Improvements in the Manufacture of Hydrogen Gas, or a Mixt ire of Hydrogen and Carbon Monoxide, and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 10th July, 1891-Accepted, 22nd Aug., 1851
DIVAA 12 AGENTATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Hydrogen Gas, or a Mixt ire
of Hydrogen and Carbon Monoxide, and Apparatus therefor.
I, VIVIAN BYAM LEWES, of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, in the
County of Kent, Professor of Chemistry, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
One method of producing hydrogen gas heretofore has been to pass steam over
red hot iron. The steam became decomposed, the oxygen combining with the
iron, and the hydrogen passing off. In course of time the whole of the iron became
oxidised and then the process stopped; also the rapid fall in temperature during
the action, shortened the period during which hydrogen could be made from a
given charge of iron. Now according to my invention the same iron is made to
serve again and again, being reduced after each operation to the metallic state
by the passage over it of carbon monoxide. The iron is then ready to serve for
the absorption of more oxygen from steam, until it becomes again charged with
oxygen, when the reducing process is repeated. The heat evolved in the
production of the carbon monoxide can be utilized to keep the iron at the requisite
temperature for a long time while additional heat for this purpose can be evolved
by the further oxidation of the carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide. Any carbon
monoxide that escapes can be employed in raising steam or otherwise.
An apparatus suitable for carrying out my process comprises a gas producer
in which coke or other fuel is imperfectly burned under an air blast admitted by
one or more nozzles or tuyeres. Within this producer (preferably arranged vertically
in the centre) is a retort filled, or partly filled, with fragments of iron, such as borings
or turnings if hydrogen alone be required, or with a mixture of iron and carbon-
accous material if a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide be wanted for fuel
purposes. A steam pipe or superheater is so arranged within the gas producer
as to present sufficient surface to ensure that the steam shall become superheated
in flowing through it. The superheater may be protected from the action of the
gases by asbestos, fire clay or other suitable material.
Suitable valves are provided for regulating the flow of the various gases and
steam.
Hydrogen gas is manufactured in such an apparatus according to my invention
as follows-The producer is filled with coke and lighted at the bottom. The
blast is then turned on and the resulting gases, mainly carbon monoxide and
nitrogen, are led from the top of the generator through the retort. The contents
of the said retort become heated to a glowing condition, partly by the heat of
the gases, and partly by heat transmitted through the wall from the glowing coke.
Should the iron already be in the metallic condition contact with the carbon
monoxide does not affect it, but should it have been left in the condition of oxide
from a previous operation the carbon monoxide will reduce it to the metallic
state.
heat the production of
steam is sent through
It becomes dissociated
When the metallic iron has been raised to a cherry red
carbon monoxide is stopped by turning off the blast, and
the heated steam pipe, and upwards through the retort.
and the oxygen entering into combination with the iron, the hydrogen passes out
at the exit, and can be collected in any convenient way. The cycle of operations
is then commenced afresh.
It is evident that the apparatus can be variously modified without departure

page_text: from the essential features of the invention. It may have combined with it a
carburetting apparatus for converting the hydrogen into illuminating gas.
Dated this 19th day of December 1890.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,.
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London; W:C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in the Manufacture of Hydrogen Gas, or a Mixture of
Hydrogen and Carbon Monoxide, and Apparatus therefor.
I, VIVIAN BYAM LEWES, of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, in the
County of Kent, Professor of Chemistry, 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:-
One method of producing hydrogen gas heretofore has been to pass steam over
red hot iron. The steam became decomposed, the oxygen combining with the iron
to form magnetic oxide of iron, and the hydrogen passing off. In course of time
the whole of the iron became oxidised and then the process stopped, necessitating
the removal of the oxide of iron and the substitution of fresh iron before the
process could be continued. This entailed much labor, whilst the cost of the metal,
and the small demand for the magnetic oxide of iron rendered the expense of the
process prohibitive in a commercial sense. Furthermore, the rapid cooling of the
iron during the decomposition of the steam_caused the cessation of the.action.long-
before the completion of the oxidation-of-the-iron.
It has been proposed to reduce the magnetic oxide to the metallic state in-situ by
passing over it carbonic oxide. My invention is to enable-the-manufacture-of
hydrogen gas, or a mixture of hydrogen-and-carbon monoxide, in this manner to be
carried on on a commercial scale in an efficient manner and by apparatus much
simpler-in-construction-than-heretofore proposed for the purpose. To this end the
iron which is made to serve again and again-for-the-decomposition-of-steam-is-
reduced after each decomposing operation to the metallic state by the passage over
it of reducing gases generated by passing air in contact with incandescent fuel in a
gas-producer,-the-heat-evolved in the production of these reducing gases being
utilized to keep the iron or oxide as the case may be at the requisite temperature
for a long time.
And in order that the nature of my invention and the manner of carrying it into
practical effect may be clearly understood I proceed to describe the same by aid of
the accompanying illustrative drawings in which
Fig. 1 shews partly in vertical section and partly in elevation one form of
apparatus suitable for carrying my invention into practice.
A is a gas producer fitted with tuyeres or blast nozzles for the entrance of air in
suitable positions two of which are indicated at B B.
I have found in practice, since the date of my Provisional Specification, inter alia,
that the reduction of the oxide of iron by carbon monoxide alone, at convenient
temperatures, is greatly facilitated by the addition of hydrogen inasmuch as the
reduction is effected far more rapidly and completely and at a temperature that can
be readily attained in a gas producer. Also that hydrogen for use in reducing the
oxide of iron can be advantageously produced, in conjunction with the carbon
monoxide, by decomposition of steam by carbon in a state of incandescence. There-
fore in describing what I believe to be the best way of carrying my present
invention into effect it becomes necessary to introduce a description of improvements
included in the subject matter of a later application for Patent by me No. 4134,
dated 7 March 1891; one of which improvements is the use of steam with the air
instead of air alone..

page_text: In the centre of the gas producer is placed the retort D. This retort may be
filled or partly filled with fragments of iron such as borings or turnings, if hydrogen
alone be required, or with a mixture of iron and carbonaceous material if a mixture
of hydrogen and carbon monoxide be wanted for fuel purposes, as proposed in my
Provisional Specification; but since the date of leaving that document at the
Patent Office I have invented a further improvement, which it is desirable to adopt
in carrying out my present invention and which is also included in the subject
matter of my above mentioned later application for Patent No. 4134 of 1891, that
is to say I have found it advantageous if hydrogen alone be required to employ
iron in a very fine state of division. One way of preparing this is by saturating
absorbent refractory material such as asbestos or pumice stone with an iron salt, for
example sulphate or oxalate of iron, that is easily decomposable by heat into oxide
of iron, so as to thereby produce a porous mass easily permeable by steam, and by
the reducing gas or gases, the fine state of division of the metal, or of the oxide of
iron, as the case may be, greatly increasing the rate of interaction. Another way
of obtaining iron in the required state of fine subdivision is as follows:-By kneading
together moist hydrated oxide of iron, fine iron filings, and asbestos fibre, and
making the mixture into balls, blocks, or masses which are afterwards hardened by
baking. Suitable proportions by weight are say, moist hydrated oxide of iron
50 pounds, fine iron filings 40 pounds, and asbestos fibre 10 pounds, kneaded into a
pasty mass with water. The balls, blocks or masses, on reduction by the gases,
become porous and easily permeable by the superheated steam.
be noted that I do not claim as forming parts of my present invention the features
herein referred to as being included in the subject matter of my other application
for Letters Patent No. 4134 of 1891 above mentioned.
It is however to
If it be desired to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide I use in the retort a
mixture consisting of spongy iron produced as described and carbonaceous material.
Fis a steam pipe of considerable length exposed to the heat of the furnace in order
that the steam passing through it may be superheated. It is connected at its upper
end to a steam generator, while its lower end opens within the retort.
G is a pipe
for placing the interior of the gas producer in communication with the top of the
retort D. His a pipe for the escape of the gases that have been used to reduce
the oxide of iron, and which will consist chiefly of steam and carbon dioxide. J is
a pipe for the delivery of hydrogen. K L and M are cocks or valves, situated in
the pipes G H and J respectively. N is a cock on the steam pipe F.
Hydrogen gas is manufactured in such an apparatus as follows when carrying out
my present invention with the additional improvements above referred to and not
herein claimed. The producer is charged with coke, anthracite, or other car-
bonaceous material, which is lighted at the bottom. The air blast is then turned
on until the fuel is raised to a bright red heat when a little steam is admitted with
the air blast, and the resulting hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen, produced
by the action of the steam and air upon the red hot carbon, are led direct from the
top of the generator through the pipe G and valve K down through the retort.
The contents of the latter become heated to a glowing condition, partly by the heat
of the gases, and partly by the heat transmitted through the sides of the retort
from the incandescent fuel." After passing through the retort, the gases escape by
the pipe H, and may be used for raising steam.
Should the finely divided iron be already in the metallic state, contact with the
gases does not affect it; but should it be in the state of an oxide, the carbon
monoxide and hydrogen will reduce it to the metallic condition. As soon as the
iron oxide is reduced to iron, and the right temperature has been obtained, viz., a
bright red heat, the introduction of the producer gases is stopped by turning off
the blast to the producer, and the valves K and L are shut. Steam is then sent
through the superheater F and into the lower end of the retort, and in passing up
over the spongy iron is decomposed, the hydrogen being evolved and led away past
the valve M, which is then open, and by the pipe J to a gasometer, whilst the
iron is converted into magnetic oxide. The heat necessary to complete this

page_text: reaction between steam and iron is kept up by the mass of incandescent fuel sur-
rounding the retort. If necessary for this purpose, the air blast can be continued
or modified, the resulting producer gases being conducted by a bye-pass pipe to
the pipe H. The cycle of operations is then.commenced afresh, by again reducing
the magnetic oxide back to metallic iron by the producer gases.
Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive illustrate the construction of another form of my
apparatus,
Fig. 2 being a vertical section on the line a Fig. 3;
Fig. 3 a sectional plan on the line y y Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 an external elevation.; and
Eig. 5 a-sectional plan on the line zz Fig. 3.-
This apparatus consists of a circular metal casing A* lined with fire brick and
divided into two chambers A and -D by a fire brick partition C. The chamber A
constitutes a gas producer wherein the reducing gases are generated, and it is
charged with anthracite, coke or other carbonaceous material that rests upon a
grate A. This grate consists, by preference, of fire bars adapted to be tilted.by
a rock shaft A with crank handle A for the purpose of keeping therbottom of the
chamber. A free from clinker. The chamber D forms a retort heated by the .mass
of incandescent fuel in the gas producer, and is hereinafter called a retort. This
retort is charged with iron turnings or finely divided iron that rests.upon-a
grate D. Band B are pipes for admitting air and steam respectively to the
Bottom of the gas producer A. F is a pipe for admitting steain to the bottom of
the retort D. G is a passage for connecting the top of the gas, producer with the
top of the retort. H is an outlet pipe for the gases that have been used to, reduce.
the oxide of iron, and which will consist chiefly of steam and carbon dioxide. Jris
an outlet pipe for hydrogen. L, M, N, O and Pare cocks on the pipes.H, J, E, B
and-B respectively Qis-an-opening-for-introducing fuel-to-the-gas-producer-A.
This opening is normally-closed by a self-sealing-lid R-is-an-opening-through-
which ashes and clinker can be removed from the ash pit below the gas producer. A;
this-opening is normally closed by a tight fitting door R.
-
Hydrogen is produced in this apparatus in the manner herein before described
with reference to Fig. 1, but the passage G is not closed during the production of
hydrogen which cannot escape except through the outlet pipe J. The contents
of the retort D-are-maintained at the necessary temperature-by-heat-trans-
mitted through the partition C from the mass of incandescent fuel in the gas
producer A.
When carrying out the process on a large scale it may be made a continuous.one
by carrying on the operations herein before described, simultaneously,..in two or
more retorts or sets of retorts, hydrogen being produced in one or more of the
retorts or sets of retorts, whilst oxide of iron is being reduced in the other. set..or
sets, and vice versa, and the arrangement being such as to pass a continuous..and
steady.stream.of hydrogen to the gas holder.
For this purpose two gas producers can be used each, provided with a retort
and connections which may be like either of those shown in the drawings. In this
case hydrogen would be delivered alternately through each of the delivery.pipes...J
-into-a-gas-main-common-to-them.
It is evident that the apparatus can be variously modified without departure
from the essential features of the invention, and may also be used in conjunction
with a carburetting apparatus for converting the hydrogen into illuminating.gas.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I 'declare that what 'I
claim is :-
1. In the manufacture of hydrogen by the decomposition of steam by.contact
with heated iron and reducing the resulting, oxide of iron to the metallic state for
re-use by subjecting it to the action of a reducing gas or gases, utilizing the heat
generated by the production of the reducing gas or gases to maintain the iron at a

page_text: temperature at which it will decompose steam, and the resulting oxide of iron at a
temperature at which it can be reduced by the reducing gas or gases substantially
as herein described.
2. The hereinbefore described process for the manufacture of hydrogen gas and
carbon monoxide, by causing steam and producer gas alternately to pass over or
through a mixture of heated iron and carbonaceous material kept hot by heat
generated in the production of the producer gas the iron and carbon being oxidised
by the steam, with production of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, and the resulting
oxide of iron being reduced to the metallic state by the producer gas.
3. The improved apparatus hereinbefore described for the manufacture of
hydrogen gas or of a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide.
Dated this 10th day of July 1891.
VIVIAN BYAM LEWES.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.