An Improved Apparatus for Cooling Water for Condensing and other Purposes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 17th July, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 9th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 15th May, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Cooling Water for Condensing and
other Purposes.
I, EDGAR CONISTON MILLS of No. 40 Victoria Buildings, Manchester, Consulting
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object the extraction of heat from water used for con-
densing steam used in steam engines and for other purposes.
The apparatus consists of an enclosed box, case or tower within which are fixed
a series of trays or floors having grooves or corrugations and which are fixed with
a slight inclination in alternate directions. The floors are also provided with a
series of holes and corresponding projections disposed along the valleys of the
grooves or corrugations. The trays or floors extend across the box or tower thus
dividing it into a series of chambers and an enforced stream of air is maintained
through the chambers laterally by means of an ordinary and suitable air propellor
or fan mounted on one side of the tower or on a suitable elongation thereof. The
propellor is driven by any suitable and available source of power.
The water to be cooled is led to the top of the tower and distributed in small
streams by perforated pipes or in any other suitable manner over the uppermost
floor. Thence it drips through the holes described in small streams through the
uppermost chamber on to the second floor, the residue not passing through the holes
flowing off the lower end of the floor or tray whence it is guided by suitable plates
or guides to the upper end of the second floor. The action at each floor is similar
and is continued until the water having passed over or through each of the floors
reaches the bottom of the apparatus and falls into a tank or receptacle provided for
the purpose. The air impelled by the propellor passes laterally and at right angles
to the course of the water through the various chambers between the floors and
passes out at apertures provided at the opposite side carrying with it the vapour
given off by the water in cooling both as it falls in fine streams as described and
as it flows over the grooved surfaces.
The above described transverse action of the air in carrying off the vapour from
each of the chambers in succession is of great value by enabling the cooling effect
of the air in the succeeding chambers to be fully utilised.
I do not confine myself to any special form of the tower which may be rectangular,
square or circular. Nor do I confine myself to any special material or construction
of the trays or floors but at present I believe corrugated sheet metal to be the best
for the purpose. When using corrugated sheet metal for this purpose I form the
perforations by punching without entirely removing the metal which is bent down-
wards as a tongue on the lower side and which thus serves as a drip point for the
water. In this case the perforations are preferably of triangular form the base of
the triangle not being cut away and thus forming the tongue.
In some cases I actuate the air propellor or fan by the force of the water passing
to or from the cooler. For this purpose I insert a suitable water motor in the
ising or falling main and drive the fan by belt or gearing from its spindle.
Dated this 16th day of July 1896.
EDGAR CONISTON MILLS.

page_text: as being placed with its axis vertical but I may also place it with its axis horizontal or
at any angle as may be more convenient.
Fig. 3 illustrates the rectangular box form of apparatus similar to that shewn in
Figs. 1 and 2, E being the water distributor pipe with outlets e as before. The
openings Cin this case are for ingress of the air which traverses across the course of
the falling water which is arrested and divided by the perforated trays D D as before.
It is collected by the hopper B and discharged by the fan F as shewn by the arrows
the cooled water falling as before into the tank T.
Fig. 4 represents a circular or tower form of the apparatus working upon the same
principle namely by èxtraction of the air by the fan. It is formed of a series of
internal and external trays marked K and L respectively. As illustrated these trays
are formed with central openings increasing in size towards the top. The external
trays are formed as dishes with inclined sides and slightly tapered floors and so placed
that there is an annular inlet for air all round the top of each of the trays L as shewn
by the arrows. The internal trays are. all "hat-shaped" but without top and with
slightly inclined brims and are so placed that there is an annular passage for air
between the vertical sides of each of the trays K and the edges of the circular
openings in the floor of the trays L. Thus at each succeeding tier a fresh volume
of air is allowed to enter by the annular openings M. The brims of the trays K and
the floors of the trays L are perforated in like manner to the perforations shewn in
Figs. 5, 6 and 7. N is a circular perforated water distributing pipe. O is the frame
consisting of three or more members to which the external trays I are attached and
the internal trays K are supported by distance thimbles or pieces P, or in other
suitable or convenient manner. The bottom tray L' is not perforated but has a raised
centre box and a discharge pipe . The air in this case as will be readily understood
also traverses the course of the falling water at right angles thereto, travelling at each
tier radially from the periphery of the tower to the centre opening whence it is finally
extracted and discharged by the fan F passing on its way the water which is dripping
through the perforations in the trays.
I do not confine myself to any particular method of operating the fan as it may be
driven electrically or by the force of the water passing to or from the cooler by means
of a suitable water motor inserted into the rising or falling main or in cases where
there is sufficient head of water by means of a jet or cup turbine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In apparatus for extracting heat from water the box or tower divided into. a
series of chambers by arresting perforated trays and the fan or other means of
propelling air laterally through the said chambers, substantially as and for the purposes
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In water cooling apparatus the inclined and perforated water arresting trays
formed of corrugated sheet metal or other suitable material substantially as and for
the purposes herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In water cooling apparatus the perforated sheets or trays in which the perforations
are formed each with a drip point consisting of the removed but not severed metal of
the sheet substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
4. In water cooling apparatus the air extracting fan working vertically or otherwise
placed at the top of a tundish formed at one side of the cooling box or tower
substantially as and for the purposes herein before described and illustrated in Fig. 3
of the accompanying drawings.
5. The circular water cooling tower having air extracting fan at the top and with
internal and external annular trays and dishes and with central air space increasing
in size towards the top provided with annular peripheral air inlet apertures between
the dishes, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated
in Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.