IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER FROM FLUIDS, AND ALSO FOR RAISING OR FORCING FLUIDS.”
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Osborne Reynolds, M.A., of Owen's College, in
the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING MOTIVE
POWER FROM FLUIDS, AND ALSO FOR RAISING OR FORCING FLUIDS.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Osborne Reynolds at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th February 1875.
I, OSBORNE REYNOLDS, M.A., of Owen's College, in the City of
5 Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING
MOTIVE POWER FROM FLUIDS, AND ALSO FOR RAISING OR FORCING FLUIDS," to be
as follows:
When the available pressure of fluid for driving a turbine is very
great and the quantity of fluid is small the diameter of the wheel has
to be small and its speed inconveniently great, so that in the best class

page_text: .
of turbines 100 feet is the practical limit of the fall which can be
utilized, and in raising or forcing fluids by means of centrifugal pumps
it is almost impossible by reason of the great speed required to raise
fluids to any considerable height.
The object of my Invention is to overcome the difficulties above
referred to, and consists in the construction, combination, and arrange-
ment of apparatus which will utilize the largest pressures of fluids to
the fullest extent in obtaining motive power while keeping the revolving
speeds within practicable limits, and obtain the greatest pressures or
lifts by centrifugal machinery while keeping down the rotative
speeds.
In order to obtain the motive power from the fluid it is caused to
traverse a passage or passages (which for distinction may be called fixed
passages) so formed that it is discharged from them with a rotary motion
or velocity of "whirl" about a certain axis or centre. In impressing
this rotary motion on the fluid part of its pressure is spent, so that it
emerges from the passages at a lower pressure than that at which it
entered them. It is then received into a passage or passages moving
round the said axis or shaft. These passages are so formed that the
fluid on leaving them has as far as practicable no velocity of whirl, no
rotary motion about the shaft. This modification is effected as far as
possible without shock or friction by so forming the moving vanes that
the fluid shall be forced from them in a direction opposite to that in
which they are moving, and with a velocity relative to the moving
passages at the place it leaves them equal to that with which they are
moving. To give it this relative velocity a further portion of its initial
pressure will have to be spent, so that the fluid will emerge from the
moving passages with a pressure still lower than that at which it entered
them, and the pressure which has thus forced the fluid back will have
produced an equal effect to urge the moving passages forward, and thus
gives out the motive power.
So far this apparatus is identical with some forms of what is known as
the turbine, and in this respect I claim no improvement.
The novelty of my Invention however consists in so arranging the
size and motion of the fixed and moving passages that on emerging from
the latter the fluid shall not, as in the case of the turbine, have spent
the whole or nearly the whole of its available pressure, but that it shall

page_text: still have sufficient pressure to carry it through one or more sets of
passages similar to those already described, that is to say, on emerging
from the last moving passages it shall again be received into another
fixed passage or passages formed as before described, so that on being
3 forced through them it shall emerge with a rotary motion round an axis
not necessarily the same as before, and with a reduced pressure, when
again it is received into another moving passage or set of passages, from
which it may emerge with no velocity of whirl. This may complete the
entire cycle of operations to which the fluid is subjected, but this will
depend upon circumstances (the magnitude of the initial pressure and
the character of the motive power required).
In some cases it may be desirable that the whole of the available
pressure shall be spent in urging the fluid through the first and second
sets of passages, in which case after emerging from the second set it will
be allowed to flow away into such receptacle, channel, or tail race as
may be provided. It may however be desirable so to arrange the size
and velocity of the passages that the fluid shall have to pass through
more than two sets of moving passages before all its available pressure
is spent. In fact there is no limit to the number of such passages that
may be employed when desirable.
So far then this Invention might be described shortly to consist in
using two or more turbines in combination instead of one, the fluid
being made to pass through them successively, and spend a portion of
its pressure in producing motive power in each. The pressure necessary
to drive the latter turbines being transmitted through the fluid in the
earlier turbines, the passages in which have therefore to act the part of
pipes to resist the pressure. In order that this pressure may be
transmitted it is essential that the fluid should entirely fill the passages
along which it passes, so that those turbines in which the water only
partially fills these passages would not be available in my Invention.
Since the stream of water passing through the several sets of passages
or the several turbines is continuous the size of the passages in the
different turbines or sets must be carefully adjusted so as to prevent
undue loss of pressure, as must also the velocity of the moving
passages.
For forcing or raising fluids the apparatus is similar to that already
described taken in the inverse order

page_text: moving passages, in which it has a velocity of whirl impressed upon it,
and in receiving this velocity of whirl it must be driven against a certain
amount of pressure, so that it will emerge from the moving vanes at a
greater pressure than that at which it entered them. It then enters the
fixed passages, which are so formed that its entrance may be without
shock or friction, and in which it again loses its velocity of whirl, and is
forced against further pressure.
So far the apparatus is identical with certain forms of centrifugal
pumps and fans, but as in the previous case the novelty of my Invention
consists in repeating the action, and again causing it to traverse one or
more series of moving passages alternately with fixed passages. In this
case as in that previously described it is essential that the size of all the
passages, should be properly adjusted as well as the velocity of the
moving passages. In both cases instead of alternate series of fixed and
moving passages all the passages may be in motion, but in that case the
alternate passages must move in opposite directions. It is not necessary
that the several sets of moving passages should be connected with or
move round the same shaft, but such an arrangement considerably
simplifies the apparatus.
My Invention applies to all fluids, liquids, vapours, and gases, and
one important application is that of producing blasts of air at consider-
able pressure.
My Invention further relates to a mode of constructing apparatus for
obtaining motive power from the impetus of fluids, and is applicable to
the common turbine, as well as to my improvements for obtaining
'motive power herein-before described, and consists in attaching flat or
curved vanes to radiate from a rotating shaft after the manner of the
vanes of a common blowing fan. These vanes are surrounded by a fixed
casing formed by two ends perpendicular to the shaft, one or both of
which may have openings round the centre. The space between the
two ends is rather greater than the width of the vanes to admit of their
free rotation. The circumference of the case is formed by a plate or
plates perpendicular to the two ends, and in the form of a spiral or
spirals having an opening or openings into the case, which openings
form the fixed or directing passages for the fluid to enter, the fluid
escaping from the casing through the holes or openings at the centre of
the ends of the casing.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Osborne Reynolds in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st August 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, OSBORNE
REYNOLDS, M.A, of Owen's College, in the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Osborne Reynolds, Her
special license that I, the said Osborne Reynolds, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Osborne Reynolds,
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 OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER FROM FLUIDS,
AND ALSO FOR RAISING OR FORCING FLUIDS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Osborne Reynolds, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument 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 immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Osborne Reynolds, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and the accompanying Drawings (that is to
say) :-
When the available pressure of fluid for driving a turbine is very
great, and the quantity of fluid is small, the diameter of the wheel has
to be small and its speed inconveniently great, so that in the best class of
turbines one hundred feet is the practical limit of the fall which can be

page_text: utilized, and in raising or forcing fluids by means of centrifugal pumps
it is almost impossible by reason of the great speed required in the
ordinary centrifugal pump to raise fluids to any considerable height.
of
The object of my Invention is to overcome the difficulties above
referred to, and my Invention consists in the construction, combination,
and arrangement of apparatus which will utilize the largest pressures
fluids to the fullest extent in obtaining motive power while keeping the
speed of rotation within practicable limits, and obtain the greatest
pressures or lifts by centrifugal machinery while keeping down the
speed of rotation.
In order to obtain motive power from the fluid it is caused to traverse
a passage or passages (which for distinction may be called fixed passages)
so formed that it is discharged from them with a rotary motion or velocity
of "whirl" about a certain axis or shaft. In impressing this rotary
motion on the fluid part of its pressure is spent, so that it emerges from the
passages at a lower pressure than that at which it entered them, it is then
received into a passage or passages moving round the said axis or shaft;
these passages are so formed that the fluid on leaving them has, as far
as practicable, no velocity of "whirl," that is, no rotary motion about the
shaft. This modification in the motion of the fluid is effected as far as
possible without shock or friction by so forming the moving vanes (as is
well understood) that the fluid shall be forced from them in a direction
opposite to that in which they are moving, and with a velocity relative
to the moving vanes at the place it leaves them equal to that with which
they are moving. To give the fluid this relative velocity a further
portion of its initial pressure has to be spent, so that the fluid will
emerge from the moving passages with a pressure still lower than that
at which it entered them, and the pressure which has thus forced the
fluid back will have produced an equal effect to urge the moving passages
forward, and thus give out the motive power.
So far the apparatus above described is identical with some forms of
what is known as the turbine, and in this respect no improvement is
claimed.
The novelty of my Invention, however, consists in so arranging the
size and motion of the passages that on emerging from the moving
passages the fluid shall not, as in the case of the ordinary turbine, have
spent the whole, nor nearly the whole, of its available pressure, but that

page_text: it shall still have sufficient pressure to carry it through one or more
additional sets of passages similar to those already described, that is to
say, on emerging from the first moving passages it shall again be received
into other fixed passages, so that on being forced through them it shall
emerge with a velocity of whril or rotary motion round an axis, not
necessarily the same as before, with a reduced pressure, and again be
received into another similar set of moving passages from which it may
emerge with no velocity of whirl. This may complete the entire cyclo
of operations to which the fluid is subjected, but this will depend upon
circumstances (videlicet), the magnitude of the initial pressure and the
character of the motive power required). It may, however, be desirable
so to arrange the size and velocity of the passages that the fluid shall
have to pass through more than two sets of moving passages before all
its available pressure is spent. In fact, there is no limit to the number
of such sets of passages that may be employed when desirable. On
emerging from the last set of passages, the fluid will be allowed to flow
away into such receptacle, channel, or tail race, as may be provided.
So far then my Invention might be described shortly to consist in
using two or more turbines in combination instead of one, the same
fluid being made to pass through them successively and spend a portion
of its prossure in producing motive power in each.
The pressure
necessary to drive the later turbines being transmitted through the fluid
in the earlier turbines, the passages in which have therefore to act the
part of pipes to resist the pressure. In order that this pressure may be
transmitted it is essential that the fluid should entirely fill the passages
along which it passes, so that those turbines in which the water only
partially fills these passages would not be available, and could not be
used in carrying out my Invention.
Since the stream of water passing through the several sets of passages
or the several turbines is continuous, the size of the passages in the
different turbines or sets must be carefully adjusted so as to prevent
undue loss of pressure, as must also the velocity of the moving passages.
For forcing or raising fluids the apparatus employed is similar to that
already described for obtaining motive power taken in the inverse order,
that is to say, the fluid is first taken up by passages carried by a rotating
axis, in which passages it has a velocity of "whirl" impressed upon it,
and in receiving this velocity of "whirl" it is driven against a certain

page_text: amount of pressure, so that it will emerge from the moving vanes at a
greater pressure than that at which it entered them; it then enters the
fixed passages or directors, which are so formed and placed that its
entrance may be without shock or friction, and in which it again loses
its velocity of whirl, and forces itself against further pressure.
So far the last apparatus is identical with certain so called centrifugal
pumps and fans, but in the case of obtaining motive power herein-
before explained the novelty of my Invention consists in repeating the
action and again causing the fluid to traverse one or more additional sets
of moving passages alternating with fixed passages. In this case, as in
that previously described for obtaining motive power, it is essential that
the size of all the passages should be properly adjusted as well as the
velocity of the moving passages. In both cases, that is, in obtaining
motive power, and raising and forcing fluids instead of alternate sets of
fixed and moving passages all the passages may be in motion, but in
that case the alternate sets of passages must move in opposite directions.
It is not necessary that the several sets of moving passages should be
connected with or move round the same axis or shaft, but such an
arrangement considerably simplifies the apparatus.
My Invention applies to all fluids, liquids, vapours, and gases, and one?
important application is that of producing blasts of air at considerable
pressure.
In obtaining motive power by my improvements from fluids, or in
forcing fluids, such as gases, where the density of the fluid varies with
the pressure, the passages must be arranged to increase in capacity as
the pressure diminishes when obtaining motive power, and on the con-
trary the passages must diminish in capacity as the pressure increases.
when forcing gaseous fluids.
My Invention further relates to a mode of constructing apparatus for
obtaining motive power from fluids, and is applicable to turbines where
the whole of the power of the fluid is imparted to the turbine by once
passing through one set of moving passages, as well as in carrying out
my improvements for obtaining motive power herein-before described,
and my Invention consists in attaching flat or curved vanes to radiate
from a rotating shaft after the manner of the vanes of a common
blowing fan. The vancs are surrounded by a fixed casing having its
ends perpendicular to the shaft, one or both of which may have openings

page_text: round the centre; the space between the two ends is rather greater than
the width of the vanes to admit of their free rotation. The circum-
ference of the case is formed by a plate or plates perpendicular to the
two ends and in the form of a spiral or spirals, having an opening or
openings into the case, which openings form the fixed or directing
passages for the fluid to enter, the fluid escaping from the casing through
the holes or openings in the ends of the casing. The spiral plates may
be made moveable, so that the size of the passages may be adjusted
and the fluid may be introduced between them in any convenient
manner
round the centre; the space between the two ends is rather greater than
the width of the vanes to admit of their free rotation. The circum-
ference of the case is formed by a plate or plates perpendicular to the
two ends and in the form of a spiral or spirals, having an opening or
openings into the case, which openings form the fixed or directing
passages for the fluid to enter, the fluid escaping from the casing through
the holes or openings in the ends of the casing. The spiral plates may
be made moveable, so that the size of the passages may be adjusted
and the fluid may be introduced between them in any convenient
manner
The accompanying Sheet of Drawings is intended to explain an appli-
cation of my Invention.
Fig. 1 is a diagram showing two sets of fixed and two sets of moving
passages, or two sets of passages_moving in one direction and two sets in
another. The passages are for simplicity shown as arranged in straight
lines, but really they have to be placed in circles round an axis, either
side by side, as in what is known as the parallel flow turbine, or one set
within the other, as in radial flow turbines. A is a set of fixed and B a
set of moving psssages. The fluid enters through A in the direction
of the arrows, and passing through B enters a second set of fixed
passages A', on emerging from which it enters a second set of moving
passages B¹; or A and A¹ sets moving to the right, and B and B¹ sets
moving to the left. For centrifugal pumps and fans the direction
of the fluid and of the moving passages is reversed; the fluid
entering the moving set B¹ will be discharged into the fixed set A',.
and then pass to the moving set B, to be discharged into the fixed
set A.
Fig. 2 is the end view of a turbine constructed according to my In-
vention, which may be used where the fluid is to impart all its power by
one passage through the turbine. In the view shewn by Figure 2 the
end part of the casing is supposed to be removed to show the inner parts,
and that side of the turbine is represented by Fig. 2, at which the fluid
leaves the vanes after having acted upon them. a is the shaft; b, the
boss keyed upon it, to which the vanes c are secured. These vanes are
straight, but a part c¹ of each vane near the axis is of the form shown,
and is turned round until it is at an angle of 70°, or thereabouts with
the face of the vane and axis of the shaft (a). The vanes c revolve

page_text: next turbine, and so on, leaving finally by the pipe p in communi-
cation with a chamber f, into which the third turbine discharges. I are
shafts which come to the exterior of the casings, and can be turned to
adjust the directors k.
In turbines and pumps combined on my plan (as when used singly)
the guides and vanes which form the passages may have various forms
which will depend to some extent on whether the direction of, flow is
parallel to the axis or radial. It is essential however that the lips of
the guides or vanes at which the fluid enters between them should be
inclined in the direction of the motion of the fluid relative to them, so.
that it may glide in without having the direction of its motion suddenly
altered.
It is also essential that the openings between the vanes, and the
openings between the guides at their lips should be such that the fluid
is exactly capable of filling them, neither more nor less, and also that
the curvature of the guides and vanes from the lips at which the fluid
enters between them to the lips at which it leaves them shall be gradual,
and nowhere angular or sudden.
In the turbine the passages between the fixed guides gradually
diminsh from the lips at which the fluid first enters to those at which
it leaves them until finally the sectional area of the passages is such that
they will just discharge the desired quantity of fluid with the desired
velocity. The lips at which the fluid leaves them must be so formed as
to direct the fluid in a direction inclined at about 20° to the direction of
motion of the vanes (the exact angle being determined by the circum-
stances under which the turbine is intended to work). The passages
between the moving vanes have a sectional area just sufficient to receive
the fluid as discharged from the fixed guides, and their lips have a direction
parallel to the direction in which the fluid is moving relative to them.
The openings between the vanes gradually diminish, and the lips at.
which the fluid leaves them are inclined in the opposite direction to that
in which they are moving, so that the fluid on issuing from them shall
be driven back as fast as the vanes move forwards, and hence have no
motion in the direction in which the vanes are moving. The length of the
passages and the closeness of the guides and vanes are matters of very
great importance, owing to the loss of work which is caused by friction
between the fluid and the surfaces over which it is gliding, which loss

page_text: renders it important that the passages should be formed so as to expose
the minimum of surface to the moving fluid consistent with the per-
formance of their functions. The rules for forming the passages depend
on the way in which these passages are arranged, or the class to which
the turbines or pumps belong, but in all cases they are the same as those
for forming a single turbine or pump to work with the pressure and
with the same quantity of fluid as the several individuals of the combined
turbines.

page_text: Fig. 3 of the accompanying Drawings.
Fifthly. The combination and arrangement of two or more turbines,
as herein-before described and illustrated by Fig. 4 of the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Osborne Reynolds, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
as herein-before described and illustrated by Fig. 4 of the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Osborne Reynolds, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
OSBORNE REYNOLDS. (L.S.)