US1487845A - Gas-producer apparatus - Google Patents

Description

March 25 1924@ A. L. GALUSHA GAS PRODUCER APPARATU Filed July l5, 1918 liatented llt/lar., 25, i924.

@t STTES ALBERT L. GALUSH, OIF SHARON, SSACHUSETTS.

GAS-ERDDUCER APP.:

ATUS.

Application filed July 1li, 191%. Serial No. Qdlld.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that l, ALBERT L. GALUsHA,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Sharon, county of Norfolk, State of Massa` 5 chusetts, have invented an Improvement in Gas-Producer Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specilication, like characters on the drawing representing like parts. rlhis. invention yrelates to apparatus of that type which includes a. gas producer adapted to produce 'oln coal, cohe, charcoal and other solid el or from .suitable liquid fuel,

and a giisconsuming element, such, for instance, as an internal combustion engine, in which the gas is consumed, and said invention relates particularly to apparatus in .which the production of gas in the gas pro 2U* rincer necessitates the admission thereto of the required quantities of steam and air. ln the production of gas in such gas producers the oxygen in the air enters in-to artial combustion with the carbon contalned in the fuel thereby liberating heat, and this heat has the eilect of decomposing the steam. The oxygen thus liberated from the steam assists in carrying on combustion and the i hydrogen which is liberated passes oli with and forms a desirable constituent of the gas produced.

ln order that the apparatus may work satisfactorily to produce gas of the proper quality it is `highly important that the air and the steam should at all times be introduced into the gas producer in proper proportions, `:for if an excess of air is used, the result -will be a generation of excessive heat in the gas producer, while it excessive steam is used, the temperature in the gas producer will be unduly lowered and gas of inferior quality will be produced.

It is one of the objects of my present invention to provide an apparatus of the above-mentioned type having novel means for regulating automatically the supply of steam to the gas producer so that the quantity of steam thus delivered will vary as lthe amount of gas consumed varies, and also to provide novel means for generating the steam which is thus admitted to the gas producer. ln order to thus regulate the quantity of steam supplied. l have provided sans whereby the amount of gas which is consumed in the gas-consuming element controls automatically the amount of steam delivered to the gas producer and thus when conditions require an increased consumption of gas, an increased amount ot steam will be automatically delivered to the gas producer, while if conditions require a decreased consumption of gas, a correspondingly decreased amount o steam will be delivered to the gas producer whereby the proper gasproducmg conditions will be always maintained automatically in the gas producer. l also propose to generate the necessary steam by brin 'ng water into direct contact vwith the pro ucts of combustion delivered from the gas consuming element, the heat -from such products of combustion Vaporizmg the water and producing the necessary steam. The apparatus will preferably be so arranged that the quantity of steam produced is in excess of the requirements, and means are provided for withdrawing from the commingled steam and products of combustion a suiicient amount of steam to maintain proper gas-producing conditions in the gas producer, suchl withdrawing or separation of the steam being accomplished in suc-h a way that the amount of steam supplied to the gas producer is properly proportioned to the amount of gas being consumed,

in order to give an understanding of my invention l have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described, after which the novel features will be pointed ou-t in the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a general View in elevation showing an apparatus4 embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail view showing partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section the manner of introducing the water into direct contact with the products or combustion;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section showing the manner of separating the steam from the products of combustion;

Fig. t is an enlarged section on the line le-4, Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a modified formof the invention. v

ln Fig. 1 the gas producer is indicated generally at 2 and the gas-consuming element is indicated at 1, the latter being shown liti@ as an internal combustion engine. The gas producer may be of an suitable or usual type,`it having associate therewith a scrubber .3 into which the gases are delivered shown the intake pipe 8 of the engine as connected to the tank 7 through a valve connection 9, said intake pipe also being connected to a pipe 10 which leads to the atmosphere so that when the engine is operating both air-and as will be delivered through the pipe 8. lie pipes 9 and 10 are regulated by suitable valves 11, and a throttle or power control valve 12 is also provided in the intake pipe 8.

13 indicates the exhaust manifold of the engine which leads into the exhaust pipe. This exhaust pipe comprises the verticallydisposed portion or pipe section 15 which leads into the lhorizontal pipe section 14.

16 indicates a steam pi e b which steam is admitted to the asli-pit o the producer 2. This steam ipe leads into the upper end of an air in et pipe 17 which is larger than the steam pipe and the force of steam issuing from the pipe 6 acts to draw air in the upper end of the air pipe 17 and the commingled steam and air are then delivered to the Producer 2.

In accordance with my invention I have provided novel means for generating the necessary steam by bringing water into d1- rect Contact with the hot products of com-r bustion issuing from the gas-consuming element. The steam thus generated is then withdrawn from the products of combustion and delivered to the gas producer in suliicient volume to provide proper gas-produc ing conditions in the gas roducer.

In the illustrated embo iment of the invention the water is brought into direct contact with the hot products of combustion by introducing it into the exhaust pipe of the engine, and preferably into the vertical ortion 15 of said exhaust pipe. This can Ee done by tapping a water pipe 36 into said vertical portion 15, as shown in Fig. 2. The water may be taken from any suitable source. One convenient arranvement is that by which the water may be ta en from the Awater jacket of the engine, or in case the exhaust manifold 13 is water-jacketed, then from the water jacket of a manifold. It is the latter construction which I have herein shown, and in Fig. 2 I have illustrated the manifold 13 as provided with a water jacket 170. The pipe 36 leads into this water jacket, as shown at 18, and is provided with va suitable regulating valve 19 by which the flow of watercan be controlled. When the valve 19 -is properly adjusted the correct amount of water will iow into the exhaust pipe and thus be brought into direct contact withthe hot products of combustion, the heat of which will convert some or all of the water into steam. The steam thus generated, any excess water that has not been vaporized, any salts or other solids which may be contained in the water, and the products. of combustion will pass into the horizontalsection 14 of the pipe, and since the specific gravity of steam is less than that of the products of combustion and other substances carried along lthereby there will be a tendency for the steam to rise to the upper side of the horizontal pipe section 14 and for the heavier substances,such as excess water, salts, dirt and other impurities that may be contained in the water, and the products of combustion, to settle to the bottom of thel pi e section 14. Hence `the gas mixture at tlie upper side of the pipe section 14 will be much richer in steam than the gas mixture at the lower side of the pipe section 14. I

have rovided herein means for trapping or with rawing from the exhaust pipe the portion of the gas mixture traveling along the upper side of the pipe section 14, and which is largely steam but may also contain a certain percentage of carbon dioxide, and delivering such portion to the gas producer through the pipe 16.

The exhaust pipe 14 has a steam dome 20 communicating with the u per side thereof and depending from lthis dome is a deflector 21, the lower end of which extends into the pipe 14 and forms an obstruction across the upper ortion thereof.- The lower end of this de ector is reerably curved forwardly, as best seen in Fig. 3, and its function is two-fold. It serves not only to divert into the dome a portion of the gaseous mixture which is passing at relatively high velocity through the exhaust pipe, thus creating a substantial pressure in the dome, but owing to its position in the top of the exhaust pipe it acts to deflect into the dome 20 the gaseous mixture at the upper art of the pipe which is rich in steam. e gaseous mixture passing along the lower part of the pipe which has comparatively little steam and which also contains any unvaporized water, salts, dirt, or other solid impurities, will pass beneath the deflector 21 and be exhausted from the exhaust pipe in usual manner.

The deliector 21 is preferably made adjustable so that a greater or less proportion of the ases passing along the pipe may be deiecte into the steam dome 20, thus determining or regulating the pressure of the e steam in the .steam dome as well as the richness or relative urity of the steam. This is herein accomp ished by providing the de`- manana dector 2l with a clamping screw 23 which extends through a vertical slot 22 formed in the steam dome, a cap plate 2d being employed to close the slot. By loosening the screw 23 the dellector may be adjusted vertically and when the screw is tightened it will be longitudinally held in its adjusted position. The cover plate 24 will keep the slot 22 closed in all positions of the deflector.

ln the operation of the device l propose to so adjust the valve 19 that the amount of water delivered to the exhaust ipe will produce an excess of steam over t at necessary to provide proper gas-producing conditions in the gas producer. The pressure of the gases in the exhaust pipe maintains the pro er pressure in the steam dome 20 to orce the steam from the steam dome through the pipe 16 into the gas producer. Said pipe 16 is provided with a regulating valve 26 by which the amount of steam delivered may be properly regulated. The steam dome 20 is of sucient size so that the gases passing thereinto have a relatively slow motion u wardly therethrough. Hence any water, sa ts or other heavy substances which may become trapped with the steam will have an opportunity to gravitate out of the steam dome into the exhaust pipe before the steam is delivered to the pipe 16. The amount ot steam which is delivered to this gas producer depends upon the pressure in the steam' dome 20, and this in turn depends upon the pressure in the exhaust pipe which varies with the amount of gas consumed. .dn increased consumption of gas due to an increased load on the engine will produce an increased pressure in the exhaust pipe,

' thus increasing the pressure in the dome 20 and causing a larger volume of steam to be delivered to the producer. A. decreased-consumption ot as with a consequent decreased pressure in t e exhaust pipe will have the reverse edect. Hence the amount of steam which is delivered to the gas producer varies automatically as the gas consumption varies, and as a result, the proper gas-producing conditions are maintained in the gas producer, regardless of ductuations in the gas consumption. The valve 26 will be setto admit the necessary steam to the gas producer tor average load conditions on the eiigine and any variation in the gas consum tion due to variations in load conditions will he automatically taken care of as above descrihed.

l have stated above that the steam issuing from the delivery end of the pipe 16 operatea to draw air into the open upper end 'of the pipe 17 so that a mixture of air and steam is delivered to the gas roducer. For controlling the amount of air that is drawn into the pi e 17 l provide an air valve 25 which is in t e form of a plate pivotallv mounted on the. steam pipe 1t and adapted to swing across the end ot the pipe 17. rlhis valve ma' be positioned so as to close the open en of the pipe 17 more or less, depending on the amount of air which it is desired to admit and the relative resure desired inside the producer 2. l wil preferably so adjust' the valves 26 and 25 that the ressure in the upper portion of the gas pro ucer 2 is substantially the same as atmospheric pressure. The advantage ol this is that there will he no tendency for the gas to leak out around the openings in the top ot the gas producer as would be the case il the pressure inside the producer were greater than atmospheric pressure.

Further, with my gas producer it is possible to open the ash-pit doors to clean out ashes without edecting any change in the character or quality of the gas being produced. ll/ly improved a paratus is capable of giving the saine hig .quality of gas as a so-called pressure producer, but without the disadvantages ot the pressure producer type.

Another advantage which results from my invention is that it is ossible to generate the necessary steam rom salt water or water having salts or other mineral substances therein because tlie manner of withdrawing the steam from the commingled products of combustion 'permits the salts and other impurities to be lar ely se arated from the steam before it is divere to the gas producer and these impurities will be carried away through the exhaust pipe 14 by any excess water which may be delivered throu h the pipe 36.

ln igs. l and 3l have shown a construction wherein the steam used is generated from water delivered into direct' contact with the products ol combustion. ln Fig. 5 l have illustrated a slightly diiierent embodiment of the invention wherein the steam'doine 20 has a steam pipe 27 leadlill@ ing thereinto so that steam from any source n may be delivered directly to the steam dome. With this arrangement l propose to deliver to the steam dome steam in excess ot that required and then to rely upon the pressure of the exhaust gases in the exhaust pipe to maintain the necessary varying pressure in tile steam dome to torce the r uisite quan tity ot steam into the gas nro ucer as the gas consumption varies. l' may also provide a steam pipe 28 leading into the exhaust pipe and which takes its steam from any suitable source. This arrangement will have the saine automatic regulation of the delivery of steam to the gas producer as is present in the construction shown in Figs. l and 3 because as the gas consumption increases and the pressure in the exhaust pipe thus more steam will be forced in the gas 'dit producer, while a reduction in the consumption ot gas will produce a corr ondin reduction of pressure in the steam ome w ich I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the class described the combination with a as producer of an internal combustion engine provided with an exhaust pipe having an out et to the/open air, a steam connection opening at oneend into the exhaust ipe between the engine and the outlet and) connected at the other end to the reducer for conductin 'steam to the lpr ucer, devices controlle independent y of the engine for supplying steam to the steam connection, and means in the exhaust pipe for regulating the ressure in the steam connection, whereby t e amount of steam delivered to the producer will be varied in accordance with variations in the pressure of the exhaust.

2. In an apparatus of the class described the combination with a gas producer of an internal combustion engine provided with an exhaust pipe having an outlet to the open air, a steam connection opening at one end into the exhaust pipe between the engine and the outlet and connected at the other end to the producer fory conducting steam to the producer, devices controlled independently of the engine for supplying water to the exhaust pipe between the engine and the steam connection, and means in the exhaust pipe for regulatin the pressure in the steam connection,` w ereby the amount of steam delivered to the producer will be varied in accordance with the variations in the pressure of the exhaust.

3. In an apparatus of the class described. ythe combination with a gas producer of an internal combustion engine provided with an exhaust pipe having an outleto the open air, a steam connection opening at one end into the exhaust pipe between the engine and the outlet and connected at the other end to the producer for conducting steam to the producer, devices controlled independently of the engine for supplying steam to the steam connection, and an adjustable de- `Hector in the exhaust pipe adjacent the steam connection for deilecting to a greater or less extent into the steam connection the gases passing through the exhaust pipe, thereby to regulate the pressure of the steam in the steam connection. i

4. In an apparatus of the class described, the combinationwith a gas reducer of an internal combustion engine aving an exhaust pipe, a steam pipe connecting the exhaust pipe and the producer, means to introduce water into the exhaust pipe between the engine and the steam pipe'thereby to generate steam, and means in the exhaust mareas ipe acting to divert steam thus generated rom the exhaust pipe and to deliver said internal combustion engine provided with an exhaust pipe, means to cominingle water with the products of combustion of said enine thereby to generate steam, means to efect by gravity at least a partial separation of the steam and roducts of combustion, a steam connection tween the exhaust pipe and the producer for conducting steam to the producer, and devices in the exhaust pipe to divert the steam thus separated and e iver it to the steam pipe.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a gas reducer of an internal combustion engine aving an exhaust pipe provided with a horizontal portion,imeans to introduce water into said ex-I haust 4pi thereby to generate steam, said comming ed steam and products of combustion becoming separated partially at least by, gravity as they pass along said horizontal ortion of the pipe, a steam dome mounted irectly upon the exhaust-pipe and conimunicating with the exhaust pipe by an opening osubstantially the same size as the cross sectional area of the dome, and means to deliver fromv the steam dome to the gas producer the steam thus separated from the products of combustion.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a gas roducer of an internal combustion engine aving an exhaust ipe, means to introduce water into said ex aust pipe thereby to generate steam, a reservoir chamber connected to said pi e, and a pipe connecting said reservoir to t e gas producer, said reservoir and its connection with the pipe being of sufficient cross sectional area to permit the steam to move slowly therethrough whereby condensed steam and heavy substances held in suspension will become se arated from the steam by gravity and wil return to the exhaust ipe. P 8. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a gas producer andan internal combustion engine having an exhaust ipe provided with a horizontal portion, o a steam dome connected to said horizontal portion of the pipe, a defiector depending from said dome and extending partly across said pipe, means to introduce water into the exhaust pipe, and a connection between the dome and the gas producer. v

9. In an a paratus of the class described, the combination with a gas producer and an internal combustion engine having an exhaust pipe provided with a horizontal portion, of a steam dome connected to said horizontal portion of the pipe, an adjusttitl as d

menace able delector depending from said dome and extending partly across said pipe, means to introduce water into the exhaust pipe, and a connection between the dome and the gas producer.

10. lin an apparatus ofthe class described, the combination with a gas producer and an internal combustion engine, of means operating automatically to deliver to the gas producer a quantity of commingled air and steam controlled in amount by the pressure of the exhaust of the engine and pro ortionate to the volume of gas consume in the engine.

11. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a gas producer and an internal combustion engine having an exhaust pipe, of an air inlet pipe leading into the gas producer and having an open end, means to admit water into the exhaust pipe of said engine thereby to generate steam, means to separate from the exhaust gases the steam thus generated, and a steam pipe to deliver the steam to the gas producer, the delivery end of said steam pipe extending into the open end of the air inlet pipe whereby the steam acts to draw air through the inlet pipe.

12. In an apparatus of the class described, the combina-tion with a gas producer and an internal combustion engine having an exhaust pipe, of an air inlet pipe leading into the gas producer, means to admit water into the exhaust pipe of said engine thereby to generate steam, means to separate from the exhaust gases the steam thus gener-ated, a steam pipe to deliver the steam to the gas producer, the `delivery end of said steam pipe extending into the open end of the air inlet pipe whereby the steam acts to -draw airthrough the inlet pipe, and means to regulate the pressure of the steam and the amount of air so as to maintain approximately atmospheric pressure in the gas proucer.

13. ln an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a gas producer and an internal combustion engine, of a pipe leading to the ash-pit of said gas producer and having an air inlet opento the atmosphere, a steam dome in communication with said pipe, and means whereby the pressure in the steam dome varies as the consumption of the gas in the engine varies.

14. ln an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a gas producer, of an air inlet pipe for the producer having an open end, a steam pipe, means for su plying steam throu h said pipe to the pr ucer, the steam pipe eing eccentrically arranged Within the open end of the air inlet pipe, and an adjustable dise eccentrically mounted on the steam pipe for regulating the amount of air entering the air inlet pipe.

15. En an apparatus ot the class described the combination with a gas producer of an internal combustion engine provided with an exhaust pipe having an outlet to the open air, a steam connection opening at one end into the exhaust ipe between the engine and the outlet and connected at the other end to the producer for conducting steam to the producer, devices controlled independently of the engine for supplyin steam to the steam connection, means in t e exhaust pipe for regula-ting the pressure in the steam connection, and a valve in the steam connection for controlling the flow of steam to the producer, whereby steam will be delivered to the producer in automatically varied amounts to maintain a uniform quality of gas produced under varying rates of comsumption by the engine.

16. ln an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a gas producer of an internal combustion engine provided with an exhaust pipe having an outlet to the 'open air, an open ended air pipe for admitting air to the producer, a steam pi e with one end connected into the exhaust plpe and with the other end entering the open end of the air pipe for conducting steam to the air pipe, the steam drawing into the air pipe air in amount proportional to the amount of steam, and both steam and air bein delivered to the producer, devices contro led independently of the engine for delivering steam to the steam pipe, and means in the exhaust pipe for regulating the pressureof steam in the steam pipe, whereby the amounts of steam and air delivered to the producer will be automaticall varied in accordance with variations in t e consumption of gas by the engine.

17. ln an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a gas producer ot' an internal combustion engine provided with an exhaust pipe having an outlet to the open air, an open ended air pipe for admittin air to the producer, a steam dome mount upon the exhaust pipe and communicating with the exhaust pipe by an opening ot substantially the same size as the cross sectional area of the dome, a steam pipe with one end connected with the steam dome and with the other end entering the open .end of the air pipe for conducting steam to the air pipe, an air valve for controlling the admission o air into the open end of the air pipe, a steam valve for controlling the flow of steam from the steam pipe, an adjustable delector in the exhaust pipe adjacent the dome, and means controlled independently of the engine for supplying water to the exhaust pipe between the engine and the de- Hector.

ln testimony whereof ll have signed my name to this specification.

ALBERT L. GALUSHA.

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