Improvements in the Process of Generating Water-gas and in Apparatus employed therein.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Process of Generating Water-gas and in
Apparatus employed therein.
I, FELIX CLAUSS, of Meerane, in the Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire,
Doctor of Law, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved process of generating water-gas, whereby
its production may be carried on in a continuous manner and also to apparatus
suitable for the continuous generation of water-gas.
According to this invention, a jet of steam is caused, whilst passing through
a vessel or reservoir, containing a carbon-carrying powder or hydrocarbon
liquid, to take away with it a constant or nearly constant proportion of the pow-
der or liquid, so that a mixture of carbon-containing material and steam is formed,
which mixture enters a closed chamber, the walis of which or part thereof by
suitable means are or is kept glowing so that the powder or liquid may be igni-
ted and thereby cause the decomposition of the steam for the generation of water-
gas which escapes from the chamber for use for heating or other purposes.
Thus
the production of water-gas may be caused to take place in a constant manner
only requiring a uniform jet of steam, the maintenance of the supply of carbon
carrying powder or hydrocarbon liquid for admixture with the jet of steam and
an igniting device comprising a closed chamber into which the admixture of
steam and carbon containing material enters for the ignition of the latter and
decomposition of the steam.
By the above process water-gas of great purity may be produced, but if the
main object is the production of gas as cheaply as possible, the process may be
modified by allowing the igniting device to act only for igniting the carbon intro-
duced by the steam jet into it; in which case air or oxygen or an oxygen carry-
ing substance is introduced into the said igniting device for causing the com-
bustion of carbon and thus generating the necessary heat for decomposing the
steam. This introduction of air, oxygen or oxygen carrying substance into the
water-gas-generating-chamber may also be caused by the jet of steam, which,
while its flow carries with it the carbon carrying powder or hydrocarbon liquid,
carries also in a constant or nearly constant proportion air, oxygen, or oxygen
carrying substance, which substance or substances may be mixed with the carbon
carrying powder or the hydrocarbon liquid. Or the air, oxygen or oxygen
carrying substance may be admitted directly into the water-gas-generating-cham-
ber by pipes or the like.
Apparatus according to my invention comprises or may comprise a vessel or
reservoir arranged so as to be constantly or at intervals supplied with a carbon
carrying powder, such as coaldust, or hydrocarbon liquid-such as petroleum
The supply of said materials to such vessel or reservoir should be so arranged as
not to allow the level of such material to fall below a certain point in the vessel
or reservoir and this may be done either by an attendant or mechanically.
Passing through this vessel or reservoir is a steam-pipe normally surrounded

page_text: for a part of its length by said materials, and having openings in its sides in
that part which is surrounded by said material. Inside the steam pipe is a
nozzle so arranged that the flow of the steam draws the said materials through the
openings and carries them along into the closed ignition chamber in which the
steam pipe terminates. Opposite to the mouth of the steam pipe, the closed
chamber has arranged in its wall a piece of refractory material which is kept con-
stantly glowing by means external to the closed chamber.
This glowing of part of the chamber wall may be maintained by any outside
source, but it is preferred to heat it by gas flames which are supplied by part of
the water-gas generated and which is taken from the main gas-pipe by a branch
pipe or pipes. Against the glowing part of the chamber wall the admixture of
steam and of carbon carrying powder or hydrocarbon liquid is directed and these
substances are ignited by the glowing wall and through the heat developed by
their combustion decomposition of the steam takes place and the water-gas thus
generated is carried off or conducted away from the chamber for heating or other
purposes.
If, it is intended to produce a very cheap water-gas regardless of its purity,
the steam pipe may be arranged to cause the steam jet to suck in with the carbon
carrying powder or hydrocarbon liquid a certain proportion of air, oxygen or
oxygen carrying substance.
In this case the glowing wall in the chamber only causes the ignition of the
carbon carrying material, while the heat necessary for decomposing the steam,
is created by the burning of the carbon carrying powder or hydrocarbon liquid
within the air, oxygen or oxygen carrying substance.
In some cases it may be desirable to so arrange the glowing part of the chamber
wall that it may be exchanged or revolved so that a fresh surface may be brought
opposite the mouth of the steam pipe if the surface, that has been in use for a
time becomes clogged up by the products of the combustion and decomposition.
The oxygen carrying substance may be peroxide of barium, which as it is
carried with the carbon carrying powder or hydrocarbon liquid by the steam Jet
into the generating chamber is converted by the heat into oxide of barium,
thereby delivering up oxygen for the purpose mentioned. It is to be noted, that
in using peroxide of barium, the oxide of barium which remains may be hereafter
generated by contact with air into peroxide of barium, so that the same may be
repeatedly used again. The action will be the same with similar substances,
which give up oxygen when heated and are regenerated into a higher oxygen
stage by contact with air.
Dated this 1041 Ja
E A1 1000
Improvements in the Frocess of Generating Water-gas and in
Apparatus employed therein.
I, FELIX CLAUSS, of Meerane, in the Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire,
Doctor of Law, 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:-
This invention relates to an improved process of generating water-gas, whereby
its production may be carried on in a continuous manner and also to apparatus
suitable for the continuous generation of water-gas.

page_text: According to this invention a jet of steam is caused whilst passing through
a vessel or reservoir, containing a carbon-carrying powder or hydrocarbon
liquid, to take away with it a constant or nearly constant proportion of the pow-
der or liquid, so that a mixture of carbon-containing material and steam is formed.
which enters a closed chamber, a part of one wall of which, by suitable means,
is kept glowing in order to ignite the powder or liquid and also to cause the
decomposition of the steam for the generation of water-gas, which escapes from
the chamber for use for heating or other purposes. Thus the production of water-
gas may be caused to take place in a continuous manner requiring only a uniform
jet of steam, the maintenance of the supply of carbon-carrying powder or hydro-
carbon liquid for admixture with the jet of steam, and an igniting device com-
prising a closed chamber into which the mixture of steam and carbon-containing
material for the ignition of the latter enters and the decomposition of the steam.
By the process just described, water-gas of great purity may be produced;
but if the main object is the production of gas as cheaply as possible, the process
may be modified by allowing the igniting device to act only for igniting the car-
bon introduced by the steam jet into it and introducing air, or oxygen or an
oxygen-carrying substance into the said igniting device for causing the com-
bustion of carbon and thereby generating the necessary heat for decomposing
the steam. This introduction of air, oxygen, or an oxygen-carrying substance
into the water-gas generating chamber may be caused by the jet of steam, which,
while its flow carries with it the carbon-carrying powder or hydrocarbon liquid,
carries also, in a constant or nearly constant proportion, air, oxygen, or an oxy-
gen-carrying substance, which may be mixed with the carbon-carrying powder
or the hydrocarbon liquid. Or the air, oxygen, or oxygen-carrying substance
may be admitted directly into the water-gas generating chamber by pipes or the
like:
as to
Apparatus according to my invention for carrying out the herein before
described process, comprises, as illustrated by the example shown in vertical
section in the accompanying drawing, a vessel or reservoir arranged so
contain a carbon-carrying powder-for example, coaldust. The supply of the
powder to the vessel or reservoir b should be such as not to allow the level of the
powder to fall below the highest point of the holes e hereinafter mentioned and
this may be effected either by an attendant or mechanically. Passing through
the vessel or reservoir 6 is a steam-pipe a normally surrounded for a part of its
length by the powder and having holes e in its sides in that part which is sur-
rounded by the powder. Inside the steam pipe a nozzle c so arranged that the
flow of the steam draws the powder through the holes e and carries it along into
the closed ignition chamber d in which the steam pipe a terminates. Opposite
to the mouth of the steam pipe, the closed chamber d has arranged in its wall a
plate of refractory material f, which is kept constantly glowing by means exter-
nal to the closed chamber. This glowing of the part f of the chamber wall may
be maintained by any outside source of heat, but it is preferred to heat it by
flames issuing from burners g supplied with gas from any suitable source but
preferably attached to a branch k of the water-gas main h so as to use part of the
water-gas generated. Against the glowing part of the chamber wall the mix-
ture of steam and carbon-carrying powder (which is drawn in through the holes e
by the steam passing through the pipe a) is directed, and the powder is ignited
by the glowing plate f, which also decomposes the steam in contact with the
ignited powder with the result that water-gas is generated continuously and
passes off from the chamber through the main h to a gasometer for storage or
directly to the place where it is to be used.
Where it is not so much a question of producing a very pure water-gas, but
where the cheapness of the gas is an important item, a pipe i may be arranged
to cause the steam jet to suck in with the carbon-carrying powder a certain pro-
portion of air or oxygen; or air or oxygen may be drawn or forced direct into the
chamber d through a pipe ; or a suitable oxygen-carrying substance may be

page_text: mixed with the carbon-carrying powder in the reservoir 6 so as to be carried
with the steam and carbon-powder mixture into the chamber d, where it will
deliver up its oxygen or part thereof to cause the burning of part of the carbon
powder for the decomposition of the steam to form water-gas. In these cases
the glowing plate f will serve only to ignite the carbon-carrying powder, the
combustion of which assisted by the admission of air or oxygen, furnishes the
heat necessary for decomposing the steam.
...
In lieu of a powder, a suitable hydrocarbon liquid--for example, petroleum-
may be supplied to the reservoir b.
A suitable oxygen-carrying substance for use as herein before described is
peroxide of barium, which, as it is carried with the carbon-carrying powder or
hydrocarbon liquid by the steam jet into the generating chamber, is converted
by the heat into oxide of barium, thereby delivering up- oxygen for the purpose
mentioned. It is to be noted that in using peroxide of barium, the oxide of
barium which remains may be afterwards re-converted, by contact with air, into
perioxide of barium, so that the same material may be repeatedly used.
action will be the same with similar substances that give up oxygen when heated
and are regenerated or reconverted into a higher oxygen stage by contact with
air.
The
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invent on anu what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claims:-
-
1. A process for the continuous production of water-gas, consisting in creating
a mixture of steam and a carbon-carrying powder or a hydrocarbon liquid by
means of a steam jet, directing such mixture into a closed chamber and against
a plate forming part of the wall of the said chamber, and keeping such plate
at a glowing heat from outside the said chamber, so as to ignite the carbon and
decompose the steam.
2. In the process according to the preceding claim, the admixture of air,
oxygen, or an oxygen-supplying substance to the stream of mixed steam and
carbon-carrying powder or hydrocarbon liquid for the purpose specified.
3. For carrying out the process herein before specified, an apparatus comprising
a reservoir (b) containing a carbon-carrying powder or a hydrocarbon liquid, a
pipe (a) passing through the said reservoir and provided with a nozzle (c) and
holes (e), and a closed decomposition chamber (d), in which the said pipe (a)
terminates and which is provided, opposite to the mouth of the said pipe (a),
an igniting device heated from outside the said chamber.
4. Water-gas generating-apparatus, constructed, arranged, and operating
substantially as herein before described with referenece to and shown in the
accompanying drawing.
Dated this 19th day of January 1000.
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.
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