Improvements in the Mode of and Apparatus for Utilising Ammonia and other Gases or Vapours from Volatile Liquids for Working Motor Engines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left. 28th June, 1893-Accepted, 5th Aug., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Mode of and Apparatus for Utilising Ammonia
and other Gases or Vapours from Volatile Liquids for Working
Motor Engines.
I, WILLIAM MATHER, of Salford Iron Works, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
In using ammonia and other vapours or gases for motive power, it has been
customary to reduce the gas or vapour to a liquid condition by pressure and to
evaporate the gas directly from the surface of the liquid in the storage vessel, from
which it is conveyed directly to the cylinder in which it is to do work by expanding.
I have found that by operating in this manner the expansion of the liquid into
gaseous form causes a reduction of the temperature and consequently of the
pressure of the liquid in the holder, whereby the temperature may in time be so far
reduced as to cause a portion of the gas evolved to be reliquified, and consequently
the pressure to be still further reduced in the passage from the holder to the
cylinder.
According to my present invention I obviate this disadvantage by effecting the
evaporation of the liquid in a vessel separate from that containing the store thereof,
so that the latter is not subject to any reduction of temperature and pressure by
such evaporation.
The second vessel, which I term the "evaporator" may advantageously consist
of a group of tubes connected at each end to a head having passages so formed that
the liquid entering from the store vessel through a pipe, is caused to pass first from
the one head through the bottom tube or row of tubes to the other head
where it rises into the next tube or row of tubes, in which it passes back to
the first named head, and so on, in a zigzag direction to the top tube or row
of tubes.
These tubes are surrounded by hot water, hot air or aqueous ammonia heated
by absorption of ammonia gas, or by other heating medium so that as the
liquid travels through the heated tubes it becomes gradually evaporated without
loss of heat or pressure and eventually passes away in gaseous form from the
uppermost pipes to the engine cylinder. It will be seen that by suitably
regulating the supply of heat, the pressure and temperature of the gas may be
maintained at any desired degree above that which it possesses when merely
evaporated from the liquid at atmospheric temperature.
The flow of the liquid ammonia from the store vessel to the evaporator may be
effected either by gravity alone or by a force pump.
Dated this 6th day of October 1892.
ABEL & IMKAI,
Agents for the Applicaut.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Mode of and Apparatus for Utilising Ammonia
and other Gases or Vapours from Volatile Liquids for Working
Motor Engines.
I, WILLIAM MATHER, of Salford Iron Works, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, 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 :-
In using ammonia and other vapours or gases for motive power, it has been

page_text: customary to reduce the gas or vapour to a liquid condition by pressure and to
evaporate the gas directly from the surface. of the liquid in the storage vessel, from
which it is conveyed directly to the cylinder or chamber in which it is to do work
by expanding. I have found that, by operating in this manner, the expansion of
the liquid into gaseous form causes a reduction of the temperature and consequently
of the pressure of the liquid in the holder, whereby the temperature may in time be
so far reduced as to cause a portion of the gas evolved to be reliquified, and con-
sequently the pressure to be still further reduced in the passage from the holder to
the cylinder.
According to my present invention I obviate this disadvantage by effecting the
evaporation of the liquid in a vessel separate from that containing the store thereof,
so that the latter is not subject to any reduction of temperature and pressure by
such evaporation.
The second vessel which I term the "evaporator" may advantageously consist
of a group of tubes connected at each end to a head having passages so formed
that the liquid entering from the store vessel through a pipe, is caused to pass
first from the one head through the bottom tube or row of tubes to the other head
where it rises into the next tube or row of tubes, in which it passes back to
the first named head, and so on, in a zig zag direction to the top tube or row
of tubes.
The tubes are surrounded by hot water, hot air or aqueous ammonia heated by
absorption of ammonia gas, or by other heating medium, so that, as the liquid
travels through the heated tubes, it becomes gradually evaporated without loss of
heat or pressure, and eventually passes away in gaseous form from the uppermost
pipes to the engine cylinder. It will be seen that by suitably regulating the supply
of heat, the pressure and temperature of the gas may be maintained at any desired
degree above that which it possesses when merely evaporated from the liquid at
atmospheric temperature.
The flow of the liquid ammonia from the store vessel to the evaporator may be
effected either by gravity alone or by a force pump.
The accompanying drawing shews a vertical section of a construction of evaporating
vessel for carrying out my above described invention.
This vessel is composed of a number of horizontal tubes A A connected at each
end to heads B B' of which B is connected at bottom by a pipe C with a shut-off
valve D with the reservoir E containing the liquid anhydrous ammonia or other
volatile liquid, while the head B is provided at top with a branch pipe F
communicating with the apparatus or machine to be supplied with the ammonia
vapour.
The heads B B¹ are constructed with a number of channels so formed that the
ammonia entering the lowest channel of the head B from the reservoir E passes
through the lowest tube A to the lowest passage of the head B', which leads it into
the second tube A through which it flows back to the second channel of B, and so
on, the fluid being thus made to flow backwards and forwards in a zig zag manner
through the successive tubes, and these being surrounded by a casing G containing
hot fluid, the ammonia is during such passage converted into vapour, which
eventually escapes from the top most tube A through branch pipe F to wherever
required.
It is to be understood that there may be any number of the tubes A. arranged
horizontally side by side in each tier for the ammonia to flow through.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
:-
1. Effecting the evaporation of ammonia or other volatile liquid in a vessel
separate from the vessel containing the store of such liquid, substantially as and for
the purpose described.
2. The use in combination with a storage reservoir containing ammonia or other

page_text: volatile liquid to be evaporated, of an evaporating vessel constructed and operating
substantially as herein described, for effecting the evaporation of the liquid separate
from the storage reservoir.
3. In apparatus for evaporating ammonia or other volatile liquids, effecting the
said evaporation by means of heat produced by the absorption of ammonia gas in
water, substantially as described.
1000
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.