Improvements in Steam Generators and Gas Producers.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 16th Aug., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Generators and Gas Producers.
I, WALTER CHAMBERS of 24 Ulster Chambers Belfast in the County of Antrim
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:-
My invention consists in the first part of a gas fired steam generator consisting of
a vertical cylindrical vessel having one or more internal flues open at the top to a
cylindrical chamber froin which a number of tubes descend parallel to the flue or flues
for the purpose of returning the healed products of combustion to the bottom of the
boiler and thence to the chimney.
The number and position of the flues may be varied to suit the disposition of the
gas producer or pro:lucers.
To facilitate the passing of steam and water from the underside to the top of the
said cylindrical chamber, I arrange a number of vertical circulating tubes therein for
that purpose.
I place the gas producer conveniently to the said internal flues in such a manner
that the space between the producer and shell of boiler may form a'space for collection
of the gases before they enter the gas outlet pipe.
The gas producers are vertical structures made of heat resisting substances, with
either a solid or perforated hearth, as may be arranged to admit the air either
above or below it, to sustain the fuel; when open firebars are used they are preferably
supported on perforated iron pipes for admission of air or steam, the former for
accelerating and the latter for retarding primary combustion of the fuel; a door is
provided for the ashpit for removal of clinkors and to furnish natural draught to the
producer when required.
The back of the producer communicates with the aforesaid gas collecting chamber
by means of a series of perforations which are intended to be placed below the top
of the fuel so that the gas when formed, as well as any volatile hydro-carbon gases
that may be liberated at the surface of the fuel, will necessarily pass through the
body of the fuel and through the perforations in the heated wall, and so enable any
volatile constituents of the gas to become fixed gases and preclude the deposit of
tarry inatter. The said perforations are protected from undue accumulation of ashes
by the superimposed bricks projecting slightly over these openings. A bye-pass valve
is placed above the fuel as an auxiliary outlet for the gas.
The top of the producer forms a shallow tank to allow the feed water to absorb
radiant beat, and it is provided with sight and poking holes as well as a hopper
having a bifurcated pipe for the purpose of supplying fuel to two contiguous
producers fitted with an internal distributor for delivering fuel into one producer and
simultaneously closing the inlet to the other.
An air casing nearly surrounds each producer to convey heated air through regu-
lating valves, operated from the outside, to the combustion chamber, such air being
heated by the radiant heat from the producer.
The gas is conveyed from the gas collecting chamber by the gas exit pipe to the
combustion chamber formed of brickwork across the base of the boiler beneath the
internal flues, the boiler resting upon a semicircular band of brickwork, provided
with an outlet to the chimney, enclosing the space for waste gases.
The accompanying sheets of drawings forming a part of this specification are
intended to illustrate my invention without binding ine to the precise arrangement
of details therein shown which I may vary as circumstances require without departing
from the nature of my invention.
Figures 1 and 2 sheet 1 are sectional side and end elevations and figure 3
sheet 2 a sectional plan of boiler 1 and combined producer 9. 2 is a brickwork

page_text: combustion chamber where the united air and gas are ignited. These ignited gases then
ascend to the internal flues 3 thence to the cylindrical chamber 4 the heated
gases then
descend by the tubes 6 into the space for waste gases 7 and so pass away to the chimney 8.
To facilitate the passage of steam and water from the underside to the top of the said
cylindrical chamber 3, I arrange a number of vertical circulating tubes 5 therein for that
purpose. 9 is a gas producer with fire-bars 10 for sustaining the fuel supported by
perforated iron pipes 11 and 12 for the admission of air and steam respectively for the
promotion or retardation of the formation of gas from the incandescent fuel. Beneath
the fire-bars at the bottom of the ash-pit may be constructed a water dish 13 for the
formation of vapour which tending to cool the bars and disintegrate the fuel becomes
itself decomposed when passing through the body of hot fuel thus increasing and
enriching the volume of gas produced.
An ash-pit door placed at about the level of the bars to facilitate the removal
of clinker and ashes and also to enable the producers to be worked by means of
natural draught when these doors are removed.
When the gas commonly known as producer gas has been formed it is led from
he producers 9 into the gas collecting chamber 15 through a series of perforations 16
which are intended to be placed below the top of the fuel so that the gas together
with any volatile hydro-carbons that may be liberated at the surface, will necessarily
pass through the perforations in the heated wall of producer and so enable any volatile
constituents of the gas to become fixed gases and retard the formation of tarry
deposit. A bye pass valve 17 is placed above the fuel to serve as an auxiliary outlet
for the gas whenever necessary.
The top of the producer is constructed to form a shallow tank 18 to allow the
feed water to absorb radiant heat, and is supplied with sight and poking holes 19
as well as a hopper 20 having a bifurcated pipe for supplying two contiguous
producers with fuel, and an internal distributer operated by means of suitable handles,
to distribute fuel into one producer and simultaneously closing the inlet to the other
to avoid escape of gas.
A casing 21 partly surrounds each producer to convey heated air to the combustion
chamber 2 such air enters around the ashpit door 14 and in passing through
the casing absorbs radiated heat from the producer 9 and then passes through the
regulating valves 22 which are operated by means of suitably arranged rods on the
outside, into the passage 29, and thence to the combustion chamber 2, sight holes 23
Leing placed on the air valve casing 21 as well as on the sliding doors 24 to enable
the gases when ignited to be seen and the admission of air through the valves 22
to be duly regulated. Sliding doors 24 are placed on the air casing to enable
the air valves 22 to be removed and that access may be given to the interior of
boiler.
The gas is led from the gas collecting chamber 15 through a gas exit pipe 25,
which may be fitted with a stop valve into the distributing box 26 this is divided by
a diaphragm 27 to direct the gas and air currents separately through the passages 28
and 29 into the combustion chamber 2 where ignition takes place the resultant heat
being diffused throughout the boiler in the manner already described for the generation
of steam.
Sheets 3 and 4 show an arrangement adapted to marine purposes, figures 4 and 5
being side and end elevations respectively and figure 6 a plan of same the numerated
details being similar to those already described. In this case the ash-pits and founda-
tions of combustion chamber 2 are constructed of iron or steel for firmly uniting the
structure to the hull of the vessel and also to minimise weight. The fire-bars 10
being supported on this ironwork the air and steam supply pipes 11 and 12 need not
be extended under the bars Figure 7 representing in plan the stokehole of a steam
vessel shows an arrangement of two such steam generators common to one chimney 8
for the waste gases; 30 being the spaces required for working and removal of clinker;
31. representing the usual spaces for storage of coal.
The drawings shown on sheets 5 and 6 illustrate the second part of my invention
and show similar arrangements of parts applied to a horizontal form of steam generator.

page_text: In a modified arrangement the secondary chamber 2 may be retained. Figures 8
and 9 are side and end elevations respectively, figure 11 a plan of same and
figure 10 an end view of the gas producers.
The gases from the producers 9 enter the combustion chamber 2 either directly
through the perforations in the brickwork 16 or by means of a gas pipe as may be
found expedient and after combining with the incoming air through the valves 22
the ignited gises pass along the internal fines 3 thence to the external parts of the
boiler through the external flues returning by the tubes 6 to the chimney 8; the
path of these gases from the combustion chamber 2 to the chimney & which may be
varied as indicated by arrows in figures 8, 9 and 11 on sheet 6 and their deflection
at each end of the boiler is provided for by the closely fitting screens 32; cleaning
doors are provided in the structure for examination and repairs.
The brickwork of producer 9 is formed of fireclay lumps or other suitable heat-
resisting substance and to afford greater stability especially for marine purposes they
may be built in the manner shown on sheet 2 figure 12 by having the two opposite
sides of each block serrated or fluted across with the crest or top of the ridge on one
side corresponding with i.e. opposite to, the hollow or indentation on the other side,
the transverse blocks or headers having the grooves in the direction of their length;
by these means the blocks can be incorporated with plain bricks and the whole
structure can be braced together with struts and tie rods in the manner shewn on the
drawings.
The grouping of the steam generators where they surround one chimney common
to a series of three or more boilers, is shown on sheet 2 figure 13 and additional
economy of space may be obtained by placing the clinkering doors 14 on each side
of the gas producers 9. The same numbers indicate corresponding details on each
sheet of drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1st. The method of constructing steam generators with circulating water tubes
passing through the upper combustion chamber for the utilization of heat generated
from gaseous fuel producers substantially as described.
2nd. The modified arrangement of plant for generating gaseous fuel, with perforations
for outlets for the gas substantially as set forth.
3rd. The manner of utilizing radiant heat from the producers and method of
admission of air and control of same substantially as shown and described.
4th. The construction of combined steam generators and gas producers with arrange-
ment for the delivery of the gas and exit of waste gases substantially as shown and
described.
LATOR GHIN AOLIY
LCUItaly KONAU
VALGO QUIN 40 Uy UI P CUI that Y LONAVA
POPPLEWELL & Co.,
17 & 18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.