PL248055B1 - Gas generator-furnace - Google Patents

Abstract

The subject of the application is a gasifier-furnace, characterized in that its main part consists of an outer pipe (3), an inner pipe (7), a grate (4), a base (1) open on three sides, inside which an ash container (17) is inserted and pulled out, and with replacement elements built onto this main part, depending on the version of construction.

Description

The subject of this invention in the field of thermoenergy is a multifunctional furnace with high thermal efficiency for generating heat and combustible gas from only dry, particulate solid fuel, or both dry, particulate solid fuel and moist fuel, e.g., drained feces or moist biomass. It consists of a main part, which is where the combustion and combustible gas production process takes place, mounted on a second part, which is a base open on three sides, into which an ash container is inserted, and a third part, the upper superstructure, for feeding the furnace, preferably a gasifier, with fuel, purifying the gas, and collecting the combustible gas. Alternatively, instead of a superstructure, it could be equipped with an elbow with a slotted pipe attached to it, along a common axis, in the housing, a tee for a toilet and septic tank, and a rotary valve with a charging chamber on it. This design of the gasifier and furnace is intended for use in basements. The slotted pipe in the housing - used to drain sewage, transport feces and fuel to the furnace, filter combustible gas collected from the upper part of the housing, and discharge drained liquid from the lower part of the housing, through a siphon, into the soil - is set at an angle of approximately 45 degrees.

This invention can be used in two ways, thanks to its appropriate design, as disclosed below: 1. as a heating furnace for receiving combustible gas only, without absorbing heat; 2. as a heating furnace by heating water for the purposes disclosed below and simultaneously as a gasifier. The technical effect of this furnace design is a cheap and easy method of obtaining combustible gas from comminuted dry solid fuels and moist fuels, for combustion and storage using already known methods.

There are three types of gasifiers: straight-flow, horizontal-flow, and reverse-flow. Currently used heating furnaces with a simple design and approximately 30% efficiency are becoming obsolete, being replaced by furnaces with increased thermal efficiency. The increased thermal efficiency in these furnaces is achieved by placing a grate centrally in the combustion chamber, its dimensions smaller than the combustion chamber's surface. In this arrangement, the combustion process of the fuel remaining in the combustion chamber takes place on the grate, while the remaining fuel heated in the combustion chamber, under the influence of temperature, releases gas, which is burned upon contact with the flame above the grate. The combustion chamber surface is inclined around the grate so that the fuel slides down onto the grate, replacing the fuel being burned. These furnaces have a thermal efficiency of approximately 70%.

The main part of the invention, a furnace, preferably a gasifier, characterized by a removable, movable grate, has a tube closed at the top by a horizontal wall with a central opening, in which rests an inner tube, permanently or detachably connected to the horizontal wall, separating the first outer combustion space from the second inner space, intended for fuel supplied from above. This fuel slides onto the grate—into the annular combustion space—inserted and hooked inside the outer tube at its lower edge, using four rods attached to the grate at 90-degree intervals. Two of the longer rods extend outside the base. These rods are used to pull the grate down to ignite the fuel. A central cone is placed on the grate, along which the fuel slides onto the grate surface from the inner tube, the edge of which is a suitable distance from the grate surface. Once removed from the gasifier furnace, the grate can be positioned on the ash container located in the base using four rods and can be extended or retracted. The furnace base is constructed of angle irons and a square plate attached to them at the top, which supports the main furnace body. The fuel in the inner tube is heated by the flame of burning fuel on the grate surrounding the inner tube. Combustible gas released from the fuel under the influence of temperature can be completely or partially burned in the furnace, depending on demand. If so, some of the unburned gas, or all of the recoverable combustible gas, can be vented outside the gasifier furnace. Partially degassed fuel will burn on the grate. Thanks to this design of the gasifier and furnace, the combustible gas released from the fuel during the initial combustion phase is better utilized, resulting in higher thermal efficiency for this furnace, which is advantageous for the gasifier. Some of the thermal energy from the burned fuel can be used for space heating and to power a low-power electric generator. Fuel, in addition to wood, can also include moist feces, organic kitchen waste, sawdust, paper packaging, and natural fiber fabrics; all finely divided so that ash does not accumulate on the grate after combustion. The ash from this fuel will be suitable for soil fertilization. Another advantage of this gasifier and furnace design is the reduced dust and soot content in the exhaust gases, as they will settle in the fuel space on the inner wall of the inner tube during gas formation. The loaded fresh fuel, as it moves downward, will push the soot and dust onto the grate and into the ash trough. Another advantage of this furnace-generator is the ability to burn moist human and animal feces along with dry fuel, and thanks to the widespread use of this invention, it will be possible to improve the country's energy balance. Perhaps another advantage is the wide range of applications for this invention.

The subject of the invention in an example of the basic embodiment is disclosed in Fig. 1**, it consists of an outer pipe 3 closed at the top by a horizontal wall with a central opening in which an inner pipe 7 is fixed, inseparably or detachably by known methods - if detachably, then sealed, for separation from the combustion space, by a ring 21 made of round wire of soft copper, with an oblique cut on the circumference of the ring, pressed by a flange of the charging chamber 18, or an elbow 11. A horizontal exhaust pipe is placed outside, inseparably, under the upper wall of the outer pipe. At the bottom, near the edge, inside the outer tube 3, there is a grate 4 that can be removed downward by rotating it approximately 10 degrees. This grate has a central cone on its center, along which fuel slides onto the grate from the inner tube 7, located above the grate, centrally and at an appropriate distance from the grate. This creates a ring-shaped combustion space. The grate is supported by four rods 5 and 6 (exiting the grate at 90-degree intervals) in sockets at the lower edge of the outer tube 3. Two of the four rods 6 (exiting to the right and left sides of the gasifier and furnace) are longer enough to remove the grate from the gasifier and furnace to initiate the combustion process. After removing the grate from the gasifier and furnace and placing it on trough 17, and sliding it along with the ash container out of the furnace base 1, which is open on three sides, and after igniting the fuel placed on the grate, the grate is placed in the outer tube 3 in reverse order, and after a short while the furnace can be loaded with the next fuel supplied from the top into the interior of tube 7. Combustion air is supplied from above the ash container, and forced air draft can be provided if necessary. The outer tube 3 is placed, inseparably or detachably, as needed, by four plates - every 90 degrees - in grooves attached to the base plate 2, which is inseparably attached to the appropriately shaped angle brackets of the base 1 of the furnace-gasifier.

The basic design of the main part of the furnace-gasifier - fig. 1** - for all versions of furnace use can be designed in two versions: the first version with thermal insulation 9 placed on the external pipe 3, covered from the outside with a thin sheet metal 10, thermal insulation covering the furnace in the part from the square plate 2 belonging to the base 1 up to the flue gas discharge pipe; the second version with a helical-cylindrical copper pipe 8 - extending at the beginning and end outside the furnace for connection to energy receivers - with adjacent helical-cylindrical turns, placed directly on the surface of the external pipe 3 under the layer of thermal insulation 9 covered with a thin sheet metal 10 - as above; The copper pipe 8, in the second version, is used to heat water, or to heat compressed air to expand its volume, or to create superheated steam through the use of a water dispenser, to drive an electric generator using a steam turbine or a steam reciprocating engine. In this case, the hot water obtained after the work is completed can be used for central heating. Compressed air can also be used to drive working machines. In this basic version of the furnace-gasifier, a charging chamber 18, shown in Fig. 3, or an elbow 11 can be attached with screws to the wall closing the top of the outer pipe 3, or welded thereto, depending on the furnace's intended use.

The cheapest version of the gasifier furnace shown in Fig. 2 is intended only for receiving heat, it is a basic version without thermal insulation of the furnace with a damper and a charging chamber, or without a damper and a charging chamber.

The furnace-gasifier superstructure for extracting heat and combustible gas from the combusted dry fuel, shown in Fig. 3, can be mounted on the basic version in the first or second variant. It has a charging chamber 18 and a connector in its upper part for discharging the combustible gas. Inside the charging chamber 18, which is a tube, a slotted conduit 19 is mounted on the inner tube 7 for gas purification, in the form of a helical-cylindrical coil with adjacent turns of square wire with a helical-cylindrical micro-gap between the turns. This slotted conduit 19 is separated from the inner surface of the charging chamber tube 18 by a helical-cylindrical coil 20 made of round wire with a large pitch, which simultaneously stiffens the slotted conduit and creates a free space for the flow of combustible gas. The loading chamber 18 is closed at the top with a sliding cover 14. This version can also be equipped with a rotary valve. A ring 22 covers the upper part of the slotted tube 19, while a soft copper ring 21 seals the combustion space to prevent exhaust gases from contaminating the filtered combustible gas.

Fig. 5* shows the use of the gasifier furnace in a single-family home. It is used to heat the building's rooms, obtain combustible gas for combustion in the kitchen, and optionally charge the gas tank. Organic waste from the kitchen and biomass from the garden can also be used as fuel. The fuel should be prepared so that after combustion, ash does not accumulate on the grate and is suitable for fertilizing the soil. Fig. 5* shows the gasifier furnace, Fig. 1**, placed in the building's basement with an elbow 11 attached to it at the appropriate angle, and a slotted duct in the housing 12 attached to it, passing through the ceiling, with a tee connected above the ceiling, branching off to the toilet bowl. The tee-piece contains a rotary gate valve 25 and a loading chamber 24. The lower part of the gate valve serves as the flange of the tee, while the upper part serves as the lower flange of the loading chamber, which is closed at the top with a sliding cover. Wet excrement, extracted by separating it from the sewage system using a slotted pipe in the housing 12 set at an appropriate angle, is then slid by gravity into the gasifier and furnace. To load fuel, use the gate valve 25 to cover the opening to the gasifier and furnace, slide the cover into the loading chamber, drop the fuel charge in a paper bag, close the loading chamber with the sliding cover, and expose the opening to the gasifier and furnace by moving the gate valve to the second position. The rotary gate valve is designed to cover the opening to the gasifier furnace to prevent flammable gas from escaping and potentially causing an explosion during fuel loading. The slotted pipe inside the housing 12 serves to drain off the feces, to filter the combustible gas, and to transport fuel and wet feces to the gasifier and furnace 1. Combustible gas is collected from the highest part of the pipe 12 through pipe 11 and sent to the steam condensate tank 4, which may be unnecessary because the water vapor contained in the gas will probably condense inside the pipe 12. The gas then passes through pipe 34 to the suction-pressure pump 35, from the pump through pipe 38 to the gas tank 36, and from the tank through pipe 37 to the kitchen. Condensate drains from the tank 33 through pipe 32 through siphon 31. Water (after draining the feces) from the pipe 12 flows through pipe 27 through siphon 30 into the soil near the building and is distributed evenly in the soil through a network of slotted pipes. Pipes 28 and 29 extending from the gasifier furnace are used to connect it to the building's central heating system's hot water system. Gas tank 36 and suction-pressure pump 35 are required when gas is used to power machinery.

Fig. 4* shows a slotted cable, releasably placed in the housing 12.

The technical effect of this invention will be: 1. the ability to obtain and store energy, cheaply and easily, in the form of a combustible gas, not only from solid organic fuels; 2. high energy efficiency, up to about 90% when using a furnace-gasifier in greenhouses to heat soil with exhaust gases through a network of ducts; 3. the ability to also easily and cheaply burn moist, drained feces from sewage; 4. the fact that the subject of the invention, the gasifier-furnace, can be manufactured from semi-finished products in mechanical workshops using known methods, and the anticipated high demand for these gasifiers and furnaces will contribute to lower manufacturing costs thanks to mass production using casting technology and tooling after standardizing individual application versions according to market needs; 5. easy and cheap, if made of plastics, to make a helical-cylindrical micro-gap, with a minimum width adjustable as needed, with the possibility of long-term use thanks to the possibility of cleaning during operation; 6. possibility of using the slotted pipe in: construction, gardening, automotive industry, flood protection infrastructure.

Claims (6)

1. A furnace, preferably a gasifier, characterized in that its main part, in which the combustion process and the formation of combustible gas take place, consists of an outer pipe (3) closed at the top by a horizontal wall with a central opening, in which an inner pipe (7) is fastened, intended for loading fuel from the top, the lower edge of which is at a suitable distance from the round grate (4) removable downwards after rotating it by about 10 degrees and hooked inside the outer pipe (3), above its lower edge, by means of four rods attached to the grate every 90 degrees - two shorter (5) and two longer (6) located on both sides of the furnace, they are used to remove the grate in order to ignite the fuel to start combustion, and they are used to place the grate on an ash container (17) placed in the base of the furnace (1) built of angle irons and on top of them a square plate (2) inseparably attached to them, on which the main part is placed a furnace with replacement elements built onto this basic part, depending on the version. 2. The furnace, preferably a gasifier, according to claim 1 has a grate (4) characterized in that it has a cone located centrally under the inner fuel tube (7), along which the fuel slides onto the grate (4) into the combustion space located between the inner surface of the outer tube (3) and the outer surface of the fuel tube (7). 3. The furnace, preferably a gasifier, according to claim 1, characterized in that it can be made in two versions of use: in the first version with a superstructure (on the main part) for loading dry fuel and receiving combustible gas purified by a slotted conduit (19) placed in this superstructure; in the second version with an elbow (11) mounted in place of this superstructure, to which a slotted conduit is mounted in a housing (12) with a stub pipe in its lower part at an angle of 45 degrees, longitudinally, for draining water from drained sewage into the ground through a siphon, and in the upper part of this housing with a stub pipe for draining combustible gas, further on this housing (12) there is a T-piece leading to a toilet and a septic tank, and on the T-piece there is a rotary valve (25) for covering the opening to the furnace during fuel loading, and on the valve there is a fuel loading chamber (24) with a sliding cover. 4. A furnace, preferably a gasifier, characterized in that according to claim 3, in the first version used in the superstructure for feeding the furnace-gasifier with dry fuel and receiving combustible gas, it has: a slotted conduit in the form of a helical-cylindrical coil (19) made of square wire with adjacent turns forming a helical-cylindrical micro-gap between them for filtering combustible gas, with an internal diameter of the coil equal to the internal diameter of the fuel conduit (7) and positioned on this conduit; a helical-cylindrical coil (20) made of round wire with a large pitch, stiffening this slotted conduit (19), placed between the internal diameter of the superstructure pipe (18) and the external diameter of the slotted conduit (19), the slotted conduit and the coil are limited by a ring (22) placed under a sliding cover (14) closing the opening - in the superstructure. 5. The furnace, preferably a gasifier, is characterized in that, according to claim 3, in the second version of the application it has: a slotted conduit in the form of a helical-cylindrical coil, placed in the housing (12), stiffened with three flat bars along the coil placed on the outer diameter of the slotted conduit every 120 degrees, fastened with sheet metal screws to thin-walled sleeves, between which the slotted conduit is fixed, releasably placed in the housing (12). 6. A furnace, preferably a gasifier, according to claim 1, characterized in that its main part can be made in two variants, depending on the need: a first variant with thermal insulation (9) on the outer tube of the furnace-gasifier, covering the furnace from the square plate (2) of the base of the furnace-gasifier (1), up to the pipe discharging exhaust gases from the furnace and covered from the outside with a thin sheet metal (10); a second variant with a copper pipe, with the beginning and end outside the furnace-gasifier for connecting thermal energy receivers, wound on the outer tube of the furnace (3) with helical-cylindrical coils, adjacent to each other, covered with a layer of thermal insulation (9) covered with a thin sheet metal (10).