Apparatus for Purifying Feed-water.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 17th June, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Purifying Feed-water.
I CHARLES EDWARD WHITMORE, residing at Tremont House in the City of
Boston, County of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, United States of America,
Manufacturer and Dealer in Specialities 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 :-
It has heretofore been proposed to prevent the incrustation or formation of scale
in steam-boilers by subjecting the feed-water before it is passed into the boiler
to the action of a galvanic battery. It has, however, been found in practice that,
where the exhaust steam or water of condensation therefrom is fed back into the
boiler to be reconverted into steam, it carries back with it more or less of the
lubricating oil or grease from the engine-cylinder, and that this oil or grease
adheres to the elements of the battery-cells and forms a coating thereon, which
materially reduces the strength of the battery. It is also well known that oil or
grease is objectionable in the boiler, and that various means have been resorted
to for collecting the oil or grease and removing it from the feed-water before
it reaches the boiler.
It will, therefore, be seen that when the feed-water is subjected to galvanic
action on its passage to the boiler, to prevent incrustation of the latter, it is
doubly desirable to separate and remove the oil or grease from the feed-water,
first, to prevent it from weakening the battery, and, secondly, to prevent it from
entering the boiler.
The removal of the oil or grease from the feed-water is, therefore, the prime
object of the invention herein described, while a further object is to improve the
means for generating and applying the galvanic current to the feed-water.
The invention consists in the arrangement of instrumentalities and combinations
of parts, as hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims hereto
appended.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 represents a central vertical section through the improved purifier and
separator.
Figure 2 is a plan of one of the electrodes preferably employed in the generation
of the galvanic current.
Figure 3 is a section showing copper-plated carbons.
A is a cylindrical shell or gland, made in two sections, 1 and 2, the adjoining
ends of which are provided with flanges a, a, which are bolted together, with
suitable packing between them to secure a tight joint. From the bottom of the
lower section, 2 rises an interior cylindrical shell B, to substantially the height of
the lower section 2, of the outer shell or gland. This interior cylinder is of such
diameter relatively to that of the outer shell or gland as to leave a considerable
annular space b, between the two.
In the side wall of the shell or casing A, near the bottom of the lower section 2,
is an inlet passage c with which the feed-pipe (not shown) is connected and through
which the feed-water is introduced into the chamber At or near the bottom of
the cylindrical shell B, is an outlet passage e, which leads out through the wall of
the outer shell A, and connects with the boiler. The feed-water is introduced
into the annular chamber band rises therein until it flows over the top of the
shell B, and into the latter, from which it passes to the boiler through the
outlet passage e.
The cylinder B has a copper lining f, and, in a horizontal plane above the inlet
and outlet passages c, e, it has an interior flange or shoulder, g, which supports a

page_text: series of negative and positive plates H, I, which form the elements of a galvanic
battery or voltaic pile. These plates are circular discs of a size to fit snugly within
the cylinder B. They are cut out at the centre and taper down to an edge around
the central opening, and they are notched from the centre outward to form inwardly
projecting teeth, h, i, as shown in Fig. 2.
The positive elements of this battery may be made of carbon, or of copper, or
of both. For certain reasons, I propose to make them of carbon electro-plated
with copper.
The plates H, I, so formed, are placed in the cylinder B in the
usual order, the zinc and copper plates alternating with each other, commencing at
the bottom with a zinc plate and ending at the top with a copper plate. The plates
composing the battery rest upon each other at their outer edges, and all are in
contact with the copper lining. The water, flowing as above described, passes
through this battery and is thereby subjected to galvanic action, whereby the
deleterious impurities held in suspension or solution are so affected as to prevent
their deposition to form scale or incrustation in the boiler, and whereby it is
also found that old scale, previously deposited, will be gradually loosened and
removed.
The galvanic action has no effect upon the oil or grease contained in the water,
and it therefore becomes necessary to employ means for separating and removing
the same, which means I will now proceed to describe.
The upper section 1, of the shell or gland A, forms a chamber into which the
water rises, as indicated in Fig. 1. The upper part of this chamber, which is
preferably rounded as shown, forms an air-chamber into which the air contained in
the apparatus before water is admitted becomes compressed by the rise of the
water, and forms an elastic cushion to produce steady and uniform action. The
oil and grease contained in the water, being lighter than the water, rise to
the surface and form thereon a scum, which is to be drawn off from time to time
through a blow-off pipe J, set in the wall of the gland, the inner end of the pipe J
being funnel-shaped and standing in a plane coincident with the water line. The
scum, when it rises high enough, flows over the edge of the funnel and thence into
the pipe J, from which it is drawn off by opening a valve or cock j. Instead of
having the outlet e, arranged at the bottom of the apparatus, it may be extended
through the top down into the water-chamber, as shown at e', care being taken to
have its lower end well down in the water so as to prevent the surface scum from
passing through it to the boiler. The apparatus may be provided, if preferred,
with the two outlets, e, el having suitable cocks or valves, so that the water may be
fed to the boiler through either of the two outlets, at will.
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 1
claim is:
1. The combination of a voltaic pile arranged in a gland in the feed-water
passage to a boiler and having a passage through it, and means arranged in said
gland for collecting and separating oil and grease contained in said feed-water;
substantially as described.
2. The combination of a voltaic pile having a longitudinal passage through it,
means for passing feed-water through the pile to a boiler, and means for
collecting and discharging oil and grease, said last mentioned means comprising a
water and collecting chamber arranged above the pile and a blow-off pipe leading
from about the water-level of said chamber through the wall of the latter ;
substantially as described.
3. In a feed-water purifier and oil extractor, the combination of a main vessel,
an inlet port near the bottom thereof, an outlet port leading from near the bottom
of the water chamber, an annular partition extending from the bottom, a galvanic
pile having a passage through it within the partition, a dome or chamber above the
main vessel, and a blow-off leading from the dome.
4. In a feed-water purifier, the combination of a vessel for receiving feed-water,

page_text: a galvanic battery cup located within said vessel with a water-space between the
two, a series of galvanic plates in said vessel in contact with each other, and
having a water passage through them, an inlet port opening into the space between
the vessel and cup, and an outlet port from the battery cup through the outer vessel,
the said outlet and inlet ports communicating with each other through the battery
cup and plates; substantially as described.
5. In a feed-water purifier, the combination of a shell or gland and a galvanic
pile arranged within said gland consisting of layers of positive and negative
elements, each element comprising a ring portion and teeth or fingers projecting
inwardly therefrom, the ring portions of said elements being.in direct contact with
each other, substantially as described.
Dated this 11th day of April 1893.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.