GB630398A - A method of and apparatus for making oil gas - Google Patents

Abstract

630,398. Oil gas generation. GAS MACHINERY CO. Aug. 14, 1947, No. 22662. Convention date, March 20, 1942. [Class 55 (ii)] The checkerbrick of an oil gas generator is heated to 1500‹-2000‹ F. by burning oil therein and subjected to a short steam purge to remove all carbon by a water gas reaction ; oil gas is then generated by passing in steam and oil at a velocity insufficient to abstract heat from the brick surface faster than it is conducted from the interior. The brick spacing is sufficiently open to preclude filtering out of carbon. In a generator 1 spaced checkerbricks 3 occupy less than half the volume, the spacing in each layer being not less than 1/3 and not more than the width of a brick, or with material such as silicon carbide with a higher heat conductivity than firebrick, the spacing may be less. A carburetter 30 and superheater 40 have similar checkerbrick layers. For the blast period oil is burnt at a burner 12 with air from a duct 9 until the bricks reach a temperature of about 2,000‹ F., combustion products heating the bricks 31 in the carburetter which are also heated by an oil burner 32, and the combined products passing through the superheater to a flue 44. The carburetter and superheater temperatures reach 1,700-1,800‹ F. and 1,450‹-1,600‹ F. respectively. The burners, air valves and stack valve 43 are then closed and high pressure sweep steam is admitted through a pipe 4 and the new steam through a pipe 14 and shortly afterwards oil is sprayed from pipes 5 and 33. After the run and the oil sprays are shut off, steam pipe 4 remains open for a steam purge followed by an air purge on valves 10, 11 being opened. Stack valve 43 is then opened for another blast period. In a modification, combustion products from down blasts from generator and carburetter working in parallel at 1,500‹-1,800‹ F. pass upwardly through the superheater. In an example an oil gas containing 43.8 per cent methane, 24.2 per cent hydrogen, 16.4 per cent ethylene and 2.6 per cent carbon monoxide was produced with a calorific value of 977 B.Th.U.