Improvements applicable to Vapour Motor Engines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 20th June, 1894--Accepted, 4th Aug., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements applicable to Vapour Motor Engines.
I, SYDNEY PITT, of Sutton, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, (a communi-
cation to me from abroad by La Compagnie Internationale pour l'Exploitation
des Procédés Adolphe Seigle, of Rue des Archers, Lyons, in the Republic of
France,) 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 has for its object engines to be actuated by the vapours of heavy
hydro-carbons and of water. As is well known, there are engines based upon the
use of two liquids a principal liquid and an auxiliary liquid boiling at different
temperatures; the former having its ebullition point higher than the latter, and the
latter liquid being vapourized by the condensation after use of the vapour of the
principal liquid.
Up to the present time water has been used as the principal liquid in these
engines, and a liquid boiling at a low temperature as the auxiliary liquid; this
arrangement gives a very small increase in efficiency.
It is so especially with the Du Trembley ether engine.
Also for small boats, engines have been constructed driven by the light vapours
of petroleum which on leaving the engine condense in tubes immersed for the
length of the hull in the water. Such are the Yarrow & Co., Escher Wyss, and
Cail engines, but these engines also only give small relative efficiency although a
greater than that of steam engines.
According to this invention water is employed as the auxiliary liquid and as
principal liquid a heavy hydrocarbon such as for example the Russian solar oil
obtained after kerosine from the distillation of the crude Caucasian petroleum that
is to say boiling point from 300° to 350° or thereabout.
In order that the manner of applying this invention may be fully understood I
have shown diagrammatically in the annexed drawing one of the arrangements
which may be adopted.
In this drawing:
A is any generator, preferably of the Serpollet type, in which the vapour of
heavy hydrocarbons is generated.
a is a worm containing the hydrocarbon to be vapourised.
B is an engine of any type with cylinders (simple, double or triple expansion) or
a turbine of the Parson or Laval type for example.
is a pipe leading the heavy hydrocarbon vapours to the condenser.
C is a condenser of the hydrocarbon vapours serving at the same time as a steam
generator.
The vapours of heavy hydrocarbons led by the pipe benter the chamber c, pass
through the tubes c¹ and reach the chamber c²; the hydrocarbon vapours condense
in these chambers and the hydrocarbon liquid flows out by the pipe c³.
The chamber e' which is traversed by the tubes c', is fed with water which is
vapourized by the passage of the vapours of the heavy hydrocarbons coming from
the engine B and the condensation thereof.
The steam passes by the pipe c to go to the second engine D which, like the
engine B, may be of any type.
is the stoom outlet nine

page_text: 11s a pamp drawing in the condensed heavy nydrocarbon and sending it by the
pipe into the generator A.
The arrows
vapours.
show the circulation of the hydrocarbon and the hydrocarbon
The arrows 2 show the circulation of the water and steam.
In engines driven by combined vapours of heavy hydrocarbons and water, the
total fall of heat or of live energy is considerable although the pressure does not
exceed the limits of practical utility.
The lower ebullition point of the heavy hydrocarbon should correspond to a
temperature at which water can be vapourized under a pressure which is practically
utilisable.
The hydrocarbon vapour produced in the generator A after having done work in
the first engine B coudenses in the refrigerator C where it causes steam to be
generated which steam actuates the second engine D which may be coupled or not
with the first engine B.
The condensed hydrocarbon is sent back to the generator A by means of the
pump or otherwise, to be again vapourized; the steam discharged from the
engine D may be condensed or may escape freely according to circumstances.
The great variety in composition of the heavy hydrocarbons allows of a liquid
fulfilling the required conditions being easily found that is to say a liquid which
can be brought to a high temperature without the pressure of its vapour exceeding
the limits of practical use in an engine, and of which the vapour can in condensing
raise water to a temperature such as to produce steam available for use in another
engine.
If for example n hydrocarbon be taken which distils entirely between
300° to 350° such as the Russian solar oil above mentioned, by heating this to 430°
its vapour will have a tension of about 6 kilogrammes at its entrance into the first
engine B. Its expansion and its condensation will reduce the temperature 10 250°
thus there is a first fall in temperature of 180°
This vapour in condensing in the refrigerating generator C will easily produce
steam at 200° which will in its turn do work in the second engine D and may be
brought down to a temperature of 35° in an ordinary condenser, thus a second fall
in temperature of 165°. The total fall in the temperature will therefore be 345°.
If instead of condensing the steam it be allowed to escape freely at 105° the total
fall will still be 275°.
It will be seen that this invention by the increase of efficiency that it effects
enables combined vapour engines to be brought into practical use; whereas hitherto
they have not been used with appreciable advantage.
A system with two engines with two falls of temperature is here shown but
without departing from the invention, systems with three engines or with a triple
fall of temperature might be made the production and utilisation of steam being
always the last in the series of operations.
Take indeed a petroleum distilling at 400° for example, at 480° its vapour at
6 kilogrammes may act upon a first engine, there it will condense in a first
condenser bringing about the vaporization of a petroleum more volatile than the
first that is to say distilling for example at 250° so that at 330° its vapour at
6 kilogramines may work a second engine and condense in its turn in a second
condenser where steam will be produced which afterwards actuates the third motor.
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 :-
:―
1. A combined vapour engine working with heavy hydrocarbons as the principal
liquid and water as the auxiliary liquid substantially as herein described.
2. An engine constituted by the combination substantially as described of a
generator in which the vapour of heavy hydrocarbon is formed, a first engine

page_text: actuated by the said vapour, of a condenser with two chambers one into which
hydrocarbon vapours pass and in which they condense, the other containing water
which is vapourized by the hydrocarbon vapour; and a second engine actuated by
the steam thus formed, and either coupled or not with the first mentioned engine.
Dated this 19th day of June 1894.
SYDNEY PITT.