US1821050A - Method of manufacturing mixed water gas and oil gas - Google Patents

Description

c. 'w; ANDREWS Ei'AL' Sept. 1, 1931.

METHOD OF IANUFACTURINGMIXEDI wA'rEa GAS mm on. us

Filed Aug. 18, 1 5

'Illii'liiliiil'llililpln Patented Sept. 1, 1931 Y UNITED STATES PATENT orr cr.

'CHABLES W. ANDREWS, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA, AND HERMAN A. BRASSERT, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO H. ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS A. BRASSERT 86 COMPANY, OF CHICAGO,

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING MIXED WATER GAS AND OIL GAS Application filed August 18, 1926. Serial No. 129,866.

This invention relates to a new and improved method of manufacturing gas and more particularly to a method of gasifying the heavy oils'and'tars used in carbureting orenriching gases. I

The development of processes for the crack ing of oils for the production of gasoline is resulting in a constant increase in the price of what have been commonly known as gas oils since it has now become possible to crack such oils into gasoline and the heavier residuum. This heavier residuum, while cheaper than gas oil for use in the manufacture of gas presents many difficulties in its use in the gas processes. In usual methods of op eration the liquid hydrocarbons used in the carburetion are sprayed into a carburetor which consists of a chamber filled withhighly heated brick checker-work. These heavy reheavy oils the most eflicient process consists 1 in subjecting them to a gradual increase in temperature. This results in a fractional distillation, components which volatilize ,at

g each, temperature passing oil and not being subjected to subsequent higher temperature, and thus degradation of the fractions is prevented. l/Vhen the heavy oils are sprayed on hot brick work the oils are subjected suddenly to high temperatures and the more volatile components are broken down by these excessive temperatures, resulting in a low output of enriching volatiles and in'large deposit of solid carbon. Mechanical difiiculties make it impractical to reverse the flow through the carburetor and thus subject the heavy oil to gradually increasing temperatures.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method for the carburetion or enrichment of gas by the distillation of heavy oils and tars.

It is a further object'to provide a method of this character in which the enriching hydrocarbons are not first subjected to the highest temperatures.

It is also an object to provide such a method in which the noir-volatilizable constituents of the tar or oil may be recovered as coke.

It is an additional object to provide a method whereby such coke or. solid residue of the enriching material may be gasitied in the a fuel charging opening 12 and with the air inlet passage 13 controlled by valve 14 and the steam pipe 15 controlled by the valve 16, gntering the upper end of the generator. he lower portion of the generator is providediwith a grate 17 and with the air inlet passage 18 controlled by the valve 19 and steam inlet pipe 20 controlled by valve 21, which enter the generator below the grate.

The upper portion of the generator is connected with a secondary generator 22 by the passage/23 which enters the upper portion of generator 22 tangentially, asshown in Figure 2. This passage is controlled by valve 24. and the valve seat is provided with the cleaning vent 25 discharging into the secondary generator 22. The gas generator 22 is simil-ar in construction to the gas generator 11 and is provided at its upper end withthe fuel charging opening 26 and the oil pipe 2? controlled by the valve 28. The lower portion of the generator is provided with the grate 29 and with the air inlet passage 30 controlled byvalve 31 and steam pipe 32 controlled by valve 33. I

The lower portions of the gas generators L1 and 22 are connected by passage 35 controlled by valve 35. The upper portion of the generator 22 is connected by passage 36 with the upper end of the-superheater 37. This superheater is filled with the usual brick work 38. The secondary air passage 39 leads into the passage 36 and is controlled by valve 40. The lower portion of the generator 22 is connected by passage 41 controlled by valve 42 with the lower end of the superheater 37. I

Thelower portion ofsuperheater 37 also communicates with the upwardly extending passage 43, the upper end of which is con trolled by the stack valve 44. The passage 45 leads to the water seal 46 from which the passage 47 leads to any suitable gas treating, washing, holding, or using apparatus which has not been shown. If desired the Waste heat boiler 48 may be connected to the lower'portion of superheater 37 by passage 49, the upper end of the boiler discharging through a passage controlled by stack valve 50 Generator 11 isprovidedwith the beam 52 ;whieh is located immediately above the grate 17 and is carried by the drive ring 53 by which it is rotated. The drive ring 53 is driven by gear 54 and may be water cooled by means of water supplied through connection 55. The ash receiving ring 56 is carried by the drive ring 53 and ash may be removed by means of the adjustable scoop 57. The generator 22 is provided with a similar. beam 58, drive ring 59, gear 60, wa-

ter connection 61, ash ring 62, and scoop 63. The lower portion of the generator 11 is shown provided with the water cooling chamber 64 and the generator 22- with the similar chamber 65.

The generator unit 11 is also provided with the pipe 66 controlled by valve 67 so that oil or other enriching hydrocarbon may be sprayed into this unit if desired.

Our improved method of operation may be carried out in the apparatus shown by operating the generater 11 in the usual manner as a water gas generator. The charge of fuel may be entirely coke or when starting up, coke may be charged in the lower portion and coal in the upper portion, the coal being coked by 'thepassage of the gases therethrough durin the operation. A mixture of coal and 'co (e may be charged if found preferable, the type of charge. being varied depending upon the character of the fuel available. i

The second generator is charged with coke"- when starting up-the apparatus. Fires are preferably started upon both grates and the fuel and generators heated up. During this period, both generators may be up blasted by closed and the valve 24 opened. The air blast gases from generator 11 pass through passage 23 into the upper portion of generator 22 and the gases from both generators then pass up through passage 36 into the upper" end of the super heater 37. Secondary air may be introduced through passage 39,, valve 40 being opened, and the combustion of the blast gases completed in the superheater, much of their heat being taken up by the checkerwork in the superheater. The blast gases may be discharged through the stack valve 44 or additional heat recovery may be had by means of the waste heat boiler.48, shown in Figure2.

When down blasting in the generator 11, the valve 24 will be closed and valve 35 opened. The air is introduced through pipe 13, valx e 14 being opened. Valve 42 may be partly opened so that only part ofthe air blast gases of generator 11 may be sent through the fuel mass in the generator 22. The portion of the gases, sent through this second generator will be passed down through the superheater while the gases passing valve 42 will pass through the lower portion only of the superheaterf It will be understood that air may be introduced below generator 22 to complete the combustion of the'blast gases from generator 11. In this'case the temperatures may be too great for usual types of metal grates in generator 22 and special grates may be provided. It should be noted that the secondary generator 22 is never down blasted.

After the fuel masses in the two generators have reached the temperature proper for operation, the air blasting is stopped. The

air valves are closed and valve 35 is closed and valve 24 is opened. Steam is introduced in the lower portion of generator 11, valve '21 in pipe 20 being opened. This steam passes up through grate 17 into'the incandescent carbonaceous residue in the lower portion of the generator 11 and Water gasis generated. This hot watergas passes up through the fuel in the generator and it the upper portion of the charge consists partly or wholly of coal, the heat of the gas serves to volatilize the volatile content of the coal and carry such volatiles with it.

At the same time, heavy oils or tars at sprayed into the upper portion of the sec zones in the lower portion of the generator oils or tars are volatilized in the most eflicient manner by being gradually passed into zones of increasing heat.

The water gas generated in unit 11 passes through passage 23 into the upperportion of generator 22 Where it is enriched by the volatiles liberated in this generator and the enriched gas goes through passage 36 to the superheater 37, passing down through the highly heated brick work 38, which has been previously heated by the air blast gases. The enriching volatiles are largely fixed by the passage through the superheater and the enriched gas .is taken off through the water seal 46.

In down runs, the steam is admitted through pipe 15 into the upper portion of generator 11, valve 16' being opened. Valve 24 is closedand valve opened. Valve 42 may be adjusted as desired, all or part of the water gas being sent up through generator 22 to carry out the enriching volatiles. That portion of the gas which serves to carry off these volatiles passes down through the superheater to fix them and'meets the remainder of the gas in the bottom of the superheater. Y 5

Suitable temperatures may be maintained in generator 22 if desired, by passing. in some air through the fuel bed in unit 22 during the making period ingenerator 11, thus making produce-r gas in unit 22, which gas carries with it the enriching volatiles and joins the water gas fromunitll in the upper portion of unit '22.

The amount of coke formed in generator 22 from the non-volatile content of the enriching material: will vary largely with such the mass of fuel in this generator at the proper temperature or it may provide an excess of coke which can be withdrawn for use in charging generator 11 or for other use.

It will be noted that the apparatus shown may be'used to carry out widely varied processes. If generator 11 is shut down for any reason, it. may be cut off from generator 22 ' b valves 24 and 35. andf enerator22 ma be used for the production of Water gas in the usual manner. This gas may be enriched by liquid hydrocarbon sprayed into the top of the generator through pipe 27.

The use of the two generators may also be reversed and the generator 11 used to liberate the enriching volatiles from heavy oils or tars, while water is made in generator 22. In this way an excess of coke formed from the solid residue of the liquid hydrocabron may be gasilied without removal from the unit.

At times of heavy load both uni s may be used for the purpose of making water gas and enriching material may be sprayed in either generator or both generators if desired; or one generator only may be used for making gas and carbureting or enriching-it, butthe generator must be of the agitating type so as to automatically prevent clogging of the the bed by deposition of carbon from. the oil and also prevent channeling and other irregular lire conditions. i I

To that end the rotating beam operating above the grate should preferably be as shown both upstroking and outstroking, serving to agitate the fuel masses and prevent the formation of clinkers. This type of beam also prevents the formation of large solid masses of coke from the carbon residue of the enriching material and keeps the fuel masses broken upso that gases may pass up through them substantially throughout their area.

Ashes may be discharged as desired by means of the adjustable scoops and this discharge may be independent of the speed of rotation of the beam.

While we have illustrated one preferred apparatus for carryingout our method and described certain ways of carrying out that method, it is to be understood that the method may be carried out by other forms of apparatus and in other ways; for instance, the up run water gas while hot may be introduced at the bottom of the secondary generator, thus utilizing the sensible heat, and in combination with other types of gas producers or with any primary source of gas which it is desired to mix with or enrich with oil or gas. For instanbe, lean gases such as blast furnace gas may be introduced at the bottom of an agitated bed of coke on which oil is sprayed from the top, as for example through passage 30 into generator 22, and We contemplate such changesand modifications as come within the V spirit and scope of the appended claims.

lVhat is claimed is 1. The method of manufacture of mixed water gas and oil gas, which comprises utilizing a plurality of generators having solid fuel beds therein, agitating the fuel bed in one generator and making water gas therein, gasifying liquid hydrocarbons in a second generator, making producer gas in said second generator, carrying out said gasified liquid hydrocarbons with said gas made in the second generator, mixing the gases made in the first and second generators, and passing the mixed gas directly through a superheater to 'fix the volatiles thereini .2. A process of making mixed water gas and oil gas, which comprises air blasting solid fuel beds to incandescence in two gas generators. then generating water gas in one. generator by passing steam through theincandescent fuel bed and simultaneously agitating the fuel bed. passing the heated water gas up through the second incandescent fuel bed together with blast furnace gas and simultaneously agitating the second fuel bed, simultaneously admitting oil to the top of the second fuel bed and thereby vaporizing and gasifying the oil, passing the mixed water gas and oil gas through aheated fixing chamher and thereby fixing entrained oil vapors. Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 13th day of'August, 1926,

CHARLES W. ANDREWS. HERMAN A. BRASSERT.

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