Improvements in Water Separators for Steam Generators.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Aug., 1899-Accepted, 9th Sept., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Water Separators for Steam Generators.
I, CHARLES WHITING BAKER, of Montclair, County of Essex, and 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;-
My invention consists of certain improvements in that class of steam driers or
steam separators which are designed to be placed in the interior of a steam boiler
adjacent to the steam outlet to extract the entrained water from the steam before
it passes out of the boiler.
My improvements are designed to overcome the difficulties which have hereto-
fore been experienced with separators of this class in the disposing of the water
which they extract from the steam, to project the watery particles back into the
generator, to simplify and reduce the cost of the apparatus, to render it compact
and applicable to boilers of various classes, and to secure its efficient working
under the most severe conditions. In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the dome of a steam boiler, having a form
of my device (shown also in vertical section) attached to the steam outlet pipe;
Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same through the line A, B, in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a vertical section through a similar device attached to a locomotive
throttle valve of the balanced poppet form;
Fig. 4 is a section of another form of my device embodying a discharge passage
of a somewhat different form as hereinafter set forth;
Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 9-9 in Fig. 4;
Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a form of my device adapted for narrow horizontal
steam drums and with a moving part for assisting the discharge of the collected
water;
Fig. 7 is a cross-section through the separator chamber of Fig. 6;
Fig. 8 is a section of my device attached to a locomotive throttle valve of
another form from that shown in Fig. 3, and having a water return mechanism
of different style as hereinafter set forth.
Similar figures and letters refer to similar parts throughout the several
drawings.
All
In the design of steam driers to be placed on the interior of steam boilers, the
preblem that has heretofore balked inventors has been how to get the water that
is extracted from the steam back to the steam or water space of the boiler.
steam separators operate by interposing some obstruction to the passage of the
steam into or through a passage or chamber, compelling it to change the direction
of its flow. The particles of water, being of much greater specific gravity than
the steam, are thus led out of the steam current and collected. Such obstructions
to the flow of the steam, however, necessarily cause its pressure after passing them
to be somewhat less than in the steam space of the boiler. Further, the pulsations
of pressure which are commonly present at the steam pipe openings are carried
back into the interior of the separator. In providing for the escape of the water
from the interior of the separators to the steam space, most inventors have simply

page_text: causes its moisture to be thrown by centrifugal force against the walls of the
chamber X and it is carried down them by gravity and the friction of the steam
current. The steam increases its rotative velocity as it passes down the con-
tracting casing and when it reaches the bottom it is whirling at such high speed that
that part of it next the circumference is carried by its momentum into the helical
discharge passages S, S, S, S, formed by spiral partitions 3, 3, between the
casing E and a bowl A receiving the lower end of the pipe K. These passages
lead the water onward through exit orifices to the steam space, while the
dried steam from the center of the whirling column passes through the central
discharge opening u down into the bowl and into the lower end of the steam
outlet pipe K and upward and out of the pipe Z. It will be noticed that the
helical passages S, S, S, S, gradually narrow toward the bottom, thus concentrat-
ing the force of the steam entering at the mouths of these passages, according to
the well-known laws of fluid flow in converging channels. It will be obvious that
the current of steam passing downward will prevent any flow of steam in the con-
trary direction through the helical passages S, S, S, S, and that even should such
reverse flow occur momentarily, the steam passing upward would so whirl in
passing up the passages S, S, S, S, as to drop its moisture, and its velocity would
be so checked as the passage enlarges in section toward the top that it would
lose its power to prevent the flow of water in contrary direction.
In
A further important advantage of this improvement is that it provides for the
elimination of large bodies of water from the steam when the boiler foams, as well
as for the small percentages which are regularly carried over by the steam.
separators where gravity alone is relied upon to drain away the collected water,
severe priming or foaming of the boiler will at times carry more water into the
separator than the ordinary openings can carry away. With my device, how-
ever, when any large amount of water is carried over with the steam, the water
itself is set into rapid rotation and its momentum furnishes added force to propel
it through the spiral passages and back to the steam space of the boiler.
the force tending to free the separator of water is automatically proportioned to
the amount of water to be taken care of.
Thus
I have also shown in Fig. 1, as an optional feature, an auxiliary discharging
apparatus, attached to the base of the casing E and consisting of a tapering
casing J, provided with a series of baffle-plates b, b, etc. These are so placed that
they interpose but slight resistance to the steam current flowing from the
separator but a large resistance to any current flowing in the opposite direction,
which will be deflected and thrown into eddies by each successive pair of baffle-
plates.
It will be obvious that similar baffle-plates may also be attached to the walls
of the helical passages S, S, S, etc. to obstruct motion of the steam in the reverse
direction through them if it is in any case found necessary.
While the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 is so designed as to be efficient for its
intended purpose, it will be obvious that my invention can be embodied in other
forms of passages from the interior of the separator to the boiler steam space;
for example, the discharge openings may be tangential to the circumference of
the separator, as in Fig. 5, or of spiral form. In fact, all that is essential to my
invention is that the said discharge openings shall be so placed and formed that
they will cause the momentum of the whirling steam and water in the separator
to propel the aqueous particles into the steam space of the boiler. In some cases,
however, this is difficult to accomplish by even the most perfectly formed passages.
I would point out, therefore, that my invention is still carried into effect even
though steam should enter the separator through the discharge passages, provided
its velocity is only so checked by the opposition of the current inside the
separator that the water will flow more readily by gravity out of the discharge
passages rather than with the steam in the opposite direction.
I have fully set forth this matter in order that it may be understood that the
principle of my invention may be embodied in devices which are really less

page_text: In Fig. 3, I have shown a throttle of the common type adapted to my separator,
substantially the only change being the addition of a projecting flange y, y, at the
top of the throttle valve casing c to form a base to support the separator casing E,
and the extension c¹ of the casing to enclose the throttle. The plate y, y, has
slots through which the steam passes downward to the space enclosed by the part
of the casing c¹ and thus to the lower throttle opening.
In Fig. 6, I have shown a horizontal separator in which the force of the moving
current of steam is again employed to cause the outflow of the moist outer portion
of the steam current to the boiler steam space, through the medium of a single
rotating part which whirls freely in the current of steam. The steam enters
through the perforations in the top of the casing, which operate to prevent the
entry of any pieces of scale or other possible obstruction. It is set into rotation
by the successive spiral vanes which are fixed upon a central shaft in the axis of
the separator pipe. The entrained water is collected in the longitudinal channel g¹
at the bottom from which it runs by gravity, aided by the suction of the centri-
fugal fan 9, which is itself driven by the spiral bladed wheel 8 placed in the dry
steam current.
Referring now to the manner in which the separation of the entrained water
from the steam is effected, it will be seen that this is accomplished in each case
by centrifugal force, the entering steam being set into rotation by stationary
vanes of approximately helical form.
As shown in the various figures, however, these helical vanes may be made in
a great variety of forms without departing from the principle of my invention.
Whatever their form, however, they should be so designed as to interpose the
least resistance to the flow of the steam consistent with the attainment of a high
rotative velocity. I also prefer that these vanes should be inclined outward
toward the casing of the separator chamber as in Fig. 4, to facilitate the outward
flow of the water which may collect on them.
I would also point out that the several embodiments of my invention herein
shown are adapted to boilers of different classes, according to the shape and size
of the steam space, the rate at which the boiler is worked, the amount of trouble
usually experienced with foaming, etc. Thus for ordinary stationary boilers a
very simple apparatus like that shown in Fig. 4, may meet all requirements,
while for the boilers of torpedo boats it may be necessary to employ the fan or
propeller shown in Figs. 6 and 8 to keep the interior of the separating chambers
at all times drained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A steam separator arranged inside a steam boiler and provided with drainage
passages leading to the boiler steam space, made up of plates or partitions
arranged to form channels which gradually contract toward their exit orifices,
substantially as described.
2. An apparatus for separating water particles from steam currents consist-
ing of a casing provided with stationary vanes arranged to impart a rapid whirling
motion to the current, discharging openings and converging plates or vanes
arranged to deflect the outer portion of the whirling current to the openings,
substantially as described.
3. The combination in a steam separator of a casing, vanes arranged to impart
a whirling motion to a current of steam passing through the casing, a central
discharge passage and openings communicating directly with the boiler steam
space and arranged around said central discharge passage, and affording an exit
to the outer portion of said current, substantially as described.
4. A steam separator comprising a casing, means for inducing rotation in a
current of steam passing through the casing, a discharge pipe at the discharge
end of the casing, and a supplemental discharge passage between the pipe and