IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HEATING AND EVAPORATING LIQUIDS AND FLUIDS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Holworthy Palmer, of Queen's Crescent,
Haverstock Hill, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HEATING AND EVAPORATING
LIQUIDS AND FLUIDS."
Sealed the 20th December 1864, and dated the 5th July 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Holworthy Palmer
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th July 1864.
I, GEORGE HOLWORTHY PALMER, of Queen's Crescent, Haverstock Hill, in
the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HEATING AND EVAPO-
RATING LIQUIDS AND FLUIDS," to be as follows:-
My improvements in apparatus for heating and evaporating liquids and
fluids have for their object the production of a better system of heating and
evaporating liquids and fluids, and consist in a more complete and perfect
method of applying and consuming the fuel employed, and also in the manner
of applying the liquid or fluid to be heated or evaporated so as to absorb more
completely the quantity of heat which the fuel is capable of imparting; and
I effect these objects, first, by using the fuel in a furnace of a peculiar form
and construction, and in a manner calculated to insure its perfect com-
bustion, and therefore the more complete liberation of its heat-giving products,
[Price 8d.]

page_text: by exposing the fuel more completely and effectively to the action of the
atmospheric air which is requisite for its decomposition; and, secondly, by so
arranging the absorbing surface of the heating vessel, and mechanically
effecting the absolute circulation of the liquid or fluid to be heated or evapo-
rated, that the absorption of the heat contained in the products of combustion
shall be a maximum, such arrangements conducing to produce a greater or
higher temperature of the fuel chamber and flues, and a consequent reduction
of the dimensions of the heating or evaporating vessel, as contrasted with
those ordinarily used for a similar purpose. Economy of fuel and construction
are insured by these arrangements, together with greater durability of the
heating or evaporating vessel.
The furnace which I propose to employ is in the form of a basket containing
a mass of fuel instead of a stratum as in ordinary furnaces, and I construct it
so that the vertical or sloping sides thereof are capable of admitting air to
the fuel as well as the bottom, and may be formed of bars, perforated plates,
or perforated water spaces, the object being to pass as much air to the mass
of the fuel as will effect its combustion. By this arrangement I cause the
air (which I prefer to inject mechanically) to pass through a depth of from
two to three feet of incandescent fuel, whereby I insure the more complete
decomposition of the atmospheric air, and its combination with the carbon of
the fuel forming carbonic oxide, which is evolved from the surface of the fuel
at a very high temperature, and possessing a very high evaporating power, by
reason of which I am enabled to reduce the amount of absorbing surface, and
consequently the dimensions of the heating or evaporating vessel. The furnace
may be rectangular, circular, or polygonal, and of suitable depth to effect the
combustion of the fuel and the generation of carbonic oxide. I arrange the
absorbing surface by preference of a tubular form, as exposing the greatest
amount of surface with a given capacity (although I do not confine myself to
the use of tubes), and I prefer when employing them to use small tubes in
order to disseminate the heat through the body of the liquid more perfectly,
and these I place either immediately over the surface of the fuel or as con-
tiguous to it as possible, so that the heated products of combustion may come
into direct contact with them without loss of intensity; and I cause the liquid
or fluid to circulate within these tubes by introducing it by means of an
injector through smaller tubes inserted within them, in which case I close the
lower ends of the tubes, and suspend them from a plate above; or, where
both ends of the tubes are left open, I employ the same means of forced injec-
tion through them, and thus keep the liquid or fluid constantly flowing
through them, thus preserving the contact of the liquid or fluid with the

page_text: heating surface, whereby the stream is replaced with liquid or fluid at a high
temperature. The circulation being therefore absolute and not spontaneous,
as in ordinary heating vessels, the heating surface is always supplied with
liquid or fluid, which absorbs the heat as fast as it is received by the surface,
and prevents it from being overheated, as well as arresting the escape of the
products of combustion at a high temperature. These improvements may be
used either separately or in combination, the furnace being applicable to every
kind of heating or evaporating vessel, and the circulating arrangements to any
kind of furnace, but when combined they unite the advantages of both.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Holworthy Palmer in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 5th January 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HOLWORTHY PALMER, of Queen's Crescent, Haverstock Hill, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, given and grant unto me,
the said George Holworthy Palmer, Her special licence that I, the said
George Holworthy Palmer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said George Holworthy Palmer, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HEATING AND EVAPORATING
LIQUIDS AND FLUIDS." upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
George Holworthy Palmer, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Holworthy Palmer, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My improvements in apparatus for heating and evaporating liquids and
fluids have for their object the production of a better system of heating and
evaporating liquids and fluids, and consist in a more complete and perfect
method of applying and consuming the fuel employed, and also in the manner
of applying the liquid or fluid to be heated or evaporated, so as to absorb
more completely the quantity of heat which the fuel is capable of imparting,
and I effect these objects, first, by using the fuel in a furnace of a peculiar
form and construction, and in a manner calculated to insure its perfect com-
bustion, and therefore the more complete liberation of heat-giving products,
by exposing the fuel more completely and effectively to the action of the
atmospheric air which is requisite for its decomposition; and, secondly, by so
arranging the absorbing surface of the heating vessel, and mechanically
effecting the absolute circulation of the liquid or fluid to be heated or evapo-
rated, that the absorption of the heat contained in the production of combus-
tion shall be a maximum, such arrangements conducing to produce a greater
or higher temperature of the fuel chamber and flues, and a consequent reduc-
tion of the dimensions of the heating or evaporating vessel, as contrasted with
those ordinarily used for a similar purpose. Economy of fuel and construction
are insured by these arrangements, together with greater durability of the
heating or evaporating vessel.
The furnace which I propose to employ is in the form of a basket containing
a mass of fuel instead of a stratum as in ordinary furnaces, and I construct
it by preference so that the vertical or sloping sides thereof are capable of
admitting air to the fuel as well as the bottom, and may be formed of bars,
perforated plates, or perforated water spaces, the object being to pass as much
air to the mass of the fuel as will effect its combustion. By this arrangement
I cause the air (which I prefer to inject mechanically, to pass through a depth
of from two to three feet of incondescent fuel, whereby I insure the more
complete decomposition of the atmospheric air, and its combination with the
carbon of the fuel forming carbonic oxide, which is evolved or discharged
from the surface of the fuel at a very high temperature, and possessing a very
high evaporating power, by reason of which I am enabled to reduce the
amount of absorbing surface, and consequently the dimensions of the heating
and evaporating vessel to perform a given surface. The furnace may be
rectangular, circular, or of any suitable form, and of suitable depth to effect
the combustion of the fuel and the generation of carbonic oxide. I arrange
the absorbing surface by preference of a tubular form, as exposing the greatest

page_text: amount of surface with a given capacity (although I do not confine myself to
the use of tubes), and I prefer when employing them to use small tubes in
order to disseminate the heat through the body of the liquid more perfectly,
and these I place either immediately over the surface of the fuel, or as con-
tiguous to it as possible, so that the heated products of combustion may come
into direct contact with them without loss of intensity; and I cause the liquid
or fluid to circulate within these tubes by means of an injector through smaller
tubes inserted within them, in which case I close the lower ends of the tubes,
and suspend them from a plate above, which forms the bottom of a chamber
into which the liquid or fluid is injected. Where both ends of the tubes are
left open I employ the same means of forced injection through them, and
thus keep the liquid or fluid constantly and continuously flowing through them,
thus preserving the contact of the liquid or fluid with the heating surface,
whereby the steam generated is replaced with the liquid or fluid at a high
temperature. The circulation being therefore absolute and not spontaneous,
as in ordinary heating and evaporating vessels, the heating surface is con-
tinuously supplied with the liquid or fluid, which absorbs the heat as fast as it
is received by the surface, and prevents it from being overheated, at the same
time that it arrests the caloric, and prevents the products of combustion
escaping at a high temperature. These improvements may be used separately
or in combination, the furnace being applicable to every kind of heating or
evaporating vessel, and the circulating arrangements to any description of
vessel where ordinary or particular furnaces are used, but when they are
combined they unite the advantages of these features of this my Invention.
In order that my improvements may be more fully understood and carried
into effect, the accompanying Drawings and description thereof are
referred to.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figs. 1 and 2 are sections of a furnace as applied to an ordinary cylindrical
boiler; Fig. 3 is a section of a vertical cylindrical boiler with pendent tubular
absorbing surface, having the circulating arrangements attached thereto; ·
Fig. 4 is a section of a boiler having the furnace applied to vertical water
tubes with the circulating arrangements attached thereto; Figs. 5 and 6 are
Figs. 1 and 2 are sections of a furnace as applied to an ordinary cylindrical
boiler; Fig. 3 is a section of a vertical cylindrical boiler with pendent tubular
absorbing surface, having the circulating arrangements attached thereto;
Fig. 4 is a section of a boiler having the furnace applied to vertical water
tubes with the circulating arrangements attached thereto; Figs. 5 and 6 are
sections of boilers shewing the furnace applied to the ordinary character of
marine boiler with flue tubes. The same letters of reference apply to the
various Figures.
A is the ash-pit, closed on all sides; B is the furnace or fuel chamber, the
lower part of which is formed as a basket, of bars, perforated plates, tubular

page_text: bars containing water in communication with that in the body of the boiler, or
perforated water spaces, as may in the special application be found most con-
venient. This lower part should extend about one-half the entire depth of the
fuel chamber, containing a mass of fuel of not less than from ten to fifteen
inches deep.
The upper portion of the fuel chamber is formed with close
sides, so that the products of combustion which rise from the lower portion
will be constrained to pass through a similar depth of carbonaceous fuel in
order to undergo a further chemical change, and to be converted from carbonic
acid gas into gaseous oxide of carbon or carbonic oxide by its combination
with an additional volume of carbon. The entire depth of the carbonaceous
fuel to effect this object should be about from thirty to thirty-six inches, and
upwards; C is a pipe conveying a current of atmospheric air or other com-
bustible gas from a fan, steam jet, or other mechanical device. and may termi-
nate in the ash-pit in one or more openings, the more diffused the better; a
throttle valve or other suitable means should be provided for regulating the
supply of air, as the consumption of the fuel and the quantity of water to be
evaporated are dependent thereon; D and E are branch pipes, conveying
warmed air from the ash-pit A to the space or chamber F above the fuel, the
quantity discharged by these pipes being regulated by a valve so as to govern
the quantity of air admitted into the chamber F. In order to reconvert the
carbonic oxide into carbonic acid as much oxygen, and consequently as much
atmospheric air is required as was consumed in the production of the carbonic
acid, and the carbonic oxide in passing through the carbonaceous fuel. To
effect the rapid reconversion of the carbonic oxide it will be desirable to dis-
tribute the volume of air admitted by the pipes D or E through several smaller
openings, so that it may more intimately mix with the heated products. G is
an opening through which the furnace is charged with fuel, and which, when
bituminous coal is employed, serves the purpose of a carbonizing or coking
shelf or chamber, from which it is raked forward into the furnace, it being
desirable that the fuel should be used in the shape of coke. Where coke
is used as the fuel this preliminary operation may be dispensed with.
Referring to Fig. 3, the same general arrangement of furnace is shewn.
over which are placed pendent tubes H. I is a chamber into which the water
is injected for feeding the tubes H by a small rotary pump K or other
efficient device, which may either be used as an ordinary feeding apparatus,
or may be caused to draw the water from the surface level of the boiler, and
discharge it into the chamber I, from which it is conveyed in a heated state
to the bottom of the tubes H by the smaller tubes L within them, the spon-
taneous circulation of the water in the body of the boiler surrounding the

page_text: furnace may be promoted by the insertion of a cylinder M, which will separate
the downward or outer current from the upward or inner current next the
heated surface of the furnace, or the absolute circulation of the water may be
effected by carrying down several descending pipes from the chamber I to
the bottom of the water space.
In applying the furnace and circulating arrangements to Fig. 4, I cause
the lower ends of such tubes to be enclosed in a box or chamber N, into
which I inject the feed water either in the ordinary manner, or, as I prefer, in
the manner described in Fig. 3, viz., by drawing it from the surface level in
the boiler in a heated state, and injecting it into the chamber N, from which
it is compelled to rise through the tubes to the surface level.
In applying the furnace to the ordinary character of marine boiler, it will
be desirable either to place the tubes in immediate contiguity to the furnace,
either vertically over the fuel or horizontally behind the furnace, as shewn in
Figs. 5 and 6. As in all the applications of the herein described mode of
consuming fuel the temperature of the products of combustion will be con-
siderably higher than that of an ordinary furnace, the absorbing surface may
therefore be correspondingly reduced, and hence a much smaller evaporating
vessel will vapourize a given quantity of water. The furnace herein described
in the several Figures is arranged with the sides of the lower portion formed
of air spaces, so as to give the greatest practical extension of fire-grate, and
thereby to consume the greatest amount of fuel, but the fuel chamber may
be formed either with simply an open or grated bottom for the admission of
air and the entire sides closed, or only partially so, or as two separate furnaces
of half the depth of fuel in each, so that the carbonic acid generated in the
first furnace may be passed through the fuel in the second, and there be
converted into carbonic oxide.
Having now fully described the nature of my said Invention by the Draw-
ings and description hereunto annexed and referred to, I would have it
understood that do not claim any individual parts thereof which have been
heretofore publicly known or in use for the purpose and for the objects herein
described, nor do I confine myself to the precise form or construction herein
shewn, as they may obviously be varied to suit particular applications of the
herein described mode of consuming carbonaceous fuel without departing
from the nature and objects of my Invention; but I claim as my invention,-
First, the application and use of carbonaceous fuel in the manner herein
described, that is, by passing a current or currents of atmospheric air or other
supporter of combustion through such a mass or depth of incandescent fuel in
one or more chambers as will insure not only a portion of the vapour of

page_text: carbon being first converted into the non-inflammable carbonic acid gas, but
also chemically change the said carbonic acid gas before it escapes from the
incandescent fuel into an inflammable gas, viz., the gaseous oxide of carbon
or carbonic oxide, which being discharged into the chamber or space above or
contiguous to the fuel is brought into contact with a second current of atmo-
spheric air or other supporter of combustion, whereby the oxygen contained
therein, chemically combining with the carbonic oxide, produces intense
combustion, liberating the same quantity of latent heat in a sensible form as
was generated by the formation of the carbonic acid gas, and which is due
exclusively to the change which the carbonic oxide undergoes in its recon-
version to carbonic acid gas, and thus effecting a considerable economy
of fuel.
Secondly, I claim the application and use of a forced or absolute circulation
of the water in the heating or evaporating vessel by mechanical means, whereby
I cause the heating surfaces to be continuously supplied with water as the
steam is generated or the water heated, thereby insuring the removal of the
particles of steam as quickly as they are formed on the heated surfaces of the
vessel, promoting increased evaporation and durability of the heating surfaces.
Thirdly, I claim, the application of any of the foregoing arrangements in any
manner and howsoever combined, whereby I effect the objects herein set forth
and described, viz., the production of a more perfect combustion of car-
bonaceous fuel, the consequent increased temperature of the products of
combustion, and therefore the economical consumption of the fuel employed,
together with the greatly diminished size of the heating or evaporating vessel
required for a given service.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Holworthy Palmer, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
AMHT. H. RENTON.