Improvements in the Construction and Arrangement of Apparatus for Heating Feed Water of Steam Boilers and Promoting Circulation in same.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in the Construction and Arrangement of Apparatus
for Heating Feed Water of Steam Boilers and Promoting
Circulation in same.
I, CHARLES EDWIN HUDSON, of Woodlands, Disraeli Road, Upton, in the County
of Essex, 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement of feed
heating and water circulating apparatus for steam boilers, and consists essentially in
the application, as hereinafter particularly described, to the mouth of the furnace, of
a suitable hollow metal chamber, preferably of a circular or semi circular shape, into
which the feed water enters, and where it is heated by the incandescent fuel and waste
heat of the furnace.
In combination with this water receiver I employ, for the greater heating of the
feed water and for the purpose of inducing circulation in the boiler, a coil or coils, or
other form of pipe or pipes, placed in the combustion chamber or flue, or in the ash-
pit, and through which the feed water also passes on its passage to the boiler, and is
further heated to a very high temperature.
Combined with the above arrangement of water chamber and coil, or in combination
only with the hollow metal receiver at mouth of furnace I may employ a tank placed
at the back of fire bars, such tank thereby taking the place of the ordinary bridge,
into which the feed water may be conducted from the first mentioned chamber by
means of suitably arranged pipes, and from whence it may be distributed direct into
boiler or where the coils or pipes in combustion chamber, flue, or ash pit, are
employed, it may be made to pass through such coils or pipes before being forced into
the boiler.
By this my arrangement of feed heater many advantages are obtained, amongst
which may be mentioned (1) Economy as compared with feed heaters now in use, by

page_text: "
reason of the Feed Heater being, in accordance with this invention, arranged and
placed as aforesaid around the mouth of furnace, whereby it is in direct contact with
the incandescent fuel, and by that means heated to such a temperature that the existing
necessity of using steam from the boiler to aid in heating the feed water is overcome.
(2) Greater efficiency, for by this my arrangement the feed water may be delivered
into the boiler direct from the heater (situated in the furnace of the boiler), whereby
the ordinary arrangement of pipes (in which condensation takes place by reduction of
temperature during the passage of the water) is dispensed with. Further in boilers
having a sluggish draught, or in others where a forced draught is employed the
velocity of the gases at this portion (the front end) of furnace is slow. It will there-
fore readily be seen that a feed heater situated and arranged in the above described
manner will be of the greatest efficiency. (3) The temperature of the stokehole is
considerably reduced by reason of the radiated heat being absorbed by my feed heater,
and thus is utilized the, at present, waste heat of furnaces. (4) The apparatus is,
moreover, simple in construction, and not liable to get out of order, it is easy of access
for cleaning purposes, suitable sludge doors being provided; suitable safety valves are
also fitted and should accident occur it is easily shut off from action by means of
stop cocks and valves, and the feed then carried on by the ordinary feed pump
connections.
And in order that this my invention may be more easily understood, and readily
carried into effect I will describe same with reference to the accompanying drawings,
reference being had to the letters and figures marked thereon :-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a. 3 furnace marine boiler fitted with my
improvements.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of same, the right hand half being in section through
line XY Figure 1.
Figure 3 is is a longitudinal section of a 3 furnace marine boiler which is fired from
both ends, and in which another arrangement of my improvements is shewn,
whereby one end of boiler is utilized simply for circulation, and the other end for
feed heating.
Figure 4 is an end elevation of same with the right hand half in section.
In accordance with this invention I dispense with the ordinary furnace fronts and
their baffles, and in lieu thereof I substitute a hollow metal chamber A fitted at mouth
of each furnace. The chambers A I make of a circular or semi circular shape, and
so arrange them that the remaining necessary furnace fittings can be utilized. When
semi-circular I fit such chambers A above the dead plates, but when of circular form
they are fitted completely around the mouth of furnaces. The hollow metal chamber,
which is essentially the feed heater of this my invention, may consist conveniently of
a metal tank or box as in Figure 1, or it may be formed of a pipe or pipes; or a
combination of both tank and pipe or pipes, as in Figures 3 and 4 and in the case of
two or more furnaces each chamber is preferably connected with the other by pipes
such as B. Water is supplied from the feed pumps, and also by automatic circula-
tion from all dead points of boiler bottom, through suitable piping CC, fitted with
stop valve D for shutting off when required.
E, Figures 1 and 2, is a tank or receptacle used in combination with the chamber A
at mouth of furnace, and placed at back of fire bars, and into which by means of
pipes F the feed water passes from tank A, thence it circulates through coil G,
Figures 1 and 2, and is fed into boiler at any convenient or desired position, such as
through the feed check valve H. This rear tauk E for its greater protection may, if
desired, be set in brickwork. With further reference to Figures 3 and 4 in which the
Feed Heater A in right hand furnace is shewn separate from, and not in connection
with, the circulating apparatus in left hand furnace, it will readily be seen that the
Feed is taken from feed pipe C into tank A where it is heated, and whence it passes
through valve H into Boiler. The receptacle A in left hand furnace, which is here
shewn as a combination of tank and pipe, is employed for inducing circulation only,
water being taken from dead points of boiler bottom by pipes C, and thence
circulating through receptacle A, and discharged again into boiler by pipe I.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In apparatus for heating feed water of steam boilers, the tank, pipe, or coil, A
arranged wholly or partially around the mouth of furnace, substantially as and for the
purposes herein described and shewn.
2. The combination of tank, pipe, or coil, A in mouth of furnace with the tank or
receptacle E at back of fire bars, substantially as herein set forth.
3. In apparatus for heating feed water and promoting circulation in steam boilers,
the combination of tank, pipe, or coil, A in mouth of furnace with the coil or coils,
pipe or pipes, G placed in combustion chamber, flue, or ashpit; substantially as, and
for the purposes, hereinbefore described and shewn.
4. The combination of tank, pipe, or coil, A in mouth of furnace; tank or
receptacle E at back of fire bars; and coil or coils, pipe or pipes G in combustion
chamber, flue, or ashpit; all substantially as, and for the purposes, hereinbefore
described, set forth, and shewn.