Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Illuminating Gas.
Year: 1889

page_text: TRUVIDIUNAL
DILUIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of
Illuminating Gas.
I, FREDERICK JOSIAH JONES of Godmersham House, Fish Pool Street, St. Albans, in
the County of Herts., Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:---
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for the manufacture of
illuminating gas from coal and other materials.
According to this invention, the distillation of the gas is effected by causing the
hot gases which result from the decomposition of superheated steam to pass through,
and in direct contact with, the charge to be distilled so as to mix with the gases
and tarry vapors distilled off therefrom and by augmenting their volume increase
the quantity of gases produced, the distillation being completed or supplemented
by conducting the resultant mixture of gases or vapors as they come from the
charge under distillation at once through a superheater or superheaters in order to
convert the volatile constituents of the said gases and vapors into permanent gas.
The decomposition of the steamr may be effected by passing it through incandescent
coke, charcoal, or anthracite, in which case the resulting gases will be a mixture of
carbonic oxide and hydrogen, but if it be desired to avoid the presence of carbonic
oxide in the resulting gases I may employ a metal such as iron in a divided state
instead of coke, charcoal, or anthracite.
The operations of decomposing, distilling, and superheating, are performed in a
continuous manner and by means of an apparatus so arranged that the heating of the
chambers or retorts is performed under the most efficient and economical conditions
whilst the utmost facilities are afforded for enabling the retorts to be charged and
drawn without interrupting the operation of distillation.
For this purpose, the retorts are set in a vertical or inclined position at such an
angle that the charge will descend by gravity through the retorts whose upper and
lower ends project beyond the setting and are provided with means of charging and
drawing the retorts without pemitting the escape of gas.
The steam decomposing chamber or retort and the gas superheaters are similarly set
in the same setting, the decomposer communicating with the several retorts and the
latter communicating with the superheater or superheaters so that the gases resulting
from the decomposition of the steam are caused to traverse the whole or any desired
part of the length of the column or charge of material to be distilled, the resulting
mixture of gases and vapors then passing through the superheater or superheaters.
The decomposing distilling and superheating chambers or retorts are heated pre-
ferably by a regenerative furnace in communication with the chamber in which
the retorts used as coal distillers steam decomposers and superheaters are placed
or set.
If necessary, I may enrich the gas by introducing petroleum, tar, or other liquid
hydrocarbon.
D
711
1
2000

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of
Illuminating Gas.
I, FREDERICK JOSIAH JONES of Godmersham House, Fish Pool Street, St. Albans,
in the County of Herts, 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 :-
This invention relates to apparatus for carrying on the continuous process of
manufacturing illuminating gas, forming the subject of another application for Letters
Patent, dated July 20th 1889, No. 11624.
According to the said process the hot gases resulting from the decomposition of
steam (commonly known as water gas) are caused to pass completely through a column
of coal in an externally-heated retort so arranged that the charge will descend therein
by gravity, the said water gas mixing with the gases and tarry vapors distilled from
the coal, and the mixed gases and vapors being immediately superheated in order to
convert the condensable constituents of the said gases and vapors into permanent gas.
The apparatus, whereby the operations of decomposing distilling and superheating
are performed in a continuous manner, is so arranged that the retorts are heated under
the most effective and economical conditions and are charged and drawn without
interrupting their operation.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, wherein Figure 1 is a cross-sectional, and Figure 2, a front clevation
of the apparatus.
A is a water-gas generator, B B B are the retorts in any suitable number, C and
Dare superheaters, F is the furnace for heating the water-gas generator and retorts,
and G is a regenerator for heating the air supplied to the combustion chamber.
A. B, C, and D, are fireclay tubes set in an inclined position, as shewn in Figure 1,
in a brick setting E, through the front wall of which the lower ends of the said several
tubes project, the water gas generator A and the several retorts B being all in com-
munication at the upper side of their lower forward extensions by a cross-pipe or
main H. The lower ends of the generator and retorts have tubular cast-iron pro-
longations extending downwards beyond the point of connection with the main H and
their lower open ends are sealed by dipping into a water tank I wherein theyterminate
just above a slab i which supports the ash and prevents the too-rapid descent of the
superincumbent charge contained in the generator and retorts and from which the ash
is removed as necessary to allow of the gradual descent of the charge.
The water gas generator A and retorts B are so set that the contained charge
will descend therein by gravity, and the former is provided at top. above the
setting E, with a charging hopper closed by a cone, and with a steam inlet pipe a
just below the charging mouth. It is charged with anthracite coal or it may be
coke or charcoal. The retorts B are of gradually-increasing cross-sectional area
towards the lower end so as to allow of the swelling of the charge under
distillation and permit it to descend freely, plugged holes being provided at a for
the insertion of a tool, should any wedging occur. The retorts communicate at
the upper end with a charging throat K preferably common to all the retorts and
rising above the setting E and being surmounted by a charging hopper closed by
a cone. A revolving winged feed drum L is mounted in the throat whereby the
coal fed in through the hoppers is distributed to the retorts in regulated quantities.
The throat K is connected by a pipe J at a point below the feed drum, with the
upper end of the first superheater C which is inclined like the retorts B and is
provided at top with a charging hopper and cone and its lower end is sealed by
dipping into tank I. This superheater is charged with inert porous substances,
such as coke or broken bricks and its lower extension communicates by a cross-
tube or main M with the lower end of the second superheater D. The latter is

page_text: filled with broken brick, is closed at the lower end, and connected at the upper
end with the ordinary purifier or directly to the gas-holder, as the case may be.
The generator A, retorts B, and superheaters C and D, traverse a combustion
chamber N which is partially separated from the furnace F by an arch having
apertures through which the carbonic oxide generated in the furnace enters the
combustion chamber N. The regenerator. G also communicates with the combustion
chamber N just above the arch and serves to heat the air admitted thereto for
effecting the combustion of the furnace gases and it is itself heated by the escaping
products of combustion after the same have circulated around, and so heated, the
retorts, etc.
If the gas requires to be enriched an inlet pipe may be provided, at the upper end
of the first superheater C, at which petroleum, tar, or other liquid hydrocarbon, may
be injected for the purpose. In this case it is preferable to use coke in the first
superheater C and it is necessary, to prevent choking by the deposit of carbon therein,
that the coke should be renewed from time to time which is done by charging fresh
coke in at the top and withdrawing a portion of the contents at bottom as often as
necessary.
The water gas continuously generated in A passes at once, in a heated state, through
the main H into the retorts B wherein it mixes with the gaseous products of distillation,
the resulting mixture of gases and vapors passing at once, before being allowed. to
cool down, through the superheaters C and D in the former of which the gas may be
enriched, if necessary, as above mentioned.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is:
1. In an apparatus for the continuous manufacture of illuminating gas, in the
manner described, the combination of the tubular water gas generator and retorts
surrounded by a combustion chamber and so arranged that the charge will descend
therein by gravity and provided with means of continuously charging at top and
withdrawing the residue at bottom without interrupting the operation and without
loss of gas, the said generator and retorts being in direct communication at their lower
ends, substantially as, and for the purpose specified.
2. In an apparatus for the continuous manufacture of illuminating gas, in the
manner described, the combination of a tubular water-gas generator, retorts so
arranged that the charge will descend therein by gravity, and superheaters and a
surrounding combustion chamber and furnace, the said generator retorts and super-
heaters being connected and provided with means of continuously charging at top and
withdrawing the residue at bottom without interrupting the operation and without loss
of gas, substantially as shewn and described.
3. In an apparatus for the continuous manufacture of illuminating gas, in the
manner described, the combination, with the water-gas generator, retorts, and super-
heaters, arranged as described, of the herein described means of sealing the lower ends
of the same, supporting the charge therein, and permitting the withdrawal of the
residue, as specified.