IMPROVEMENTS IN THE UTILIZATION OF EXHAUST OR OTHER USED OR SPENT STEAM, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nils Werner Ericson, of Stockholm, Sweden, but at present
of 33, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE UTILIZATION OF EXHAUST OR OTHER USED OR SPENT
STEAM, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
Sealed the 28th February 1879, and dated the 25th November 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nils Werner Ericson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th November 1878.
NILS WERNER ERICSON, of Stockholm, Sweden, but at present of 33, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE UTILIZATION OF
EXHAUST OR OTHER USED OR SPENT STEAM, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR.”
According to this Invention I let steam of higher pressure, or higher temperature,
or both higher pressure and temperature than the pressure, or temperature, or both,
of the steam which is to be used in a steam engine or for any other purpose, pass
into an apparatus for the suction and compression of elastic fluids, in order that
the said higher or stronger steam may in such apparatus act as the suction fluid
to the said spent steam; this suction and compression apparatus is further connected
with the apparatus wherein steam is to be used in order that the spent steam may
to a greater or less extent be drawn into the suction and compression apparatus
when the acting or higher steam passes through it. The mixture of the acting 'or
drawing steam and the spent steam passes through the delivery.pipe of the suction
and compression apparatus (and its continuation as required) either to the place
where the thus compressed steam is to be used, or else first through an apparatus.
containing saturated steam, or water, or in so near connection with water, that the
steam if in a superheated state becomes more or less saturated or lowered in tem-
perature, or else into an apparatus wherein the steam, by cooling, is rendered liquid
and the heat thereby given out is used for generation of fresh steam. This latter
apparatus may be the steam boiler in which the acting superheated steam is
generated, or another steam boiler or vessel. The suction and compression appara-
tus may be any suitable suction and compression apparatus, such as an annular or
other jet apparatus.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Nils Werner Ericson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th May
1879.
NILS WERNER ERICSON, of Stockholm, Sweden, but at present of 33, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE UTILIZATION OF
EXHAUST OR OTHER USED OR SPENT STEAM, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
According to this Invention I let steam, be it superheated or not, of higher
pressure, or higher temperature, or both higher pressure and temperature than the
pressure, or temperature, or both, of the steam which is to be used in a steam
engine or for any other purpose, or which is the same, than the pressure, or temper-
ature, or both of the exhaust, or used, or spent steam before it was used, pass into
an apparatus for the suction and compression of elastic fluids in order that the said
higher or stronger steam may in such apparatus act as the suction fluid to the said
spent steam; this suction and compression apparatus is further connected with the
apparatus wherein steam is to be used (and from which apparatus the exhaust
steam issues), in order that the said spent steam may to a greater or less extent be
drawn into the suction and compression apparatus when the acting or higher steam
passes through it; the mixture of the acting or drawing steam and the spent steam
passes through the delivery pipe of the suction and compression apparatus (and its
continuation as required) either direct to the place where the thus compressed
steam is to be used or else first through an apparatus containing saturated steam or
water, or in so near connection with water that the steam if in a superheated state
becomes saturated or lowered in temperature, or else into an apparatus wherein the
steam by cooling is rendered liquid, and the heat thereby given out is used for
generation of fresh steam. This latter apparatus may be the steam boiler in which
the acting superheated steam is generated, or another steam boiler or vessel.
As to the pipe or other conductor through which the steam after compression is
led directly to where it is used (if the method be so adapted), or the apparatus
where the steam is saturated or its temperature lowered (if the method be so
adapted), I do not lay particular stress upon its form or nature. But as regards
the apparatus, which I shall call the receiving vessel, whereinto (if the method be
so adapted) the steam is condensed, and the heat thereby given out is used for the
generation of fresh steam, I shall further on describe some of its features, which
may vary.
The receiving vessel is so divided into two parts that the steam spaces are
separated from each other, while the water spaces are wholly or partly connected.
Or, instead of such a partitioned receiving vessel, I may use two apparatus, but so
that their water spaces communicate, and that heat communication may take place
between both apparatus without loss of heat. When now steam enters the one
compartment, which I shall call the first, it passes into the liquid state in that
measure as its temperature, through the higher pressure being kept constant, is
higher than that of the water in the same compartment, this water cools again in
that measure as heat is carried over to what I call the second compartment; the
temperature of the water in the second compartment is lowered in the measure it
gives up heat for the formation of steam, which is led away for application to a
steam engine or to some other useful purpose. The heat communication between
the water compartments may be arranged in various ways; the water compart-
ments may thus communicate completely, or the partition between the steam spaces
may be continued into the water space and an opening only left; the heat com-
munication may only be through the water and the partition, without any inter-
vention of special means, or it may be furthered by the application of any suitably
formed metallic strongly conducting bodies or appliances, or one compartment may
be partially extended into or wholly contained in the other in order to afford a

page_text: greater contact area between the compartments, this area being formed in any
convenient manner; or the pipe through which the steam is led into the first
compartment may be first passed through the one compartment, or both, in order
that tlie steam may thereby give up heat; or two or more of these various
arrangements may be combined or applied simultaneously. The simplest is to lead
the pipe in the water space of the second compartment and quite shut out the fir st
compartment; as the pipe enters the said water space the steam is by compression
brought to a higher temperature than that of the surrounding water and conse-
quently gives off heat through the metal wall of the pipe; by continued compression
this high temperature of the steam is retained, and when in this manner a certain
amount of heat has been given off the steam already in the pipe will, if this latter
be of sufficient dimensions, to a greater or less extent be rendered liquid; the same
of course takes place if, instead of one pipe, a system of pipes be applied, and this
pipe or pipe system thus answers to the first compartment, which, as before stated,
is placed in the other. The steam not rendered liquid is conveyed to the steam
space. A back pressure valve should be used at the delivery tube outlet from the
injector or suction apparatus in order to prevent the return flow of steam from the
receiving vessel to this said injector when the steam entry, from some cause, stops.
In order that any surplus of the spent steam passing to the suction apparatus
may have liberty to escape, a valve or opening should be provided in a pipe or part
in connection with the said apparatus, as, for instance, shewn in Figure 8.
It would be inconvenient and useless to illustrate the application of my Invention
to all the numerous constructions of steam boiler, or other receiving vessels or
generators, or even to the more important or typical constructions of steam boilers,
but to enable a practical engineer to carry out my Invention I will by outline
diagrams and Drawings illustrate several modes of carrying it into effect.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through an ordinary cylindrical boiler con-
structed with one or two fireplaces, and acting also as a receiving vessel. D is a
steam pipe fitted with admission valve or regulator d and leading to a superheating
pipe system A connected at each end to the boxes B and C; E is a pipe conveying
the superheated steam to a jet apparatus F, which may be of any suitable construc-
tion; G is a pipe conveying used or other spent steam, say, the exhaust steam from
a steam engine; the high pressure steam from E draws on the exhaust steam from
G and forces it into the pipe system H which passes through the water space of the
boiler, and the mixture is compressed while giving off heat to the water through
the metal wall of the pipe; the pipe system H terminates in a valve h, which can
be set to any required extent so as to regulate the pressure, the more or less con-
densed steam escaping there into any part of the boiler, as here shown, into the
water space. I is the steam pipe leading to the steam engine; K is a three way
cock which can be turned so as to constantly admit a very small quantity of water
for the purpose of preventing the superheater A from being burnt while the steam
is being got up in the boiler before the engine and the whole apparatus are at work,
or during any other stoppage of work; L is a three way cock for letting the steam
generated by such water admission escape into the chimney or other place, and for
shutting off the connection with the jet apparatus F.
In Figure 2 is shown a similar arrangement, only that the acting or superheated
steam, in this case, comes by the pipe E from another or separate steam boiler.
Figure 3 shows an arrangement with one boiler, in which the acting or super-
heated steam is generated and passes by the pipe E into the apparatus F and there
draws the exhaust or spent steam from the pipe G and forces it directly to the
steam engine or other apparatus where it is to be applied by the pipe H in a com-
pressed state, instead of carrying it into a boiler for being therein condensed.
Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section through a cylindrical steam boiler, in
which the products of combustion, after having passed through the short tubes A,
impinge on and pass along among the superheating tubes B, they then enter the
back up take C and returning through the return tubes pass into the chimney D.

page_text: Figure 5 is a horizontal section; Figure 6, an end view with the back wall
removed in one half of the view. The same letters refer to corresponding parts.
The superheater consists of nine pipes B which are connected in threes at their
ends by the cross connecting pipes H, H', connected with the cocks J and K
respectively; these cocks admit steam or water to or from the superheater from or
to one of the pipes L, M, N, O; these pipes are connected as follows:-The con-
tinuation of the pipe L communicates with the water space of the boiler; the
pipe M with the steam space of the boiler; this pipe has a back pressure valve
which opens by pressure from the boiler; the pipe N communicates with the
suction and compression apparatus F by the pipe E; the pipe O communicates
with the cock P which connects with the water space in the boiler by the pipe Q,
or with the atmosphere, or water heating tank, or other suitable part, as required,
by the pipe R. The suction and compression apparatus receives its acting steam
by the pipe E, as stated, and the exhaust or spent steam by the pipe G. The
compressed steam mixture from the apparatus F enters a receiver or saturator S
containing water, and, in this example, for convenience sake, made as part of the
steam boiler; in this receiver S the mixed steam becomes saturated and passes by
the pipe T off to the place where it is to be utilized. If in the superheater more
heat is taken up by the acting steam than after its conversion into velocity and
pressure corresponds to that which is required for compression and for the work in
the apparatus where it is to be applied, then this surplus heat will produce steam
of the water in the receiver S, which steam may be utilized for any suitable
purpose, such as for supplying the injectors u and v by the pipes U and V
for introducing feed water respectively into the boiler and into the receiver or
saturator S.
The action of the apparatus here shown is as follows:-Steam from the boiler is
by one or more of the cocks J conveyed to the inlet to the lower end of the super-
heater pipes, and the steam passes off by the corresponding cocks K from the
outlet from the upper end of the superheater pipes in a superheated state to the
suction and compression apparatus F. If all the superheator pipes are not to be
used, the corresponding cocks are put in communication with the water space of
the boiler, thus increasing the heating surface. While getting up steam water
should be admitted to all the superheated pipes more or less, and when the steam
.superheating is to commence, the water is blown out by the cock P and pipe R,
Figs. 4 and 6; or if while getting up steam only little water has been used in the
superheater so that steam has been produced therefrom, the steam may be passed
through the apparatus F to the saturator S in order to heat it; if on the other
hand the superheater as aforesaid be full of water, this may also if desired be
similarly let into the saturator S and the arrangement be modified as required.
There is a back valve in the pipe G in order to prevent flow of steam in the wrong
direction by occasional inequality of pressure in the saturator and inequality of the
exhaust, say from an engine.
To prevent want of circulation in the pipes connecting the water or steam space
of the boiler with the superheater, when disconnected from the latter they may be
provided with circulating pipes connecting them with some other part of the
boiler.
Figure 7 shows a similar arrangement of apparatus, only that the saturator S is
made in the form of á jacket outside the boiler; this may be used where very high
pressure is to be generated because the pressure in the jacket, counteracts and thus
reduces the pressure to which the boiler is exposed. W is a loaded valve for
regulating the pressure between boiler and jacket S, so that if the boiler pressure
exceeds a certain proportion the steam may escape into the jacket S.
Figure 8 shows a means for dividing the spent steam when it is desired to draw
in and compress only a part of it. A is a short tube on the exhaust port or outlet
of an engine; B is another short tube placed opposite and a little distance there-
from; it is of a bellmouth shape and is fitted with two flap valves C, which when

page_text: the slide valve of the engine opens to the exhaust will be opened thereby, these
two valves communicate with two chambers or pipes each provided with safety
valve, loaded alike or differently, according as it is desired to admit the same or
different amounts of exhaust steam to said chambers; one of the latter communi-
cates with the apparatus F, and the other with the open air or with a feed water
heater or other apparatus, in order that this part of the exhaust steam may escape
or be utilized. After the first rush or overflow of the exhaust both valves will
close, and that exhaust steam which is driven out by the piston later during the
stroke escapes by D into the open air or to a condenser or other place as desired.
The distance between the tube A and the valve piece B can be regulated by
screwing the sleeve E in one direction or the other on the tube A; when the sleeve
E covers the entire space between A and B all the exhaust steam passes into the
chambers.
I will add that my method is not limited to any special kind, construction, or
arrangement of generator wherein the sucking steam is generated if in a separate
generator, nor if two generators are thus used of which one is the receiving vessel
to any special manner in which these are relatively or otherwise placed, nor in any
greater measure than hereinbefore indicated to any special mode in which the
receiving vessel is arranged, be it that the sucking steam is to be generated in the
same or otherwise, or further than indicated heat is to be communicated to this
receiving vessel or not, nor to any special mode in which the superheating of the
sucking steam if such come in question be effected, nor to how much heat may be
carried with the compressed steam into the boiler or receiving vessel or such
apparatus, which may be used for equalizing or lowering the temperature of the
compressed steam or for saturating the same, and to how the surplus be applied or
the deficiency supplied, as this depends upon the various adaptations of my method,
nor to any special means for equalizing the delivery of spent steam to the suction
apparatus, if it for example comes stroke by stroke from a steam engine, nor to any
special means for equalizing the temperature of the compressed steam if conducted
in a superheated state to any place where it is to work, nor to how the suction and
compression apparatus is constructed, nor to how the pipes, the steam boilers, or the
other apparatus are placed, although it is of course important that loss of heat be
as much as possible avoided, nor do I lay any stress on any other arrangements or
details which do not alter the essential features of the Invention, but I claim,-
Firstly. The application of compresssion to spent steam, that is, steam which has
been used in a steam engine or for any other purpose, by means of other steam of
higher temperature or higher pressure, or both, than that of the said spent steain
before it was used for the purpose of utilizing the said spent steam, substantially
as set forth.
Secondly. The mode herein described of utilizing steam after it has been used in
a steam engine or for any other purpose, viz., causing it to be drawn ou and com-
pressed in any suitable jet apparatus by means of other steam of higher temperature
or higher pressure, or both, than that of the said spent steam before it was used,
the compressed mixture going to the said steam engine or other apparatus in order
to be used there.
Thirdly. The mode herein described of utilizing steam after it has been used in
a steam engine or for any other purpose, viz., causing the compressed steam before
it goes to the said steam engine or other apparatus to be used, to be passed through
an apparatus containing saturated steam or water, or in close connection with
water, so that this compressed steam if in a superheated state becomes saturated or
lowered in temperature.
Fourthly. The mode herein described of utilizing the steam after it has been used
in a steam engine or for any other purpose, viz., causing this spent steam after it
has been drawn in and compressed as described, to enter an apparatus wherein it
gives up its heat in such a manner that thereby fresh steam is produced, which then
goes to the said steam engine or other apparatus in order to be used there.

page_text: Fifthly, The combination of parts forming apparatus for utilizing spent or used
steam, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nils Werner Ericson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
NILS WERNER ERICSON. (L.S.)