Improvements in Engines Operated by Gas Generated from Petroleum or other Liquid Hydrocarbon.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Oct., 1890-Accepted, 1st Nov., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Engines Operated by Gas Generated from Petroleum
or other Liquid Hydrocarbon.
We, JULES DHEYNE, Mechanical Engineer, of Schaerbeck, and COUNT DE NYDPRÜCK,
Gentleman, of 5 Rue van Orley, Brussels, and FREDERIC DE LA HAULT, Banker, of
154 Rue Royale, Brussels, all in the Kingdom of Belgium, 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 the apparatus for converting the petroleum or liquid
hydrocarbon into gas mixing it with air and introducing the mixture into the engine
cylinder or explosion chamber at a high temperature as hereinafter described and
refers more especially to an engine in which the gas is generated as described in
the Specification of a previous Patent granted to us and dated 17th July 1889
No. 11459.
According to this invention the petroleum or other liquid hydrocarbon is supplied
to the generator by a pump the barrel or body of which acts as a valve by reason of
its being capable of motion to a limited extent by sliding on a support constructed
with ports or orifices. One of these ports communicates with the petroleum tank
and the other communicates with the generator coils through branch pipes preferably
connected with the coils at different points throughout its length. The pump body
is provided with a port which by the movement of the said pump body is caused
to coincide or communicate alternately with one or the other of the two ports in
the support.
The pump plunger receives reciprocating motion from the engine and when moving
in one direction it carries the pump body with it for a sufficient distance to cause the
port in the latter to coincide with the port in the support communicating with the
tank. The barrel then remains stationary and the plunger continuing its motion
draws a certain quantity of petroleum into the pump. The plunger then returns
moving in the opposite direction and tending to compress the contents of the pump
barrel which then slides back until the orifice coincides with the port communicating
with the generator coils. The pump barrel then remains stationary again and the
plunger continuing its motion expels the contents of the barrel through this port
and into the generator coils.
In order to compensate momentary irregularities or inequalities between the
generation and the consumption of gas the coiled tube forming the generator com-
municates at its upper extremity with a gas chamber which is filled with the gas
generated. A tube open at both ends passes through the otherwise closed bottom of
this chamber and extends to within a short distance of the top. The lower end of this
tube is immediately over the flame that heats the generator so that this flame or the
products of combustion therefrom render it impossible for fresh air or oxygen to pass
up the tube into the gas chamber. In normal working the upper part of the tube is
filled with gas from the generator and the lower part is filled with products of com-
bustion from the flame. When the supply of gas is greater than the quantity
consumed in the engine the excess of gas descends in the tube when the consumption
momentarily exceeds the supply the gas is withdrawn proportionately from the tube
and the products ascend in the latter to a corresponding extent.
In order to obviate condensation of the gas in the passage where it is mixed with
the air the mixture of gas and air is caused to circulate in a chamber or passages
arranged in the interior of or in close proximity to the explosion chamber so as to be
heated by the heat resulting from the explosions.
And in order that the said invention may be fully understood we shall now proceed

page_text: more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the
accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 shews the pump.
Figure 2 the connection of the supply tubes therefrom with the coils and the gas
chamber above the generating coil G.
Figure 3 shews the arrangement for heating the mixture of air and gas before it
enters the explosion chamber.
Referring to Figure 1 P is a pump body or cylinder capable of sliding in the
direction of its axis on a seat formed on a support M being maintained in contact
with its seat by a spring U and its motion being limited in one direction by the
part M and in the other direction by the stop nut o. V is a plunger working in
guides R. R. The spring N by bearing on one of the guides R and on the collar Q
constantly tends to press the plunger V in the direction of a rod E' which receives a
regular reciprocating motion from the engine. The cylinder P is provided with an
orifice L' which when the plunger V and cylinder P move outwards under the action
of the spring N coincides with the supply passage S the stop O then prevents further
movement of the cylinder P and the plunger V continuing its motion the petroleum
or other like liquid is drawn into the cylinder P. When the rod E' acts on the
plunger V the pump cylinder moves with the said plunger until the end comes
against the part M² when the passages L² and T coincide and the plunger continuing
its movement the contents of the pump cylinder P are forced into this passage for
supply to the generating coils as hereinbefore described. The arrangement for com-
pensating for irregularities in the generation and consumption of gas are illustrated
in Figure 2 which represents the generating coil G connected with a compensating
chamber G². A tube F open at both ends projects into this otherwise closed chamber.
The lower part of this tube F is enveloped in the flame or products of combustion
of the jet of gas which heats the generating coil G. The gas generated in this coil
fills the chamber G2 and enters the tube F. The gas is taken to the engine from the
lower end of the coil at a point not shewn in the drawing and when an excess of gas
is momentarily produced the excess descends in the tube F and may even blow out at
its lower end. When the volume of gas drawn into the engine is temporarily greater
than the supply the reserve of gas in the tube F and chamber G³ is drawn upon and
the place of the gas which is withdrawn from the tube F is taken by the flame or
the products of combustion of the flame which occupies or occupy the lower part
of the tube and therefore fresh air does not enter at this point and produce an
explosive or combustible mixture by mixing with the gas. As shewn in Figure 2
the petroleum supply pipe D' leads into the coil G at different points throughout its
length.
The arrangement for heating the mixture of gas and air by the heat of the explosions
is illustrated in Figure 3 which represents the end of the engine cylinder and the
explosion chamber in section. The explosion chamber A is constructed with hollow
sides forming passages B in which air admitted at F is caused to circulate and
become heated at the same time cooling the explosion chamber before entering the
heating chamber C through a connection c. The gas from the generator is supplied
to the chamber C by a pipe D. The air is drawn through the pipe F and passages B
into the chamber by the action of the engine piston which at the same time draws
in the gas from the generator through the pipe D. The air and gas being mixed in
the heated chamber C the mixture passes through the valve E into the explosion
chamber where it is exploded in the usual way.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. In an engine worked by gas generated from petroleum, or like liquid hydro-
carbon, an oil injecting pump constructed with a sliding body, or barrel, and provided
with a passage which alternately communicates with suction and delivery ports, and a
plunger which operates when these communications are established to draw in and

page_text: eject liquid hydrocarbon substantially as herein before described with reference to
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
2. In gas generating apparatus for petroleum, or liquid hydrocarbon, engines,
the combination of means for injecting the liquid into the gas generating coil at
several points substantially as described.
3. In an engine worked by petroleum, or like liquid hydrocarbon, the com-
bination with the gas generating coil of a compensating gas chamber provided
with a tube F, receiving the flame, or products of combustion from the flame,
so as to prevent fresh air or oxygen, from entering the said chamber and also
compensate for fluctuations in the consumption or generation, of gas; substantially
as hereinbefore described.
4. In a petroleum, or hydrocarbon, engine, the arrangement for maintaining
a high temperature of the mixture of gas and air by the heat generated in the
explosion chamber; substantially as herein before described with reference to Figure 3
of the accompanying drawings.
2000
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.