AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING FEED-WATER IN STEAM-BOILERS
Year: 1884

page_text: I HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING
FEED-WATER IN STEAM-BOILERS" 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 an improved method of and apparatus for purifying
feed-water in steam boilers.
The object of the said Invention is to provide for freeing the feed-water from
impurities which are liable to form incrustation in Cornish, cylindrical tubular, or
other boilers, in such a manner that the apparatus employed for purifying the feed-
water can be arranged within the boiler, thus relieving such apparatus from the
injurious pressure otherwise exerted on the same by the steam.
The said apparatus which is shown in the accompanying Drawings as used in
connection with Cornish and cylindrical tubular boilers, and the method of freeing
the said feed-water from its impurities, are somewhat analogous to the method
and apparatus described in the Specification of former Letters Patent dated
October 30 A.D. 1882 N° 5168.
In the accompanying Drawing.
Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section on the line A B, Figure 2 through a
Cornish boiler embodying the present improvements.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the said Cornish boiler showing.
the manner of arranging the apparatus within the boiler.
Figure 3 is a horizontal longitudinal section of the same.
Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section on the line C. D. Figure 2.
Figures 5, 6, and 6ª as well as Figures 7, 8 and 8 show modified arrangements
of the said apparatus in Cornish and cylindrical tubular boilers Figures 5 and 7
being vertical longitudinal sections, Figures 6 and S horizontal longitudinal
sections and Figures 6 and 8° vertical transverse sections..

page_text: Figures 9, 10, 11, 12 illustrate another modified arrangement of the said
apparatus as applied to a cylindrical tubular boiler, the tubes not being shown in
the Drawing.
Figure 9 is a vertical transverse section through the said boiler provided with
an improved purifying apparatus of square shape.
Figure 10 is a vertical longitudinal section and Figure 11 a horizontal
longitudinal section of Figure 9, and Figure 12 is a vertical transverse section
through such boiler provided with a modified cylindrical purifying apparatus
arranged therein in an inclined position.
In Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, D represents a Cornish or similar boiler, and xx are plates
of iron or other suitable material so arranged in the front part of the said boiler as
to form inclined surfaces and touching the front and side walls of the boiler and
meeting near the axis of the latter where the said plates are united so as to
form a ridge inclining downward towards the sides of the boiler, and to divide
the greater portion of the front of the latter into a lower water-chamber and an
upper steam and water-chamber. On the upper side of the partition (formed as
above described by the plates x,) are mounted the open boxes, or depositing
chambers K K¹ provided with the perforated or sieve-like plates h h¹, substantially
as described in the said former Specification, the fresh feed-water first entering the
box or chamber K by means of the feed-water inlet pipe c. The two adjoining
walls of the chambers K K' being a short distance from each other, an open
intermediate space a is formed by means of which the rear end of the chamber K
communicates with the front end of the chamber K¹. The inclined partition & is,
near its front end, provided with openings b, b' to allow the steam generated below
the said partition, and rising or moving towards the front part of the boiler, by
following the upward direction given it by the said partition, to enter the
chambers K. K' through the openings b b¹, the said steam carrying at the same time,
some of the water from the water-chamber of the boiler along with it. The feed-
water entering the box or chamber K through the inlet c opposite to the aperture b
is thus met by the mixture of steam and water rising through the aperture b, and
is forced through the perforated or sieve-like plates h of the said chamber, thence
passing through the aperture m into the connecting space d, and thence through
the aperture m¹ into the second chamber K³ where it is again met by the mixture
of steam and water entering this chamber at 61 and forced through the perforated
plates of the said second chamber K'. After having thus been freed from its
impurities, it leaves the said chamber K¹ at n, entering the boiler D at the water-
level. For this purpose the rear end wall of the chamber K¹ at n is made a little
lower than the lowest water level in the boiler D while the rear end wall of the
chamber K extends above the highest water level therein. By reason of the
inclined position of the partition x the steam bubbles, generated in the boiler, are
caused to move towards the front part of the latter and to force their way upwards
through the apertures bb1; the circulation being so strong as to prevent the fresh
feed-water from entering the water space of the boiler D directly through the
apertures bb, but forcing it to pass through the chambers K K' and the plates h h
or other suitable means provided therein for retaining the impurities. The said
chambers may be made partly or wholly open at their upper sides.
The partition x, instead of being inclined laterally on both sides, may, if desired
be inclined longitudinally only, and its edges on both sides be simply ben
downward which will suffice to give the bubbles of steam rising in the water space
of the boiler the desired direction. It is moreover immaterial in some case
whether the partition touches the front wall of the boiler, or not, as the utilisation
of only part of the steam-bubbles generated may be sufficient to' thoroughly divid
the feed-water, and force it through the plates in the chambers K K¹.
Figures 5, 6, and 6a represent an arrangement similar to that shown in th
preceding Figures, the principal difference being that the intermediate spac
(marked d in the preceding Figures) between the two chambers K and K, is her

page_text: made much wider so as to form a chamber which is marked K2 and which lias
perforated or sieve-like plates 2 and is provided near its rear end, opposite to the
inlet m, with an aperture 62 which is made in that part of the partition & forming,
the bottom of the said chamber K2. This part of the partition x or the bottom of
the chamber K2, is inclined in an opposite direction to the other plates of the said
partition which form the bottoms of the chambers K and K. The object of
inclining the part of the partition below the chamber K2 differently from the other,
parts, is to cause the bubbles of steam generated in that part of the water space
directly below the said chamber K³, to take their course in a direction opposite to
that of the steam bubblés generated below the chambers K and K', so as to enter:
the chamber K2 at 62 and there to meet the current of feed water entering from
the chamber K at m, and thus force the said feed-water through the plates h² of
the chamber K2 before allowing the same to enter the chamber K¹ at m¹.
.
In Figures 7, 8 and 8a the partition is formed of several plates inclined in the
same direction and having openings at b b1 62; by which arrangement the feed-
water is likewise repeatedly met by the steam-bubbles, and forced through the
perforated plates h, h1, h2, of the chambers K, K¹ K2, the said chambers in this case.
being arranged in line, or one behind the other, instead of being placed side by side
as in the preceding Figures. The fresh feed-water entering the chamber K at c, is.
met by the mixture of steam and water entering at b, and subsequently passing
with the said mixture into the chambers K¹ and K², at m and m³, is met again by.
the steam-bubbles arising at 61 and 62, respectively, and thus forced through the
perforated plates, (or other suitable means for retaining the impurities), of the
several chambers in the manner above described, until it is discharged at n into
the water space of the boiler D. In order to prevent the water from flowing out,
of the open chambers K K K and at the same time, to more effectually separate
the steam and water entering from below, it is deemed preferable to provide
horizontal plates of corrugated sheet-metal above the apertures 6 b¹ b².
Figures 9, 10, 11 and 12 show a modified arrangement of the apparatus as
applied to a cylindrical tubular boiler. D represents the said boiler which
communicates by means of the pipes b and é, with the beating tubes which are
not shown in the Drawing.
This apparatus for freeing the feed-water from its impurities consists essentially
of the open chambers K K₁ mounted within the said boiler D and thus prevented
from being subjected to an unbalanced steain-pressure. The said chambers K
and K¹ communicate directly with the pipe b, which by means of a partition u, is
divided near its upper end in two ports, or inlets, 6, 61, Figure 9, so that the
mixture of steam and water rising through the pipe b from the heating or boiler-
tubes will enter the chamber K. through the inlet b, and the chamber K' through
the inlet b. d is the pipe connecting the two chambers K and K' in the same
manner as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1, 3 and 4. The fresh
feed-water enters the chamber K through the inlet pipe c, is met by the mixture of
steam and water entering from the boiler-tubes through the inlet b, and is carried
through the chamber K and the perforated or sieve-like plates h therein, passes
thence at m into the pipe d and through the latter at m¹ into the chamber K'
(entering this chamber opposite to the mixture of steam and water entering the
said chamber at 6¹) and is carried through this chamber in the same manner until
it is discharged through the outlet n into the boiler D at or near the water-level
therein. The cylindrical boiler D being in this case connected with its heating or
boiler tubes (not shown) by means of a pipe e, the feed-water discharged through
the outlet n passes through the said pipe e into the heating tubes below. It is not
necessary that the pipe b should communicate directly with the chambers K
and K'; it may if desired extend into an open funnel projecting from the bottom
of the said chambers and divided into two separate ports by the partition u above
referred to, tight joints not being required where the circulating mixture enters the
chambers from the heating tubes through the pipe b.

page_text: In Figure 12 the arrangement is modified inasmuch as the partition u is omitted
and the inlets b and b¹ are formed by pipes, the operation being entirely the same
as that above described.
Instead of a repeated circulation through the several chambers serving for
retaining the deposits of the impurities the feed-water may if desired be forced
through one of the chambers only. In this case the intermediate wall between the
chambers K and K' would be omitted and the rear end wall of chamber K provided
with an outlet as at n in the chamber K'.
As regards the advantages of the arrangements shown it may be mentioned that
as above stated the apparatus for freeing feed-water from its impurities by being
mounted inside the boiler, is not subjected to the heavy unbalanced steam pressure
due to the former arrangements, and that consequently, the said apparatus may be
constructed of comparatively thin sheet-metal or other material and requires no
steam or water-tight joints
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is-
'First. The method of purifying feed-water in steam boilers by causing the same
to enter a depositing chamber or chambers having perforated plates or other
suitable means for retaining the impurities, and so arranging a steam inlet-pipe
that the feed-water, by means of the steam and hot water ejected from the said
steam inlet-pipe, is forced through the said perforated plates, the said depositing
chamber or chambers being arranged within the steam and water space of the
boiler so as to be in open communication with the said steam and water space,
substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
Second. The arrangement of the depositing chamber or chambers, having
perforated plates or other suitable means for retaining the impurities, on top of the
partition-plate x arranged in an inclined position within the steam and water space
of the boiler and having openings, as at b, which arrangement causes the steam
bubbles generated in the boiler below the said partition plate to move to one or
more definite points and to enter the said depositing chamber or chambers opposite
to the feed-water so as to force the latter through the said plates or other means
for retaining the impurities, substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
Third. The depositing chambers having the perforated plates or other suitable
means for retaining the impurities and being open above the water-level so as to
communicate freely with the steam-space of the boiler, while only the open rear
end of the last of the said chambers communicates with the water space, the feed-
water entering one chamber from the preceding chamber by means of a connecting
pipe (d) so as to be repeatedly met by the steam-bubbles and passed through the
said perforated plates or other means for retaining the impurities, substantially as,
and for the purpose, specified.
Datal hin 9th day of Ansonst 1004
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.