IMPROVEMENTS IN EFFECTING COMBUSTION OF LIQUID HYDRO CARBONS IN CONJUNCTION WITH WATER GAS OR STEAM
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JASPER HENRY SELWYN, of Gloucester Crescent, Hyde Park, in the County.
of Middlesex, Vice Admiral, do hereby declare the nature of said invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN EFFECTING COMBUSTION OF LIQUID HYDRO CARBONS IN
CONJUNCTION WITH WATER GAS OR STEAM," to be as follows:-
According to this invention liquid hydro carbon is burnt in a furnace in
conjunction with water gas or steam in presence of a substance containing both
carbon and iron. In the provisional specification of a former application for Letters
Patent left by me at the Patent Office on the 24th day of August 1883 and
numbered 4108 I described the nature of a furnace particularly adapted to resist
the results of a continued high temperature being capable for this purpose of
expansion and contraction while remaining to a certain extent air-tight, so as to
be able to carry out the conditions under which, by a careful regulation of the air
supply, carbon might be continuously dropped or formed, from the hydro-carbon
blown in, and thus fulfil a condition necessary to effect separation of steam into
carbonic oxide, hydrogen and some carbonic acid, i.e. 60% hydrogen 20% carbonic
oxide and 20% carbonic acid-as is well understood.
There might however be circumstances under which it would become difficult
especially on board ships, to secure the constant deposition of carbon as above,
and I have discovered that such difficulty can be obviated by the employment
of plumbago or graphite which I find to be a material peculiarly adapted for use
in, and for the construction of such furnaces, as it contains both carbon and iron.
Where fireclay or other fire resisting
The proportions of these constituents vary.
material is used in the construction of the furnace as mentioned in the provisional
specification of my application for Letters Patent N° 4108 above referred to the
plumbago or graphite may be introduced into the furnace in any convenient form,
as for examples, in the shape of bricks, linings, or balls, so as to fulfil the above
mentioned purpose of effecting decomposition of the steam with which the hydro-
carbou oil is blown in, and to promote re-actions in the furnace at that temperature,
which is attained by burning hydrogen viz say 3776° Fahrenheit such as may give
the greatest quantity of gas for heating purposes. Iron being also present the
quantity of hydrogen produced is as will be well understood still further increased
beyond the proportions above recited according to the following formula.
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page_text: I, JASPER HENRY SELWYN, of Gloucester Crescent, Hyde Park, in the County
of Middlesex, Vice Admiral, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN EFFECTING COMBUSTION OF LIQUID HYDRO-CARBONS IN
CONJUNCTION WITH WATER GAS OR STEAM" and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
According to this invention liquid hydro-carbon is burnt in a furnace in
conjunction with steam in presence of a substance containing both carbon and
iron.
In the specification of a former Patent granted to me under date the 24th day.
of August A.D. 1883 and numbered 4108 I described the nature of a furnace
particularly adapted to resist the results of a continued high temperature being
capable for this purpose of expansion and contraction while remaining to a certain
extent air-tight, so as to be able to carry out the conditions under which, by
a careful regulation of the air supply, carbon might be continuously dropped
or formed from the bydro-carbon blown in, and thus fulfil a condition necessary to
effect separation of steam into carbonic oxide, hydrogen and some carbonic acid
i.e about 60°, hydrogen 20% carbonic oxide and 20% carbonic acid-as is well
understood.
There night however be circumstances under which it would become difficult
especially on board ships to secure the constant deposition of carbon as above, and
I have discovered that such difficulty can be obviated by the employment of
plumbago or graphite which I find to be a material peculiarly adapted for use in,
and for the construction of such furnaces, as it contains both carbon and iron. The
proportions of these constituents vary. Whero fireclay or other fire resisting
material is used in the construction of the furnace as mentioned in the specification
of my Patent N° 4108 above referred to the plumbago or graphite may be
introduced into the furnace in any convenient form as for examples, in the shape
of bricks linings or balls, so as to fulfil the above mentioned purpose of effecting
decomposition of the steam with which the hydro carbon oil is blown in, and to
promote re-actions in the furnace at that temperature which is attained by burning
hydrogen viz say 3776° Fahrenheit such as may give the greatest quantity of gas for
heating purposes. Iron being also present the quantity of hydrogen produced is as
will be well understood still further increased beyond the proportions above recited
according to the following formulae.
4. H, O 3 Fe = Fе, O₁ + H..
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings Fig 1 is a longitudinal
section of a furnace or combustion chamber suitable for carrying out my invention.
Fig 2 is a transverse section and Fig 3 an end view of the same.
a is the combustion chamber formed of fire-clay or other fire resisting material
made in parts a¹; a², a³, united by air tight joints at b in the manner described in
the before-mentioned specification. Into the combustion chamber a the plumbago
or graphite natural or artificial may be introduced in any of the forms hereinbefore
mentioned for the purpose of decomposing the entering stean, the liberated oxygen
of which will immediately combine with the carbon of the plumbago or graphite
forming carbonic oxide and carbonic acid and with the iron present forming oxide
of iron whilst the hydrogen set free will recombine with the oxygen of the air
admitted to the furnace producing an intense degree of heat.

page_text: Instead of using plumbago or graphite alone it may be mixed with bauxite
alumina, fire clay, ganister, burnt ash, or other refractory substances such as are.
employed in the construction of furnaces, the proportions I prefer to employ being
usually about one third part by measure of plumbago or graphite to two thirds
parts by measure of refractory material. Or instead of mixing refractory substances
of the kind 'above mentioned with graphite or plumbago alone as above described
more or less of the plumbago or graphite may be replaced by coke-dust or other
cheap form of carbon, it being understood that the proportions in either case may
be widely varied according to the nature of the substances employed and the
conditions under which they are used. c is a dash brick, formed either of fireclay
or other refractory substance or of fire-clay mixed with plumbago or graphite
preferably in the proportion of about one third part by measure of plumbago or
graphite to two third parts by measure of the other materials above stated.
Against this dash brick c the combined jet of steam and liquid hydro-carbon
impinges the former being immediately decomposed at the high temperature
attained in the furnace by contact with the carbon and iron of the plumbago or
graphite present therein. In order to ensure that the temperature shall be
sufficiently high for the carbon and iron to readily effect this decomposition
I prefer to contract the area of the combustion chamber a by partially filling the
same on each side of its centre line with tiles or bricks d preferably arranged in
the well known manner adopted in the construction of regenerative furnaces. The
tiles or bricks & may be cut away or curved at d* A spoon shaped recess a* is
formed in the bottom of the chamber a in which the lower edge of the dash brick c
rests and in which bricks or balls of plumbago or graphite either alone or mixed
with the substances herein before mentioned may be placed. By these means I
obtain a temperature exceeding the melting point of platinum viz 30S0° Fahrenheit,
wherein the steam employed is readily decomposed in the manner required and
hereinbefore described. The tiles or bricks may be formed of fire-clay or other
refractory material either alone or mixed with plumbago or graphite in any desired
proportions. e is an opening in one end of the combustion chamber in which a fire
door g and a frame e¹ is fixed and which may be of the kind shown in the
drawings. Through this fire door frame e' a conical piece e² is inserted which in
turn has another conical piece or plate es inserted therein of the kind described in
my said former specification for regulating the supply of air to the furnace the
said conical piece or plate es being provided with a handle e for conveniently
manipulating it. e is the injector for supplying the furnace with liquid hydro-
carbon by means of a steam jet as is well understood the said injector e5 being
inserted through the opening. in the conical piece or plate e³ as shown. The fire
door g is provided with a baffle plate g¹ and hinged at g² to the frame e' secured to
the end of the furnace. Air may be admitted through the door g or through the
fire door frame e¹ to support combustion when desired by forming holes therein
protected by valves or covers opened or closed at will. These also serve as sight
holes to examine the state of the furnace when desired without opening the door i. i
is the fire bridge of the combustion chamber a and j an opening through which,
and the openings , in the top of the chamber a heated gases and products
of combustion escape into the boiler flue or tubes or other desired place in
cominunication therewith. Openings may also be made in the sides of the
chamber a and communicating with the openings or interstices between the
bricks & and the interior of the chamber a. It is to be understood that I do not
confine myself to any particular form of furnace as the same may be variously
modified according to the purpose for which the heat produced is to be applied.
When the plumbago or graphite is to be employed mixed with other substances
they may be ground separately or together with the addition of a little water to
render the mass plastic, then moulded to any desired form and finally dried before
Or the ground materials may be moulded to any desired form by pressure
assisted by heat and a small quantity of any suitable flux or adhesive material.
use.

page_text: The injector employed for supplying the liquid hydrocarbon, and steam may be
of the kind described in my said former specification.
To prevent explosions in the combustion chamber when starting the combustion
one or more atmopyres of the kind described in my said former specification may
be employed or conveniently a shovel full of live coals may be thrown on the
bottom or bed of the combustion chamber a just previous to starting the flame.
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. Effecting combustion of liquid hydro-carbon in conjunction with steam in the
presence of plumbago or graphite whereby decomposition of the steam is assisted,
substantially as described.
'
2. The use for effecting combustion of liquid hydro carbon in conjunction with
steam in the presence of plumbago or graphite of a furnace such as shewn in and
described with reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings.
|· J. H. SELWYN.
W. Lloyd Wise,.
Per F. J. Brougham,
Applicant's Agent.
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3000000
SINO nanoT
J. H. SELWYN.
W. Lloyd Wise,.
Per F. J. Brougham,
Applicant's Agent.