Improvements in Feed Water Puriflers and Heaters for Steam Generators.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Nov., 1899-Accepted, 2nd Dec., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Feed Water Puriflers and Heaters for Steam
Generators.
I, THOMAS SUGDEN, of 26, Underhill Road, East Dulwich, in the County of
London, 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 relates to feed water purifiers and heaters for steam generators,
and has for its chief object a purifier and heater adapted to be enclosed within
the generator, preferably in the steam space thereof, and so constructed with an
inclined tray or plate or with a series of inclined trays or plates that the feed
water delivered on said trays or plates is spread out in a thin sheet or layer, or in
thin streams, and presented to the heating action of the steam, which comes in
actual contact with the water, whereby the salts and impurities are caused to be
deposited upon the trays or plates and are thus prevented from entering the body
of water in the boiler. In combination with the trays, I provide a well to catch
the sediment which does not adhere to the trays, and whence the deposit can be
blown out at intervals through a blow out pipe communicating with said well.
In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a convenient form of my
invention applied by way of example, to a water tube steam generator.
Figure 1, is a longitudinal central section of a portion of the steam drum of
the generator, having my apparatus enclosed therein.
Figure 2, is a transverse section taken on the line X, X of Figure 1 looking
towards the right, and
Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line Y, Y of Figure 1, drawn to a larger
scale.
Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several figures.
My improved purifier comprises a box or chamber A placed within the steam
drum B preferably near the front end thereof, and supported in any suitable
manner, for instance by fransverse angle bars b, b secured to the sides of the drum.
The box may be quite open at the top but I prefer to provide it with a perforated
cover plate a, which, while allowing free access of the steam to the interior of
the box, tends to check the withdrawal of moisture from the box with the steam.
The sides of the box may also be perforated above the level of the trays.
At the front end of the box is a deep well A with which the blow-off pipe C
is connected. D, D are trays or plates arranged one above the other within the.
box, and inclined as indicated so that the feed water which is delivered on to
said trays or plates will flow along the same to their lower ends. I have shown
two trays, but in some instances one may be sufficient and in other instances
more than two may be used; they may be carried in any convenient manner from
the sides of the box. The upper tray extends from the front end of the box,

page_text: nearly to the rear end, and the lower tray extends from the rear end nearly to
the front end.
The feed water enters through the feed pipe E, which is shown extending into
a funnel or neck A² formed at the top of the box, and falls upon the upper tray
and then flows along the same to the rear end of said tray where it falls upon the
lower tray and then flows along said lower tray towards the front end and finally
falls into the well A. The overflow from this well passes along the bottom of the
box underneath the lower tray and out through a delivery pipe Fat the rear end of
the box, said pipe being preferably arranged to dip down below the water level
in the steam drum. I prefer that the trays shall be corrugated as clearly
indicated in Figure 3 in order to cause the water to spread across the whole
width of the trays and to prevent it from collecting in a compact stream. The
thin layer of water thus ensured is readily heated by the steam which enters
the box through the perforations therein, and the conditions are thus very favour-
able for depositing upon the trays the salts and impurities contained in the water.
The feed pipe E may in some instances have a wide flat mouth so as to deliver
the water in a thin flat stream.
I prefer that the lower plate or tray D shall be bent at the front end and
extend into the well A', so that the water must pass down into the well and
under the lower edge of the said plate or tray before it can escape along the
bottom of the box, and through the delivery pipe F into the body of water in the
boiler.
The salts and other impurities deposited by the water for the most part adhere
to the trays, but any deposit or mud not so adhering is caught in the well, whence
it can be blown out at intervals through the blow out pipe C. I prefer to make
the trays removable and of such size that they can be taken out through the man-
hole of the steam drum for the purpose of cleaning them. In some instances
the box A may be provided with a removable false bottom which may be taken
out and cleaned in like manner to the trays. Should the trays require to have a
greater width than the largest diameter of the man-hole, they may be built
up in
two or more sections, and the box also, if desired, may be built up in sections
small enough to be passed through the man-hole. My improved purifier does
not have to resist internal pressure, and therefore its parts need not be made very
strong they are consequently inexpensive, but at the same time very durable.
The trays are, moreover, easy of access for removal of the sediment collected on
them, and by reason of the presentation of the water in such a suitable manner,
that is to say, with a large and continually changing surface, to the action of the
steam, not only the carbonates but the sulphates contained in the water are very
readily deposited in the apparatus and thus prevented from entering the body of
the water in the boiler.
My improved apparatus is also applicable to Lancashire, Cornish and to the other
well known types of boilers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A feed water purifler and heater comprising an inclined tray or plate, or a
series of inclined trays or plates, arranged in an open box placed in the steam
space of a steam generator, and so constructed and arranged that the feed water
flows over said trays or plates in a thin sheet or layer in contact with the steam
before it mixes with the body of water in the generator, substantially as, and for
the purpose, specified.
2. The combination, with the trays or plates and box claimed in the preceding
claim of a well for collecting the sediment which flows off the trays or plates,
and a blow off pipe communicating with said well, substantially as described.
3. The box which contains the trays or plates, provided with perforations,
substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.

page_text: 4. My improved feed water purifier, having trays or plates constructed of plaint
or corrugated metal, and fixed in the box, or removable therefrom, substantially
as, and for the purposes, specified.
5. A feed water purifier and heater constructed substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawings, and operating as specified.
Dated the 2nd day of November 1899.
GEORGE HARRISON,
10, Staple Inn, London, Agent for the Applicant..