US3933618A — Gas generation apparatuses and processes

Claim 1

Independent Claim 715 words

Apparatus for generating combustible gas mixtures and liquid gasoline from coal comprising, in operative combination, a retort assembly, a washer assembly, a condenser assembly, a pump and storage assembly and a heating assembly; said retort assembly comprising a gas-tight retort tank and a hood, said gas-tight retort tank comprising a horizontally extending rigid imperforate cylindrical wall and one vertically extending side wall firmly attached thereto on one side thereof and another side wall removably yet firmly attached to another side of said cylindrical wall, a support for journal means for rotatably supporting said retort tank near said one side wall thereof, another support for journal means for rotatably supporting said retort tank adjacent to said other side wall; one shaft means fixed to and extending horizontally from said one side wall to said journal means on said one of said supports and rotatably supported thereon, and another shaft means fixed to and extending from the other of said side walls to the journal means on said other support and rotatably supported thereon, a retort discharge channel extending through said removably attached side wall and shaft connected thereto, and one end of a cooling coil operatively connected to said retort discharge channel; a grid support, a grid thereon, said grid below said retort tank, a gas burner being located below said grid, and the hood of said retort tank comprises a lower base and an upper perforated shell, said lower base being a rigid frame open at its top and bottom, said frame surrounding the periphery of the retort tank and, on removal of said removably attached side wall from said horizontally extending cylindrical wall, said rigid imperforate cylindrical wall of said retort tank and one vertical side wall being pivotal about a horizontal axis on said one support and said horizontally extending imperforate cylindrical wall being tiltable to a sloped position whereby to empty the content of said retort tank on to said grid, said washer assembly comprising a cooling coil and a washer tank, said cooling coil comprising a vertically extending coil, one, lower, end of said cooling coil operatively attached to said retort discharge channel, the other, discharge, end of said cooling coil operatively attached to said washer tank and extending thereinto, said washer tank comprising a vertically elongated gastight tank with top, bottom and side walls joined together and enclosing a gas-tight chamber therebetween, said discharge end of the cooling coil extending towards the bottom wall thereof, said washer tank having an upper outlet line operatively connected to the top thereof and to the chamber therein and extending to the inlet of a condenser; said condenser assembly comprising a condenser and a collection tank, said condenser connected via a vertically extending tube therebelow to said collection tank, which has an upper discharge outlet and a lower discharge outlet, said lower discharge outlet connected to a collection discharge line and said collection discharge line feeding to a gasoline collector tank, said gasoline collector tank located below said collection tank; said collection tank upper discharge outlet operatively connected to a gas-tight gas treatment chamber, said pump and storage assembly comprising a pump and a first storage tank, said collection tank upper discharge line connected via said gas treatment chamber to the inlet of said pump, a power means operatively attached to said pump, and a discharge outlet on said pump, a pump discharge line operatively connected to said pump discharge outlet, a first tee connected to said pump discharge line, one arm of said tee connected to said first storage tank through a first throttle valve and another arm of said tee operatively connected to the inlet of a second throttle valve, said second throttle valve having an outlet, said second throttle valve outlet connected to said burner below said retort tank by a line, and comprising also a second tee in said line from said first tee to said burner between said burner and said second throttle valve, two arms of which tee are connected to said line and a reserve gas storage compartment having a cut-off valve operatively connected thereto and a gas storage compartment discharge line operatively connects said cut-off valve to a third arm of said second tee whereby said burner is operatively connected to said reserve gas storage compartment.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 715 words

Apparatus for generating combustible gas mixtures and liquid gasoline from coal comprising, in operative combination, a retort assembly, a washer assembly, a condenser assembly, a pump and storage assembly and a heating assembly; said retort assembly comprising a gas-tight retort tank and a hood, said gas-tight retort tank comprising a horizontally extending rigid imperforate cylindrical wall and one vertically extending side wall firmly attached thereto on one side thereof and another side wall removably yet firmly attached to another side of said cylindrical wall, a support for journal means for rotatably supporting said retort tank near said one side wall thereof, another support for journal means for rotatably supporting said retort tank adjacent to said other side wall; one shaft means fixed to and extending horizontally from said one side wall to said journal means on said one of said supports and rotatably supported thereon, and another shaft means fixed to and extending from the other of said side walls to the journal means on said other support and rotatably supported thereon, a retort discharge channel extending through said removably attached side wall and shaft connected thereto, and one end of a cooling coil operatively connected to said retort discharge channel; a grid support, a grid thereon, said grid below said retort tank, a gas burner being located below said grid, and the hood of said retort tank comprises a lower base and an upper perforated shell, said lower base being a rigid frame open at its top and bottom, said frame surrounding the periphery of the retort tank and, on removal of said removably attached side wall from said horizontally extending cylindrical wall, said rigid imperforate cylindrical wall of said retort tank and one vertical side wall being pivotal about a horizontal axis on said one support and said horizontally extending imperforate cylindrical wall being tiltable to a sloped position whereby to empty the content of said retort tank on to said grid, said washer assembly comprising a cooling coil and a washer tank, said cooling coil comprising a vertically extending coil, one, lower, end of said cooling coil operatively attached to said retort discharge channel, the other, discharge, end of said cooling coil operatively attached to said washer tank and extending thereinto, said washer tank comprising a vertically elongated gastight tank with top, bottom and side walls joined together and enclosing a gas-tight chamber therebetween, said discharge end of the cooling coil extending towards the bottom wall thereof, said washer tank having an upper outlet line operatively connected to the top thereof and to the chamber therein and extending to the inlet of a condenser; said condenser assembly comprising a condenser and a collection tank, said condenser connected via a vertically extending tube therebelow to said collection tank, which has an upper discharge outlet and a lower discharge outlet, said lower discharge outlet connected to a collection discharge line and said collection discharge line feeding to a gasoline collector tank, said gasoline collector tank located below said collection tank; said collection tank upper discharge outlet operatively connected to a gas-tight gas treatment chamber, said pump and storage assembly comprising a pump and a first storage tank, said collection tank upper discharge line connected via said gas treatment chamber to the inlet of said pump, a power means operatively attached to said pump, and a discharge outlet on said pump, a pump discharge line operatively connected to said pump discharge outlet, a first tee connected to said pump discharge line, one arm of said tee connected to said first storage tank through a first throttle valve and another arm of said tee operatively connected to the inlet of a second throttle valve, said second throttle valve having an outlet, said second throttle valve outlet connected to said burner below said retort tank by a line, and comprising also a second tee in said line from said first tee to said burner between said burner and said second throttle valve, two arms of which tee are connected to said line and a reserve gas storage compartment having a cut-off valve operatively connected thereto and a gas storage compartment discharge line operatively connects said cut-off valve to a third arm of said second tee whereby said burner is operatively connected to said reserve gas storage compartment.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 106 words

Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein a third tee is located in the line between said gas treatment chamber and the inlet of said pump and a gas jet is operatively connected to said third tee and a cut-off valve is located between said gas jet and said third tee, and wherein a fourth tee is located between said pump discharge line and said first tee with two arms of said fourth tee connected to said pump discharge line and a third arm of said fourth tee connected to the inlet of a valve with the outlet of said valve operatively connected to a test jet.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 141 words

Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said first storage tank has at its bottom a discharge line which is operatively connected through a cut-off valve, a disconnectable coupling and a second cut-off valve to a second storage tank having an inlet at its bottom and being of a greater capacity than said first storage tank, the bottom of said second storage tank being located at the level of the top of said first storage tank, a connecting pipe from the bottom of said second storage tank to the bottom of said first tank, said line including said cut-off valve, a disconnectable coupling and a second cut-off valve between the first storage tank and said second storage tank and a valve at the top of said second storage tank which closes against passage of liquid but allows free flow of gas therethrough.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 287 words

Process of providing combustible gas mixtures and liquid gasoline from coal, comprising the steps of a. heating a first batch of dust-free coal at 700° to 900°F. in a retort and evolving a first vapor mixture therefrom comprising vapors of tars, oils, natural gasoline and hydrogen, methane and carbon monoxide at a pressure below atmospheric pressure and producing coke in said chamber, b. condensing the tars and oils from the first vapor mixture and separating them and collecting said condensed tars and oils and thereby producing a second vapor mixture; c. condensing and separating the resulting liquid gasoline from said second vaporous mixture and thereby producing a third vapor mixture and collecting liquid gasoline; d. removing carbon monoxide from said third vapor mixture and thereby producing a fourth vapor mixture and raising the pressure of said fourth vapor mixture to a pressure above atmospheric pressure; e. dividing said pressurized fourth vapor mixture comprising methane and hydrogen into two portions and passing one portion thereof to storage and use and a second portion to a burner and there burning said second portion to heat said coal to maintain the temperature in said retort in the range of 700° to 900°F. and f. after a first batch of said coal has been heated and said vapor mixtures evolved therefrom, the resultant coke is removed from the retort and passed to a grid below said retort and a fresh portion of coal is added to the retort and said coke is ignited on said grid by said second portion of said fourth vapor mixture and burned to heat said second batch of said coal and develop a second batch of each of said first, second, third and fourth vapor mixtures.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 287 words

Process of providing combustible gas mixtures and liquid gasoline from coal, comprising the steps of a. heating a first batch of dust-free coal at 700° to 900°F. in a retort and evolving a first vapor mixture therefrom comprising vapors of tars, oils, natural gasoline and hydrogen, methane and carbon monoxide at a pressure below atmospheric pressure and producing coke in said chamber, b. condensing the tars and oils from the first vapor mixture and separating them and collecting said condensed tars and oils and thereby producing a second vapor mixture; c. condensing and separating the resulting liquid gasoline from said second vaporous mixture and thereby producing a third vapor mixture and collecting liquid gasoline; d. removing carbon monoxide from said third vapor mixture and thereby producing a fourth vapor mixture and raising the pressure of said fourth vapor mixture to a pressure above atmospheric pressure; e. dividing said pressurized fourth vapor mixture comprising methane and hydrogen into two portions and passing one portion thereof to storage and use and a second portion to a burner and there burning said second portion to heat said coal to maintain the temperature in said retort in the range of 700° to 900°F. and f. after a first batch of said coal has been heated and said vapor mixtures evolved therefrom, the resultant coke is removed from the retort and passed to a grid below said retort and a fresh portion of coal is added to the retort and said coke is ignited on said grid by said second portion of said fourth vapor mixture and burned to heat said second batch of said coal and develop a second batch of each of said first, second, third and fourth vapor mixtures.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1979-01-19	1979-07-21	1980-01-20	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1983-01-19	1983-07-21	1984-01-20	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1987-01-19	1987-07-21	1988-01-20	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Gas generation apparatuses and processes

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