The apparatus shown in the accompanying engraving is designed for the
manufacture of water gas for heating purposes, and is described in a
communication, by Mr. W.A. Goodyear, to the American Institute of Mining
Engineers.
The generator, A, is lined with refractory bricks and is filled with
fuel, which may be coal, coke, or any suitable carbonaceous material. B
and B' are two series of regenerating chambers lined with refractory
brick, and, besides, filled with refractory bricks piled up as shown in
the figure. The partitions, C and C', are likewise of refractory brick,
and are rendered as air-proof as possible. Apertures, D and D', are
formed alternately at the base of one partition and the top of the
adjacent one, in order to oblige the gases that traverse the series of
chambers to descend in one of them and to rise in the following,
whatever be the number of chambers in use.
The two flues, E and E', lead from the bottom of the two nearest
regenerator on each side to the bottom of the generator A, and serve to
bring the current of air or steam into contact with the fuel. Valves, F
and F', placed in these flues, permit of regulating the current in the
two directions. Pipes, M and M', provided with valves, G and G', put the
upper part of the generator in communication with the contiguous
chambers, T and T'. Other pipes, N and N', with valves, H and H', permit
of the introduction of a current of air from the outside into the
chambers, T and T'. The pipes, O and O', and the valves, I and I',
connected with a blower, serve for the same purpose. The pipes, P and
P', and their valves, J and J', lead a current of steam. The conduits, Q
and Q', and their valves, K and K', direct the gases toward the
purifiers and the gasometer. Finally, the pipes, R and R', provided with
valves, L and L', are connected with a chimney.
The generator, A, is provided at its upper part with a feed hopper. The
doors, S and S', of the ash box close the apertures through which the
ashes are removed.
When it is desired to use the apparatus, the pipes, P, Q, and R, are
closed by means of their valves, J, K, and L, and the valve, I, of the
pipe, O, is opened. The pipes, M and N, are likewise closed, while the
flue, E, is opened. On the other side of the generator the reverse order
is followed, that is to say, the flue, E', is closed, the pipes, M' and
N', are opened, the pipes, O', P', and Q', are closed, and R' is opened.
A current of air is introduced through the pipe, O, and this traverses
the regenerators, B, enters the chamber, T, and the generator, A,
through the flue, E. As this air rises through the mass of incandescent
fuel, its oxygen combines with an atom of carbon and forms carbonic
oxide. This gas that is disengaged from the upper part of the fuel
consists chiefly of nitrogen and carbonic oxide, mixed with volatile
hydrocarburets derived from the fuel used. This gas, through the action
of the air upon the fuel, is called "air gas," in order to distinguish
it from the "water gas" formed in the second period of the process.
The air gas, on issuing from the generator through the pipe, M', in
order to pass into the chamber, F', meets in the latter a second current
of air coming in through the pipe, N', and which burns it and produces,
in doing so, considerable heat. The strongly heated gases resulting from
the combustion traverse the regenerators, B', and give up to the bricks
therein the greater part of their heat, and finally make their exit,
relatively cool, through the pipe, R', which leads them to the chimney.
When the operation has been continued for a sufficient length of time to
give the refractory bricks in the chamber, B', next the regenerator a
high temperature, the valve, I, is closed, thus shutting off the
entrance of air through the pipe, Q. The valve, F, of the flue, E, is
also closed, and that of the pipe, M, is opened. The valves, G', H', L',
of the pipes, M', N', R', are closed, and that, F', of the flue, E', is
opened. The valve, J', of the pipe, P', is then opened, and a jet of
steam is introduced through the latter.
The steam becomes superheated in traversing the regenerators, B', and in
this state enters the bottom of the generator through the flue, E'. In
passing into the incandescent fuel that fills the generator, the steam
is decomposed, and there forms carbonic oxide, while hydrogen is
liberated. The mixture of these two gases with the hydrocarburets
furnished by the fuel constitutes water gas. This gas on making its exit
from the generator through the pipe, M', passes through the chambers, B,
and abandons therein the greater part of its heat, and enters the pipe,
R, whence it passes through Q into the purifiers, and then into the
gasometer.
As the production of water gas implies the absorption of a large
quantity of sensible heat, it is accompanied with a rapid fall of
temperature in the chambers, B', and eventually also in the generator,
A, while at the same time the chambers, B, are but moderately heated by
the sensible heat of the current of gas produced. When this cooling has
continued so long that the temperature in the generator, A, is no longer
high enough to allow the fuel to decompose the steam with ease, the
valve, J', of the pipe, P', that leads the steam is closed, as is also
the valve, K, of the pipe, Q, while the valves, L and H, of the pipes, R
and N, are opened. After this the valve, I', is opened, and a current of
air is let in through the pipe, O'. This air, upon traversing the
chambers, B' and T', is raised to a high temperature through the heat
remaining in these chambers, and then enters at the bottom of the
generator, through the flue, E'. The air gas that now makes its exit
from the pipe, M, in the chamber, T, meets another current of air coming
from the pipe, N, and is thus burned. The products resulting from such
combustion pass into the chambers, B, and then into the chimney, through
the pipe, R. The temperature then rapidly lowers in the chambers, B',
and rises no less rapidly in the generator, A, while the chambers, B,
are soon heated to the same temperature that first existed in the
chambers, B'. As soon as the desired temperature is obtained in the
generator, A, and the chambers, B, the air is shut off by closing the
valve, I', of the pipe, O'; the valve, F', of the flue, E', is also
closed, the valves, G' and K', of the pipes, M' and Q', are opened, the
valves, G, H, and L, of the pipes, M, N, and R, are closed, and the
valve, F, of the flue, E, and the valve, J, of the pipe, P, are opened.
A current of steam enters the apparatus through the pipe, P, traverses
the chambers, B, and enters the generator through the flue, E. The gas
produced makes its exit from the generator, passes through the pipe, M',
and the chambers, T' and B', and the pipe, R, and enters the gasometer
through the pipe, Q'.
[Illustration: WATER-GAS APPARATUS.]
When the chamber, B, and the generator, A, are again in so cool a state
that the fuel no longer decomposes the steam easily, the valves are so
maneuvered as to stop the entrance of the latter, and to send a current
of air into the apparatus in the same direction that the steam had just
been taking. The temperature thereupon quickly rises in the generator,
A, while, at the same time, the combustion of the air gas produced soon
reheats the chambers, B'. The cooled products of combustion go, as
before, to the chimney. The position of the valves is then changed again
so as to send a current of steam into the apparatus in a direction
contrary to that which the air took in the last place, and the water gas
obtained again is sent to the gasometer.
As will be seen, the process is entirely continuous, each current of air
following the same direction in the apparatus (from left to right, or
right to left) that the current of steam did which preceded it, while
each current of steam follows a direction opposite that of the current
of air which preceded it.
The inventor estimates that the cost of the coal necessary for his
process will not exceed a tenth of a cent per cubic foot of gas.
One important advantage of the apparatus is that it can be made of any
dimensions. Instead of giving the generator the limited size and form
shown in the engraving, with doors at the bottom for the removal of the
ashes by hand from time to time, it may be constructed after the general
model of the shaft of blast furnaces, with a hearth at the base. Upon
adding to the fuel a small quantity of flux, all the mineral parts
thereof can be melted into a liquid slag, which may be carried off just
like that of blast furnaces. There is no difficulty in constructing
regenerators of refractory bricks of sufficient capacity, however large
the generators be; and a single apparatus might, if need be, convert one
thousand tons of anthracite per day into more than five million cubic
feet of gas.
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