Читать книгу Description of the Process of Manufacturing Coal Gas. For the Lighting of Streets Houses, and Public Buildings онлайн

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It is in this manner that from pitcoal a production of our own soil, we procure a pure, lasting and brilliant light, which in other cases must be derived from materials in part imported from abroad.

In order to apply this mode of procuring light on a large scale as now practised with unparalleled success in this country, the coal is put into vessels called retorts and furnished with pipes connected with reservoirs to receive the distillatory products. The retorts are fixed into a furnace, and heated to redness. The heat developes from the coal the gaseous and liquid products, the latter are deposited into receivers, and the former are conducted through water in which quick lime is diffused by which the carburetted hydrogen gas is purified. The sulphuretted hydrogen and carbonic acid which were mixed with it, become absorbed by the quick-lime, and the pure carburetted hydrogen is stored up in a vessel called the gas-holder, and is then ready for use.

From the reservoir in which the gas has been collected, proceed pipes, which branch out into smaller ramifications until they terminate at the place where the lights are wanted and the extremities of the branch pipes are furnished with stop-cocks to regulate the flow of the gas into the burners or lamps.