IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING GASEOUS FUEL FOR COMBUSTION IN FURNACES, OVENS, OR KILNS, AND FOR UTILIZING THE WASTE HEAT OF THE PRODUCTS OF SUCH COMBUSTION, MORE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE FOR HEATING THE RETORTS IN GAS WORKS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to August Hegeuer, of Cologne, in the German Empire, for
an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING GASEOUS
FUEL FOR COMBUSTION IN FURNACES, OVENS, OR KILNS, AND FOR UTILIZING
THE WASTE HEAT OF THE PRODUCTS OF SUCH COMBUSTION, MORE PARTICULARLY
APPLICABLE FOR HEATING THE RETORTS IN GAS WORKS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said August Hegener at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd February 1880.
AUGUST HEGENER, of Cologne, in the German Empire. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING GASEOUS FUEL FOR COMBUSTION IN FURNACES, OVENS,
OR KILNS, AND FOR UTILIZING THE WASTE HEAT OF THE PRODUCTS OF SUCH
COMBUSTION, MORE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE FOR HEATING THE RETORTS IN
GAS WORKS."
The present Invention relates to improved apparatus for the production of
gaseous fuel for combustion in furnaces, and for utilizing the heat of the products
of combustion in warming the air required for such combustion. For this purpose
I arrange in front of the furnace or fireplace in which the combustion is effected,
such as the retort ovens of gas works, and below the level of the floor a gas
producer consisting of a deep vertical chamber, near the lower end of which is an
inclined grate on which is a deep layer of fuel introduced through an opening at
the upper end, this opening being extended to the floor in the front of the furnace,
where it is closed by a cover fitting into a trough forming a water or sand lute so
as to prevent the escape of gas. Air enters the inclined grate through an opening
in the wall of the producer, which opening is closed by a door having apertures
provided with regulating slides or valves through which a regulated quantity of air
is allowed to enter for producing carbonic oxide gas with the fuel, or which can be
closed entirely so as to prevent the formation of combustible gas for a certain length
of time. At the lower end of the inclined grate is a horizontal one for the fuel and
slag to rest on, and above this is a second horizontal grate which can from time to
time be slid in to support the fuel while the lower grate is removed for the removal
of ashes and slag. Below the grate is a trough filled with water, the steam from
which in passing in contact with the grate bars cools them.

page_text: Immediately beneath the furnace or retort oven is formed a chamber containing,
firstly, zig zag passages or flues through which the hot gaseous products of
combustion descend from the furnace so as to escape at the bottom to a chimney,
and, secondly, other zig-zag flues through which the air required for combustion in
the furnace is made to pass in an upward direction so as to become heated by
contact with the heated sides of the first named flues. The sides, tops, and bottoms
of these two sets of flues at the upper part thereof where the gases are hottest are
formed of firebrick, but at the lower part they are formed of iron plates in order
the better to transmit the heat through them. In order to support and form gas
tight joints between the separate plates these are provided with ribs or flanges
at their edges which enter trough shaped bearers below containing sand. Slides
or dampers are provided in the said flues for regulating the draught and the
quantity of air passing in.
The combustible gases pass from the top of the producer into a horizontal passage
immediately above the chamber containing the zig-zag flues, the heated air from
which enters two horizontal passages, one on each side of the gas passage, and the
gas and heated air issue from those passages through rows of oblique openings at
top, so arranged that the jets of gas and air issuing through them impinge upon
each other so as to effect their intimate mixture on entering into combustion.
The gas producer is placed a sufficient distance away from the chamber containing
the zig-zag flues to form a passage between the two for gaining access to the
latter.
When the above described apparatus is employed in gas works the requisite
solid fuel for the gas producer may consist of the coke coming from the gas retorts,
which may be made to pass down directly from the retorts into the producer
through the beforementioned charging opening in the floor.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said August Hegener in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
August 1880.
AUGUST HEGENER, of Cologne, in the German Empire. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING GASEOUS FUEL FOR COMBUSTION IN FURNACES, OVENS,
OR KILNS, AND FOR UTILIZING THE WASTE HEAT OF THE PRODUCTS OF SUCH
COMBUSTION, MORE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE FOR HEATING THE RETORTS IN
GAS-WORKS."
The present Invention relates to improved apparatus for the production of
gaseous fuel for combustion in furnaces and for utilizing the heat of the products of
combustion in warming the air required for such combustion. For this purpose I
arrange in front of the furnace or fire place in which the combustion is effected,
such as the retort ovens of gas works, and below the level of the floor a gas
producer consisting of a deep vertical chamber, near the lower end of which is an
inclined grate on which is a deep layer of fuel introduced through an opening at the
upper end, this opening being extended to the floor in front of the furnace, where
it is closed by a cover fitting into a trough forming a water or sand lute so as to
prevent the escape of gas. Air enters the inclined grate through an opening in the
wall of the producer, which opening is closed by a door having apertures provided
with regulating slides or valves through which a regulated quantity of air is
allowed to enter for producing carbonic oxide gas with the fuel, or which can be
closed entirely so as to prevent the formation of combustible gas for a certain length
of time. At the lower end of the inclined grate is a horizontal one for the fuel and
slag to rest on, and above this is a second horizontal grate which can from time to
time be slid in to support the fuel while the lower grate is removed for the removal
of ashes and slag. Below the grate is a trough filled with water, the steam from
which in passing in contact with the grate-bars cools then).
Immediately beneath the furnace or retort oven is formed a chamber containing,
firstly, zig-zag passages or flucs through which the hot gaseous products of
combustion descend from the furnace so as to escape at the bottom to a chimney,
and, secondly, other zig-zag flues through which the air required for combustion in
the furnace is made to pass in an upward direction so as to become heated by
contact with the heated sides of the first named flues. The sides, tops, and bottoms
of these two sets of flues at the upper part thereof where the gases are hottest are
formed of firebrick, but at the lower part they are formed of iron plates in order
the better to transmit the heat through them. In order to support and form gas-
tight joints between the separate plates these are provided with ribs or flanges at
their edges which enter trough shaped bearers below containing sand. Slides or
dampers are provided in the said flues for regulating the draught and the quantity
of air passing in.
The combustible gases pass from the top of the producer into a horizontal passage
immediately above the chamber containing the zig-zag flues, the heated air from
which enters two horizontal passages, one on each side of the gas passage, and the
gas and heated air issue from these passages through rows of oblique openings at
top, so arranged that the jets of gas and air issuing through them impinge upon
each other so as to effect their intimate mixture on entering into combustion. The
gas producer is placed a sufficient distance away from the chamber containing the
zig-zag flues to form a passage between the two for gaining access to the latter.
When the above described apparatus is employed in gas-works, the requisite solid
fuel from the gas producer may consist of the coke coming from the gas retorts,
which may be made to pass down directly from the retorts into the producer
through the before mentioned charging opening in the floor.

page_text: -
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
The accompanying Drawings shew the application of the before described
improved apparatus for heating the retort ovens of gas works. Fig. 1 shows a
section through the gas generator on line A, A, Fig. 3; Fig. 2 shews on the left
hand side a cross section through the regenerator and combustion chamber on
line B, B, Fig. 3, and on the right hand side a section on line C, C; Fig. 3 shews a
longitudinal section on lines D, D, E, E, Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 shews a longitudinal
section on line F, F, Fig. 2.
The gas generator a is situated below the floor of the retort house and
immediately in front of the retort oven c, so that the coke from the retorts can be
discharged directly into the gas generator through the opening d, thereby econo-
mizing the heat contained in the coke. Sufficient space is however left at c
between the gas generator and the furnace to allow free access to the regenerator.
f is the inclined grate of the generator, below which is a slide, or by preference two
slides, such as g, operated as before described for removal of slag and ashes, that is
to say, a second slide is inserted above g, after which this can be removed together
with the slag thereon. Beneath the grate is a water tank h; the front side of the
grate is entirely closed by a door i having suitable valves or slides for admitting a
regulated quantity of air, or for cutting off the air supply entirely. The opening &
at top is closed by a cover k with sand or water lute so as to prevent escape of gas.
The gas is led from the top of the generator directly through the passage into the
furnace, so that the passage being short there is little or no loss of the heat
contained in the gas.
The regenerator, which operates with reversed currents, is situated immediately
below the combustion chamber m of the retort oven, the products of combustion
from which pass downwards through the zig-zag passages n, n, on their way to the
chimney flue, as indicated by the arrows, while the air required for combustion
passes up through the zig-zag passages o, entering the combustion chamber from
the passages o', o, on each side of the passage ', through which the combustible gas
enters. The division walls p, p, between the upper gas and air passages are of fire
clay, while those p', p', between the lower ones, where the products of combustion
have already given off a great portion of their heat, are made of iron, so as to allow
of more rapid transmission of the heat to the air. The joints of the iron division
plates are formed with lips dipping into trough shaped supports with sand lute so
that the joints are practically air tight, while the plates are free to expand and
contract.
The combustible gas and air issue respectively from the passages l', o¹, through
oblique openings q, r, so as to impinge upon each other and effect their intimate
admixture on ignition. The gas in passing through the passage becomes hented
to a high degree before entering into combustion, both by the heat from the
combustion chamber above and by that from the products of combustion in the
passages below; and the air supply also receives additional heat from the
combustion chamber while passing through the passages o¹. Owing to the low
position of both the gas generator and the regenerator it is possible to maintain an
excess of pressure above that of the atmosphere in the retort oven, so that no
cooling of the oven through ingress of cold air can take place. The escape of the
products of combustion, as also the supply of air, are regulated by slides, such as
shewn at 8, Fig. 2.
The working of the furnace is very simple and requires but little labor. The
coke does not require to be either quenched or raised, but is drawn from the retort
in its incandescent state into a truck, from which it is at once discharged into the
generator. The removal of the cinder is effected only once in a day, or in several
days, the heat of the furnace being rather heightened during the operation than
otherwise.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim in respect of regenerative gas furnaces of the kind
herein referred to,-
First. Arranging the gas generator below the level of the floor in front of the
combustion chamber, so that it can receive the fuel in an incandescent state directly
from the gas retorts, substantially as herein described.
Second. The use, in combination with the inclined grate of the gas generator, of
two slides arranged and operating for the removal of ashes and clinkers, as, herein
described.
Third. The arrangement herein described whereby the combustible gas as it
comes from the producer is subjected inside a passage or chamber to the heat of
the floor of the combustion chamber above, and to the heat of the products of
combustion below.
Fourth. The arrangement herein described whereby the air required for
combustion is subjected before entering the combustion chamber to the heat of the
floor of such chamber above, and to the heat of the products of combustion below.
Fifth. The herein described construction of regenerator with reversed currents,
wherein the upper passages for the air and products of combustion are made of fire-
clay, while the lower passages are formed of iron.
In witness whereof, I, the said August Hegener, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Third day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
AUGUST HEGENER. (L.S.)