Water Gas: Steam Blown Through Red-Hot Charcoal

Water gas is a fuel gas of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, made by passing steam over red-hot carbon: H2O + C → H2 + CO. The reaction takes up heat, so the fuel bed is reheated by blowing air through it between the steam runs. Made from a clean fuel such as coke or charcoal it is 'blue water-gas'. It was made in England from 1828 by blowing steam through white-hot coke. Its carbon monoxide is a deadly poison: Humphry Davy nearly died after inhaling three quarts of it.