Improved Method and Apparatus for Producing Highly Superheated Steam or Vapours.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Dec., 1896-Accepted, 23rd Mar.. 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method and Apparatus for Producing Highly Superheated
Steam or Vapours.
DÉSIDER ADORJÁN Engineer Jaegergasse 33 Budapest Hungary do hereby
declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to method and apparatus for producing highly superheated
steam or vapors and has for its object an improved method of this kind as well as,
the construction of apparatus or devices to be used in connection with steam
generators for putting my improved method into practice. If highly superheated
steam is to be produced by constant overheating the following points must be
observed.
1. The beating gases must be introduced into the superheater at a comparatively
even temperature..
2. As in the employment of a circulation apparatus in superheating there is an
increase of the temperature of the steam as well as of the heating gases, the
property of the heating gases to transmit heat must continuously become less as
the superheating progresses and the power of the steam to absorb heat becomes
greater.
3. The draft of the heating gases must be conducted through the overheater only
in proportion to the quantities of steam used.
In order to attain the first mentioned object I employ supplementary, indirect
heating surfaces. The gases have the property of transmitting the heat they
contain only by conduction, as they do not possess the property of transmitting
heat by radiation. Thus, if the heat of the heating gases is to be transmitted to a
boiler, superheater, or such like, the existing heating surfaces act almost exclusively
by conduction, while only the fire itself and the brickwork of the boiler act by
radiation. The brickwork however, being a bad conductor of heat, will take up but
little heat from the heating gases and will only give off the same amount by radiation
its useful influence therefore is not important. From this it appears that the costly
direct heating surface is only utilised in part. According to my invention I dispose
at, near, or between the direct heating surfaces, intermediate plates or bodies of
well-conducting material, and these plates will receive heat by conduction from the
heating gases and will transmit this heat by radiation to the direct heating surfaces,
which are in contact with the water or steam whereby the efficiency of the direct
beating surfaces at equal temperatures is considerably increased, it being a well-
known part that iron plates always take up and give off more heat by radiation
than by conduction. The proportion of the radiating to conducting heat is not the
same in every case. It will rise rapidly with increasing temperatures in favor of the
radiating heat, that is to say, the effect of the indirect heating surfaces will increase
with the increasing temperatures much faster than the effect of the direct heating
surfaces. Thus I obtain by the employment of my indirect heating plates, not only
a very cheap heating surface but also a means, which will energetically operate
against too high temperatures. In this manner also heating gases of too high a
temperature will be prevented from getting into the superheater. Such indirect
beating plates may be employed in steam generators as well as in superheaters, and
such plates may have any suitable form and may be smooth or partly or entirely
ribbed in order to still further increase the heating surface. The employment of

page_text: the heating plates in the superheater is important for the reason that the property
of direct heating surfaces, (in contact with the steam) of absorbing heat is thereby
considerably increased so that the same quantity of heat may be transmitted at a
much lower temperature than in the constructions employed heretofore, whereby the
danger of burning the pipes is also greatly decreased.
The heating plates in the superheater are by preference only partly ribbed in
order to allow the full force of the heat to act only at those places where there is
no more danger of burning the pipes. Such heating plates may also be employed
inside the tubes or receptacles, containing or conducting the steam, and these heating
plates, when so placed, will take up the heat by radiation and transmit it to the
steam by conduction.
The property of the steam and of the heating gases to conduct heat is a
function of motion, that is to say, the property of absorbing heat of the steam and
the property of transmitting heat of the heating gases mainly depends on the
velocity with which the gases pass by the surfaces. In order to give to the steam
a sufficient property of conducting heat, it must be made to pass the superheater with
great velocity."
This however has for its consequence a loss of steam pressure, which increases
in proportion to the length of the tubing and to the reduction of the temperature
of the tubes. In order to decrease this loss without increasing the danger
of burning the tubes, the diameter of the latter is selected in proportion to the
stages of overheating, that is to say, that the temperatures of the superheater tubes
become less as the superheating proceeds,, whereby on the other hand the open
area for the passage of the heating gases is increased. In this manner the property
of the steam to conduct heat is increased and that of the heating gases decreased.
In employing tubes of larger diameter the required. heating surface will be obtained
by a shorter length of tubing. The loss of pressure in proportion to this length.
becomes less, and their loss of pressure is decreased for the two reasons given.
I connect the superheater constructed according to my invention with a steam
generator, which may also be provided with my heating plates by preference in
such manner, that the superheater may be brought into contact, with the heating
gases from the furnace of the steam. generator.. I also employ a draft regulator or
damper in connection with said steam generator and superbeater in such manner
that the heating gases may be shut off from or directed through the superheater;
according to requirement.
For automatically adjusting this draft regulator I employ a cataract the
piston of which is influenced upon one side only by the steam of the generator,
and upon the other side by the steam leaving the superheater, this piston being
balanced by suitable means.
01
1000
"
GEO.
DOWNING,
8 Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved: Method and Apparatus for Producing Highly Superheated
Steam or. Vapours.
I, DESIDER ADORJAN, of Jaegergasse 33 Budapest, Hungary, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my said 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 the production of highly superheated steam or vapours

page_text: method of this kind as well as the construction of apparatus or devices to be used
in connection with steam generators and superheaters for carrying my improved
method into practice.
In the annexed drawing I have shown a superheater constructed according to
my invention, as well as the apparatus to be used in connection therewith, and
some details. In this drawing
Figure 1 represents a vertical section of the superheater; Figure 2 is a top view
of the same;
Figure 3 shows one of the connecting boxes for the tubes of the superheater.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are cross sections of steam tubes provided with interior
heating surfaces.
Figure 7 represents, partly in section, the cataract for operating the draught
regulator.
The method I employ for superheating steam, to a very high degree consists in
conducting the heating gases between a system of continuous steam tubes in a
direction opposite to the direction in which the steam is passing through these
tubes towards the discharge opening, the diameter of these tubes being gradually
reduced from the point where the steam enters the system towards the point where
the steam leaves it, thereby giving to the heating gases the greatest area of
passage at the place where they enter the system of steam tubes and where the
steam is leaving these tubes, and the smallest area of passage at the place where
the steam enters the system of tubing. In connection therewith my method
further consists in deflecting the heating gases by plates disposed between the
steam tubes, so as to distribute the heating gases uniformly over all parts of the
system of tubing, whereby these deflecting plates are at the same time caused to
act as indirect or supplementary heating surfaces in taking up the heat from the
heating gases by conduction and giving it off again to the steam tubes by
radiation.
In further addition thereto I may also employ such indirect, supplementary
heating surfaces inside of the steam tubes, where they will take up heat from the
body of the tubes by radiation and give it off to the steam contained in the tubes
by conduction. My improved method for obtaining the desired result furthermore
consists in a peculiar system of draught regulation, whereby the heating gases are
conducted through or shut off from the system of steam superheating tubes
automatically and in exact proportion to the quantity of steam passing through
these tubes, or, in other words, to the quantity of steam used.
And in order that my said invention may be particularly described and ascertained
reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters
of reference indicate corresponding parts.
As will be seen from Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing the superheater consists of
a number of tubes b, b,... which are at their ends connected by boxes c, c...,
these boxes being so placed, one with reference to the other, that all the tubes b
are brought into connection so as to form a continuous passage for the steam,
which enters from the generator at r and leaves the superheater at o.
In the
drawing these tubes are arranged and connected in pairs by the boxes c, but
several parallel lines of tubes, meeting in the same box may also be employed.
The heating gases enter the apparatus in the direction indicated by the arrows S
and S. In the centre of the superheater, between the tubes 6 is placed the main
deflecting plate «s, and at either side thereof, parallel to the same are disposed the
secondary plates a 1, a 2, a 3 and a 4, a 5, a 6. These secondary plates are arranged
towards the centre in falling and from the centre in rising order, as shown. I am
aware that superheaters have been used in which a central deflecting plate was
provided, and I therefore do not intend to claim this as part of my invention. My
invention consists in the employment and peculiar arrangement of the secondary
plates as shown and described. In the apparatus heretofore employed the heating
gases passed the superheater in a diagonal direction, and the corners opposite this

page_text: diagonal remained dead corners which were not reached by the gases and therefore
remained comparatively cool. In this manner not only a good part of the
superheater was not utilized, but the unequal distribution of the heat also caused
a warping, and in consequence a leaking of the tubes..
All this is prevented the described supplementary plates. When the draught
regulator D, the operation of which will be hereinafter described, is open, the
heating gases enter the superheater in the direction of the arrow S. The heating
gases will strike the main plate a and will rise between the tubes 6 in the flues
formed by the secondary plates a 1, a 2, a 3, whereupon they will descend on the
other side of the main plate a through the flues formed by the plates a 4, a 5, a 6,
and then pass off through the damper opening. It will be seen that by this
arrangement all parts of the existing heating surface is brought into uniform
contact with the heating gases.
The described plates also serve as indirect heating surfaces, by taking up heat
from the passing heating gases by way of conduction, and in giving off this heat
again to the direct heating surfaces in the present case to the steam tubes b-by
way of radiation. The heating gases not possessing the property of giving off
heat by radiation, the described arrangement serves to utilize heat which would
otherwise be lost, and thereby permits of obtaining a considerable superheating of
the steam at a comparatively low temperature of the heating gases, which is of the
greatest importance for the durability of the superheater:
In a similar manner heat may be transmitted to the steam direct, by providing
heat conducting bodies inside of the tubes or vessels in which the steam is contained.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 show on a somewhat enlarged scale, in cross section, tubės biu
which such heat conducting bodies are placed. These bodies will receive the
heat from the tubes b by way of radiation, and will transmit this heat to the steam
contained therein by conduction. As the radiating power of the tubes is considerably
increased at higher temperatures, the described interior heat conductors 61 will
tend to prevent the tubes from being burnt by excessive heat.
The heat-conducting property of the steam and of the heating gases is a function"
of motion; that is to say the property of the steam to absorb heat, and the property
of the heating gases to give off heat mainly depend upon the velocity with which
the heating gases pass by the steam tubes. In order to render the steam capable
of absorbing a sufficient quantity of heat, it must be made to pass through the.
superheater with great velocity. From this, however, results a loss of pressure,
which becomes greater in proportion to the length of the tubing and to the
decreasing diameter of the latter. In order to reduce this loss of pressure without,
however, increasing the danger of burning the tubes, the diameter of these tubes is
selected in proportion to the stages of superheating, that is to say that the diameter
of the tubes is reduced in proportion to the increasing superheating of the steam
whereby the open area for the passage of the heating gases is enlarged. In this
manner the heat conducting property of the steam is increased, while that of the
heating gases is decreased. As indicated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, the
diameter of the tubes b becomes gradually less from the point where the steam is
admitted to the point o where it is discharged from the superheater. In consequence
of this disposition the area of passage for the heating gases between the tubes bis
largest where these tubes are of the smallest diameter, that is where the steam as
well as the heating gases have their highest temperature.
In
In order to ensure a uniform degree of superheating even with a variable
consumption of the steam, I provide means for automatically regulating the position
of the damper D. For this purpose I employ the cataract shown in Figure 7 of
the drawing. This cataract C is connected on one side of its piston Cin the
drawing the top-by a pipe with the discharge pipe of the superbeater.
the drawing a water pot E is shown interposed in the pipe a. The space in the
cataract below the piston C is connected by a pipe y with the steam generator
which supplies the superheater. The piston rod C of the cataract is movably
connected with a lever e fast on the shaft or pivot d of the damper D.
When

page_text: steam is used, it passes through the superheater, where in consequence of
contraction, friction &c. the original pressure will be somewhat reduced. This
reduction of pressure becomes the greater, the quicker the steam passes through
the superheater, that is, the more steam there is used. The cataract being:
connected on one side of its piston with the discharge pipe of the superheater and
on the other side with the steam generator, it follows from the foregoing that a
difference of pressure will result in the cataract, the pressure from the steam.
generator (boiler) becoming for the moment greater than that from the discharge
pipe of the superheater. In consequence the piston will be raised, and the
damper D will be turned in a direction to open or increase the passage of the.
heating gases through the superheater. In order to balance the mechanism and to
always ensure the proper position of the damper D, an eccentric is rigidly
attached to the damper-shaft or pivot and upon this is suspended a counterweight G,.
so that it will counterhalance with variable leverage upon the recentric the-
over-pressure upon one or the other side of the pistou C. Instead of the-
eccentric and counterweight G a spring balance may be employed. The damper D
is so adjusted that when the cataract is at rest, that is when no steam is used, the-
superheater will remain shut off from the passage of the heating gases.
The cataract may be filled with water on both sides of the piston, which will not.
influence its proper working. The pipe e from the superheater may connect with.
a water pot E as already indicated. This pot may remain partly filled with water
so as to fill up the enlarging space in the cataract when the piston is moved
downward. The flush water of the pot E may pass over into a discharge pot E'.
In order to facilitate the cleaning of the superheater, the connecting boxes e of
the tubes have projections or ribs e e, formed upon them, as shown in Figure 3
which represents one of these boxes somewhat enlarged. When these hoxes and
their pipes are put together, spaces i are formed between them, as shown in
Figure 2. These spaces i permit the introduction of a brush so that all soot ani
ashes can be swept from between the tubes and from the plates, which would
otherwise be very difficult, especially if the superheater should be built into the-
brickwork of the boiler and only the ends should be accessible.
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 [
claim is :-
1. An improved method for producing highly superheated steam or vapours.
consisting in conducting the heating gases between a system of continuous tubes,
through which the steam or vapours is passed from the generator to the discharge
outlet, in a direction opposite to the said direction in which the steain or vapours
is passing, and giving a greater area of passage to the heating gases at the place.
where they enter the said 'system of tubing, by a gradually reducing diameter of,
these tubes from the place where the steam or vapours enters from the generator to.
the place where it leaves the said system of tubing, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the drawings.
2. An improved superheater for carrying into practice the herein described
method of superbeating, consisting of a number or series of tubes b, b, connected
by caps or boxes c, c, so as to form one or more continuous conducts for the steam
or vapour to be superheated; the tubes b, b, having a gradually decreasing.
diameter from the point r at which the steam or vapours enters from the generator
to the point o' where it leaves the superheater, the heating gases being conducted
through the superheater in the direction of the arrow S, that is opposite to the
direction in which the steam or vapours is conducted; substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the drawings.
3. In superheaters of the kind herein before described, the combination with a
series of tubes b, b, of a main central draught deflecting plate a, and of a series of
secundary draught deflecting plates a', a, at either side of and parallel to the main
plate a, and arranged in falling and rising order, the plates serving at the same

page_text: time as secondary heating surfaces by taking up heat from the heating gases by
conduction and giving this heat off to the direct heating surfaces (the tubes)
by, radiation; substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the
drawings.
4. In superheaters of the kind herein before described, the application and use of
a damper or draught regulator D, in combination with a balanced cataract C, the
piston of which is acted upon on one side by the steam or vapours in the
generator and on the other side by the steam or vapours leaving the discharge
pipe of the superheater, so as to regulate the admission of heating gases
to the superheater in proportion to the amount of steam or vapours taken from
the superheater; substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the
drawings.
5. In superheaters of the kind herein before described, the combination, with the
damper D and cataract C of a water pot E and a water discharge pot E';
substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the drawings.
6. In superbeaters of the kind herein before described, the combination, with the
pipe connecting caps or boxes c, of ribs, or projections c¹ upon such caps or
boxes c, adapted to produce openings or spaces ii between the boxes c, when
the boxes are put together, in order to permit or facilitate the cleaning of
the superheater; substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
drawings.
Dated 23rd December 1806
GEO.
DOWNING,
8 Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent.