Dry acetylene generator
OwnerJohn A. Lerchinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multi-stage generator for generating dry acetylene gas from calcium carbide while leaving a residue of dry lime has a generator housing including a plurality of vertically spaced shelves, each shelf and its associated components providing a stage of the generator. Each shelf has an exit slot and a water spray zone circumferentially spaced therefrom. A deposit zone is formed intermediate the water spray zone and the exit slot. Stirring arms are rotatably mounted to cooperate with each shelf to sweep the calcium carbide mixture received in the deposit zone into the wetting zone and thereafter into the exit slot. The exit slot of each shelf is offset angularly relative to the exit slot of the preceeding shelf so that the calcium carbide mixture is swept about each shelf through a substantial angle prior to exiting to the next shelf.
Claims15
An acetylene generator for converting calcium carbide into acetylene gas and dry hydrated lime comprising a vertically extending substantially cylindrical housing, a plurality of shelves mounted in the housing in axially spaced apart disposition, stirring means associated with each shelf, each said stirring means comprising a plurality of radial arms, means for rotating the arms of each stirring means in a first direction, each shelf including a radial exit slot extending vertically therethrough, the slot in each shelf being angularly offset relatively to the slot in each adjacent shelf, water spray means disposed above each shelf for spraying a controlled amount of water onto the respective shelf at a spray zone displaced angularly in the first direction from the corresponding slot, means for depositing calcium carbide on the top shelf in a deposit zone intermediate the top shelf slot and spray zone, whereby calcium carbide deposited on the top shelf is swept by the stirring means associated therewith through and wetted by the water being sprayed thereon and the resultant mixture is subsequently swept into the top shelf slot and discharged onto the next adjacent shelf in a deposit zone intermediate the slot and the water spraying zone of said next adjacent shelf, the mixture thereafter being discharged into a deposit zone on each successive shelf in seriatim and swept by the corresponding stirring means into the respective slot, the deposit zone of each shelf being intermediate the slot and spray zone in the respective shelf, means for conveying the residue from the lowermost shelf to a lime storage bin, and means for drawing the gas to an acetylene storage means.
A method of generating acetylene from calcium carbide in a plurality of stages while leaving a substantially dry lime residue, said method comprising providing a vertically extending generator having a plurality of vertically spaced shelves, depositing the calcium carbide in a deposit zone on a first shelf at the upper portion of the generator, sweeping the calcium carbide in a circular path from said deposit zone to a wetting zone, spraying water on the surface of said calcium carbide in the wetting zone, continuing to sweep the mixture of calcium carbide and water in said path to mix and permit chemical reaction of the compounds, dropping the mixture onto a shelf in the next stage prior to the mixture reaching the first shelf deposit zone, continuing the process in the subsequent stages, wherein the mixture is wetted in each stage, until a substantially dry lime residue remains, removing the residue, and removing the acetylene.
The method of generating acetylene from calcium carbide in a plurality of stages in a generator having a plurality of vertically spaced apart shelves, each shelf corresponding to a stage, while leaving a substantially dry lime residue at the exit of the last stage, each stage of said method comprising depositing calcium carbide in a deposit zone, sweeping the calcium carbide in a circular path from the deposit zone to a wetting zone, wetting the calcium carbide while continuing to sweep the material, continuing to sweep the material to an exit zone spaced in the path circumferentially from the deposit zone, and depositing the mixture in a deposit zone in the next subsequent stage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.