Improvements in Air Cooled Condensers.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 12th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 14th Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Air Cooled Condensers.
We, EDWARD BONAR CAIRD and THOMAS JAMES RAYNER, both of
777 Commercial Road, Limehouse, in the County of London, Engineers and
Copper Smiths do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of a condenser presenting a large
surface to currents of air passing along channels which are so arranged as to
promote the air flow.
For this purpose, we make a number of condensing cells each consisting of a
pair of thin metal plates fixed near together so as to have between them a thin
space which receives the steam or vapour to be condensed. The plates are
preferably corrugated so that they are more rigid and present larger surface than
flat plates. We arrange a number of these cells vertically at intervals apart so
as to form between each pair of cells a channel for ascent of air. At the top all
the parallel cells communicate with a vessel fixed across them, from which the
steam or vapour to be condensed is supplied to the cells; it descends becoming
condensed on its way, the condensed liquid issuing from apertures at the bottoms
of the cells.
The air channels between the cells having their sides heated, act as chimneys
promoting the rapid ascent of air along them, so that fresh cool air is always being
directed on the sides of the cells promoting condensation therein.
In cases where the cells are of considerable width they may be stiffened by
vertical bars introduced as distance pieces between the plates.
Dated this 26th day of November 1895.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Air Cooled Condensers.
We, EDWARD BONAR CAIRD and THOMAS JAMES RAYNER, both of
777 Commercial Road, Limehouse in the County of London, Engineers and
Copper Smiths 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 the construction of a condenser presenting large
surfaces of thin metal to currents of air which pass along channels between these
surfaces, so arranged as to promote the flow of the air and the consequent cooling
of these surfaces.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is an end view partly sectional of a
condenser according to this invention.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation.
Fig. 3 is a plan part of the steam box being broken away.
Fig. 4 is a part transverse section and Fig. 5 is a part sectional plan, both these
figures being drawn to an enlarged scale.

page_text: On a suitable frame and base A, which may be of wood as shewn, there are fixed
at each side three upright pieces A', one at each end, and one in the middle, and
between each pair of these, a number of upright pieces B.
The inner faces of the pieces A' and both faces of the pieces B are undulated
uniformly and equally, but the undulations are so arranged that the ridges on the
one side are level with the hollows on the other side.
Between each pair of these undulated faces there are held two corrugated
sheets C of thin copper or other suitable metal. These are kept a little distance
apart from each other by strips D of lead or other flexible metal interposed
between them at the ends and in the middle.
At each end and in the middle, bolts E are passed through the pieces A¹ at
each side and through bosses formed on the intervening pieces B, the sheets C and
strips D, clamping all firmly together and thus tightly joining together the ends
and the middles of the thin spaces formed between the corrugated sheets C.
Between the upper edges of the corrugated sheets C are fixed metal strips F but
these strips do not extend to the middle, so that, where they are omitted there are
at f free passages into the thin spaces between the corrugated sheets from a steam
box G which is fixed on the top of the condenser.
Between the lower edges of the sheets C are also fixed metal strips F' which are
intercepted at two places f' so as to provide passages from the thin spaces between
the sheets C.
Under these passages are placed vessels H to receive the liquid of condensation.
It is to be understood that though in Fig. 1 only two pairs of the corrugated
plates C are shewn, each of the dotted lines c is intended to indicate the middle line
of a like pair, of which there may be any desired number. The condenser operates
as follows:
Steam or vapour supplied to the box G finds its way down by the passages finto
the thin spaces between the corrugated sheets C, in which it becomes condensed by
the cooling influence of air which freely ascends the spaces K between the pairs of
sheets C, the ascent of the air being promoted by its becoming heated as it
.ascends.
The liquid of condensation descends between the sheets C to the bottom and
issues by the openings f¹.
Instead of clamping the pieces A¹ B and the corrugated sheets C by long bolts E,
the pieces B may be made in two halves being vertically divided along the middle
as indicated by the dotted line bb in Fig. 4, and a single pair of the corrugated
sheets C may be clamped by short bolts e between a pair of the pieces formed by
halving the pieces B. The condenser in that case consists of a number of inde-
pendent sections placed side by side but all communicating with the steam or
vapour supply box G.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A condenser consisting of a number of pairs of vertically arranged, hori-
zontally corrugated sheets of metal, each pair having between them a narrow space
for passage of steam or vapour and liquid of condensation downwards, and the
successive pairs having between them spaces for free passage of air upwards,
substantially as described.
2. The combination of the corrugated sheets C, the uprights A', the pieces B,
the strips D, F and F and the bolts E. adapted to clamp all these parts firmly
together, substantially as described.
Dated this 11th day of February 1896.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.