in feed-water heaters
Year: 1886

page_text: I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 improvements in feed-water heaters.
Feed-water heaters, as frequently constructed consist, mainly, of a system of
tubes enclosed within a chamber, in the end-plates of the heads of which the tubes
are fixed at both ends. The water circulates through, and the steam around, the
tubes or vice versâ as desired. In practice this construction is objectionable, in
that the various portions of the device expand and contract unequally, causing the
tubes to work loose in the heads, and to leak.
In place of straight tubes, held at both ends in the opposite heads of the heater,
arched tubes have been used, both ends of the tubes being held in the same head,
the steam circulating through, and the water around, the tubes; or in the place of
arched tubes, tubes within tubes have been used, the outer tubes being closed at
the top and the steam circulating through the inner tubes and the annular spaces
between the inner and outer tubes. These last named systems are undesirable, on
the one hand because, if the steam is passed through them, the friction is increased,
the tubes being small, and the annular spaces still smaller in cross-sectional area;
this increases the back pressure upon the engine. On the other hand, if water is
passed through the tubes, and the steam around the tubes, sediment is deposited
within the tubes, which latter from their construction, cannot well be reached for
cleaning, removal, or repair. Again, the tubes, at their upper ends have been held
in an independent head, but the hot-water pipe leading to the boiler has passed
directly outward, transversely, from the inner to, and through, the outer shell of
the heater, and, in consequence leakage occurs at that part of the apparatus by
reason of the unequal expansion of the parts.
The objects of this invention are to overcome the several difficulties mentioned;
to provide a more efficient heater which is readily made, easily managed, cleaned
and repaired, and one in which the shell of the heater and the tubes can expand

page_text: and contract independently of each other; and, further and particularly, to provide
a heater so constructed that the steam used in heating the water shall enter the
heater at the point where the heated water is discharged from the heater, in order
that the hottest steam shall be applied to that portion of the pipes or chamber
which contains the hottest water, and thereby enable the feed-water to be heated
by the exhaust steam, not only to 212° Fahrenheit but to a higher temperature; in
practice say to about 218° Fahrenheit.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure one is an elevation, part of the outer shell being broken away, of the
most desirable form of the improved heater.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same.
Figure is a view similar to Figure 1 exhibiting a modification in respect of
the mode of taking out the hot-water pipe.
Figure 4 is a vertical section of the apparatus shown in Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5, 5 Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a view similar to Figures 1 and 3 showing another. modification.
Figure 7 is a vertical section of the apparatus shown in Figure 6.
Figure 8 is a horizontal section on the line 8, 8 Figure 6, and
Figure 9 is a plan showing the upper end of the water-tubes and the pipe' in
which the heated water is received, in the apparatus shown in Figures 3 and 6.
Like letters of reference denote the same parts throughout the drawing.
A represents the chamber at the lower end of the heater, into which the water
to be heated is delivered by means of the pipe B. The chamber A tapers towards
its lower end at such an angle, and substantially as shown, as to prevent the
adhesion of sediment to its shell.
.
C, C represent the various tubes which receive the water from the chamber A
and D. represents the chamber above the tubes, and in which the water is received
from the tubes. The tubes, at their lower ends, cannect with, and are supported
upon the chamber A.; and the chamber D connects with, and is supported upon
the tubes. The tubes and chamber D, saving the connection of the tubes with the
chamber A, are free to expand and contract within the shell E of the heater, which
shell, at its lower end, is attached to the chamber A; and serves to enclose the
tubes and chamber D, and the steam-space F, in which the tubes and chamber D
are contained, and in which space the steam circulates for the purpose of heating
the tubes.
G, Figure 1, represents the pipe through which the heated water is discharged
from the chamber D and the heater. Its lower end g, Figure 2, extends well down-
ward toward the bottom of the chamber D, and it extends thence upward through
the shell d of the chamber D and through the shell E. The pipe G is fixed in the
shell d, but it is held loosely in the shell E, the pipe passing through a stuffing
box H therein. This enables the tubes C, the chamber D, and the tube G to move
independently of the shell E, as, these various parts are differently expanded by
different temperatures; they therefore do not exert a strain upon each other.
That is, the shell E may be expanded by reason of the hot steam, and the tubes
and chamber. D contracted, or, what is the equivalent not expanded as far as the
shell-E, by reason of the coldwater entering the tubes, without either part tending
to disrupt the other. The pipe G..extends outward from the chamber D in the
line of the expansion of the shell E, and hence the pipe and the stuffing-box H
can freely move relatively to each other. The steam enters the chamber Fat 1, so
that it first, encounters the shell d of the chamber D, after which it circulates
downward around and between the tubes, throughout the chamber F, and passes
out of the heater at any convenient point, such as the outlet J.
The advantage accruing from. this method of introducing the steam into the
heater at, or in the immediate vicinity of, the point at which the water is
discharged from the heater is this:-The water entering through the pipe B and
passing into the tubes C becomes more and more heated as it passes upward
through the tubes, and the chamber D contains the hottest water of all.
d.
But

page_text: surrounding this chamber is the hottest steam. The heat of the steam is thus
applied to the best advantage in heating the water, and to better advantage than'
if the steam were admitted into the heater so as to be first applied to that portion
which contains the coolest water.
A blow-off pipe K leads from near the top of the chamber D, downward through
one of the tubes C into the chamber A, and thence outward therefrom sub-
stantially as shown. By means of this pipe any scum collecting upon the water
within the chamber D may be carried away from the heater. The blow-off for the
chamber A is shown at L, and the water of condensation formed within the
chamber F can be drawn off at M.
In Figures 3. 4. 5 is shown a modification of the heater in respect of the mode
of delivering the hot-water therefrom. The steam is delivered into the chamber F
at the same point as in the apparatus shown in Figures 1. 2. The water-discharge
pipe, however, does not lead from the chamber D directly upward therefrom to
the outside of the heater but is taken out though the side d' of the chamber, and,
after reaching the outside of the chamber, is coiled around it more or less, sub-
stantially as is represented at g¹, and is then conducted into and through the
steam inlet I, and thence is carried through the shell of the inlet-pipe substantially
as is shown at i, and thence to the boiler In this manner provision is made for
the relative movement of the chamber D and shell E without straining any of the
parts, as by means of the coil g¹ the movement is sufficiently distributed between
the point where the pipe leaves the chamber D and the point where it passes
through the shell of the inlet I to prevent an undue strain from being experienced
at any point, either along the line of the pipe or at its points of connection with
the chamber D and inlet-shell. At the same time the hottest steam comes in
contact with both the shell of the chainber D and the pipe G.
The modification shown in figures 6 and 7 is analogous to that last described.
The pipe G, in this last case, leads at g² from the chamber D downward into tho
steam-space F, and, preferably, well downward into the steam-space F and thence
the pipe leads into the steam-inlet I, which in this case, is arranged below the
level of the chamber D. The pipe G after passing through a longer or a shorter
portion of the inlet-pipe I, as is desired leaves the pipe I as at i, at which point a
stuffing box may be used to enable the pipe G to move in the shell of the pipo I in
case the parts are contracted and expanded by different degrees of heat, but it is
not likely to occur to any marked degree, for the pipe G may, after leaving the
chamber D wind more or less around the tubes C before coming to the inlet I. By
reason of this and of the elasticity of the pipe, any movement of any of the parts
of the heater due to unequal expansion is dissipated before reaching the point
where the pipe G passes out of the steam-inlet pipe. The pipe G, within the
chamber D, may be extended in the form of the branched pipe ga, g³, the branches
being perforated at g' to admit the water from the chamber D.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. The combination in a feed water heater, of the chamber D, the pipe for
discharging the hot water from said chamber, and the heater-shell, said pipe being
held firmly in said chamber and loosely in said shell, substantially as described.
Second. The combination in a feed water heater, of the chamber D the pipe for
discharging the bot-water from said chamber, and the heater-shell, said pipe being
held firmly either in said chamber, or said shell, and loosely in the other of said
parts, as described.
Third. The combination of the chamber F, tubes C, chamber D, and pipe G, the
latter being held firmly either in said chamber D or said chamber F, and loosely in
the other of said chambers, as described.
Fourth. The combination in a feed water heater, of the chambers A, D, F the
tubes C, the tube G held as described, the inlets B, I, and outlet J as described.

page_text: Fifth. The combination of the chambers A, D, the tubes C, and the pipe K, as
described.
]
Sixth. The combination, in a feed-water-heater, of the chambers F, D, and the
steam-inlet I delivering the steam first against said chamber D as, and for, the
purpose described.
Seventh. The combination in a feed-water heater, of the tubes C, the chamber D,
the pipe G, the shell E, and the steam-inlet I, said water-discharge pipe passing
out through said steam-inlet, as described.
Eighth. The combination of the chambers A, D, the tubes C, the pipe G, the
shell E, and the steam-inlet I, said water discharge-pipe passing out through, or in
the immediate vicinity of said steam-inlet as described.
Ninth. The combination, in a feed water heater, of the chamber D, the chamber F,
the shell E, and the pipe G, said pipe passing wholly or partly around said
chamber D, before passing out of said shell, as described.
Tenth. The combination in a feed water heater, of the chambers D, F, the shell E,
the steam-inlet I, and the pipe G, said pipe coiling around said chamber D before
passing into said steam-inlet, as described."
Eleventh. The combination, in a feed-water heater, of the chambers D, F, the
shell E, the steam-inlet I opposite said chamber D, and the water discharge pipe,
held firmly in said chamber D, and loosely in said shell, as described.
Twelfth. The combination of the tubes C, the chambers A, D, F and the pipe G,
extending from said chamber D downward through the steam-space F and thence
to the outside of the heater, as described.
Thirteenth. A feed-water heater whose chamber A tapers towards its lower end,
as, and for the purpose, shewn and described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.