Improvements in Condensers, Evaporators, and Feed Make-up Apparatus for Condensing Engines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 29th June, 1893-Accepted, 29th Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Condensers, Evaporators, and Feed Make-up
Apparatus for Condensing Engines.
I JOSHUA HYDE IRWIN, Managing Director of the North Eastern Marine
Engineering Company Limited South Dock Sunderland, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:--
This invention relates to an improved construction and combination of condenser
and evaporator, to be applied to condensing steam engines, whereby a quantity of
heat otherwise wasted may be utilised for the production of fresh water for boiler
feeding or other purposes..
The improvement consists in isolating a few tubes in the hotter part of the
condenser, or exhaust passages leading thereto, and causing a portion of the
circulating water, already heated in its passage through the condenser, to flow to
and fro in these isolated tubes, so that it may be raised to a temperature as
nearly as possible equalling that of the exhaust steam itself, by absorbing heat
from the surrounding vapour.
The water thus heated is conducted by a pipe to a reservoir, in which arrange-
ments are made for heating by steam, by means of which there is imparted to the
water in the reservoir such additional heat as is necessary for its evaporation.
A pipe from the upper part of the reservoir is used to carry off the vapour to
the main or auxiliary condenser as the case may be. There are also attached to
the reservoir such cocks and valves and gauges as are necessary for discharging
any accumulation of brine, and also for regulating the flow of water and vapour.
The reservoir itself is made in detachable parts for the purpose of easy cleaning.
This apparatus may also be applied to engines already in use.
Dated this Twenty-eighth day of September 1892.
J. JAMESON,
As Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Condensers, Evaporators, and Feed Make-up
Apparatus for Condensing Engines.
I, JOSHUA HYDE IRWIN, Managing Director of the North Eastern Marine
Engineering Company Limited, South Dock, Sunderland, 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 an improved construction and combination of condenser
and evaporator, to be applied to condensing steam engines, whereby a quantity of
heat otherwise wasted may be utilized for the production of fresh water for boiler-
feeding or other purposes.
The improvement consists in isolating a few tubes in the hotter part of the
condenser, or exhaust passages leading thereto, and causing a portion of the
circulating water, already heated in its passage through the condenser, to flow to
and fro in these isolated tubes, so that it may be raised to a temperature as nearly
as possible equalling that of the exhaust steam itself, by absorbing heat from the
surrounding vapour. That is to say the greater part of the circulating water being
necessarily of such low temperature as very quickly to condense the steam from
the engine and thus to preserve the efficiency of the condenser. I take a part of
D
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page_text: the partially heated condensing water, on its escape from the condenser, and
circulate the portion so taken (by means of an auxiliary pump or otherwise)
through a few of the highest tubes in the condenser, reserving and using these
higher tubes for this purpose alone, whereby, so long as the temperature of the
water thus recirculated through the condenser is less than the temperature of the
steam surrounding the tubes containing it, a portion of the heat of the steam must
be imparted to the water by the condensation of a part of the steam, and thus I
obtain a portion of circulating water at a higher temperature than the bulk of the
circulating water, and practically about equal to the temperature of the steam
passing into the condenser; and at the same time I maintain the efficiency of the
condenser as usual.
The water thus heated is conducted by a pipe to a reservoir, in which arrange-
ments are made for heating by steam, by means of which there is imparted to the
water in the reservoir such additional heat as is necessary for its evaporation.
A pipe from the upper part of the reservoir is used to carry off the vapour to
the main or auxiliary condenser as the case may be There are also attached to
the reservoir such cocks and valves and gauges as are necessary for discharging
any accumulation of brine, and also for regulating the flow of water and vapour.
The reservoir itself is made in detachable parts for the purpose of easy cleaning.
This apparatus may also be applied to engines already in use.
In Sheet No. 1 of the drawings hereto attached (Figs. 1 and 2) I shew two
sections of the reservoir referred to, the lettering of similar parts being similar
in each.
A. is the water inlet, namely the inlet for the circulating water which as described
has been specially isolated and kept in contact with the steam in the bottest parts
of the condenser and which has therefore a considerably higher temperature than
that of the bulk of the circulating water. B. is a steam inlet for high pressed
steam, and C. is the outlet for the water condensed from such high pressed steam,
and which is extended to the hotwell. Between the inlet B. and the outlet C. there
is placed a coil of pipes as shewn, which coil forms the heating surface required to
raise the temperature of and evaporate part of the water supplied by the inlet A.
D (shewn in Fig. 2,) is a stay rod the function of which is after referred to. E. is
a brine cock used for discharging the whole or a part of the contents of the
reservoir when its density is increased to the desired point. F. is the vapour outlet
which leads to the condenser. As it is necessary in discharging the brine from the
reservoir that the pressure should exceed the pressure of the atmosphere, I provide
an appliance whereby the connection by the pipe F. may occasionally be closed,
and provide an escape valve G. on the reservoir to prevent accident in such
circumstances. H. is a water gauge of the usual construction to indicate the height
of water in the reservoir.
It will be observed that the front plate of the reservoir on which the water
gauge H. is shewn in Fig. 2 is entirely unconnected with any internal arrangement
and that it can thus be removed for the purpose of cleaning by the mere withdrawal
of the flange bolts and it will be further seen that by uncoupling the pipes B. and C.
and the withdrawal of the flange bolts at that end the whole internal arrange-
ments of the reservoir may be withdrawn and cleaned or adjusted with great
facility.
I attach importance also to the arrangement of the stay rod D. (which may be
fitted singly or in duplicate). The operation of this stay rod or rods is as follows;
namely: When the high pressed steam introduced into the coil, and the outlet F.
is opened to the condenser there is produced a very considerable difference between
the temperature of the material of the stay or stays, and the temperature of the
material of the coil, and there is consequently a difference of expansion in these
materials, and by making the stay or stays of steel for instance and the coils of
copper or brass this difference of expansion is amplified as is well understood. As
the stays are rigidly secured to the end of the reservoir and to the inner ends of
the coils the excess expansion of the latter must find its vent in bending the

page_text: coils; the effect of which is to crack and automatically to displace portions of
scale which may be formed upon them and so to preserve the coils without special
cleaning in a more efficient state than without the arrangement. 1 provide a
perforated strum plate shewn at I. (Fig. 2) whereby the scale automatically
detached from the coils is prevented from passing excepting in minute particles
into the brine discharge cock.
Sheet 2 of the drawings represents a section Fig. 1. and elevation Fig. 2. of the
tube plate and end of a condenser as altered in accordance with my invention. The
upper row of tubes marked Z. are those which are isolated; the underneath tubes
marked Y. are the ordinary condenser tubes through which the cooling water
circulates. The method of isolation consists in lengthening the isolated tubes as
shewn in Fig. 1. so as to pass them into a box marked X. At the end of this
box in Fig. 2. I shew the outlet tube, W, for the isolated water, which passes
through the side of the condenser as shewn. The inlet tube and the arrangement
of isolating box at the opposite end of the isolated tubes are of exactly similar
description as that shewn. There is a cock or valve on the inlet or outlet pipe so
as to regulate the flow of water through the isolated tubes at a very slow rate.
The manner of using the apparatus is as follows:-Water is supplied from that
portion of the circulating water which has been isolated so as to be heated to
nearly the highest temperature which the exhaust steam is capable of imparting to
it by means of the inlet cock A. to the reservoir until the reservoir be say half
filled. High pressed steam is then admitted to the coil of pipes within the
reservoir already described and in result steam passes into the condenser by the
pipe F.
In alternative the vapour produced in
separate condenser, and used as fresh
making up.
the reservoir may be conveyed to a
water for any other purpose than
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 I
claim is :-
The utilization of specially isolated and heated condensing water with auxiliary
reservoir with the arrangement described for affording facility for cleaning the
reservoir and with the arrangement for the automatic removal of scale from the
coils, substantially as described.
Dated this Twenty-seventh day of June 1893.
J. JAMESON,
As Agent for Applicant.