Filtering.--A small chamber containing some closely packed but porous material such as felt is placed in the pipe leading to the torch lines. As the acetylene gas passes through this filter the particles of lime dust and other impurities are extracted from it so that danger of clogging the torch openings is avoided as much as possible.
The gas is also filtered to a large extent by its passage through the water in the generating chamber, this filtering or "scrubbing" often being facilitated by the form of piping through which the gas must pass from the generating chamber into the holder. If the gas passes out of a number of small openings when going into the holder the small bubbles give a better washing than large ones would.
Piping.--Connections from generators to service pipes should preferably be made with right and left couplings or long thread nipples with lock nuts. If unions are used, they should be of a type that does not require gaskets. The piping should be carried and supported so that any moisture condensing in the lines will drain back toward the generator and where low points occur they should be drained through tees leading into drip cups which are permanently closed with screw caps or plugs. No pet cocks should be used for this purpose.
For the feed pipes to the torch lines the following pipe sizes are recommended.
3/8 inch pipe. 26 feet long. 2 cubic feet per hour.
1/2 inch pipe. 30 feet long. 4 cubic feet per hour.
3/4 inch pipe. 50 feet long. 15 cubic feet per hour.
1 inch pipe. 70 feet long. 27 cubic feet per hour.
1-1/4 inch pipe. 100 feet long. 50 cubic feet per hour.
1-1/2 inch pipe. 150 feet long. 65 cubic feet per hour.
2 inch pipe. 200 feet long. 125 cubic feet per hour.
2-1/2 inch pipe. 300 feet long. 190 cubic feet per hour.
3 inch pipe. 450 feet long. 335 cubic feet per hour.
When drainage is possible into a sewer, the generator should not be connected directly into the sewer but should first discharge into an open receptacle, which may in turn be connected to the sewer.
No valves or pet cocks should open into the generator room or any other room when it would be possible, by opening them for draining purposes, to allow any escape of gas. Any condensation must be removed without the use of valves or other working parts, being drained into closed receptacles. It should be needless to say that all the piping for gas must be perfectly tight at every point in its length.
Safety Devices.--Good generators are built in such a way that the operator must follow the proper order of operation in charging and cleaning as well as in all other necessary care. It has been mentioned that the gas pressure is released or shut off before it is possible to fill the water compartment, and this same idea is carried further in making the generator inoperative and free from gas pressure before opening the residue drain of the carbide filling opening on top of the hopper. Some machines are made so that they automatically cease to generate should there be a sudden and abnormal withdrawal of gas such as would be caused by a bad leak. This method of adding safety by automatic means and interlocking parts may be carried to any extent that seems desirable or necessary to the maker.
All generators should be provided with escape or relief pipes of large size which lead to the open air. These pipes are carried so that condensation will drain back toward the generator and after being led out of the building to a point at least twelve feet above ground, they end in a protecting hood so that no rain or solid matter can find its way into them. Any escape of gas which might ordinarily pass into the generator room is led into these escape pipes, all parts of the system being connected with the pipe so that the gas will find this way out.
Safety blow off valves are provided so that any excess gas which cannot be contained by the gas holder may be allowed to escape without causing an undue rise in pressure. This valve also allows the escape of pressure above that for which the generator was designed. Gas released in this way passes into the escape pipe just described.