Improvements in Apparatus for Obtaining Fresh Water for Drink- ing or for Making Up Waste from Water used for Working either Marine or Land Engines.
Year: 1889

page_text: ¡Date of Application, 9th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 9th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 9th Jan., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Obtaining Fresh Water for Drink-
ing or for Making Up Waste from Water used for Working
either Marine or Land Engines.
I, JOHN KIRKALDY, of 40 West India Dock Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
According to my invention 1 construct apparatus for supplying fresh water in such
a manner that it can not only be used as a double distiller consisting of evaporator 9
and distiller 10 with its donkey engine and pumps 4, 5 and 6 for making up the
waste from the feed water and for giving a supply of fresh drinking water but the
distilling vessel 10 of the apparatus may also be used to supply fresh water should the
evaporator 9 and the engine or pumps 4, 5 and 6 not be in use, the cooling pipes or
passages of the distiller 10 being in this case supplied with steam either from the main
boilers or from an auxiliary boiler.
The evaporator 9 of the apparatus can also be used alone for supplying waste the
vapour produced being thea led direct to the main condenser of the engines or to an
auxiliary condenser.
The working of the double distiller is as follows-the water to be evaporated is
supplied to the evaporator 9 through the feed valve 15 either from the distiller 10 or
from any other convenient supply.
The heating pipes or passages of the evaporator are arranged to be supplied with
steam either the exhaust from the engine used to drive the pumps or from the main
boilers or from an auxiliary boiler through the stop valves, and the vapour
arising in the evaporator can be condensed by passing through the connection 13
to the distiller No. 10 where it is condensed for drinking water.
When the apparatus is to be used as a single distiller the pumps and evaporator not
being in use, the steam to be condensed is supplied to the cooling pipes or passages
either from the main boilers or from an auxiliary boiler through valve (valve 13
being closed) the cooling water is supplied either by valve 7 as natural circulation
or by from any pump available. The fresh drinking water flowing from filter at 2.
When the evaporator alone is to be used for feed make up or other purposes
the water to be evaporated is admitted through 15 either from the main condenser
circulating discharge or from any other convenient source and the vapour arising is
led through 12 to the main condenser or to an auxilliary condenser or it may be led
into the hot well or if of sufficient pressure into the low pressure steam chest of the
main engines and utilized as steam.
The steam for evaporating the water is admitted through valves and and
after heating the water it passes out through cock 16 to the hot well or may be
utilized in a feed heater.
The steam or vapour arising from the water evaporated in the evaporator may also
be passed through a feed heater before passing to the condenser in order that the heat
may be absorbed by the feed water, in the case of a heater containing coils or tubes.
the water to be heated being separated from the heating medium in the heater or in
the case of a heater where the steam or vapour for heating the water mixes with it
directly then this steam or vapor from the evaporator may be so utilized and not
passed into the main condenser.
The drawings annexed shew apparatus constructed according to my Invention.
No. 1 is stop valve for the admission of steam to the engines to work the pumps.
and are valves to admit steam direct to the evaporating pipes or passages.
is a valve to close off the exhaust.
is a valve to admit stanın from the boilers whan wanking distiller only

page_text: 2 is the outlet for filtered fresh water to tanks.
3 is condensed steam discharge from feed pump 4.
5 Drinking water (produced from vapour) pump delivery through filter 11.
6 Pumps for cooling water.
7 Sea suction or natural circulation inlet.
74 Circulating inlet from any available pump.
8 Cooling water discharge.
9 Evaporator.
10 Distiller.
11 Filter.
12 Pipe for steam or vapour from evaporator to main condenser or auxilliary door
heater, hot well &c. &c.
13 Pipe for steam or vapour to distiller.
14 Equilibrium valve.
15 Feed inlet valve for supplying water to be evaporated either from distiller to or
any other convenient source.
16 Condensed steam (used for evaporating the water in 9 previously admitted
at and outlet when working as an evaporator for feed make up only, this is
led either to the main engine condenser or auxilliary door, hot well or can be utilized
in a feed heater &c. &c.
Dated this 9th day of January 1889.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Obtaining Fresh Water for Drink-
ing or for Making Up Waste from Water used for Working
either Marine or Land Engines.
I, JOHN KIRKALDY of 40 West India Dock Road in the County of Middlesex
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 :-
According to my invention I combine a donkey engine, feed pump, evaporator and
condenser in such a manner that not only can the combined apparatus be used as
what is known as a double distiller wherein water heated by being used for condensing
steam is evaporated and the resulting vapour condensed either to give a supply of
drinking water or to make up for the waste of water which results in the working of
steam engines but also in such manner that the evaporator can be used for supplying
waste by evaporation without using the condenser and also if desired in such
manner that the condenser can be used alone simply for condensing steam to give a
supply of drinking water without the pumps or evaporator being used at the same
time.
As the condenser is used for giving a supply of fresh water for drinking purposes
it is on board ship always known as a "distiller" and it is hereinafter always so
called.
The drawings annexed shew apparatus constructed according to my invention.
Figure 1 is a front view, Figure 2 a side view, Figure 3 a plan and Figure 4a
horizontal section of the apparatus. Figure 5 is a vertical section of part of the
evaporator. Figure 6 is a horizontal section of the evaporator and Figure 7 a
horizontal section of the distiller.
In these figures the evaporator is marked 9 the distiller 10 and the filter used for
filtering water condensed in the distiller is marked 11.
It will be seen from Figures 6 and 7 that the evaporator and distiller have both two
sets of tubes within them.. In the evaporator one set of tubes is for live steam, the
other for exhaust steam. In the distiller one set of tubes is for condensing vapour
-

page_text: passing from the evaporator, the other is for condensing live or exhaust steam passing
from evaporator, after it has been used to heat the water therein. The coiled tubes
of the distiller are coupled at their two ends to an inlet and to an outlet pipe as in the
evaporator.
Water is kept circulating through the casing of the distiller-it is supplied to the
bottom of the casing by the pumps 6 and passes off by the outlet S. 7 and 7 are
suction inlets one for admitting sea water for natural circulation the other may receive
water from any available pump..
The easing of the evaporator is kept partly filled with water it may be admitted to
the casing through the feed inlet valve 15 either from the distiller 10 as shewn or
from any other convenient source.
No. 1 is a stop valve for the admission of steam to the cylinders of the donkey
engine which work the pumps.
is a valve by opening which steam can be allowed to pass direct through
the pipe to some of the evaporating pipes or passages of the evaporator 9
through the inlet 9** see Figure 6. is a valve which if also opened admits steam
direct to the other evaporating pipes or passages through the pipe and inlet 9*.
When so open it shuts off all passage of steam to the exhaust valve. The valves
are only opened to admit steam as above described to the coils of the evaporator at
the times when the evaporator is being used for supplying waste of water that takes
place in the working of the main engines, or when the apparatus is being used
as a double distiller to produce fresh water for drinking purposes.
is a valve on the exhaust pipe from the cylinders of the donkey engine-
through it exhaust steam can be allowed to pass to the valve and through it and
the pipe to some of the coils or passages in the evaporator through the inlet 9*.
In this way either live steam can be admitted to all the coils or exhaust steam can
be admitted to one set whilst at the same time live steam can if desired be admitted to
the other. The coils at their upper ends are all connected to an outlet pipe on which
is a two way cock 16* by which it can be directed either through the pipe 16 to the
condensers of the main engine or to the coils 10xx in the distiller to be there condensed.
The steam or vapour produced in the evaporator casing can be led off through the
pipe 13 and valve to the coils 10× in the distiller to be there condensed to
furnish a supply of drinking water or through a spring loaded valve 14 and
pipe 12 to the condensers of the main engine to supply waste or to the hot well
other suitable condenser.
or to
The object of having the valve 14 a spring loaded one is to avoid too great
a vacuum being formed in the evaporator casing when it is open to the condensers of
the main engines so as to avoid water being drawn over from the evaporator by the
vacuum.
The water condensed in the coils 10×× can be pumped off by the feed pump 4 and
delivered through the outlet 3.
The water condensed in the coils 10x can be pumped off by the pump 5 and delivered
by it through the filter 11 and by the outlet 2 to the tanks.
Whenever it is required to use the distiller simply as a condenser for condensing,
live steam from one of the boilers to give a supply of drinking water, live steam can'
be admitted through the valve to the coils 10×-the valve must at this time be.
closed to prevent steam passing to the evaporator.
Figure 8 is a front elevation, Figure 9 an end elevation, Figure 10 a hori-
zontal section on the line A B Figure 8 and Figure 11 a plan of a modification
of the above apparatus which can be worked either for supplying drinking water
and making up waste by double distillation or for supplying waste only by
evaporation.
The construction is the same as that above described except that the form of
the parts is altered and that no provision is made for using the condenser or distiller
alone to condense steam supplied from the boilers to give a supply of drinking,
water:..
:

page_text: 11. The circulating pump.
12. An automatic feed valve for controlling the supply of water to the
evaporator. The valve is constructed in the manner described in the specification
of a former Patent granted to me No. 5242 in the year 1888.
13. A junction valve by which the distilled water passing from the condenser or
distiller may when not required for drinking purposes be caused to pass to the feed
supply tanks of the main engines.
14. Pipe by which vapour passes from the evaporator to coils or passages in the
condenser or distiller.
15. Pipe for conveying away brine.
B is a spring loaded valve on the pipe by which vapour is conveyed from the
evaporator to the condensers of the main engines.
Cis a drain cock fitted to the bottom of the evaporator-it may discharge into the
bilge or be connected to a discharge pump.
D (see Figure 8) is the outlet for steam which has been passed through the coils of
the evaporator it may convey the steam to the coils in the condenser or distiller as
shewn or to the feed tank or main hot well.
E is a cock on the brine pipe 15.
F.is a valve on the pipe 4 by which salt water is supplied from the condenser or
distiller to the evaporator.
G cock by which the passage of vapour from the evaporator to the condenser or
distiller may be closed when the apparatus is being used only for supplying waste
by evaporation.
The following are directions to be followed when the apparatus is to be used for
supplying drinking water and making up waste by double distillation.
First open all suction and delivery valves for circulating water and allow salt water
to flow into evaporator through feed cock 4. Open cock D from evaporator coils.
to condenser coils also cock on top of condenser to admit vapour to condenser and
and shut cock B which leads to the main condenser.
Open valve 1 admitting steam to engine and when pumps are working all right
open 1 admitting steam to coils. Brine cock 15 should now be opened from.
evaporator to circulating pump and regulated to keep density at 30 oz. to the gallon
or to what is the same thing to parts which is the more common mode of expres-
sion in the mercantile manner. To stop machine close allow engine to run a few
minutes to cool everything down then close valve 1. Close all valves when finished
working, and open all drain cocks (open small cock on water gauges to allow air into
evaporator).

page_text: The live and exhaust steam enters into the coils of evaporator at bottom and
comes out at the cock marked D and passes into 1 coil in condenser and thence
to feed pump 3.
The vapor enters a coil or coils in condenser case and out through vapour pump 5.
and thence to filter 10, see fig. 10.
Instructions for supplying waste only by evaporation.
Close cock G on top of condenser and open cock on main condenser connected to B.
open cock D to hot well, open cock F allowing water from main condenser to flow
into evaporator, and when water is in bottom of gauge glass open valve 1 admitting
steam to coils of evaporator. Brine cock E. should be open to bilge pump and density
regulated to 30 or 3.
To stop working first close 1* and close feed connection F, and when pressure is
reduced close cock on main condenser connected to B, also close brine cock E and
then drain evaporator through cock C. (open small cock of gauge cocks admitting air
to evaporator).
The steam goes into coils of evaporator and thence to hot well through cock D.
Vapor straight to main condenser through B.
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. The construction of apparatus for obtaining fresh water for drinking, or for
making up waste in steam engines in such manner, that it cannot only be used as
a double distiller, but also in such manner that the evaporating vessel and the
condensing vessel or distiller can each be used separately for condensing water
substantially as described.
2. The construction of apparatus for obtaining fresh water for drinking or for
making up waste in steam engines in such manner that it can not only be used
as a double distiller for producing fresh water for drinking, but also in such
manner that the evaporating vessel can be used separately for evaporating water to
replace water lost or wasted in the working of the engines.
3. The construction of apparatus for obtaining fresh water for drinking or for
making up waste from water used for working either marine or land engines
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 7.
4. The construction of apparatus for obtaining fresh water for drinking or for
making up waste from water used for working either marine or land engines sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 8 to 11.
Dated this 9th day of October 1889.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents.