Apparatus for Automatically Supplying Feed Water to Steam Boilers, and for Heating such Feed Water and Removing Impurities therefrom.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 21st Nov., 1896-Accepted, 6th Feb.. 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Automatically Supplying Feed Water to Steam
Boilers, and for Heating such Feed Water and Removing
Impurities therefrom.
I, ERNEST PETERSEN, of No. 2, Fountain Court Guildhall Yard, in the City
of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to improved apparatus for supplying feed-water to steam
boilers, whereby the water level of a plant of boilers is automatically maintained
constant within a few inches of variation, while at the same time the feed water is
heated to about the same temperature as that in the boilers, and the oil and other
impurities are separated therefrom before passing into the boilers.
The apparatus for this purpose is constructed as follows:
A strong cylindrical chamber is provided at its lower end with a conical or other
shaped compartment which is filled with gravel or other suitable granular filtering
material in two or more layers of different degrees of fineness.
To the lower part of such compartment is connected the supply pipe from the
main feed pumps, so that the feed water entering such compartment has to rise
through the layers of filtering material before passing through a perforated
partition plate into the cylindrical chamber. In the said filtering layers, are
imbedded perforated steam coils connected to a supply of steam at somewhat
higher pressure than that existing in the plant of boilers to which automatic feed
apparatus is connected. Such supply may consist either of a small special steam
generator, or it may consist of one of the boilers of the said plant, which is for
this purpose maintained at a somewhat higher pressure than the others.
Thus the high pressure steam entering the apparatus through the coils will heat
up the supply of feed water as it rises up through the filtering layers, so that it
attains about the temperature of the water in the plant of boilers.
As the water coming from the hot well of the engines is forced into the apparatus
by the feed pumps, it will in rising through the filtering layers be almost entirely
deprived of the oil and other impurities carried with it; and should any light oils
issue with the water through the perforated partition into the cylindrical chamber,
it will be caught by means of a conical hood held a short distance above the
partition, and will be led thence through a pipe at top to the outside of the
apparatus, where it may be discharged into an oil tank.
The purified water on the other hand will flow upward through a space formed
between the said conical hood and an outer conical hood, from the open upper end
of which it will then flow downward again in the annular space between the outer
hood and the sides of the chamber, to a discharge opening leading to the feed valves
of the boilers.
In the upper part of the cylindrical chamber is a piston capable of sliding up
and down to an extent limited by stops. The space above this piston communicates
with the steam space of the boilers.
The piston has a central tubular stem communicating at its lower end with the
space below the piston and extending up into an upward extension of reduced
diameter of the cylindrical chamber; in the sides of this extension are formed two

page_text: ports, one communicating with the hot well of the engine, and the other with a
steam donkey pump for the feed supply, and these ports are controlled by two
opposite slide valves carried by the tubular extension of the piston, which are
pressed against the said ports both by spring action and by the steam pressure;
when the piston rises to its highest position, the passage of the tubular extension,
which opens into the face of the one slide, is made to communicate with the port
lending to the hot well, so that the excess of feed supply which under those
comitions will be entering the cylindrical chamber, will then flow off through the
tubular extension to the hot well again, without passing to the boiler. When the
piston is in the above position the second slide will close the port to the engine of
ihe donkey pamp but will open a port leading to a whistle, which will consequently
he sounded by the escaping steam, and will thus indicate that there is excessive
feed.
If on the other hand, in consequence of deficient feel, the piston sinks to its
lowest position, the last named slile will uncover the port leading to the donkey
pump, so that steam passing to the latter will cause the donkey pump to supply
additional feel water to the apparatus through a pipe communicating with the
lower part of the filtering layers.
At the same time also, the first named slide, in moving down with the piston will
uncover an opening leading to a second whistle which in being sounded will shew
that the main feed is deficient.
The feed valves of the boilers are kept down on their sents by spring pressure
adjustable by screw spindles, such spring pressure being so adjusted as to hold the
valve down with a certain pressure in excess of that due to the steam pressure in
the boiler plus that of the column of water extending from the feed valve up to
the normal water level of the boiler.
As the upper side of the piston of the feed apparatus is subject to the steam
pressure of the boiler, it will be seen that on forcing feed water into the cylindrical
chamber from the main feel pumps, the piston will first be raised by the pressure
of the water until the latter balances the load on the feed valve of the boiler,
whereupon the valve will open and the food, water, heated to near boiler heat as
above described, will enter the boiler from the cylindrical chamber, while the piston
thereof is maintained in an intermediate position.
When from any circumstance, an excess of feed water is forced into the boiler
thereby increasing the load on the feed valve, the corresponding increase of pressure
in the cylindrical chamber will cause the piston to rise, and to establish the before
described communication with the hot well, so that feed water will now flow back
into the latter, until the water level in the boiler has again sunk to the normal,
when the piston will sink again and the feed will he renewed.
If on the other hand, the water level sinks below the normal owing to the supply
of the main pumps being deficient, the piston will sink, and in opening the before
described communication with the donkey pump, will cause an additional supply of
feed water to be forced in until the water is again raised to the normal level."
According to another modification instead of providing the tubular extension of
the piston with two opposite slides, as described which are kept up against their
faces by spring action, the tubular extension may have a single piston slide-valve
formed or fixed on its upper end, governing the several ports as above described;
the piston has one or more passages formed through it, so as to have the same
steam pressure above and below it. In either of the above arrangements a vertical
metal rod carried on the upper end of the tubular extension of the piston may
extend into a glass tube fixed on the cover of the small cylinder extension, such
tube being closed at top and provided with a graduated scale, so that the upper end
of the metal rod being visible against the scale, its height will at any time
indicate the corresponding position of the piston and the consequent condition of
the feed.
When a certain amount of impurities have accumulated in the filtering layers,
they can be removed by opening a blow-out cock at bottom, when the before

page_text: described high pressure steam will force the impurities downwards out of the
filter layers.
Although I prefer to employ the above described arrangements whereby on the
ascent of the piston the chamber is put in communication with the hot well, and
on its descent the chamber is put in communication with the donkey pump, yet it
will be obvious that the piston may be made to act on other suitable devices during
its motion, for attaining the same objects.
Dated this 26th day of Wohmary 1900
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
Apparatus for Automatically Supplying Feed Water to Steam
Boilers, and for Heating such Feed Water and Removing
Impurities therefrom.
I, ERNEST PETERSEN, of No. 2 Fountain Court, Guildhall Yard, in the City of
London, 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 :-
My invention relates to improved apparatus for supplying feed water to steam
boilers, whereby the water level of a plant of boilers is automatically maintained
constant within a few inches of variation while at the same time the feed water is
heated to about the same temperature as that in the boilers, and the oil and other
impurities are separated therefrom before passing into the boilers.
The said apparatus, which is applicable with particular advantage to water-tube
boilers and other boilers which contain a comparatively small volume of water,
consists mainly in the employment of a cylindrical chamber into the lower part of
which the feed water is forced in by the feed pumps and from which it flows to the
feed valves of the boilers, while the upper part of the chamber contains a steam
tight piston capable of sliding freely up and down to a limited extent. The space
of the chamber above the piston communicates with the steam space of the boilers
to be fed. The feed valve is held down with adjustable spring pressure, in addition
to the pressure to which it is subjected by the boiler steam plus the column of
water in the boiler above the valve. When the water is at the normal level in the
boilers, the pressure of the feed water in the above mentioned chamber that will
be sufficient to open the feed valve against the load upon it, will support the piston
in an intermediate position, but when the supply of feed water is excessive, the
corresponding increase of the water column in the chamber will cause the piston
to rise, and in doing so it is made to open a communication between the space in
the chamber below the piston and the hot well or water tank of the engine, so that
the excess of the feed water will flow back into the hot well instead of being
forced into the .boiler.
If on the other hand the feed water supply is deficient so that the water level
of the builer and of the said chamber sinks, the piston will descend below the
middle position and will thereby be made to open a communication between the
steam space above the piston and a donkey feed pump, so that this will then force
a supplemental supply into the boiler.
In either of the above cases the piston in rising or falling is also made to sound
a whistle giving notice that the feed supply is irregular.
The chamber is preferably provided with layers of suitable filtering material at
bottom, through which the feed water is made to pass and in which are situated
perforated steam coils for heating the water and for blowing out the collected
impurities from time to time.

page_text: I will describe the arrangement of the said apparatus which I prefer to employ
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figures 1 and 2 shew respectively a diagrammatic elevation and plan of the
feed apparatus in combination with the boilers and other apparatus;
Figure 3 shews an elevation partly in section of the feed apparatus,
Figure 4 is a plan partly in section on line X X Figure 3.
Figures 5 and 6 are respectively an enlarged vertical section and plan partly in
section of the upper part of the apparatus.
Figure 7 is a plan of one of the perforated stentn coils,
Figure 8 is a vertical section of the feed valve of the boiler.
Referring to Figures 1 to 7, the feed apparatus consists of a cylindrical
chamber A the lower conical part A' of which contains gravel or other suitable
non porous filtering material in layers of different degrees of fineness confined
between gratings B B through which filtering layers the feed water is forced into
the chamber through the branch pipe A from the main feed pump.
Imbedded in the filter layers are perforated steam coils CC that are connected
by pipe C with the steam pipe E from the boiler D, and by a pipe C with an
auxiliary boiler D', in which a somewhat higher steam pressure is maintained than
in D, so that by the admission of steam through the coils C the entering feed water
will be heated io about the same temperature of the water in the boilers D.
Any oil or other impurities carried with the entering feed water is retained by
the filter layers; if however any portions of light oil should pass through the upper
grating they will be intercepted by the conical hood F which is carried free over
the grating and which lends such oil to the outside through the pipe to an oil
tauk V. A second conical hood G leads the whole of the water rising from the
filters to the upper part of the vessel A from which it then flows off through the
branch pipe at bottom to the boilers I), which it enters through the feed
valve H.
In the upper part of the vessel A is a piston capable of working steam-tight in
a lining K between stops a and a'. The space above this piston communicates
through a branch A' with the steam pipe E of the boilers D. The piston carries a
tubular upward extension J with piston-valve K which works in an extension A,
of smaller diameter, of the vessel A.
In the walls of A are formed, fireily a port and passage L leading to the hot
well or water tank of the steam engine, and secondly a port and passage M leading
to the steam cylinder of an auxiliary feed pump N. The extension J opens at bottom
into the space below the piston I and at top into a side opening in the slide K.
When the piston I is in its highest position, shewn at Fig. 3. the passage of J
communicates with the passage L, so that the feed water introduced into A will
then flow off through L back to the hot well of the engine; at the same time,
the slide K opens a passage leading to a steam whistle so that a signal is
given.
When on the other hand, the piston is in its lowest position it opens the passage M
so that steam from the pipe E flows through passage K' of the slide and passage M
to the auxiliary pump N, which is consequently made to force an additional supply
of feed water through the branch pipe A into the vessel A; also, in this position
the slide opens n passage O lending to the steam whistle.
In the middle position of the slide and piston all the above communications are
closed.
The feed valve H of the boiler D, in addition to the steam and water column
pressure of the boilers, is also subject to the pressure of a spring P regulated by a
screw Q.
Consequently in onler to force the feed water into the boiler the pressure exerted
by the feed pump in A must be slightly in excess of the total pressure on the
valve H.
The water column in A is approximately equal to that in the boiler D and as
the boiler steam pressure acts on the top of piston I, it fellows that, at the normal

page_text: water level in the boiler the weight of the piston I must balance the pressure of
the spring P for the water to be forced by the pump through the vessel A into
the boiler, and the piston I will consequently then be maintained in its medium
position.
From this it follows that if from any cause the supply of feed water is excessive
the water column in the boiler and in A will rise, thereby raising the piston I into
the bighest position in which it effects the communication between A and the hot
well so that the feed water will then flow back into the hot well, until by the
sinking of the water level and of the piston to the normal position again this
communication is cut off.
If on the other hand the feed supply is too small, the water column in A, and
consequently also the piston I, in sinking, will effect a communication between the
steam pipe E and the auxiliary feed pump N, and an additional supply of feed
water will be forced into A until the normal water level is re-established, when
the said communication will be cut off by the rising of the piston.
Thus it will be seen that by means of this apparatus the water level will be
automatically maintained practically constant.
It will be obvious that a single such apparatus can be made to regulate the speed
in a number of boilers, as it will always operate in connection with the boiler or
boilers which has or have for the time being the lowest water level.
When, after long continued use, the filter layers have become charged with oil
and impurities, these can be removed by closing the connection of the coils C with
the steam space of the boilers D, leaving open their connection with the auxiliary
boiler D, whereby the steam from this, in issuing through the coils, will drive off
the impurities through the branch Z at bottom.
For enabling the proper working of the apparatus to be readily observed, the
slide K is provided at top with a rod R, extending up through the cover of A into
a closed glass tube S, so that by observing the position of the bead on the rod
relatively to a scale on the open casing of the tube, the position of the piston I can
at all times be ascertained.
As shewn at Figs. 1 and 2 the high pressure boiler D' may be provided with a
special feed pump N' by means of which not only its own feed is supplied, but also
it may be made to feed the other boilers through pipe W, in the event of the
apparatus being put out of action for repairs, &c. For the same purpose also, the
pipe A² from the main feed pump can be connected by a branch with valve directly
to the feed pipe A of the boilers.
Although it is of advantage to employ a special high pressure auxiliary boiler D',
this is by no means essential, as one of the boilers D might readily be maintained
at a slightly higher pressure than the others. In this case if the steam from this
boiler is to be used in the same engine as that from the other boilers it must of
course be made to pass through a reducing valve into the main steam pipe.
Although I prefer to arrange the vessel A at about the same level as the boilers
yet it may also be arranged at a lower level, in which case the additional head of
water to which the vessel A would be subjected, beyond that of the boilers would
be balanced by the weight of the piston, and in this case the spring pressure on
the feed valve H might be dispensed with, though I prefer to employ this as a
means of accurately adjusting the action of the piston I.
It will be readily understood that the above described automatic feed apparatus
can also be used without the devices for heating and purifying the feed water, as
these appliances can be arranged in a separate chamber or chambers, through which
the feed water is forced before passing into the vessel A.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Apparatus for automatically regulating the supply of feed water to steam
boilers, consisting of a vessel A into which the water is forced by the feed pumps,

page_text: and from which it passes to the steam boilers, which vessel contains in its upper
part a piston I working steam-tight between stops, the space below the piston being
subject to the pressure of the feed water, while that above the piston is subject to
the steam pressure of the boilers, with which it communicates, the said piston being
connected to a slide valve which controls, on the one hand, a passage leading to
the hot well or overflow tank of the engine, and, on the other hand, a passage
leading to an auxiliary pumping engine, so that on the rising of the water level in
the vessel A in consequence of excessive feed, the piston and valve in rising cause
the excessive feed to be discharged back into the hot well, while on the water level
falling in consequence of deficient feed, the piston and valve in sinking open the
communication between the boilers nnd the auxiliary pumping engine, substantially
as described.
2. In the feed apparatus referred to in Claim No. 1, combining with the piston I
n piston slide valve K connected thereto by a tubular stem which piston slide
controls a passage 1 leading to the hot well of the engine and a passage M leading
to an auxiliary feed pump, substantially as described.
3. In feed apparatus such as is referred to in Claim No. 1, the provision in the
lower part of the vessel A, of layers of filtering materials for purifying the entering
feed water, in which layers are imbedded perforated steam coils C for heating the
feed water and for removing the accumulated impurities from time to time, while
above the said layers are arranged conical hoods and G, which serve respectively
to collect and conduct away any light oils that may pass through the filters, and to
lead the whole of the entering feed water into the upper part of the vessel A, before
passing to the boilers through a branch A³ at the lower part thereof, substantially
as described.
4. In combination with the feed apparatus referred to in Claim No. 1, the use of
a boiler feed valve which is kept closed by an adjustable spring in addition to
the steam and water pressure, such spring being adjusted so as to just balance the
weight of the piston 1, substantially as described.
5. In apparatus for regulating the supply of feed water to boilers, the com-
bination of a cylindrical vessel A, through which the feed water is forced on its
way to the boilers, a piston 1 working between stops in the upper part of said
vessel, a communication between the steam space of the boiler to be fed and the
space above said piston, a slide K connected by a tubular extension with said
piston, a cylindrical extension A³ of said vessel A in which the slide K works
having a port L communicating with the hot well or water tank of the steam engine,
and a port M communicating with the stenm cylinder of an auxiliary feed pump,
a passage through the extension and slide K adapted to establish a communication
between the water space of a vessel A and port. L when the piston 1 is in its
highest position, and a passage K' through slide K adapted to admit steam from
the boiler to the port M when the piston is in its lowest position, and layers of
filtering material in the lower part of said vessel A through which the feel water
is made to pass in entering the latter, and a hood F supported free over the filter
layers, adapted to intercept and carry off any oil carried by the water through the
filter layers, substantially as described.
6. In combination with the layers of filtering material referred to in the
5th claim, the use of perforated steam coils in the said layers for heating the
water and removing accumulated impurities from the layers, substantially as
described.
Dated this 14th day of Navahon 1904
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.