Scientific American Supplement, No. 717, September 28, 1889Various
Science
Scientific American Supplement, No. 717, September 28, 1889
Various
Science -- Periodicals
I consequently constructed gas producers and absorbing plant of
various designs and carried on experiments for a number of years.
These experiments were superintended by Mr. G. H. Beckett, Dr. Carl
Markel, and, during the last four years, by Dr. Adolf Staub, to whose
zeal and energy I am much indebted for the success that has been
achieved. The object of these experiments was to determine the most
favorable conditions for the economic working of the process with
respect to both the cost of manufacture as well as the first cost and
simplicity of plant. The cost of manufacture depends mainly upon the
yield of ammonia, as the expenses remain almost the same whether a
large or a small amount of ammonia is obtained; the only other item of
importance is the quantity of steam used in the process. We found the
yield of ammonia to vary with the temperature at which the producer
was working, and to be highest when the producer was worked as cool as
was compatible with a good combustion of the fuel. The temperature
again depended upon the amount of steam introduced into the producer,
and of course decreased the more steam increased. We obtained the best
practical results by introducing about two tons of steam for every ton
of fuel consumed. We experimented upon numerous kinds of fuel, common
slack and burgy of the Lancashire, Staffordshire, and Nottinghamshire
districts. We found not much difference in the amount of nitrogen
contained in these fuels, which varied between 1.2 and 1.6 per cent.,
nor did we find much difference in the ammonia obtained from these
fuels if worked under similar conditions. Employing the quantity of
steam just named we recovered about half the nitrogen in the form of
ammonia, yielding on an average 0.8 per cent. of ammonia, equal to 32
kilos, of sulphate per ton of fuel. In order to obtain regular results
we found it necessary to work with a great depth of fuel in the
producers, so that slight irregularities in the working would not
affect results. Open burning kinds of slack do of course work with the
greater ease, but there is no difficulty in using a caking fuel, as
the low temperature at which the producers work prevents clinkering
and diminishes the tendency of such fuels to cake together.
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