The Lane hydrogen producer was an apparatus for hydrogen production based on the steam-iron process and water gas invented in 1903 by Howard Lane.

History

The first Lane hydrogen producer was demonstrated in St. Louis in 1907 to inflate balloon for the Gordon-Bennet race. Different Lane plants were in use around the world to inflate Zeppelins and military balloons.

Process description

Where hydrogen was commonly produced with the single retort like the Messerschmitt and the Bamag type, Lane introduced the multiple retort type. In the Lane generator water gas was used to heat the retorts up to 600-800 °C after which water gas-air was used in the retorts. In the steam-iron process the iron oxydises and has to be replaced with fresh metal, in the Lane hydrogen producer the iron is reduced with water gas back to its metallic condition, after which the process restarts.

See also

• Iron oxide cycle
• Sponge iron reaction
• Water gas shift reaction
• Timeline of hydrogen technologies
• Chemical looping combustion

References

1. 1909 - The Lane hydrogen producer
2. Production of hydrogen by the steam-iron method
3. Single retort- Industrial Hydrogen,Hugh S. Taylor