An Improved Process for Separating Impurities from Water Introduced into a Boiler, and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process for Separating Impurities from Water
Introduced into a Boiler, and Apparatus therefor.
1, DAVID HOWARD LYON, at present residing at the Hotel Metropole, London,
and of No. 2, Green Street, in the City of Ogdensburg, County of St. Lawrence
and State of New York, United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention (a communication to me by David Hanna, of
Ogdensburg aforesaid Gentleman) 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 the purification of water by feeding it within the highly
beated steam space of a steam boiler or steam generator and the object is effected
firstly by employing an improved method of introducing the feed-water and
separating the impurities therefrom, and secondly, in an improved apparatus or
device for effecting this as hereinafter more particularly described.
In the Specification of a British Patent No. 5036 of 1882 there is described an
apparatus in which water was sprayed within the steam space of a boiler for the
purpose of purifying the. same. By introducing the feed water in the manner
hereinafter described and by improved apparatus, with which it is not necessary to
use a spraying device, the object may be very efficiently attained especially when
used in highly heated steam; for when the feed water is presented to the action of
highly heated steam in a diffused or scattered form (as would be the case when
passed through a spraying device, or in a thin stream, or flowed over extended
surfaces) the separation of the scale forming impurities from the water takes place
so rapidly that such impurities attach to and build upon such exposed surfaces and
the walls of the discharge openings, in the form of scale, thereby dangerously
diminishing the capacity of the apparatus for supplying the necessary water to the
boiler.
Therefore while the process and apparatus described in British Patent No. 5036
of 1882 is adapted for use in comparatively low steam, it becomes much less
effective and not suitable for use in temperatures that would cause the building of
scale on the feed orifices: again I do not according to my present invention place
the poppet of the check-valve immediately next to the steam space as in that
position it would scatter or diffuse the stream of water entering the steam, and allow
scale to form on the poppet and adjacent walls of the discharge opening; but,
between the poppet of the check-valve and steam space of the boiler I contract the
walls of the valve casing so as to form an unobstructed and direct discharge
opening or nozzle in such valve casing adapted to discharge the feed water into
the hot steam in a thick stream. The shape of the opening I prefer to make
cylindrical as described herein as that shape presents the water in the most
compact mass but from the foregoing explanation it will be apparent that other
forms of opening may be used which do not diffuse the feed water on its first
introduction into the steam to such an extent as to allow the formation of scale
on the walls of the discharge openings, when used in highly heated steam.
According to the present invention I dispense with the spraying device and
to obviate the inconvenience caused by concussive action arising from the sudden
conversion into steam of the feed-water, I place a check-valve constructed with
its poppet as close to the discharge opening of the valve casing as possible and
yet not so as to scatter or diffuse the stream of water entering the boiler as
hereinbefore explained; the effect thereof being to prevent a retrograde move-
ment of any considerable amount of water in the feed-pipe or valve, and I

page_text: provide the check-valve with a spring to return the valve poppet to its seat so
as to keep the feed water within the feed-pipe when the pressure of the steam
is removed from within the boiler, and to prevent the dripping of water from
the feed-pipe and admission of steam therein when the feed-pump is not working.
To enable the invention to be fully understood I will describe how it can be
carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which :—
Figure 1 is an end sectional view of a steam boiler shewing the apparatus applied
thereto; and,
Figure 2 is a vertical section of a suitable form of spring-check-valve for carrying
-out my invention and drawn to an enlarged scale.
Similar reference letters indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.
a indicates the shell of a steam boiler or generator, to which is detachably
secured by means of a screw-thread and nut or other known suitable device, a
spring-check-valve, (the shell or casing of which is represented by b) having an
internal bridge or yoke b', which bridge supports a cylindrical socket b² in which
the hollow cylindrical valve stem c of the check-valve poppet c' is moved by means
of the force of water above the valve; is a spiral spring supporting the valve
poppet and acting to keep e in its seat.
Within the upper part of the valve casing or shell is screwed the hollow cap d
having the annular valve seat d' and a socket d² which serves as a guide for the
upper part of the valve stem.
In order to prevent undue concussion arising from the conversion of the feed
water into steam which may cause violent pulsations within the feed-pipe or feed-
pump (when such is used) I advantageously form the upper part 3 of the stem of
the valve poppet c¹ hollow, and provide it with an opening ct so that water can
enter and form a cushion behind the end of the part 3, and in order to enable the
stem c to work freely in the socket I advantageously provide the said stem and
socket with a hole ³ and tube 64 respectively so that the steam can have access to
the interior of the said socket.
To the upper end of the cap d is secured the feed-pipe e by means of a union
joint or other known suitable device.
f is a funnel-shaped vessel or collecting basin such as is referred to in the prior
Specification 5036 of 1882 above mentioned, it is secured within the boiler and at
such distance from-the discharge opening of the said spring-check-valve that the
particles of solids contained in the water to be purified will be thrown into the said
collecting basin; but the upper end of the said basin must be placed above the
water line and within the steam space of the boiler and the steam space into which
the feed water is injected through the feed nozzle, must be so unobstructed as to
allow free and rapid circulation of the highly heated steam towards the incoming
water, and equally free circulation of the resulting vapor away from the incoming
water or otherwise the feed water will be carried into the collecting basin and
wash the foreign particles collected therein over its sides and into the body of
water in the boiler, thereby neutralizing the advantages of their previous
separation.
The collecting basin f has an outlet pipe g at its lower end, which passes outside
of the boiler and is there provided with a stop-cock h. The upper end of the
collecting basin may with advantage have an inturned rim as shewn, for the
purpose of preventing the contents of the collecting basin from being thrown
therefrom by the sudden lurching of the boiler when in a position liable to sudden
movements such as those to which marine or locomotive engines are subjected or
such inturned rim may be omitted in the case of stationary boilers, without affecting
the working of the said apparatus.
The operation of my improved apparatus is as follows:-The water to be purified
is fed into the boiler which contains steam and is forced against the upper surface
of the valve poppet c' which is thereby forced downwards against the action of the
spiral-spring allowing the water to flow past the bridge b' and through the
discharge opening in the casing or shell of the valve thereupon encountering

page_text: the hot steam within the steam space of the boiler. This hot steam converts the
feed-water into vapor before it reaches the collecting basin for the water already
contained in the boiler which vapor rapidly flows towards the cooler parts of the
steam space and becomes condensed while the impurities and foreign matter in the
feed water, which will not vaporize by the heat of the steam, are when forced into
the boiler, projected into the said collecting basin f, from the sides of which they
slide down into the pipe g, and upon the opening of the stop-cock h are conveyed
outside the boiler by the force of the steam within the boiler.
With the improved apparatus above described, and with the steam within the
boiler heated to a temperature proportioned to the body of water forced into such
steam, I find that the introduced water becomes vaporized with sufficient rapidity
to cause the particles of foreign substances held therein to be deposited and caught
in the collecting basin described, so as to prevent their mingling with the body of
water within the boiler and incrusting the shell and tubes thereof.
In some cases as where the contents of the collecting basin are found to be
valuable they may be blown into a receptacle outside the boiler and be dealt with
in their then condensed form.
On pure water being first placed in the boiler and additions made thereto by
the above described process, the vapour from the introduced water becoming
condensed by circulation and mingling with the body of water in the boiler, the
entire body of water in the boiler will remain pure and portions thereof can be
withdrawn from the boiler in the usual manner and will be equivalent to distilled
water.
I have thus, by the means explained, rendered the process of purifying water fed
into the steam space of a boiler when filled with highly heated steam simpler and
safer than when the introduced water was presented to the action of the steam in
diffused streams by means of the sprayer formerly employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improved process of separating impurities from water, which consists in
forcibly injecting a coherent mass or thick stream of water into the highly heated
and unobstructed steam within a boiler, thereby vaporizing the water before it
reaches the collecting vessel or body of water in the boiler, separating the
impurities from the water while being vaporized and allowing them to drop through
the unobstructed vapor within the steam space of the boiler, collecting the
impurities so separated from the water and conducting them outside the boiler
before they mingle with the body of water within the boiler, substantially as herein
described.
2. In a water purifier for boilers, the combination of a feed water check-valve
the poppet of which is arranged in close proximity to the steam space of the
boiler, but not sufficiently close to diffuse or spray the stream of water entering the
boiler and having an open nozzle so constructed as to discharge a coherent mass or
thick stream of water into the unobstructed steam space of the boiler, and an
unobstructed steam space between the feed nozzle and collecting basin sufficient in
extent to allow vaporization of feed water in passing therethrough, and a collecting
basin having an open top above high water mark within the boiler with a pipe
leading from the basin outside the boiler, substantially as, and for the purpose,
shewn and set forth.
3. In a water purifier for steam boilers, the combination of a feed water check-
valve provided with a spring, the tendency of which is to close the poppet of such
valve against the incoming feed water, arranged in close proximity to the steam
space of the boiler, and having an open nozzle interposed between the check-valve
poppet and steam space of the boiler so constructed as to discharge a coherent mass
or thick stream of water into the unobstructed steam space of the boiler, and an
unobstructed steam space between the feed nozzle and collecting basin sufficient

page_text: in extent to allow vaporization of feed water in passing therethrough, and a
collecting basin having an open top above high water mark within the boiler with a
pipe leading from the vessel outside the boiler substantially as, and for the purpose,
shewn and set forth.
4. In a water purifier such as is herein referred to the combination of a feed-
water spring check-valve, arranged in close proximity to the steam space of the
boiler, and having an open nozzle interposed between the poppet of the check-valve
and steam space of the boiler, so constructed as to discharge a coherent mass or
thick stream of water into the unobstructed steam space of the boiler, and an
unobstructed steam space between the feed-nozzle and collecting basin sufficient in
extent to allow vaporization of feed water in passing therethrough, and a collecting
basin having an open top with inturned rim above high water mark within the
boiler, with a pipe leading from the basin outside the boiler, substantially as, and
for the purposes, shewn and set forth.
5. The use for separating impurities from water introduced into the steam space
of boilers or generators of the combination of parts forming my improved apparatus
constructed substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the
drawings annexed.
Dated the 4th day of Wahr 1802
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.