Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Mar., 1886.
Complete Left, 7th Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 21st Jan., 1887.
FRANCIS WINDHAM Engineer 124 Cheyne Walk London S.W. do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The apparatus consist of a furnace for producing gas under pressure for use in an
engine as a motive power. The Gas produced may be Carbonic Acid, Carbonic Oxide
and other gases resulting from the Combustion of Carbon & hydro-carbons under
pressure. The Improvement consists in introducing the air above the furnace, instead
of below, and driving off the products out through and from below the furnace,
whereby the resinous products are consumed and are not likely to choke up the flues
leading to the engines-If liquid hydro carbons are used they are introduced with or
without admixture of steam in a volatized state above the incandescent carbon through
a suitable nozzle, the products of combustion being drawn off below the furnace the
object being to burn the resinous & tarry products in their passage through the
incandescent carbon.

page_text: I FRANCIS WINDHAM of 124 Cheyne Walk London S.W. engineer 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:-
The Invention has for object improvements in gas generators of the kind in which
solid or fluid hydro carbons are transformed, by the adinixture of air or steam and air,
into gas under pressure suitable for use in an engine as a motive power-The
Invention claims to volatize crude petroleum oils and other hydro carbons in such a
manner that the resinous and tarry products are consumed in their passage through a
highly incandescent filter, and to deliver their gases so formed in a suitable state, free
from dust and residue, for use in an engine.
-
In a generator according to this Invention there are employed a combustion
chamber an evaporating chamber surrounding the same, an incandescent. filter, feeding
and clinker doors, and a second vaporizing chamber for charging.air with moisture.
Referring to the accompanying drawing.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the generator and the two vaporizing chambers.
Fig. 3 is a sectional plan of the generator and one of the vaporizing chambers.
Figs. 2 & 4 are elevations and plans of the same B is the conibustion chamber
which is lined with fire clay or other suitable material the exterior of the chamber is
formed of wrought or cast iron-The grate G is fixed at about one third of the height
of the chamber measuring from the bottom as shown in the drawing.
4
C is a coil through which liquid hydro carbons are introduced at P I-In the upper
end of the combustion chamber B are shown the filtering holes through which the
combustible gaseous charge emerges from the vaporizing chamber into the combus-
tion chamber.
V is an evaporating or vaporizing chamber surrounding the outside casing of the
combustion chamber, the shell or casing of this chamber V is made of wrought or cast
iron, a top and bottom cover of iron are fitted gas tight to these two chambers as
shown having in them hinged doors D also fitting gas tight, the upper door for the
introduction of fuel the lower door for the removal of clinker ashes &c-A I and AO
are pipes passing gas-tight through the casings as shown, P I also passes gas tight
through the casings as shown.
The action of the generator is commenced in the following manner when liquid
hydro carbons are used-The doors Dare opened and a coke or coal fire is mixed with
fragments of fire brick and allowed to burn on the grate G when the fire has burnt
bright the doors D are closed and the air pump is set in motion to drive air through
AI at the same time the requisite amount of petroleum is injected through P I-The
petroleum is vaporized in chamber V by contact with the outer shell of the combustion
chamber, the gas so formed is carried round and mixed with the amount of air
necessary coming thro the spiral nozzle A I and is delivered in the form of a
combustible gas through the small apertures in the upper part of the combustion
chamber B. from hence they pass through the incandescent grate G and are
delivered under pressure to an engine through the supply pipe A 0.

page_text: After the furnace has been in operation some time, and the carbon is burnt out on
the grate G the sides of the chamber and the fire brick lumps on the grate G are in a
sufficiently incandescent state to intercept the unburnt products if any The exhaust
gases after leaving the engine (which may be an engine of ordinary construction) pass
through the exhaust passage X The tubes emerge from the one tube X and
are surrounded with water sufficient to cover them externally the water is supplied
through the water mains W W, The heat given off from the exhaust gases into the
water causes vapour to arise into the upper part of the vaporizing chamber, the air
pump before named draws the air so charged with vapour through the suction pipe S
and delivers it through A I.
If solid hydrocarbons are used the carbon may be introduced at the top the
combustion chamber through the door D which is then made in the form of a bell
hopper or air lock-The drawing shows a gas generator of the most approved form
having a grate area of one foot diameter it is obvious that there may be many
modifications of a gas generator according to this principle, thus the combustion
chamber could be made horizontal or partly horizontal and vertical and the coil C
could be done away with the second evaporating chamber for charging the air with
moisture could also be done away with but the best results are obtained as described
above.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed-1 declare that what I claim is
In a gas generator wherein solid or fluid hydro carbons are converted into yapour
by the admixture of air or air and steam under pressure
1) The Chamber surrounding the furnace or combustion chamber in which the
hydro-carbons are volatized and mixed with air or air and steam before entry into
the combustion chamber or furnace aforesaid.
2) The doors at both ends of the combustion chamber for removing clinkers ashes
&c and for feeding fuel.
3) The coil or coils surrounding the combustion chamber in which steam or hydro
carbons may be evaporated.
4) The use of the evaporating chamber surrounding the exhaust gases which enables
the air pump to deliver air heavily charged with aqueous vapour.
5) The arrangement which enables the vaporized gases to rise to the top of the
generator to pass through to the combustion chamber and to be drawn off after
passage through the incandescent grate or filter through the lower end of the com-
bustion chamber.
6) The arrangement of the small perforations or apertures surrounding the
combustion chamber at the upper end, by which the volatized hydro-carbons and air
or air and steam are thoroly mixed before their entry into the combustion
chamber.
7) Introducing the air into the evaporating chamber V with a spiral nozzle.
8) The use of the grate in the combustion chamber for the purpose of making an
incandescent filter, and for starting the generator.
In witness whereof I the said Francis Windham have hereunto set my hand and
seal this sixth day of December 1886.
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