Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Power from the Pressure of Gases or Vapours.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Power from the Pressure
of Gases or Vapours.
Jous GRICE STATTER, of 68, Victoria Street, Westminster, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improved apparatus for producing power by means
of the pressure of a gas or vapour which gas or vapour after doing work in a
cylinder or cylinders is recondensed and the liquid returned to the boiler in an
entirely closed system. The boiler is of any convenient flash type and is heated
in any convenient way. The vapour or gas generated preferably from a volatile
liquid is led to the cylinder or cylinders of any convenient form of engine con-
structed after the manner of any known or convenient form of steam engine
and after giving off work in the cylinder or cylinders of the said engine, it is
led to a condenser preferably of the collapsable or breathing" type & which
is kept at the desired temperature in any convenient manner. The condensed
vapour is allowed to fall from the lower part of the condenser which acts as a
storage tank into the intake valve of a pump. This pump has its piston or
ram raised upon the intake stroke in any convenient manner as for instance by
a cam on the crank shaft of the aforesaid engine or by a cam on a second motion
shaft geared down from the crank shaft of the engine: but the said piston or
ram is forced down upon the delivery stroke by the pressure of a spring or
springs the tension of which can be set to cause the pump to deliver at any
desired pressure and to cease to deliver after that pressure has been exceeded.
The pump is so constructed and fed that it can deal with a gas as well as a liquid
or a mixture of both.
Next in the closed system to the said pump or pumps is an accumulator with
a spring controlled ram, set for a slightly lower pressure than the pump ram,
and which accumulator can therefore fill before the pump ceases to work by
reason of the pressure of the liquid on the pump ram overcoming the pressure
exerted by its spring or springs. Connected to the accumulator is an air receiver
which serves the double purpose of an accumulator for the liquid and a trap for
the air contained in the liquid. The air rises to the top of the receiver and is
removed by a hand or by an automatic valve-or both If an automatic valve
is employed it is closed by means of a float which while it is not sensitive enough
to be affected by small changes in the level of the liquid does operate to open
or close the valve according as considerably more or considerably less air
collects in the trap. This valve is so arranged that some air is always left to
act as a cushion. From the air trap the liquid is led in a pipe to the boiler
preferably through a back pressure valve and also through the hand controlled
stop valve used to stop & start the engine.

page_text: A bye pass controlled by an automatic valve is preferably placed round the
engine so that in the event of the boiler pressure becoming excessive while
the engine is at rest this surplus pressure can blow off into the condenser.
Dated this 1st day of Max 1809
Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Power from the Pressure
of Gases or Vapours.
Jons GRICE STATTER, of 6S. Victoria Street, Westminster, in the County of
London, Civil Engineer, 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:—
My invention relates to improved apparatus for producing power by means of
the pressure of a gas or vapour which gas or vapour after doing work in a cylinder
or cylinders is recondensed and the liquid returned to the boiler in an entirely
closed system. The boiler is of any convenient flash type and is heated in any
convenient way. The vapour or gas generated preferably from a volatile liquid
is led to the cylinder or cylinders of any convenient form of expansive engine
constructed after the manner of any known convenient form of steam engine
and after giving off work in the cylinder or cylinders of the said engine is led
to a condenser which may be of any convenient type & kept sufficiently cool
in any convenient way. The condensed vapour is allowed to fall from the lower
part of the condenser which acts as a storage tank-(or a separate receiver or
storage tank can be employed) into the intake valve of a pump. This pump.
has its piston or ram raised upon the intake stroke in any convenient manner as
for example by a cam on the crank shaft of the aforesaid engine or by a cam on
a second motion shaft geared down from the crank shaft of the engine: but
the said ram is forced down upon its delivery stroke by the pressure of a spring
or springs the tension of which can be set to cause the pump to deliver at any
desired pressure or below that pressure and to cease to deliver after thai pres-
sure has been reached.
The pump is so constructed and fed that it can deal with a gas as well as a
liquid or with a mixture of the two.
Next in the closed system to the said pump or pumps if the plant is large
enough to warrant the use of more than one, is an accumulator provided with
a spring controlled ram & set for a slightly lower pressure than that of the pump
ram springs and which accumulator can therefore fill before the pump ceases
to deliver by reason of the pressure of the liquid on the ram of the pump balane-
ing the pressure exerted by its spring or springs.
The object of the fixed limit to the power of pump and accumulator to con-
tinted action is to provide an automatic feed to the flush boiler and so main-
tain an approximately constant pressure in the flash boiler and its vapour spaces
so far as pressure in a boiler of this description can be spoken of at all us
"constant." I have found it preferable in practice to only use one set of
In this case the pump is
springs and to have these upon the accumulator.
directly connected to the engine or some convenient revolving or reciprocating
part in connection thereto & is always pumping, but when the ram of the accu
mulator has been forced out to a point corresponding to the desired pressure a
bye pass is opened and the delivery of the pump returned to its suction.
It will also be obvious that I may load the ram of the accumulator with a

page_text: weight in either arrangement instead of a spring, & that in this event I shall
obtain a more constant pressure than by the employment of a spring.
Connected to the accumulator is an air trap or receiver in the form of a vertical
vessel. The trapped air rises to the top of this vessel and is removed by a hand
or an automatic valve or both kinds of valve may be provided. If an automatic
valve is provided it is closed by means of a float which is not sensitive enough
to be affected by small changes in the level of the liquid but which does act
and opens or closes the valve according as considerably more or considerably less
air is present in the vertical vessel. From the air trap the liquid is forced in
a pipe to the boiler preferably through a back pressure valve and also through
a stop valve. I may place other air traps in the system wherever they may be
found necessary for precise forms of this power producing system.
A bye pass controlled by an automatic valve is preferably placed round the
engine so that in the event of the pressure in the boiler becoming excessive it
can blow off into the condenser.
Referring to the drawings;-Figures 1 and 2 are diagramatic representations
of the system. In Fig. 1 the system with spring controlled pump ram and spring
controlled accumulator ram is shewn, and in Fig. 2 the system with pump and
bye pass and spring control on accumulator ram only is shown. Fig. 3 shews
the accumulator employed in Fig. 2 in section and is drawn to a larger scale.
In Figures 1 and 2A is the flash boiler in which the vapour or steam is gene-
rated. The vapour passes through the pipe B to the steam chest of the engine E,
after doing work in the engine it is exhausted up the pipe D into the condenser C.
Here it is condensed to a liquid and mixed with occluded air gravitates into the
storage tank S through the pipe E. From S the liquid falls to the valves of
the pump P through the pipe H & is then forced through the pipe into the
accumulator & from that to the boiler. In a system with parts placed as shewn
in Figures 1 and 2 it would be necessary probably to place an air trap on C
or on S, or perhaps upon both.
In Figure the pump is shewn worked by an eccentric through a spring M,
and the ram will cease to work when the pressure upon it is sufficient to force
it out and compress the spring M. K is the accumulator, with ram O forced in
by springs one of which is shewn at Q.
is
In Figure 2 the pump P is always delivering through the pipe but should
the pressure in the boiler rise so that the ram of the accumulator K is forced
out beyond a certain point, the valve T is opened and any surplus liquid passes
by the pipe R to the suction valve of the pump P and is re-delivered through
the pipe, and so on until the pressure of the springs acting on the ram
again able to overcome its resistance and force it home, whereupon the valve T
is closed by the action of the tension spring V shewn in Fig. 3. It will be seen
by reference to Figures 2 and 3 that the accumulator K with its ram forms
a pump and this is required as a starting or emergency pump being drawn out
for this purpose against the force of the springs by hand or foot power through
any convenient mechanism and forced home by the pressure of the springs
alone or partly by manual power if extra pressure is desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is performed, I declare that what I claim
is:-
1. In apparatus for producing power by the expansion of the vapour (or gas)
produced from any suitable liquid, the combination of a flash boiler, a suitable
engine, a suitable condenser with receiver, and an automatic feed for delivery
of the liquid to the boiler, the whole system being enclosed substantially as
described and shewn diagramatically in Figures 1 and 2.
2. In apparatus for producing power by the expansion of the vapour, or gas,
produced from any suitable liquid the arrangement of the automatic feed to the
boiler consisting of a spring controlled accumulator working in conjunction with

page_text: n pump worked positively from the engine and provided with a bye pass, or in
conjunction with a pump having a am forced home by springs, substantially
as hereinbetore described and shown diagramatically in Figures 1. 2. & 3.
8. In apparatus for producing power by the expansion of vapour or gas, a
starting or emergency pump supplied by the use of the accumulator in conjune-
tion with the bye pass for supplying liquid to the boiler substantially as herein-
before described and shewn diagramatically in Figures 2 & 3.
1. In apparatus for producing power by the expansion of vapour or gas the
specific form of accumulator and starting pump substantially as hereinbefore
described and shewn diagramatically in Figures 2 and 3.