Improvements in Feed-water Heaters and Purifiers.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 6th Jan., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Feed-water Heaters and Purifiers.
I, LEWIS WEHNER, of Point & Elm Streets, in the City and County of Camden,
State of New Jersey, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to feed water heaters and purifiers designed for raising
the temperature of boiler feed water before it is led to the boiler.
A part of the improvements relates particularly to the construction and
arrangement of the distributing trays by which the water to be heated is divided
and brought into intimate contact with the steam. It is one of the objects of this
part of my invention to afford the greater possible surface for the distribution
of the water and deposit of solid matter and to increase the length of time
the water and steam are in contact. Another object of this part of my invention
is to enable the distribution trays to be easily and quickly removed for purposes
of cleaning, &c., without the necessity of loosening fastening devices. This part
of my invention embraces improvements in the manner of arranging and sup-
porting the distributing trays one above the other.
Another part of my invention relates to combination with the distributing
trays of a distributing pan of special construction for dividing the water into
streams and supplying it in that condition to the trays.
Another part of my invention relates to the combination with the feed water
heater of a filter of special construction adapted to separate the solid impurities
from the hot water before it passes through the filtering bed.
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a feed water heater embodying my inven
tion; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the water distributing trays removed;
Fig. 3 is a similar view of the distributing pan removed, and Fig. 4 is a vertical
sectional view of the combined feed water heater and filter.
A is the outer casing or body of the heater, which is usually made cylindrical,
having a detachable cap A and a base A2.
B is the feed pipe by which the water is supplied through the top of the heater,
the supply being automatically controlled by a valve ỗ through a float C, in a
manner which is now well known.
D is the receiving chamber for the hot water in the base of the heater, having
a supply outlet d to the pump, by which the hot water is fed to the boiler or else-
where, and the usual overflow outlet to the drain. The overflow is con-
nected preferably through a chamber or compartment e with an overflow pipe E
leading upward within the heater to the normal water level.
F is the distributing pan arranged in the top of the heater immediately below
the supply pipe B, by which the water. is received and distributed to the distribut-
ing trays G.
As shown the pan F is supported from the cap A¹ by rods H depending from

page_text: the cap and extending through the pan and carrying supporting nuts on their
threaded ends below the pan. By adjusting the nuts the position of the pan
may be regulated.
The water which enters the pan overflows the edge and falls upon the distri-
buting trays; and to effect a more perfect distribution of the water the pan F is
provided with a serrated upper edge f, the effect of which is to divide the water up
into a series of small streamis.
The pans Gare trough shaped in section and are arranged one below the other
as shown so that the water may drop successively from one tray to the next.
The bases of the trays are formed with slots or openings y for the passage of the
water.
These slots or openings are formed in only part of the base of each tray, and the
trays are so arranged that the slots of an upper tray are located over the solid or
closed portions of the lower trays, so that the water in passing from one tray to
another will fall upon the solid portion of the base and will flow or travel over it
before passing through the slots. In this manner the greatest possible area of
surface is presented for the passage of the water and deposit of solid matter, and
the length of time the water is in contact with the steam is greatly increased.
In my preferred construction the trays G and pan F are circular as shown,
the trays being annular, and thus affording free passage for the steam through
the central openings and effecting a more intimate contact of the steam with the
finely divided streams of water.
To support the trays Gone above the other and at the proper distance apart,
the upper trays are provided with depending feet I which rest upon the upper
edges of the lowermost trays. The bases of the feet I are shown provided with
notches which engage the edge of the lower tray, but this arrangement may be
reversed, the notches being formed in the upper edges of the trays. The lower-
most tray G may be supported within the body of the heater in any convenient
manner as shown it is provided with ribs & resting on lugs within the heater.
It will be observed that with this construction, upon the removal of the cap A¹
the trays G may be lifted out for cleaning purposes, &c., without the necessity of
loosening a single fastening.
L is the steam inlet entering the heater at a point below or adjacent to the
trays G through which steam enters the heater and rising through the streams
of water falling through the trays G imparts its heat thereto. M is a baffle plate
or oil extractor interposed in the inlet L to catch any oil that may be present in
the steam and prevent it passing into the heater and becoming mixed with the
feed water. A drain pipe m leading from the base of the inlet adjacent to the
extractor M carries off the extracted oil.
Usually exhaust steam is supplied to the heater through the inlet L, and to
supply any difficiencies therein a supplemental inlet N is provided, through
which live steam may be supplied to the heater when desired.
The heated water collects in the base of the heater in the chamber 1) and is
drawn off by the pump. The solid impurities fall to the bottom and may be dis-
charged through the bottom drain 0. To prevent such impurities being drawn
out by the pump an obstructing wall P is arranged in the base of the chamber I
and a depending apron P is arranged in front of the outlet d.
In the construction shown in Fig. 4 instead of the receiving chamber D in the
base of the heater, a filter is employed. This filter consists of an outer body A³
divided internally by perforated or reticulated diaphragms a a into an upper
chamber S, a lower chamber S¹, and an intermediate chamber S2 Between the
perforated diaphragms. The chamber S2 is filled with suitable filtering material
and constitutes a filtering chamber between the upper chamber S and the lower
chamber S. The base of the heater A is closed by a base plate T except for an
opening which communicates by a pipe T leading through the chambers S and S²
with the lower chamber S.
A supply outlet
for the hot water leads from the upper chamber S and com-

page_text: municates with the pump; and a discharge outlet leads from the lower
chamber St
With this construction the hot water from the heater A passes down through
the pipe T into the chamber S¹, and thence traverse the filtering chamber S,
through the diaphragms aa and passes into the upper chamber S, when the
purified hot water is drawn off by the pump. The advantage of this arrangement
is, that, as the water passes, first into the lower chamber $1 before traversing
the filtering chamber, the solid impurities are deposited in the chamber Sand
do not pass into the filtering chamber. In this construction I have shown the
overflow pipe E leading through the base of the heater A and the chambers S
and S.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is.:-
1. A feed water heater and purifier when constructed substantially as herein
described and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a feed water heater and purifier of the character described:
(a) The distributing trays (G) of trough shape with openings (g) in their bases
arranged one above the other with the openings in one tray located over the
solid portions of the next lower tray.
(b) The distributing trays G when formed of annular shape and disposed ono
above the other.
(c) The means for supporting the trays G one above the other without positive
attachments consisting of the supporting feet I.
() The circular distributing pan having the upper serrated edge f when
arranged as described over the distributing trays G.
3. The filter A3 having the upper chamber S, lower chamber St and inter-
mediate filtering chamber S2, when combined with a heater having communication
with the lower chamber S through a pipe T, substantially as described and as
shown in the accompanying drawings.
Tate this 7th day of N
1000
LEWIS WEHNER.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.