Modern Gasworks Practice

VERTICAL RETORTS AND CHAMBER OVENS 155 spray of water playing upon it in the storage hopper. It is, however, discharged dry and practically cold. On earlier plants, before steaming was in vogue, the heat left in the coke after carbonization was utilized for warming the primary air for the producers. Means are now provided for making use of the heat in the coke for the production of water-gas, and at the same time the temperatures are increased about the bottom lengths of the retort. Steam is superheated by being circulated through flues situated at the lower end of the retort, and is admitted through a number of inlets in the side walls, a short distance above the bottom castings. The amoimt of steam’ introduced to each retort is controlled by means of a metal disk in which is drilled a hole of from |-incli to |-inch diameter, depending upon the size of retort and the dass of coal to be carbonized. A constant pressure of from 30 to 40 Ib. is maintained in the main steam service, which is made of ampie size to ensure that each retort receives the füll amoimt of steam. The whole of the settings, producers and regenerators, and the various attachments and working parts are usually carried clear of the ground on a Steel joist floor supported by stanchions. The coal and coke hoppers are formed in one continuous line along the settings and are carried by stanchions extending to the floor level. Shoots are provided for feeding the producers, also for filling the retorts after scurfing. The standard capacity of both coal hoppers and the producer-coke storage hopper for all sizes of plants is forty-eight hours, but larger or small capacities can be arranged to suit special requirements. Platforms are provided along each side of the top of the settings at the producer-level, and at the level of the top and bottom flues for inspection and. cleaning purposes. Owing to the. system of downward lieating with the greatest temperature near the top, all repairs are carried out from the top, the lower portions of the settings remaining in good condition for an indefinite period. THE GLOVER-WEST SYSTEM This system of vertical retorts was the outcome of patents taken out in 1905' by Young and Glo ver, and was founded on constructional details and practice in the distillation of shale in vertical retorts in Scotland. In 19C7 a patent was taken out by Glo ver and West for a system of lieating the retorts and utilizing the residual coke for lieating the secondary air required for the combustion of the producer gas. In 1909, the first installation was completed and put into operation at the St. Helens Gasworks, where very exhaustive tests were made on the plant to demonstrate the advantages of the system for the carbonization of coal in the manufacture of coal-gas. As in the Woodall-Duckham system, the ideal of continuous carbonization is aimed at, but the methods of arranging for this vary to some considerable extent