US1409295A - Method oe and apparatus for producing gases - Google Patents

Description

I. HECHENBLEIKNER.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING GASES.

i APPLICATION FILED 0CT.6. I9I9. 1,409,295.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

ila-umn.

mom/LMS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

INGENUIN HECHENIBLEIKNER, OF CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR TO SOUTHERN ELECTRO-CHEMICAL COMPANY,. 0F NEWl YORK, N. Y., A(.'ORPOIRA 'rIoN or NEW JERSEY.

METHOD 0.1i*v AND APPARATS FOR PRODUCING- GASES.

specification of'Lettersrat-ent. Patented Mm?, 14, 1922.'

Application filed October, 1919. Serial No. 328,692.

To all whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that I', INGnNUIn HEOHEN- BLEIKNER, a citizen ofthe United States,

residing at Charlotte, in the county of Meck.

lenburg and State of North Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of andv Apparatus vfor Producing Gases, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a method of and apparatusA forproducing gases, and is in the nature of an improvement upon the inventions forming the subject matter of my earlier United States Patents, Nos. 1,167,755; 1,299,336; and 1,299,337. VBy reference to these earlier patents the purpose of my present invention, as hereinafter described, will be readily understood..V For example, by means of theapparatus constituting the sub ject matter of Patent 1,299,336, I have heretofore practiced the method yset forthv in companion Patent 1,299,337, that is to say, I have subjected a mixture or charge of phosphate rock and a silicious material containing potash and a proper proportion of carbonaceous material to thev action of an electric furnace to generate certain gases or vapors which were subsequently oxidized and purified, the purified vapors being subsequently further treated, as well known inthe art, to obtain phosphoric acidand potash. The mixture I usually employ in the production' of the gases is composed of feldspar, calcium phosphate andcoke.

The apparatus shown in Patent 1,299,336 embraces an electric furnace having a mixl ing chamber communicating therewith and mixing chamber.

an inclined rotary kiln connected with the Certain components -of the charge, such as the feldspar and calcium phosphate are fed into the kiln at a point distant to the mixing chamber,`and travelling through substantially the vlength of the Y kiln pass into the mixing chamber where they are mixed with the coke 1 and forced into the electric furnace. The gases issuing from the furnaceV pass'upward and outward through the kiln thus meeting and preheating the downcoming charge, all as willf be readily understood by reference to said Patents 1,299,936 and 1,299,337.

Y, However, I have found, in using theabove mentioned apparatus, and practicing the before referred to'method that certain difficulv ties are encountered in manufacturing upon a large commercial scale which requires continuous operation. One difficulty is that there is a distinct tendency for certain impurities in the outflowing gases to condense at the mouth or discharge end of the kiln, thereby forming a crust or accumulation which gradually increases in size and thickness, and which if not removedy from time to time will ultimately choke or close the dia charge end of the kiln thereby preventing the feeding of the charge to the furnace and also interfering with the free outflow of the gases. It is a difficult task to remove this crust by means of a crowbarvor other tool in the hands of a workman because of the intense heat at this portion of the Aapparatus, andtherefore it is frequently neces-V sary to shut down the apparatus, or discontinue operation, in order to permit of the cleaning away of the accumulated crust. Naturally su'clr shutting down or` cessation of operation curtails the output and is expensive so :that if 'possible it should beA avoided.

With my present invention Iv prevent the formation of this crust or accumulation at the discharge end ofthe kiln thus avoiding the disadvantages above recited.

Briefly, I accomplish this object by introducing a `fluid,`such as a stream of water or steam, into the discharge end of the kiln. This fluid prevents the formation of the crusts and maintains the-discharge end of the kiln clean and clear of all accumulations of foreign substance. Furthermore, by the use of such fluid, I accomplish another desirable purposev in that it enables me to regulate the heat at the discharge end of the kilnl thereby preventing the lumping or liquefying of the material'flowing down the kilnwhich lumping or liqhuefying will occur sometimes under the action of excessive heat.

When it does occur the steadyand free feed of the material 'into the mixing chamber and furnace willnot take lace. However, by

the use of the fluid, suc as water or steam,

the materialof the charge is maintained in a free-flowing condition and will readily pass or discharge into thev mixing chamber and furnace.

The amount of the fluid, such as water or steam, which I employ will depend of course upon the capacity of the furnace and kiln,

and may be regulated in any suitable manner as by valves or the like to obtain desired working conditions.

lVith the aboverecited objects and others of a similar nature in view my invention consists in the improved apparatus and in the method set forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

ln the accompanying drawings:

Figure l, is aview partly in vertical longitudinal section and partly in elevation of an apparatus embodying myinvention.

Figure 2, is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a portion of the apparatus where the rotary kiln discharges the charge into the mixing chamber of the furnace.

Figure 3, is a horizontal sectional view of such a portion of the apparatus.

Referring' now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the letter A indicates the elect-ric furnace and B the mixing chamber thereof, while C is the rotary kiln, inclined to the horizontal, and communicatingI at its lower end with the mixingehamber and mounted at its upper end upon the neck D communicating with the dust collector' E, the kiln of course being arranged to lirotate. Certain components of the charge, such as the feldspar and calcium phosphate may be fed through the hopper F to the kiln and so passed down through the kiln into the mixing chamber where these components are-mixed with coke and discharged into the electric furnace by means of a suitable stoker conventionally illustrated at G. The electrodes of the furnace are indicated at H while I yis an air inlet and J is a suction fan for drawing the gases through the kiln and dust collector. All of these. parts of the apparatus are shown and described in my aforesaid Patent 1,299,336, and are therefore but brieliy referred to here.

To prevent the formation of a crust by the condensation of impurities in the gases, as before mentioned, I provide a pipe or pipes K which lead from a suitable source of iuid supply, and through which the fluid, preferably water ork steam, may be introduced into the mouth or discharge end of the kiln as at K. Each pipe may be provided with a suitable valve L to regulate the amount of water or steam introduced into the kiln, and also to controler regulate the heat at the end of the kiln so as to prevent lumping or liquefying of the down-coming charge, as. heretofore mentioned. I prefer that the fluid` such as the steam or water should be discharged into the mouth or discharge end of the kiln at approximately the point or points shown in the drawing, or relatively near to the mixing chamber, as it is here that the crust is likely to form. but l wish it to'lie understood that my invention is not limited to the arrangement, position, or system of the piping shown7 as this may be of any suitable character to suit the particular requirement and peculiarities of construction of the apparatus in use. l wish it to be further understood that the invention is not limited to use in connection with the particular type of apparatus shown in my earlier patents aforesaid, as it may be used in connection with -any apparatus or system wherein it is useful to prevent the formation of crusts or accumulations and to maintain a fed charge material in proper condition under circumstances like those heretofore mentioned.

What l claim is:

l. An apparatus including a furnace,` means for conductlng gas producing mate' rial to the furnace, and means at a point therein operative for supplying a fluid to the conducting means to prevent crustation and accumulation of foreign substances in the. conducting means.

2. An apparatus including a. furnace and a kiln communicating therewith and from which kiln gas producing material is adapted to be discharged into the furnace, and means for discharging a fluid into the kiln at a. pointadjacent the furnace operative to prevent crustation and the accumulation of .foreign substances in the kiln.

l. An apparatus including an electric furnace and a rotary kiln communicating with the furnace and through which kiln a charge of gas producing material is adapted to pass into the furnace, and means for supplying a Huid to the kiln at a point therein operative to prevent accumulation of foreign sul)- stances in the kiln and to maintain the material in a free flowing condition.

l. An apparatus including a furnace and a kiln from which `kiln gas producing mate-A rial is adapted to pass to the furnace, and pipingcommunicating with the interior of the kiln adjacent the furnace to introduce water or steam into the kiln o aerative during operation of the kiln to preventV an ac cumulation of foreign substances in such kiln.

An. apparatus including a furnace. means Vfor conducting gas producing material to the furnace, and vmeans for supplying. a fluid to the conducting means at apolnt therein operative during the norma-lopeiaw tion of the furnace to prevent crustation and accumulationV of foreign substances in the conducting means.

G. Theherein-described method which consists in feeding a gas producing charge into a furnace, and introducing a fluid into the path of the moving charge at a. point in the said path to prevent crust-ation and to maintain the material in a free flowing or feeding condition.

T. The herein-descrbed method which con- Sists in feeding a gas producing charge into si furnace, and introducing water or steam into the path of the moving charge nt L point in the said path to prevent crnstation and to maintain the material in n freefioW- ing or feedingcondition.

8. The step in the method of feedingl a gas producing charge into a furnace, which 1 consists in introducing adjacent the, furnace a Huid into the path of the moving charge 10 to prevent ernste-tion and to maintain the charge in free flowing or feeding condition l:nijaicent` the furnace.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

INGENUI'N lIPUBOHENBLEIKNER.

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