in the Means for Concentrating the Spent Lye Employed therein.
Year: 1885

page_text: in the Means for Concentrating the Spent Lye Employed
therein.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention (a communication to me
from abroad by Moritz Honigmann of Grevenberg near Aachen in the Empire of
Germany, Soda Manufacturer, through his agents Wirth and Company, of Frankfort
on the Main, Germany) to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the soda steam boiler designed for the fireless working
of steam engines and it has for its object to economise fuel in the production of
steam.
For this purpose the soda steam boiler (being a boiler in which exhaust steam is
absorbed by a liquid having a high boiling point) is combined with the apparatus
for re concentrating the lye in the manner illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
The steam produced by the re-concentration of the lye by means of the fire R
(figure 1) is conveyed to a distributing chamber k and is injected through nozzles d
into the water tubes of the soda steam boiler so as to produce a rapid circulation
of water through the heating tubes; The heat is transmitted to the soda which
becomes concentrated and the steam passing off through the pipe L' escapes at the
blast pipe in the chimney F and increases the draught of the furnace R.
The lye is pumped constantly or periodically by a pump P from the soda steam
boiler into the concentrating boiler whence the concentrated lye runs back to the
soda steam boiler,

page_text: .
The pipe L is provided with a valve h and when this valve is closed the
generation of steam is stopped and then the apparatus works steam and fireless.
The concentration of the lye can also be carried on during the working of the
steam engine by means of the soda steam boiler. The advantage of this invention
consists in the simplification of the working and the economy of fuel as the same
steam is used twice for the working of the engine; first it becomes absorbed by
the soda lye and then after re evaporation by means of the fire it is forced under
pressure into the water of the soda steam boiler.
A further economy can be obtained by means of the apparatus shown in
Figure 2.
The concentrating boiler N¹ is fed continually with soda lye and produces steam
under pressure which is injected into the water of the soda steam boiler a valve v
preventing the return of the water to the boiler N¹. The soda steam boiler works
the steam engine and the steam which has not been absorbed by the soda escapes
through pipe L'into the water space of a second boiler W' which contains a system
of pipes containing soda lye. As the soda in N³ is in vacuo the temperature of W
is so low that the inflowing steam is absorbed and the absorption heat is used for
the concentration of the soda.
The vacuum is produced by the condenser W3 and the pump P' returns the con-
densed water to the steam generator W¹; the same water being always used for the
generation of steam.
=
A pump P¹ pumps continually or periodically lye from N³ through the pipes (³
and into the concentrating boiler N¹ whence it passes through a self acting
valve m¹, and the pipe into the soda steam boiler.
Similarly the lye is drawn out from the soda steam boiler through a valve m³
and the pipe into the boiler N³.
It will now be readily seen that the concentration is effected independently of
the working of the engine.
The steam is generated in about equal quantities in N¹ and N³. If the fire
in N¹ evaporates 7 kilogrammes of water per kilo of coal then the whole of the
evaporation is 3 x 7 = 21 kilos.
But as concentrated soda is equivalent to power since during the working of the
steam engine the soda absorbs the exhaust steam and generates steam under
pressure by the heat developed by absorption the fuel used for the working of the
steam engine is by means of this apparatus only about of that used by an
ordinary engine.
This process can only be worked by making use of a recent invention of
Mr Honigmann's consisting in the concentration of lyes in the soda steam boiler by
means of steam under pressure which is conveyed into the water of the steam
generator whereby the changing of the lyes from one boiler to the other was
avoided. By the present invention the concentrating apparatus and the soda
steam boiler form one apparatus and the engine can be worked with or without
a fire.
It is to be noted that this process comprises quite a new mode of working the
soda, steam boiler which permits of working with a low boiling point of the lye
of about from 140 to 155° C whereas hitherto the high boiling points of over
200° C have always been used. To enable the use of these low boiling points the
atmospheric boiling point of the lye must be lower than its temperature.
For instance in figure 2 the temperature of the lye of the soda steam boiler is
165° C but its atmospheric boiling point is about 150° C; there is therefore an over
pressure of at least atmosphere in the soda vessel:
This over pressure decreases a little, the effect of the steam engine; but this dis-
advantage is counterbalanced by the advantage that a lye with a low boiling point
can be used allowing the use of a double and triple effect concentration,
J
3
'

page_text: This new mode of working is comprised in the present invention.
Although soda lye has been mentioned it will be understood that any other
solution having a high boiling point may be substituted and that instead of the
soda steam boiler any other vessel can be employed wherein the exhaust steam is
absorbed in a solution having a high boiling point and surrounding a steam
generator.

page_text: Improvements in the Fireless Working of Steam Engines and
in the Means for Concentrating the Spent Lye Employed
therein.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention (a communication to me
from abroad by Moritz Honigmann of Grevenberg near Aachen in the Empire of
Germany Soda Manufacturer through his Agents Wirth and Company of Frankfort
on the Main Germany 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 the soda steam boiler designed for the fireless working
of steam engines, and it has for its object to economise fuel in the production of
steam. For this purpose the soda steam boiler (being a boiler in which exhaust
steam is absorbed by a liquid having a high boiling point) is combined with
the apparatus for re-concentrating the lye in the manner illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
The steam produced by the re-concentration of the lye by means of the furnace R
(figure 1) is conveyed to a distributing chamber K by pipe L' and is injected
through nozzles d into the water-tubes S of the soda steam boiler so as to produce
a rapid circulation of water through the heating tubes. The heat is transmitted
to the soda which becomes concentrated and the steam passing off through the
pipe L' escapes at the blast pipe B in the chimney F and increases the draught of
the furnace R. The lye is pumped constantly or periodically by a pump P from
the soda steam boiler through pipes L into the concentrating boiler whence the
concentrated lye runs back to the soda-steam boiler by a pipe L³ provided with a
valve M.
The pipe L' is provided with a valve H and when this valve is closed,
the escape of steam is stopped and the apparatus works fireless that is to say
without emitting either steam or products of combustion. The concentration of
the lye can also be carried on during the working of the steam engine by means
of the soda steam boiler.
The advantage of this Invention consists in the simplification of the working
and the economy of fuel as the same steam is used twice for the working of the
engine; first it becomes absorbed by the soda lye and then after re-evaporation by
means of the fire it is forced under pressure into the water of the soda steam
boiler.
A further economy can be obtained by means of the apparatus shown in figure 2.
The concentrating boiler M is fed continually with soda lye and produces steam
under pressure which is injected into the water of the soda steam boiler, a valve vl
on pipe L' preventing the return of the water to the boiler N¹. The soda steam
boiler N2 works the steam-engine D and the steam which has not been absorbed
by the soda escapes through pipe L' into the water space of a second boiler W³
which contains a system of pipes containing soda lye. As the soda in N³ is in
vacuo the temperature of W' is so low that the inflowing steam is absorbed and the
absorption heat is used for the concentration of the soda. The vacuum is produced

page_text: by the condenser W³ and the pump P' returns the condensed water to the steam
generator W by the pipe e provided with valves h h the same water being always
used for the generation of steam. A pump P¹ pumps, continually or periodically,
lye from N through the pipes and into the concentrating boiler N¹ whence it
passes through a self acting valve M¹ and pipe into the soda steam boiler N*
Similarly the lye is drawn out from the soda steam boiler through a valve M2 and
pipe into the boiler N³.
It will now be readily seen that the concentration is effected independently of
the working of the engine. The steam is generated in about equal quantities in
N' N' and N° If the fire in N¹ evaporates seven kilogrammes of water per kilo
of coal then the whole of the evaporation is 3 x 7 = 21 kilos. But as concentrated
soda is equivalent to power, since during the working of the steam engine the soda
absorbs the exhaust steam and generates steam under pressure by the heat developed
by absorption, the fuel used for the working of the steam engine is by means of
this apparatus only about one-third of that used by an ordinary engine. This
process can only be worked by making use of a recent Invention of Mr Honigmann's
consisting in the concentration of lyes in the soda steam boiler by means of steam
under pressure which is conveyed into the water of the steam generator whereby
the changing of the lyes from one boiler to the other was avoided. By the present
Invention the concentrating apparatus and the soda steam boiler form one apparatus
and the engine can be worked with or without a fire. It is to be noted that this
process comprises quite a new mode of working the soda steam boiler which permits
of working with a low boiling point of the lye of from about 140 to 155° C, whereas
hitherto high boiling points of over 200° C have always been used. To enable
the use of these low boiling points the atmospheric boiling point of the lye must
be lower than its temperature For instance in figure 2 the temperature of the lye
of the soda steam boiler is 165° C but its atmospheric boiling point is about 150° C,
there is therefore a pressure above that of the atmosphere of at least half an
atmosphere in the soda vessel. This pressure decreases a little the effect of the
steam engine but this disadvantage is counterbalanced by the advantage that a
lye with a low boiling point can be used allowing the use of a double and triple
effect concentration.
"
1
L
This new mode of working is comprised in the present Invention. Although
soda lye has been mentioned it will be understood that any other solution having
a high boiling point may be substituted and that instead of the soda steam boiler
any other vessel can be employed wherein the exhaust steam is absorbed in a
solution having a high boiling point and surrounding a steam generator.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is ;
In the fireless working of steam engines the combination of a soda steam boiler
with a concentrating apparatus in such manner that ;-
(a.) The steam produced by the reconcentration of the lye is injected into the
water tubes of the soda steam boiler and becomes condensed therein, the heat
being utilized for concentrating the soda in the soda steam boiler, and a check valve
preventing the return of the water to the concentrator.
(b.) The escaping steam from the soda in the soda steam boiler is used for
increasing the draught in the furnace of the concentrating apparatus.
(c.) The lye is pumped from the soda steam boiler into the concentrating boiler,
a self acting valve allowing the concentrated lye to flow back to the soda steam
boiler.
(d.) The temperature of the absorbing lye is always higher than its atmospheric
boiling point, and the exhaust steam always reaches the soda at a pressure above
that of the atmosphere.