Improvements in Apparatus for Condensing Steam or Vapour.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 25th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 2nd Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Condensing Steam or Vapour.
I, BENJAMIN WILLCOX, of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has been
communicated to me from abroad by Frederic Fouché of 38 Rue des Ecluses,
St. Martin, Paris, in the Republic of France, Engineer,) to be as follows:
This invention relates to apparatus in which steam or vapour such as steam
exhausted from a steam engine for example is caused to circulate in tubes the outer
surfaces of which are cooled by a current of air or a current of air combined with
water or spray.
In an apparatus constructed according to this invention for condensing exhaust
steam for example by means of air mixed with water the steam enters the apparatus
through a chamber divided by perforated plates or diaphragms into a number of
compartments. The holes in the diaphragins are so arranged as to cause the steam
to follow a zig zag path and become thoroughly mixed and uniformly distributed to
the condensing tubes preferably of brazed iron whose extremities are attached to
a tube plate covered by a perforated distributing plate with orifices regulated in
proportion to the refrigerating capacity of the elements of the tubular condenser.
This arrangement ensures a uniform temperature throughout the apparatus and
obviates unequal expansion and contraction of the parts.
The steam circulates in the interior of the tubes and a fan or air propeller causes.
a current of air which impinges on their exterior. This air is charged with water
supplied in regulated quantities by a series of cocks to horizontal troughs arranged
at different levels and provided with notched or serrated edges so that the water
falls in drops in the path of the current of air passing to the tubes. In order that
the upper part of the series of tubes may be equally moistened additional troughs
are arranged side by side and similarly supplied with water. The regulating cocks
are arranged outside the casing of the apparatus and the ends of the troughs project
through the side of the casing under the said cocks so as to enable the supply of
water to be regulated with facility. The action of the water upon the sides of the
tubes produces after a time a calcareous deposit which interferes with the cooling
action and in order to remove this incrustation the apparatus is provided with a
plate perforated so as to slide upon the tubes and scrape off the deposit. This
plate is caused to slide upon the tubes by incans of screws rotated by gearing or by
any other suitable combination of mechanism.
According to another arrangement the supply of water is dispensed with, the
cooling action being obtained by means of a current of dry cold air supplied by the
fan or propeller. In this case the tubes may be smaller and more numerous being.
set closer together. In either case the steain or vapour after passing through the
perforated plates at the entrance is condensed in the tubes and the products of
condensation collect in a chamber at the lower part of the apparatus whence they
are discharged through a pipe or valve. When the water of condensation is
produced fro exhaust steam from an engine and is to be employed for feeding a
boiler it must be treated in a centrifugal or other apparatus capable of separating
the grease from the water.
To produce the current of air a fan or propeller of special construction is employed
having helical or inclined blades overlapping one another and arranged in a rotating
cylinder or ring the central part of the propeller, being, occupied by a relatively
large boss in the form of a double cone.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Condensing Steam or Vapour.
I, BENJAMIN WILLCOX of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention which has been
communicated to me from abroad by Frederic Fouché of 38 Rue des Ecluses
St. Martin Paris in the Republic of France, Engineer 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 apparatus in which steam or vapour such as exhaust
steam from a steam engine for example is caused to circulate in tubes the outer
surfaces of which are cooled by a current of air or a current of air combined with
water or spray.
And in order that this invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the annexed sheets of drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figures 1, 2 & 3 of the accompanying drawings illustrate in longitudinal section,
transverse section and plan respectively an arrangement of apparatus according to
this invention for condensing exhaust steam by means of a mixture of air and
water.
Figures 4, 5, & 6 illustrate a simplified arrangement in which air alone is
employed the apparatus being represented in longitudinal section in Figure 4
and in end elevation in Figure 5. Figure 6 illustrates a detail hereinafter
referred to.
In the arrangement represented in Figures 1, 2 & 3 for condensing exhaust
steam for example by means of air mixed with water the apparatus is provided
with a cover forming a chamber B to which the steam is supplied through a tube A.
The chamber B in the cover is divided horizontally by perforated plates or
diaphragms C1 C2 C3 into a number of compartments and the holes in each plate
are arranged opposite the solid parts of the adjacent plates so as to cause the steam
to follow a zig zag path and become thoroughly mixed and uniformly distributed to
the condensing tubes.
After passing through the plates C1 C2 C3 the steam passes through perforations
in a plate C4 and enters a series of tubes F enclosed in a suitable casing O, the
sectional area of the orifices in the plate C 4 being regulated according to the
refrigerating capacity of the tubes.
This arrangement for supplying the tubes with steam ensures uniformity of
temperature throughout the whole of the condensing apparatus the several parts
of which are consequently exposed to equal expansion and contraction so that the
tubes can be fixed in the tube sheets without making special provision against
the effects of unequal expansion and contraction. The tubes are preferably formed
of brazed iron and fixed in the tube plate by means of a Dudgeon's tube expander
a screw being cut in the interior of the ends of the tubes.
The steam circulates in the interior of the tubes and a fan or air propeller V
produces a current of air which circulates between and acts on the sides of the
tubes externally. This air is charged with water from a vertical pipe H the water
being supplied in regulated quantities by a series of external cocks R to horizontal
troughs or distributors G extending from one side of the tubular condenser to the
other and presenting notched or serrated edges or being so arranged as to cause
the water to drip or fall in drops across the path of the current of air and be
carried with the latter against the tubes. In order that the upper part of the series
of tubes may be equally moistened an additional series of troughs G I similarly
constructed with serrated edges for supplying the water in drops is arranged at
this part and similarly supplied with water from the pipe H by a branch pipe K
and cocks R 1.

page_text: The regulating cocks R and R1 are arranged outside the casing of the apparatus
and the ends of the troughs project through the sides of the casing under the said
cocks so as to enable the supply of water to be regulated with facility from the
exterior. The action of the water upon the sides of the tubes F produces after a
time a calcareous deposit which interferes with the cooling action the said deposit.
being a bad conductor of heat and prevents the efficient interchange of temperature
between the steam and the moistened air.
In order to remove this incrustation the apparatus is provided with a plate P
perforated so as to slide upon the tubes and scrape off the deposit. This plate is
caused to slide upon the tubes by means of screws V 1 rotated by bevel gearing V 2
as represented in the drawing or by any other suitable combination of mechanism.
According to the arrangement illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 the supply of water
is dispensed with, the cooling action being obtained simply by means of a current
of cold air supplied by the fan or propeller. In this case the tubes may be smaller
and more numerous being set closer together as represented in the drawing. In
either case the steam or vapour after passing through the perforated plates
arranged at the entrance is condensed in the tubes and the products of condensation
collect in a chainber M at the lower part of the apparatus whence they are
discharged through a pipe or valve. When the water of condensation is produced
from exhaust steam from an engine and is to be employed for feeding a boiler it
must be treated in a centrifugal or other apparatus capable of separating the grease
from the water.
To produce the current of air it is preferable to employ a fan or propeller
constructed as represented in Figures 4 and 5, having helical or inclined blades X
overlapping one another and arranged in a rotating cylinder or ring Y the central
part of the propeller being occupied by a relatively large boss in the form of a
double cone Z (Figure 4). One of the blades is illustrated in Figure 6 which
represents a section taken on the line C-H Figure 5.
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 condensing steam or vapour constructed with a chamber
containing a combination of perforated plates or diaphragms whereby the steam is
mixed and uniformly distributed to the condensing tubes substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In an apparatus for condensing steam or vapour as hereinbefore set forth the
arrangement enabling the supply of water to be regulated from the exterior of
the casing substantially as herein before described with reference to Figures 1, 2
and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
3. In an apparatus for condensing steam or vapour as hereinbefore set forth the
arrangement for cleaning the tubes by means of a reciprocating plate substantially
as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawings.
4. The arrangements and combinations of parts constituting the improved
apparatus as a whole for condensing steam or vapour substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 25th day of November 1891
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.