APPARATUS FOR COMBUSTION OF LIQUID FUEL
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOHN IMRAY of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in the county
of Middlesex, Consulting engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of my said invention for "APPARATUS FOR COMBUSTION OF LIQUID FUEL" to be
as follows:--
This invention relates to apparatus for combustion of liquid fuel, such as oils or
liquid hydrocarbons generally, the heat produced by the combustion being in part
applied to convert the liquid into vapor or gas, but chiefly for heating boilers,
furnaces, cooking or warming stoves or other purposes for which heat is required.
As an example of the construction of the apparatus which may be varied to suit
particular situations and purposes to which it is applied, I will describe an
arrangement suitable for a steam boiler with an internal fire fluo as in a Cornish
Boiler. From a reservoir of the hydrocarbon liquid a pipe leads to a retort placed
in the fire flue of the boiler in which it extends lengthwise near the crown of the
flue. The flow of the hydrocarbon, which is regulated by a cock or valve, is
determined by an injector jet of air or steam arranged in the supply pipe leading
to the rotort. From the retort, a pipe leads the gases or vapors into a receptacle
Inid on the fire grate, and from this receptacle, into which there is a forced supply of
air, several pipes perforated with numerous small holes on their upper sides extend
along the fire flue. The combustible gases or vapors, with air, issuo from these
holes and burn, heating the retort and giving a large body of flame available for
heating the boiler. To prevent access of cold air to the fire space, the fire bars are
covered by plates on which there is a layer of sulphate of lime, baryta or other
non-conducting material. In order to ensuro perfect combustion, a pipe is laid
along the fire place, containing baryta, permanganate of potash or other substance
capable of giving off oxygen, which issues by numerous holes of a transverse pipe
arranged at the bridge so as to meet and mix with such imperfectly consumed
gases or vapors as may be passing away with the products of combustion.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, JOHN IMRAY of N° 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in the County
of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "APPARATUS FOR COMBUSTION OF LIQUID FUEL" 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 apparatus for combustion of liquid fuel, such as oils or
liquid hydrocarbons generally, the heat produced by the combustion being in part
applied to convert the liquid into vapour or gas, but chiefly for heating boilers,
furnaces, cooking or warming stoves or other purposes for which heat is required.
As an example of the construction of the apparatus which may be varied to suit
particular situations and purposes to which it is applied, I will describe an
arrangement suitable for a steam boiler with an internal fire flue as in a Cornish
Boiler. From a reservoir of the hydrocarbon liquid a pipe leads to a retort placed
in the fire flue of the boiler in which it extends lengthwise, near the crown of the
flue. The flow of the hydrocarbon, which is regulated by a cock or valve, is
determined by an injector jet of air or steam arranged in the supply pipe leading
to the retort. From the rotort, a pipe leads the gases or vapors into a receptacle
laid on the fire grate, and from this receptacle, into which there is a forced supply
of air, several pipes perforated with numerous small holes on their upper sides
extend along the fire flue. The combustible gases or vapors, with air, issue from
these holes and burn, heating the retort and giving a large body of flame available
for heating the boiler. To prevent access of cold air to the fire space, the fire bars
are covered by plates on which there is a layer of sulphate of lime, baryta or other
non conducting material. In order to ensure perfect combustion, a pipe is laid
along the fire place, containing baryta, permanganate of potash, or other substance
capable of giving off oxygen, which issues by numerous holes of a transverse pipe
arranged at the bridge so as to meet and mix with such imperfectly consumed
gases or vapors as may be passing away with the products of combustion.
In applying the above described invention to various industrial purposes the
arrangement of the retorts relatively to the fire place may be varied according to
the nature of the apparatus to be heated, and to the purposes to which it is to be
applied; thus they may be situated either in the fire place, or in the flues, either
horizontally or vertically.
The accompanying drawing shews the application of the invention to a
horizontal cornish boiler, the apparatus being introduced into the existing fire place
without in any way altering its construction, being placed upon the ordinary grate
bars thereof.
Fig 1 shows a front view, Fig 2 a longitudinal section, Fig 3 a cross section on
the line MN, Fig 4 is a sectional plan.
The liquid products that are to be transformed into gaseous fuel pass from a
reservoir A through the pipe B into the rotort C, arranged longitudinally in the
boiler flue, being propelled on their passage by a jet of air (or it might be steam
from the boiler) through a nozzle at a. In the retort O the products are volatilised
by heat, producing gaseous fuel that serves to heat both the boiler Z and the

page_text: retort C itself. The gases issue from the retort through the pipe D and enter a
chamber E together with a jet of air forced in through the pipe F. From the
chamber E extend a number of perforated pipes K K', arranged, if necessary, at
different levels as shown, and forming a continuous conduit through which the
mixture of air and gas flows and, in issuing through the perforations, enter into
combustion so as to heat the boiler and retort.
A pipe G containing baryta, permanganate of potash, or other substances that
give off oxygen has a jet of air forced into it from a branch on the pipe F, which
air becoming heated takes up oxygen from the material and issues through the
perforations of the pipe G', which may be situated either at the fire bridge or in
the smoke box, and is so arranged that the jets of combined air and oxygen
impinge upon the flames and products of combustion from the gaseous fuel and are
thus made effectually to consume any escaping particles of unconsumed gas or
smoke before theso escape to the chimney.
The firegrate is covered with iron plates HH having a layer of sulphate of lime,
baryta, &c upon them, for maintaining the heat in the fire place, and preventing
the entrance of cold air through the grate. The various parts of the apparatus
are carried by supports I L
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
1. The use of apparatus for combustion of liquid fuel wherein such liquid fuel is
introduced into one or more retorts and is there volatilized by the heat produced
by the combustion of the gases generated.
2. In apparatus such as is referred to in the preceding claim, forcing a continuous
supply of liquid fuel from a reservoir into the retort or retorts by means of a jet
of air or steam, which afterwards enters into combustion with the gases produced.
3. The use, for burning the mixture of combustible gas and air referred to in
the preceding claims, of perforated pipes branching from a collecting chamber
into which the gases pass from the retorts and into which a further air supply is
forced.
4. The use in combination with the apparatus referred to in the preceding claims
of a perforated pipe containing baryta, or permanganate of potash, into which
a jet of air is forced so as to issue together with a supply of oxygen through the
perforations for the purpose of insuring complete combustion of the escaping
gases.
6. The construction of apparatus for the combustion of liquid fuel combined and
arranged as berein described, such apparatus being placed upon the ordinary fire
grate of a furnace which is covered by solid plates for preventing ingress of cold
air through the bars.