US1487846A - Method of operating gas producers - Google Patents

Description

March 25 1924.

i-lid May 6, 1919 lll ltd

dill

all

Mar, 25, 11.924

LETHQD tlh @PERATING GAS FPRQDUGW.

Application tiled may 65,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Annnnr L. GALUSHA, a citizen of the United States, residin at Sharon, in the county of Norfolk and tate of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful llm rovements in Methods of @perating Gas reducers; and l do hereby declare the following to be a lull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

llhe present invention relates to gas producers adapted to produce gas from coal, colic, charcoal, or other solid or suitable liquid fuel, and more particularly to the method or process for operating such producers.

In the production or gas in such producers it is necessary not only to supply air and steam to the producer, but also to provide for the addition of more fuel and the removal of accumulations of ashes during the continuous operation of the producer. Furthermore, it is sometimes desirable or necessa to provide access to the interior of the pro ucer for urpose of inspection, stirring or rahng t e fuel bed. he a result, producers are constructed with openings and suitable closures therefor, besides havin the necessary valves and connections, al of which fit with more or less exactness. Numerous opportunities are thus provided for leakage around the closures, valves and fittings, whereby gas may escape outwardly from the producer, or air may leak inwardly, according to the relative pressures within and Without the producer.

Producers as at present constructed and operated are of two types. One type may be called the pressure producer, in which air and steam are delivered to the producer under a pressure above atmosphere, commonly into the air-ti ht ash pit. Pressure above atmosphere is t us maintained in the ash pit and in the producer. It is apparent that in this pressure type of producer if the ash pit door or other orifice below the fire is opened for the removal of ashes or for any other purpose the pressure necessary to force air and steam through the fire-is destroyed and gas production is greatly reduced or ceases altogether. Furthermore in this pressure type of producer gas will pass out into the atmosphere from the producer wherever opportunity ofiers. 'lhe escape of gas even in small quantities is objectionable. Not

only is its'odor exceedingly disagreeable but it is liable to cause. illness oil the operator. The escape of gas in any considerable quantitles, particularly where there is not the lreest ventilation, may lead to danger of an explosive mixture of the gas and air.

In another type of producer, in which the gas is withdrawn from the producer under a substantial vacuum, say for storage purposes, the suction or vacuum being relied upon to draw air and steam into the ash pit, the leakage around the closures and valves of the producer will be inwardly and air will enter the producer or its connections, resulting in the combustion or burning of the gas with which it comes in contact, thus not only diminishing the uantity of combustible gas delivered by t e producer, but

diluting such delivered gas with carbon dioxide and also creating an undesirably high temperature. Furthermore, in the present suction type of gas producers, the opening of the ash pit door to remove ashes or clean the fire breaks the vacuum which alone draws steam into the fire. llhe steam flow to the fire then either ceases altogether or changes its ratio to the air. This results in much poorer gas and bothemome clinkers in the fire.

llt is the object of the resent invention to avoid the objectionable eatures attendant upon the operation of producers of the pressure type and of the vacuum or suction type, and this object is accomplished, generally speaking, by maintaining substantially atmospheric pressure in the ash pit.. Serious interference with the production of gas by opening the ash pit is thus avoided and so slight a vacuum required in the producer that there will be no substantial leaka e of air around the closures and valves 0 the producer.

lhis object is accomplished by sup lying steam and air to the producer at su stantially atmospheric pressure and in amounts proportional to the amount of the gas delivered therefrom, so that the greater the amount of gas withdrawn from the producer the greater will be the amount of steam and air supplied and vice versa. Any convenient means and method may be employed for controlling this sup ly of air and steam, a convenient method being to control the steam supply in accordance with the delivery of as and then to control the amount oil air y the volume of steam delivered. lhus, the

reater the amount of gas withdrawn from t e producer the greater will be the amount of steam and air delivered to the producer, and by proper adjustment and control the delivery of steam and air to the producer will be in quantities just sufficient for the roduction of the amount of as withdrawn. gince the proper uantities 0 air and steam are delivered to t e ash pit at substantially atmospheric pressure as distin uished from the producer itself supplying t e se elements by means of its own suctlon, a minimum reduction of pressure or vacuum can be maintained within the interior of the producer.

In the accompanying drawings is shown an apparatus designed to operate according to the above method, the gas consuming element being an internal combustion engine, and the steam being generated by the exhaust of the engine. The quantity or volume of steam generated and delivered to the producer varies with the volume and tem rature of the exhaust, which in turn is etermined by the volume of gas withdrawn from the producer, and the quantity of air delivered varies with the quantity of steam. Fi re 1 of the drawings is a general view in Sid: elevation of a producer and internal combustion en he with the necessary connections to ena le the producer to operate in accordance with the present invention Fig. 2 is a detail view showing partly in side ele vation and partly in vertical section the method of introducing the water into direct contact with the products of combustion to cause the eneratlon of steam; Fig. 3 is another detail showing partly in side elevation and partly in vertica section themethod of separating the steam thus generated from the products of combustion; Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view on line 44 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 shows in side elevation a modified construction.

In Fig. 1 the gas producer is indicated generally at 2 and the as-consuming element is indicated at 1, the atter being shown as an internal combustion engine. The gas producer may be of an suita le or usual type, it having associated t erewith a scrubber 3 into which the gases are delivered through the pipe 4 and in which the gases are cleansed and purified. From the scrubber the gases pass by means of a pipe 6 to a pressureualizing chamber 7, from which they are ta on to the gas engine or other gas-consuming element. I have herein shown the intake lpe 8 of the engine as connected to the tank 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 gas will be drawn through the pipe 8. The pipes 9 and 10 are regu ated by suitable valves 11, and a throttle or wer control valve 12 is also provided in t e intake pipe 8.

13 indicates the exhaust manifold of the engine which leads into the exhaust pipe. This exhaust pipe comprises the vertica ly dis osed portion or pi e section 15 which lea s into the horizonta pipe section 14.

16 indicates a steam pipe by which steam is admitted to the ash pit of the producer 2. This. steam pipe leads into the upper end of an air inlet 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 the apparatus illustrated in the drawings I have provided means for generating steam and delivering it to the producer in quantities proportional to the quantity of gas withdrawn from the producer by introducing water into direct contact with the hot products of combustion in the exhaust pipe of the engine. This can be 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 arrangement is that by which the water may be taken from the water 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 a suitable regulating valve 19 by which the flow of water can be controlled. When the valve 19 is opened water will flow into the exhaust pipe and thus be brought into direct contact with the hot roducts of combustion, the heat of whic will generate steam. Preferably an excess of water is supplied to the exhaust pipe so that this will e kept free and open and all salts, dirt, and other solid impurities will be washed out by the water passing therethrough to the exhaust pipe outlet. 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 horizontal section 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 thereby there will be a tendenc for the steam to rise to the up r side 0 the horizontal pipe section 14 an 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 the mixture at t e upper side of the pipe section 14 will be much richer in steam than the mixture at the lower side of the pipe section 14. I have provided herein means for pipe section 14. Hence the gas.

Bill in along the lower part of the pi e which has trapping or withdrawing from the exhaust pipe the portion of the gas mixture traveling into the pipe 14: and forms anobstruction across the upper portion thereof. The lower end of this deflector is preferably curved forwardly, as best seen in Fig. 3, and it acts to deflect into the dome the gaseous mixture at the upper part of the pipe which is rich steam. 'l e gaseous mixture passing comparatively little steam an which also contains any unvaporized water, salts, dirt,

or other solid impurities, will pass beneath the deflector 21 and be exhausted from the exhaust pi e in the usual manner.

vThe dc ector 21 is preferably made adjustable'so that a greater or less proportion of the gases passing along the pipe may be deflected into the steam dome 20. This is herein accomplished by providing the deflector 21 with a clhmping screw 23 which extends through a vertlcal slot 22 formed in the steam dome, a cap plate 24 being employed to close the slot. By loosening the screw 23 the deflector 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 ositions of the deflector.

In the operatlon of the device I prefer 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 suficient pressure in the steam dome 20 to force 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 suficient size so that the gases passing thereinto have a relatively slow motion upwardly therethrough. Hence an water, salts, or other'heavy substances w 'ch 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 oi 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. An increased consumption of gas due to an increased load th on the engine will produce an increased pres sure in the exhaust pipe, thus increasing the pressure in the dome 26 and causing larger volume of steam to he delivered to the producer. A decreased consumption of gas with a consequent decreased pressure in the exhaust pipe will have the reverse efi'ect. Hence the amount of steam which is delivered to the gas producer varies automatically as the gas consumption varies, and the proper quantity of steam will he delivered to the producer for the production of the quantity of gas withdrawn.

l have stated above that the steam issuing from the delivery end of the pipe 16 operates to draw air into the open upper end of the pipe 1? so that a mixture of commingled air and steam is delivered to the gas producer. For controllingthe amount of air that is drawn into the pipe 17 I provide an air valve 25 which is in the form of a plate pivotally mounted on the steam pipe 16 and adapted to swing across the end of the pipe 17. This valve may be positioned so as to,

close the 0 en end of the pipe 17 more or less, depen ing on the amount of air which it is desired to admit.

Inasmuch as the quantity of air delivered to the producer depends upon the amount of steam delivered, and the latter in turn depends upon the quantity of gas withdrawn, it is possible by proper adjustment of the air and steam valves 25 and 26 to cause commingled air and steam to be delivered to the producer not only in the proper relative proper tions, but in such quantities and at such a pressure that substantially atmos heric pressure will be maintained in the ash pit and in. the combustion space of the producer under varying rates of production.

in Figs 1 and 3, l have shown a construction wherein the steam used is gencrated from water delivered into direct contact with the products of combustion. lln Fi 5 l have illustrated a slightly diderent em odiment of the invention wherein the steam dome 20 has a steam pipe 27 leading thereinto so that steam from any source may be delivered directly to the steam dome. With this arrangement I propose to deliver to thesteamdomcsteam in excess of that required and then. to rely upon the pressure of the exhaust gases in the exhaust pipe to maintain the necessary va ing pressure in the steam dome to force t e requisite quantity of steam into the gas producer as the gas consumption varies. I 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 same automatic regulation of the delivery of steam to the gas roducer as is present in the construction s own in Figs. 1 and 3, because as the gas consumption lncneases and e pre mure in the exhaust pipe correspond lllO ingly increases the pressure in the steamdome will also be increased and thus more steam will be forced into the gas producer, while a reduction in the consumption of gas will produce a corresponding reduction of pressure in the steam dome which results in a corresponding reduction in the amount of steam delivered to the gas producer.

While I have shown and described one form of apparatus adapted to carry out my improved method of operating gas producers, it is to be understood that my invention is not limited to such apparatus but may be practised by many different forms of apparatus Nor is my invention limited,

except when so specified in the claims, to controlling the quantity of steam delivered to the producer by the heat developed by the gas consuming element, but in its broader aspects contemplates may control or re ulation of the steam an air to provi e amounts proportional to the amount of as withdrawn from the producer and the elivery of the same to the producer, so that substantially atmospheric pressure will be maintained in the producer under Varying rates of production of gas.

Having thus described the present invention and explained the manner in which it may be practised, what is claimed is:

1. The method of operating gas producers which consists in delivering gas from the producer to an internal combustion engine, admitting water to the exhaust ipe of the engine in quantities in excess of t e vaporizing capacity of the exhaust, delivering steam from the exhaust pipe to the producer, and washing out the exhaust, pipe by means of the unvaporized excess of water.

2. The method of 0 rating gas producers which consists in de ivering gas from the producer to an internal combustion engine, delivering steam to the producer under the varying pressure of the exhaust, controlling the flow of gases through the exhaust pipe independentl of the operation of the engine to regulate t e pressure of the steam, and. permittin the excess of steam to escape throu h t e exhaust pipe.

3. he method of o crating gas-producers which consists in de ivering gas from the producer to an internal combustion en 'ne, admitting water to the exhaust pipe 0 the engine to generate steam, delivering air and steam to the roducer in amounts automatically control ed by the pressure of the exhaust, and permitting the excess of steam to escape through the exhaust pipe.

4. The method of 0 rating gas producers which consists in de ivering gas from the producer to an internal combustion en 'ne, admitting water to the exhaust pipe 0 the engine to enerate steam, intercepting to a greater or ess do the flow throu h the exhaust pipe to ivert steam from t e exhaust pipe and to control the ressure thereof, and re latin the'flow 0 such diverted steam to t e p ucer.

ALBERT L. GALUSHA.

Images