Improvements relating to Condensing the Exhaust of Steam Engines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Apr., 1892--Accepted, 7th May, 1892
Improvements relating to Condensing the Exhaust of Steam
Engines.
1, RICHARD FORD of 185 New Canal, St. Petersburg, Russia 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 a new or improved system of compounding the exhaust
of two or any number of steam engines, by arranging the eduction pipes thereof so
that they may each and all converge into, and be connected with one and the same
condenser, the object of my said invention being to economize the extra con-
sumption of fuel entailed by the use of auxiliary high speed, donkey and other
engines, required for electric lighting, hoisting, pumping and other purposes
generally, in large mills, factories or workshops, where the bulk of the power
required for operating the general manufacturing or other machinery is derived
from a large or main engine of the compound condensing type, whether using the
surface or other condensor, the same also applying when such auxiliary engines are
employed on board ship.
The said system constituting my invention consists in providing that the exhaust
pipes of such or other auxiliary engines, may communicate with, or converge into,
one eduction pipe common to the whole series, and that said eduction pipe be con-
nected with the condenser of the large or main engine, so that a vacuum results on
the exhaust side of the piston of each auxiliary engine in the series, whereby the
effective pressure on the steam side of said pistons is relatively increased.
Although the vacuum in the condenser of the main engine would, to some extent,
be reduced by exhausting the steam from the auxiliary engines into the same con-
denser, to what it would be if the said condenser was employed for condensing the
exhaust steam from the main engine only, nevertheless by the system according to
my invention, the efficiency of the motive power plant taken as a whole would be
thereby greatly increased, or in other words, a less consumption of fuel would be
required to perform a given amount of work than obtains where my system is not
employed, hence the object of my invention as aforesaid.
In order that the foregoing and my system generally may be more clearly
understood, I have appended the accompanying diagram, in which, A represents,
say-an electric light engine B a donkey pump, and C a hoisting or like engine
respectively. D is the compound eduction pipe in communication with each and
all of the series of auxiliary engines, irrespective of their number, and which is con-
nected to the condenser E of the main engine, F being the eduction pipe of the
said main engine.
In case the main engine may from breakdown or other causes be inoperative, in
order that the auxiliary engines may be instantly cut off from their connection with
the condenser E, I provide in the eduction pipe D, a stop valve G for that purpose,
in which case the auxiliary engines would pro tem. exhaust into the atmosphere, and
for this purpose each auxiliary engine would be provided with a two way or other
suitable valve. The position of these valves (as being most convenient according
to the position of the engines A B C in the diagrams appended,) are shewn
by H, H, H, which serve the double purpose of closing their connection with D,
and opening their connection with pipes I, I, I, leading to the atmosphere, and
vice versa.
It is obvious that according to my system any number of auxiliary engines may
be arranged to exhaust into one eduction pipe D common to them all, and com-
municating with any type of main engine condenser E, given that the capacity

page_text: of E te equal to the work imposed thereon, and I wish it understood that I may
according to the foregoing conditions, extend the said system of compound exhaust
condensing to any extent, in combination with any suitable main engine or engines
condenser or condensers without exceeding or going beyond the principle of my
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what I
claim is
In combination with any form or type of main engine steam condenser, the
method and means herein described of compound condensing the exhaust of any
number of auxiliary high speed, donkey, hoisting, pumping, electric lighting and
other engines, by connecting the exhaust pipes thereof to an eduction pipe D
common to them all, and connecting D, provided with a stop valve G, to the said
main engine condenser E, and supplying each auxiliary engine with a suitable two
way valve H, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth and shewn by
the appended diagrams.
Dated this 6th day of April 1892.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
4, Moorfields, Fore Stret, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.