistened and increased
in richness. With such an apparatus as that illustrated in Figure 3 an inert
gas may be used as a vehicle for the acetylene or other gas required.
A further advantage of this method of producing acetylene gas lies in the
fact that where water is directly used on carbide, gases of the benzine series are
produced with more or less tarry compounds so that the fine nozzles in the
burners employing the gas are often choked up. With the present method no
such tarry compounds or other complex gases are produced.
It is to be understood that this method of generating gas may be employed
where any substance is chemically reacted upon by the addition of a liquid in
which case the vapour of that liquid is circulated from a separate reservoir
through the other reservoir containing the said substance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A generator for the production of gas in which air or a gas is used as
a vehicle for vapour which is employed to effect the chemical reaction by
which gas is produced substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. An acetylene gas generator consisting of a water reservoir and carbide
container connected together by means of pipes in such a manner that
air or gas may be circulated therein by such means as a fan whereby water vapour
is conveyed from the water reservoir to the carbide container where gas is generated
and dried for the purpose and substantially as described.
3. A gas generator constructed and operating substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to Figure 2 of the drawings.
4. An apparatus for the generation or enriching of gas constructed, arranged
and operating substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 3
of the drawings.
5. The construction and arrangement of a gas generator substantially as herein-
before described with reference to Figure 1 of the drawings.
'ecor taqmandas To Cent
SIM 330CT
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and
25, Cross Street, Manchester, Agents.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and
25, Cross Street, Manchester, Agents.