IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF UTILIZING FURNACE GASES
Year: 1884

page_text: We, ARTHUR TEWDYR DAVIES BERRINGTON of Pant-y-goitre Abergavenny
Monmouthshire J.P. Barrister at Law, & JOHN PARRY of Ebbw Vale Monmouth-
shire Metallurgical Chemist do hereby declare the nature of our invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF UTILIZING FURNACE GASES to be as follows:-
The novelty of this invention consists in leading gases, such as those from
furnaces, through a furnace or cupola containing incandescent fuel, thereby con-
verting the CO with which they are largely diluted into CO, and greatly
increasing their heating powers.
The gases are collected and led off from the furnace or furnaces in which they are
first produced in any of the usual ways, and brought to the hearth of the cupola,
which is filled with coke or other fuel, lit, and urged by one or more tuyers; one
or more of these enters the pipe or pipes conveying the gases near. the point where
they enter the cupola, after the manner of an injector, and ensures their proper
ascent through the incandescent fuel.
The cupola is provided with a charging and gas-collecting apparatus at the top,
and a drop bottom for facilitating clearing, or fluxes may be charged in with the
fuel to produce a fluid cinder.
•
We claim the method of converting the CO2 of furnace gases into CO by passing
them over incandescent fuel as above described, and the use of the injector or
injectors described for that purpose...

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
We, ARTHUR T. D. BERRINGTON of Pant-y-goitre Abergavenny, J.P. Barrister
at Law, and JOHN PARRY, Ebbw Vale Metallurgical Chemist, both in the County
of Monmouth do hereby declare the nature of our invention for " IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE METHODS OF UTILISING FURNACE GASES and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
"
Gases issuing from furnaces. where the fuel has been properly burnt are, as is
well known, composed largely of carbon dioxide or carbonic acid (CO*) from which
no further heating effect can be obtained by combustion.
Many attempts have been made to utilise for metallurgical purposes, the fact
that carbon dioxide in contact with carbon at high temperatures takes up another
atom of carbon and is thus converted into double its volume of carbonic oxide (CO)
(which is a combustible gas of great heating power) by passing it over fuel con-
tained in a retort or other vessel and rendered incandescent by external heating
but such attempts have not been attended with practical success in consequence of
the imperfect or partial effect produced by the mere passage over the incandescent
fuel of the gases to be reduced, and also by reason of the loss of the gaseous
products of combustion of the fuel used for the external heating of the retort.
This Invention bas for its object to effect a more perfect and economical con-
version or reduction of the carbon dioxide, and it consists in a method of passing the
gases through a column of incandescent carbon whereby a more intimate contact
of the gases with the carbon is ensured, and a more perfect reduction effected, the
carbon being maintained in a state of incandescence without external heating and
the back pressure which would be caused. by the obstruction of the mass being
overcome by the use of a blast of air acting as an injector to force the carbon
dioxide through the mass.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a smelting furnace with an
example of the apparatus applied thereto for carrying out the method of our
Invention, the regenerator being represented in section. Figure 2 is a plan of the
same.
The furnace gases are collected at, and led off from, the top of the furnace or
furnaces A by any of the usual methods and introduced into the regenerator B
which is a small upright furnace or cupola provided at the top with apparatus for
charging and with means for collecting and leading off the gases after conversion.
The furnace gases are introduced into the regenerator just above the hearth and are
caused to ascend through a column or mass of incandescent carbon, whereby the
carbon dioxide they contain is converted into carbonic oxide.
The column, of fuel in the regenerator is first rendered incandescent by means of
fuel placed beneath and ignited, and is maintained incandescent by a blast of air
issuing from tuyers a placed in convenient positions above the hearth of the re-
generator, by which means the products of the combustion of the fuel used to
render the mass of carbon incandescent, are caused to ascend through the

page_text: incandescent mass and issue from the regenerator in an available form for
recombustion, instead of being lost as usual when a retort or other vessel containing
carbon is heated externally.
In order to ensure the proper ascent of the furnace gases to be reduced through
the regenerator, one or more of these tuyeres is placed within the chamber b to
which the said gases are conveyed from the furnace A, the said tuyer or tuyers a
being so directed through the orifice c by which the gases enter the regenerator as
to act on said gases after the manner of an injector whereby the gases are forced
into and through the incandescent mass and back pressure on the furnaces is
prevented.
In order to avoid the necessity of stopping the work of the regenerator for the
purpose of removing clinkers, &c, from the hearth, lime or other flux may be
charged in with the fuel in suitable proportions to produce a.fluid cinder which is
tapped out in the usual manner. The regenerator may also be provided with a
drop bottom d carrying the hearth to be opened for removing clinkers if preferred.
Suitable valves e e' may be placed in the leading pipes between the furnace and
regenerator for diverting the gases by placing said pipes in direct communication
with the main to the boilers, stoves, &c, during cleaning of the regenerator if this
is considered advisable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
:
1st The method of reducing the carbon dioxide contained in furnace gases to
carbonic oxide by causing the said gases to pass through a column or mass of
incandescent carbon maintained at a red heat by means of a blast of air, sub-
stantially as described.
•
2nd The use of one or more tuyers inserted in the pipe or pipes conveying the
gases to the regenerator after the manner of an injector in order to ensure the
proper ascent of the gases, substantially as described.