Physical purification thus begun is completed by passing the gas through a filtering bed consisting of fiber, sawdust, or moss (Figs. 83 and 84). Chemical purification if it is necessary, is effected by means of calcium hydrate, iron oxide, or, still better, by a mixture of lime and iron sulphate. This filtering material must necessarily be renewed after it is exhausted.
Gas-Holder.—The gas-holder is composed essentially of a tank and a bell. Sometimes, for the purpose of simplifying the apparatus, the tank is so arranged as to take the place of a washer or scrubber (Fig. 85). The bell should be provided with mechanism which, when the bell is full, automatically diminishes or stops the generation of gas. It is advisable to provide the bell with a blow or flap valve opening toward the interior. If, therefore, it should happen that the gas supply is cut off while the engine still continues to run, the suction of the engine will not draw the water from the tank of the gas-holder.
When engines are employed the horse-power of which does not exceed 50, it is sometimes customary to use the water of the tank (placed at a higher elevation than the engine) to cool the cylinder. In this manner the cost of installing special reservoirs is saved. If such an arrangement be employed, however, the quantity of water contained in the tank should be at least double that ordinarily contained in reservoirs. If this precaution be not observed, the water may become excessively heated and expand the gas in the bell.
The volume of the bell of the gas-holder should preferably be not less than about 3 cubic feet per effective horse-power of the engine to be supplied. Under these circumstances the bell acts as a pressure-regulator, assures a sufficient homogeneity of the remaining gas, and renders it possible to supply the engine during the short intervals in which it is necessary to stop the blast to poke the fire. But if the engine consumes 60 to 80 cubic feet of producer-gas per horse-power per hour, the bell must be very much larger in size if the generation of gas is to be checked for some time.
It may be well to recall here that coal is not the only fuel which lends itself to the generation of gas suitable for driving engines, but that some generators are able to utilize lignite, peat, and the like. In others, straw, wood, shavings and sawdust, tannery waste, and other organic matter is burnt with an efficiency very much higher than that which they would give in the fireboxes of steam-boilers.
Lignite and Peat Producers.—Lignite and peat generators (Fig. 86) cannot operate on the suction principle because of the resistance offered to the passage of gas by the layer of fuel. This resistance is considerable and extremely variable. Consequently, lignite and peat generators must operate on the pressure principle by utilizing a blast of air or a steam injector, depending upon the amount of water contained in the lignite. As a general rule a Root blower operating at a pressure of 8 to 27 inches of water, depending upon the quality of the lignite, is employed. These generators are not to be recommended for powers less than 50 horse-power, for the cost of the apparatus becomes too great.
The best lignite is that which, after combustion, leaves a fine ash and no agglomerated clinker. Lignite has the peculiarity of forming dust which ignites very easily when air is admitted into the generator. For this reason the generator should not be scraped during operation, in order to avoid the production of a flame which may escape from the apparatus.
The scrubber is simply a column without coke, and is provided with an interior sprinkler. The coke is too rapidly clogged with tar. Much of this tar is deposited in a chamber which precedes the gas-holder. Several quarts of tar may be tapped from the chamber daily.
The gas-holder serves merely to regulate the production of gas. The pipes leading to the engine should be cleaned several times each month, in order to remove the thin layer of tar which is deposited within them.
There are many kinds of lignite, and the gas-generator should be constructed to meet the peculiar requirements of the variety employed. The layer of fuel should be such in thickness that the gas as it emerges from the generator has a temperature of about 77 degrees F. This is the temperature of the gas which leaves the scrubber in the case of anthracite-generators. If the lignite contains much water, the greater part is retained in the washer by the gas in the form of drops. Sometimes the water drips through the grate of the generator. Lignite-generators may also be operated with peat, and even with town refuse, with slight modifications. The consumption per horse-power per hour is 3.3 pounds of lignite containing 2,400 calories (9,424.9 B.T.U.). In order to generate the same power with a boiler and steam-engine, 8.8 pounds would be required. An engine driven unloaded with fuel furnished by a lignite-generator will consume 50 per cent. of the weight of the fuel required at full load. This depends upon the proportion of water contained in the lignite and on losses of heat by radiation from the generator. In street-gas engines running without load, the absorption is 20 per cent., in anthracite-generators 40 per cent. of the consumption at full load.
Passing now to the utilization of wood, of which something has already been said in Chapter XI, two entirely distinct processes are successfully employed in apparatus of the Riché type, these processes depending upon the form of the wood used—whether, in other words, the wood be consumed in the form of sticks or blocks or in the form of chips, sawdust, bark, and the like, all of them the wastes of factories in which wood is used.
Distilling-Producers.—If the wood consists of logs, it is burnt in a generator comprising a fire-box and a distilling retort. The fire-box is charged with ordinary coal which serves to heat the retort to redness. The wood is discharged through the top of the retort, and the gas, produced by the distillation, escapes through the bottom and passes to the washing apparatus. The base of the retort is heated to about 1,652 degrees F., while at the top this temperature is reduced to 752 degrees F. The wood thus treated is transformed into charcoal, which is a by-product of some value.
The lower part of this cast retort (Fig. 87) is lined with charcoal, the residue of previous distillations. The wood which is introduced in the upper part of the retort is distilled in the chamber. The retort is held by its own weight in a socket on the foot, which socket is lined with a special refractory cement, made of silicate, asbestos forming the joint. The products of combustion, issuing from the furnace, pass by way of the flue to the lower part of the casing, and raise the temperature of the retort and the charcoal it contains to that of a cherry red (1,652 degrees F.). These products of combustion then float to the upper part of the casing and heat the top of the retort to a temperature of about 752 degrees F., in which part the wood or the wooden waste to be distilled is enclosed. Thence the products of combustion pass through a horizontal flue, provided with a damper, into a collecting flue by which they are led to the smoke-stack. The products of distillation formed in the chamber, having no outlet at the top of the retort, must traverse the zone filled with incandescent carbon. The condensible products are conducted as permanent gases (carbonic-acid gas in the state of carbon monoxide) and are collected in the receptacle, after having passed the funnel and the bell of the purifying apparatus.
A gas-furnace is formed by grouping in a single mass of masonry a certain number of elements of the kind just described. It is essential that the retorts should be vertically placed, that they be made only of cast metal and not of refractory clay, and, finally, that their diameter be not much more than 10 inches, which size has been found most expedient in practice. The gas collected in the bell or in one or more of the receptacles passes into the gasometer and then into the service pipes. If 2.2 pounds of wood be distilled by burning in the furnace 8⁄9 of a pound of coal of average quality or 2.2 pounds of wood (either sawdust or waste), 24.5 to 28 cubic feet of gas will be generated having a thermal value of 3,000 to 3,300 calories per cubic meter (11,904 to 13,094 B.T.U. per 35.31 cubic feet), and a residue 44 pounds of charcoal will be left.
In practice only the wood of commerce containing in the green state 20 to 40 per cent. of water, depending upon the variety, is used. Hornbeam contains the least water (18 per cent.), while elmwood and spruce contain the most (44 to 45 per cent.).
The blast apparatus of the generator being started, the gas is supplied under pressure. By reason of its permanent composition and its richness, it is an excellent substitute for street-gas in incandescent lighting, a good furnace fuel reducing agent.
Producers Using Wood Waste, Sawdust, and the Like.—If waste wood in the form of shavings, sawdust, straw, bark, and the like, should be employed, a still higher efficiency is obtained with self-reducing generators of the Riché type.
Combustion-Generators.—In combustion-generators (Fig. 88) the fuel is burnt and not distilled. The generator comprises two distinct elements. The first is the generator proper, in which the combustion takes place. Upon it is placed a hopper or fuel supply box. The Second element is the reducer, in which by an independent process the reduction of the carbonic-acid gas, the dissociation of the steam, and the transformation of the hydrocarbons takes place. The generator is provided at its base with a grate having oblique bars in tiers, which grate is furnished with a channel in which the water for the generation of hydrogen flows. On a level with this grate, at the opposite side, is a flue communicating with the reduction column of coke. The incandescent zone of the generator should not extend above the level of the grate. Instead of passing through the layers of fresh fuel and out by way of the top, the gas generated flows directly into the reduction column where it heats the coke to incandescence. The high temperature to which the coke is subjected, coupled with the injection of air, effects useful reactions. This additional air, however, is not used if the fuel is free from all products of distillation.
Experience has shown that gas of 1,000 to 1100 calories per cubic meter (3,968 to 4,365 B.T.U. per 35.31 cubic feet), which heat content is necessary to develop one horse-power per hour, can be obtained with 3.96 pounds of wood in the form of shavings and sawdust containing 30 per cent. of water. The corresponding quantity of coke consumed in the reduction column is insignificant, and may be placed at about 0.112 pounds per horse-power per hour.
It has been proven in actual practice that, both in the distilling and combustion types of apparatus, the wood, either in the green state or in the form of saw-mill waste, may contain as much as 60 per cent. of water. Either of the two systems can be operated under pressure with an air-blast, in which case a gas-holder and bell must be employed. The gas as it passes from the generator to the gas-holder is conducted through a cooler and washer and through a moss filter, which removes traces of the products that may have escaped the distillation.
Inverted Combustion.—With a few exceptions the pressure-generators which have been described, as well as suction gas-producers which will be later discussed, are fed with anthracite coal or with coke. They cannot be operated with moderately soft or bituminous coal. For this reason they limit the employment of producer-gas engines. Manufacturers have long sought generators in which any fuel whatever can be consumed.
Among the producers which seem to overcome the objections cited to a certain degree, are those which are based on the principle of inverted combustion. These apparatus embody the ideas of Ebelmen, the products of distillation being decomposed by passing them over layers of incandescent fuel.
Many writers place in the class of inverted combustion producers, apparatus of the Riché, Thwaite, and Duff type, in which this idea is also carried out. Riché employs an independent incandescent mass to reduce the products of distillation of another mass. Thwaite employs two vessels which serve alternately as distilling retorts and reducing columns. Duff draws in the products of distillation for the purpose of blowing them under the fire. All these generators can hardly be said to be of the inverted combustion type.
The generators of Deschamps (Fig. 89) and of Fangé and Chavanon (Fig. 90), on the other hand, are producers in which the combustion is really inverted, and which are worked continuously. The air enters at the upper part of the retort, passes through the entire mass of fuel, carrying with it the distilled volatile products, and when the mixture reaches the incandescent zone, chemical reactions occur that result in the production of a gas entirely free from tar and other impurities.
CHAPTER XIII
SUCTION GAS-PRODUCERS
The high cost and the complicated nature of the pressure gas-generators which have just been discussed have led manufacturers to attempt in some other way the generation of producer-gas intended for operating motors.
Several inventors, among whom we will mention Bénier and A. Taylor (in France), made some praiseworthy although not immediately very successful attempts to simplify the manufacture of producer-gas.
Advantages.—In these systems the suction occasioned by the motor itself has taken the place of a forced draft, produced in the generator by an air-injector or a fan, so that the gas, instead of being stored under pressure in a gas-holder, is kept in the apparatus under a pressure below that of the atmosphere.
As the device for producing a draft by means of boiler pressure or of a fan, and the gas-holder, are dispensed with, the result is a saving, first in the cost of installation, consumption, and floor space. Furthermore, the cooler and washer are supplanted by a single scrubber.
Manufacturers have succeeded in devising apparatus remarkable for the simplicity of the processes employed and yielding economical results which would never be obtained with pressure-generators employing gas-holders and boilers, considering that the boiler alone calls for a consumption of from 15 to 30 per cent. of the total amount of coal used for making the gas.
The best results obtained by the author with pressure gas-producers have indicated a consumption of not much less than 1 to 11⁄4 pounds of anthracite per horse-power per hour at the motor, while with suction-generators, under similar conditions and with the same grade of fuel, he has repeatedly found a consumption of from 9⁄10 pounds per effective horse-power per hour. In either case, the gas obtained developed between 1,100 and 1,300 calories (4,365 and 5,158 B.T.U. per 35.31 cubic feet) if produced from anthracite yielding from 7,500 to 8,000 calories (29,763 to 31,746 B.T.U.) per 2.2 pounds.
The suction apparatus will also work very well with inferior coal containing up to 6 to 8 per cent. of volatile matter and from 8 to 10 per cent. of ash. This great advantage added to all the others explains the favorable reception which European manufacturers at once gave to suction-producers. The petroleum engine itself will find a serious competitor in the new system.
As regards the possibility of employing suction gas generators with respect to the somewhat peculiar properties of the fuel, it may be said at the outset that coke from gas works yielding from 6,000 to 6,500 calories (22,911 to 24,995 B.T.U.) and also charcoal are perfectly available.
One horse-power per hour is obtained with a consumption of 1.1 to 1.3 pounds of coke.
Blast-furnace coke may be used in case of need, but its employment is not to be recommended on account of the sulphides it contains, which sulphides, being carried along by the gas, are liable to form sulphuric acid with the steam, the corrosive action of which would soon destroy the cylinder and other important parts of the engine.
Qualities of Fuel.—Anthracite coal is, upon the whole, so far the best available fuel for generators. However, it should possess certain qualities which will now be briefly indicated.
In suction gas-generators, above all, it is important that no harmful resistance should be opposed to the passage of the air and of the gas produced. It is therefore necessary to employ coal of a size that will answer the foregoing condition, without being too expensive.
The size of the pieces, to a certain extent, determines the price; and with coal of the same properties, pieces 1.1 to 2 inches may cost 1.4 of the price for the ordinary size of 0.59 to 0.98 inches, which is very well adapted for gas-generators. This is the size of a hazel-nut.
Moreover, it will be advisable to select the dryest coals, containing a minimum of volatile matter and having no tendency to coke or to cohere, in order that the volatilized products may not by distillation obstruct the interstices through which the gases must pass. For the same reason coal which breaks up and becomes pulverized under the action of the fire is not to be recommended. The coal should also be such as to avoid the formation of arches which would interfere with the proper settling of the fuel during its combustion. It may be stated as a rule that, with coal that does not cohere, the content of volatile matter should not exceed 5 to 8 per cent.
Coal which contains more than 10 to 15 per cent. of ash should not be used, for the reason that it chokes up and obstructs generators in which the dropping and discharge of the ashes is done automatically, a fact which should not pass unnoticed. The furnace cannot be cleaned safely with a fire of this kind, where combustion takes place in an enclosed space, without hindering the production of gas. Here again a point may be raised very much in favor of suction gas-producers. In a good generator, the ash-pit can be cleaned and the fire stoked without interrupting the liberation of the gas drawn in and without appreciably impairing the quality of the gas. These considerations are of importance so far as the gas-generator itself is concerned. Other conditions which should be noticed affect the engine fed by the generator, the grade of coal used, and the purification of the gas obtained from it.
Unless special chemical cleaners and purifiers are employed, thereby complicating the plant, the coal utilized should yield as little tar as possible during distillation; for the tendency of the tar to choke up the pipes and to clog the valves is one of the chief causes of defective operation of producer-gas engines.
Tar changes the proper composition of the explosive mixture. When it catches fire in the cylinder it causes premature ignition, which is so dangerous in large engines.
From what has been said in the foregoing, it follows that, in the present state of the art, the satisfactory operation of gas-generators depends no longer on the use of pure anthracite, such as Pennsylvania coal in America and Welsh coal in England, containing an amount of carbon as high as 90 to 94 per cent. and having a thermal value of 33,529 B.T.U. On the contrary, good dry coal yielding from 29,763 to 31,746 B.T.U. is quite suitable for the generation of producer-gas.
A final, practical advantage which speaks in favor of a generator and motor plant as compared with a steam-engine, is the small amount of water required. Apart from the water used for cooling the engine, which may be used over and over again if cooled, any water, whether it forms scale or deposits, may be employed for cooling and washing the gas in the scrubber.
According to the author's personal experience, an average of 3.3 gallons of water per effective horse-power per hour is sufficient for this purpose. This is about one-half of the amount required by a non-condensing slide-valve engine of from 15 to 30 horse-power. The difference in the consumption of water is quite important in city plants, where water is rather expensive as a rule.
General Arrangement.—A suction gas-generator plant of the character we have been discussing is shown in Fig. 91.
The apparatus A is the generator proper, in which combustion takes place. The gas produced passes into the apparatus B through a series of tubes, to be conveyed to the washer C. In the apparatus B, which is the vaporizer, the water admitted at the top under atmospheric pressure is vaporized by contact with a series of tubes, heated by the gas coming from the generator. The steam, together with air, is drawn into the lower part of the generator to support combustion. This vaporizer is provided with an overflow for the outlet of the water which has not been vaporized. The producer-gas pipe which leads from the vaporizer to the washer has a branch D, for the temporary escape to the atmosphere of the gas produced before and after the operation of the engine. In the washer, as the drawing shows, the gas enters at the bottom and leaves at the top to pass to the gas expansion-chamber E and thence to the motor. The gas thus passes through the body of coke in the opposite direction to the wash water, which then flows to the waste-pipe. The coke and the water free the gas not only from the dust carried along, but from the ammonia and other impurities contained in the gas.
When firing the generator, a small hand ventilator G is used for blowing in air to fan the fire. The gas obtained at first, being unsuitable for combustion, is allowed to escape through the branch D. After injecting air for about 10 to 15 minutes, the engine can be started after closing the branch D. The suction of the engine itself will then gradually bring about the proper conditions for its regular running, and after a quarter of an hour or half an hour the gas is rich enough to run the engine under a full load.
The apparatus just described is the original type, upon which many improvements have been made for the purpose of securing a uniform gas production and of diminishing the interval of time elapsing between the firing of the generator and the running of the engine under a full load.
Each of the elements of this apparatus—to wit, the generator, vaporizer, super-heater, and washer—have been modified and improved more or less successfully by the manufacturers; and in order that the reader may perceive the merits and the drawbacks of the various arrangements adopted, the most important ones will be separately discussed.
Generator.—With respect to the general arrangement of parts, generators may be divided into two classes:
First.—Generators with internal vaporizers, such as the Otto Deutz and Wiedenfeld generators.
Second.—Generators with external vaporizers, such as the Taylor, Bollinckx, Pintsch, Kinderlen, Benz, Wiedenfeld, Hille, and Goebels generators.
Cylindrical Body.—The generator consists essentially of a mantle made of sheet-iron or cast-iron and containing a refractory lining which forms a retort, a grate, and an ash-pit. In the small size apparatus the cast-iron mantle is often used, whereas in large sizes the mantle is made of riveted sheet-iron so as to reduce its weight and its cost. In the latter case the linings are securely riveted or bolted.
The Winterthur generator (Figs. 92 and 93), the Taylor generator (Fig. 94), and the Benz generator (Fig. 97), are made of cast-iron; the Wiedenfeld generator (Fig. 95), the Pintsch generator (Fig. 96), are made of sheet-iron; the Bollinckx (Fig. 98) is made partly of sheet-iron and partly of cast-iron.
The different parts of a generator, if made of sheet-iron, are held together by means of angle-irons forming yokes, and a sheet of asbestos is interposed. If the parts are made of cast-iron, they are connected after the manner of pipe-joints and packed with compressed asbestos. This latter way of assembling the parts presents the advantage of allowing them to be dismembered readily. Therefore, it allows the several parts to expand freely and facilitates the securing of tight joints. This last consideration is exceedingly important, particularly for the joints which are beyond the zone in which the distillation of the fuel takes place. Any entrance of air through these joints would necessarily impair the quality of the gas, either by mingling therewith, or by combustion. The air so admitted would also be liable to form an explosive mixture which might become ignited in case of a premature ignition of the cylinder charge during suction or through some other cause.
Refractory Lining.—The interior lining of the generator should be made of refractory clay of the best quality. It would seem advisable, in order to facilitate repairs, to employ retorts made of pieces held together instead of retorts made of a single piece. In the first case the assembling should preferably be made by means of refractory cement, and the inner surface should be covered with a coating so as to form a practically continuous stone surface.
Some manufacturers, in order to allow for the renewal of the part most liable to be burnt, employ at the bottom of the tank a refractory moulded ring (Lencauchez, Fig. 99).
It is always advisable to place between the shell or mantle of the generator and the refractory lining a layer of a material which is a bad conductor of heat as, for instance, asbestos or sand, in order to avoid as much as possible loss of heat due to external radiation (Fig. 100).
Grate and Support for the Lining.—These parts, owing to their contact with the ashes and the hot embers, are liable to deteriorate rapidly. It is therefore indispensable that they should be removable and easily accessible, so that they may be renewed in case of need. From this point of view, grates composed of independent bars would appear to be preferable. The clearance between the bars depends, of course, on the kind of ashes resulting from the different grades of fuel. It is advisable to design the grate so that the free passage for the air is about 60 to 70 per cent. of the total surface.
In generators having a cup-shaped ash-pit, containing water (Fig. 95), the grate and the base of the retort are less liable to burn than in apparatus having dry ash-pits. Certain apparatus, such as those of Lencauchez (Fig. 99), Pierson (Fig. 101), and Taylor (Fig. 94), have no grates; the fuel is held in the retort by the ashes, which form a cone resting on a sheet-iron base, easy of access for cleaning and from which the fuel slides down gradually.
The Pierson generator (Fig. 101) is provided with a poker comprising a central fork, which is worked with a lever, in order to stir the fire from below without entirely extinguishing the cone of ashes.
In some apparatus in which a grate is used (Fig. 92), a space is left between the grate and the support of the retort. This arrangement has the merit of allowing only finely divided and completely burnt ashes to pass to the ash-pit. Moreover, a large surface grate can be employed, thus facilitating the passage of the mixture of air and steam.
The space above mentioned is provided with a cleaning-door through which cinder and slag may be removed.
In other apparatus the grate rests either on the support of the refractory lining, as in the old type invented
by Wiedenfeld (Fig. 95), or upon a projection embedded in the lining, as, for instance, in the Kiderlen (Fig. 102) and Pintsch generators (Fig. 96).
In the Riché apparatus (Fig. 103) there is, besides the ordinary grate, a grate with tiers on which the fuel spreads. This grate consists of wide, hollow bars containing water. It should be noted that the apparatus is of the blower type.
An interesting arrangement is found in Bénier's generator (Fig. 104). This consists of a grate formed of projections cast around a cylinder which can be turned about its axis. The finely divided ashes which are retained in the spaces between these projections are thus carried into the ash-pit, and those which adhere to the metal are scraped away by a metallic comb fastened to the lower part of the apparatus. The "Phœnix" generator (Fig. 105) is fitted with a grate having a mechanical cleaning device, worked by a lever from the outside.
Ash-Pit.—The ash-pits are exposed to the destructive effects of heat and moisture, and should preferably be constructed of cast-iron, since sheet-steel is liable to corrode quickly.
In most apparatus the ash-pit is hermetically sealed, and the air for supporting combustion enters below the grate through a pipe leading from the heater or the vaporizer. This arrangement seems best adapted to prevent the leakage of gas which tends to take place by reaction after each suction stroke of the engine.
Ash-pits formed as water-cups, such as the Deutz (Fig. 106), the Wiedenfeld (Fig. 95), and the Bollinckx (Fig. 98), are fed by the overflow from the vaporizer. These ash-pits are themselves provided with an overflow consisting of a siphon-tube forming a water-seal.
Besides providing protection to the grate and other parts by this sheet of water, a larger proportion of the heat radiated from the furnace is utilized for the production of steam which contributes to enrich the gas. The doors of the ash-pits and their fittings are likewise exposed to a rapid deterioration.
For this reason these parts should be very strongly made, either of cast-iron or cast-steel. Furthermore, they should, at joint surfaces, be connected in an air-tight manner, which may be attained by carefully finishing the engaging surfaces of the frame and the door proper, or by cutting a dovetail groove in one of the sides of the frame which is packed with asbestos and adapted to receive a sharp edged rib on the other part.
The pintles of the hinges should also be carefully adjusted so that the joint members of the door shall remain true. Hinges with horizontal axes seem to be preferable in this respect to those having vertical axes. As a means of closing the door, the arrangement here shown (Fig. 107) seems to assure a proper engagement of the joint surfaces. It consists of a yoke which straddles the door, and which, on the one hand, swings about the hinge, and on the other hand engages a movable hoop. A screw, fastened to the yoke, serves to tighten the door by pressure on its center. This screw can also be fastened to the end of the yoke (Fig. 108).
It is very advantageous to provide in each door a hole closed by an air-tight plug, so that in case of need a tool may be introduced for cleaning the grate. In this manner the grate may be cleaned without opening doors and without causing a harmful entrance of air.
The door of the furnace, particularly, should be provided with an iron counter-plate held by hinged bolts (Fig. 109); or, better still, this door should be so constructed that it can be lined with refractory material to protect it against the radiated heat of the fire.
Charging-Box.—Like the other parts of the generator the construction of which has been discussed above, the charging-box should be absolutely air-tight.
On account of their greater security, preference should be given to double closure devices, which form a sort of preliminary chamber, owing to which the filling of the generator is made in two operations. The first operation consists in filling the preliminary chamber after opening the outer door. Upon closing this outer door, the second operation is performed, which consists in moving the inner door so as to cause the fuel in the preliminary chamber to drop into the generator. Stress has been laid on the greater safety of this type of charging-box for the reason that, with devices having a single charging-door, a sudden gust of air may rush in at the time of charging the furnace, and bring about an explosion very dangerous to the workman entrusted with stoking the furnace.
The closure is generally simply a removable cover, or may be a lid swinging about a hinge having a horizontal or vertical axis.
As regards the inner door, which is of great importance, in order to insure an air-tight joint, there are three chief types of closure:
- 1. The Lift-Valve.
- 2. The Slide-Valve.
- 3. The Cock.
The Lift-Valve.—The lift-valve is formed by a disk of conical or spherical shape moved up and down by means of a lever having a counter-weight for adjustment. The valve is used in the Winterthur (Fig. 92) and Bollinckx (Fig. 98) generators.
This device serves as an automatic closure and insures a tight joint irrespective of wear. Moreover, it presents the advantage that, at the moment of opening, it distributes the fuel evenly in the generator; but on the other hand, it has the drawback of not allowing the fuel to be examined or shaken through the charging-box. In apparatus provided with this kind of valve, it is therefore advisable to furnish the upper part of the generator with agitating holes closed by an air-tight slide.
Slide-Valve.—The slide-valve closure consists of a smooth-finished metallic plate movable below the charging-box proper. Operated as it is from the outside, it is evident that the slightest play, the wearing of the pivot, or the weight of the charge, will form spaces between the plate and its seat through which air may rush in.
Furthermore, the manipulation of the slide-valve may be interfered with if too much fuel is put in the generator.
The valve or damper may move parallel to itself or swing about the operating axis. The Taylor apparatus (Fig. 94) and the Bénier apparatus (Fig. 104) are provided with such valves.
The Pintsch generator (Fig. 96) is provided with a device which, properly speaking, is not a damper, but which consists of two boxes movable about a vertical axis and arranged to be displaced alternately above the shaft to effect the charging. This system effects only a single closure, but explosions are scarcely to be feared with an apparatus of this kind, owing to the considerable height of fuel contained between the charging opening and the gas-producing zone.
Cock.—The cock is applied particularly in the modern apparatus of the Otto Deutz Co. (Fig. 106) and the Pierson generator (Fig. 101). It consists of a large cast-iron cone, having an operating handle and an opening. The cone moves in a sleeve formed by the charging-box.
This arrangement appears to be preferable to the others on account of its simplicity and of the ease with which it can be taken apart for cleaning. Moreover, the fuel can be poked directly through the feed-hopper. In apparatus provided with a cock, it is advisable to place on the outside cover a mica pane through which the condition of the fuel may be examined without danger.
Feed-Hopper.—Below the charging-box is arranged, as a rule, a hopper tapered conically downward. This part of the generator should serve only as a storage chamber for fuel. It can therefore be made of cast-iron, and has the advantage of being removable, easily replaced, and of allowing ready access to the retort for the purposes of examination and repair.
The annular space surrounding this feed-hopper generally forms a chamber for receiving the gas produced, as in the Winterthur (Fig. 92), the Bollinckx (Fig. 98), and the Taylor apparatus (Fig. 99).
In generators having an internal vaporizing-tank, this tank itself serves as a feed-hopper, which is the case in the Deutz apparatus (Fig. 106) and Wiedenfeld generator (Fig. 95).
Connection of Parts.—In order to facilitate the thorough cleaning of the retort, preference is given to removable charging-boxes and feed-hoppers. These are features of apparatus of the Bollinckx type (Fig. 98), in which the charging-box is secured to the generator by means of its yoke and by catches provided with knobs, and also of apparatus of the Winterthur kind (Fig. 92), having a charging-box pivoted about a vertical axis, or apparatus of the Duplex type (Fig. 110), in which the charging-box can swing about a horizontal hinge.
Air Supply.—We have seen that, when starting the generator, the gas is produced with the aid of a fan. This fan may be operated mechanically, but is generally operated by hand.
It is customary to convey the air-blast through a pipe leading to the ash-pit, as in the Winterthur apparatus (Fig. 92). Often, however, the air supply pipe is directly branched on that which leads from the vaporizer to the ash-pit, as in the Deutz apparatus (Fig. 106). In this case a set of valves or dampers permits the disconnection of the fan or its connection with the ash-pit.