Improvements in Methods connected with the Production and Supply of Steam and Gases and in the Utilisation thereof in Engines for Producing Motive Power, and in the Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 27th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 4th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Methods connected with the Production and
Supply of Steam and Gases and in the Utilisation thereof in
Engines for Producing Motive Power, and in the Apparatus
therefor.
We, ALFRED RICHARD SENNETT, of Brentford in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, and JAMES DURIE of Hamilton Road, Brentford, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
Our invention consists essentially of methods and contrivances whereby a greater
amount of motive power is derived from, a given volume of gas or gases consumed
in explosive combustion or "hot air engines by the combination therewith of an
engine or engines actuated by steam (or a mixture of steam and other gas or gases)
generated from the heat contained in the exhaust products of the former.
In engines of the explosive or internal combustion type as hitherto constructed
and worked great loss of energy occurs from three principal causes.
1st. Loss of heat energy by the discharge of the products of combustion from
the engine at very high temperature.
2nd. Loss of kinetic energy by the discharge of the products of combustion
at very considerable pressure.
3rd. Loss of heat energy by radiation and conduction from the cylinder and by
transference to the circulating water of the cylinder jacket.
To effect our purpose we cause the exhaust products of an explosive engine or a
portion thereof to discharge into, or by suitable means to enter a receptacle or
receptacles which we may call the generator. Into such receptacle or generator
we also feed the circulating water or other fluid from the cylinder jacket (or a
portion thereof) and which may enter either as ordinary feed or it may be atomised
by any suitable method. In addition to this mingled volume the generator may
contain or have injected into it water or a gas or gases or other fluid or fluids such
as spirit or a solution such as brine or liquid containing matter in suspension such
as calcium.
The admixture of the said exhaust products at high temperature with the said
circulating water or other fluid or gas causes the generation of steam or gaseous
mixture within the receptacle or generator. We sometimes cause a portion of the
exhaust products to mingle directly with such steam or gaseous mixture (either in
the receptacle. or after leaving the same) without previously bringing it into
contact with the said circulating water or other fluid or gas.
We utilise the energy thus reclaimed from the said exhaust products in a second
engine which for convenience may be called the steam engine in contradistinction
to the first which may be called the explosive or combustion engine. This steam
engine may be of any suitable type and the expansion of the steam or gaseous
mixture may be carried to any desired degree or made to condense. It will be
secu that the generation of steam or gaseous mixture in the generator is effected by
heat applied internally but heat may also be applied externally in which case the
difficulty hitherto experienced in the starting of engines of the explosive type is
obviated.
Dated 11
SL 1000
W. H. MUNNS,
Agent for Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Methods connected with the Production and
Supply of Steam and Gases and in the Utilisation thereof in
Engines for Producing Motive Power, and in the Apparatus
therefor.
We, ALFRED RICHARD SENNETT, of Brentford, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, and JAMES DURIE, of Hamilton Road, Brentford, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention consists of methods and apparatus, by the use of which a greater
amount of motive power is derived from a given volume of gas or gases consumed
in explosive, combustion, or hot air engines, by the combination therewith of an
engine or engines actuated by steam, or a mixture of steam and other gas or gases,
generated from the heat contained in the exhaust products of the first mentioned
engine.
To show clearly how our invention may be carried out, we furnish drawings in
which the same parts are indicated by the same letters throughout.
Figs. 1 and
show a motor constructed to carry out our invention, but other
forms of engine or combination of parts may be used.
Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section of the motor and generator, the lower
portion of the latter being shown in dotted lines.
Fig. 2. is a plan partly in section of the same.
A is bed of engine.
B is the cylinder of the steam or expansion engine.
C is the cylinder of the gas or combustion engine.
The action of the combustion portion is as follows: The gas to be used as fuel
mixed with a proper proportion of air, or oxygen, or other gas, or gases, enters
the forward part of the cylinder C through valve e during the backward stroke
of the piston C². It is compressed during the forward stroke and passes to the
back end of the cylinder C as is shown more clearly in Fig. 7 which is an
elevation partly in section on an enlarged scale of the valves and passages
connected to cylinder C, and is hereinafter described.
During the second backward movement of the piston C³ the mixture is further
compressed, and air alone enters the forward end of the cylinder. During the
second forward stroke the mixture at the back end of the cylinder is fired, whilst
the contents of the forward end are compressed. During the third backward
stroke of the piston the gases after explosion or combustion together with the
compressed air from the front end go to the receptacle or generator D by exhaust
valve b and pipe d. In engines of large size it is more convenient to make use of
a separate compressing cylinder or pump, in which case the cycle above described
is somewhat modified.
In gas engines, in order to prevent the cylinders in which the explosion takes
place from attaining an undue temperature, it is found necessary to cause water to
circulate within a jacket surrounding the cylinder, and, in engines as hitherto used,
the heat thus conducted away has been wasted. In order to obviate this loss we
cause the water or other liquid or steam generated by the heat or a portion thereof
after circulating through the jacket, to enter the generator D through pipe m²,
and to be converted into steam if necessary by the injection therein of the exhaust
products through pipe d. In Fig. 1 D is shown about half full of this circulating
liquid and the exhaust products entering by pipe d are made to thoroughly
intermingle with the liquid by any suitable means such as subdivision into small
streams.
For the purpose of effecting such intermingling we prefer to make of a nozzle

page_text: or nozzles and mixing cone or cones as shown at G, Fig. 2. communicating with
the perforated pipes J, J', J³. Instead of using the whole of the exhaust
products in generating steam we sometimes cause a portion thereof to mingle with
the steam and gaseous mixture contained within the generator. For this purpose
it is convenient to provide the generator with a perforated pipe J, Fig. 1, provided
with a valve N, actuated by hand wheel and rod, so that the proportion of
exhaust products added to the steam and gaseous mixture may be controlled at
will. For the purpose of circulating the liquid through the jacket and injecting
it into the generator an ordinary force pump H may be employed forcing water
through pipe m into jacket a. The steam or mingled volume is conveyed from
generator D through pipe E into cylinder B. The action of this part of the motor
is similar to that of an ordinary steam engine. In Figs. 1 and 2 the two engines
are shown coupled after the manner of a tandem engine but it is obvious that the
combination may be effected in various ways, or the two engines may be worked
for independent purposes. In some cases, as, for example, where large motive
power is required, as in marine engines, and especially where the load is variable,
as in electric lighting from central stations, a number of gas engines may be
employed to actuate one or more steam engines.
For the purpose of starting the motor or of increasing the evaporating power of
the generator on occasions, we provide means of applying heat externally to the
generator; in Fig. 1 gas jets j' supplied through pipe I are employed.
Instead of pumping into the generator D the whole of the feed water or other
fluid, we sometimes prefer to atomise the whole or part of the said feed water.
An apparatus for this purpose is shown in Fig. 3 in section and in Fig. 4 in plan
with the top cover removed. d is the pipe from exhaust valve 6 in Figs. 1 &.2.
m² is pipe from circulating fluid in jacket a of cylinder C. K is an enclosed box
containing an annular nozzle n', into which the feed water is forced through
pipe n³, and issues from the nozzle in a thin annular jet so as to expose a large
surface to the hot exhaust products. The circulating fluid is converted into steam
in the diverging cone L, and the combined mixture is conveyed into the
generator D through pipe O, if necessary.
We sometimes cause a portion of the exhaust products to mingle directly with
steam or gaseous mixture from the generator D, between the latter and the
expansive cylinder B, as, for example, in the pipe E, Figs. 1 and 2. For this
purpose we employ the apparatus shown in Fig. 5 in section, and in Fig. 6 in
plan, in which d³ is pipe from exhaust valve b, and 9. . . q' are two or more
mixing nozzles. M is a diverging mixing cone and n is pipe to cylinder B.
In the case in which the cylinder B is that of an existing steam engine obtaining
the steam from a boiler in the usual way, we cause the said exhaust products to
enter the steam supply pipe or the valve chest of the steam engine, or it may be
injected into the boiler as already described in connection with the generator,
which then takes the place thereof. In adding the exhaust products by the steam
supply pipe or valve chest, the apparatus shown in Figs. 5 and 6, is suitable, but
in this case the pipe de represents the steam supply pipe connecting the boiler to
the engine, and p the pipe leading from the exhaust ports of the explosive
engine.
When it is preferred to employ atmospheric air as the medium for utilising the
heat energy in the exhaust products, we employ an air pump or compressor
operated by the motor to compress the requisite amount of air, which may be
caused to circulate around the cylinder or cylinders before compression in order to
effect the requisite cooling of the cylinder. The air we then mix with the exhaust
products as in the case of the mingling of the latter with the gaseous mixture
from the generator. For this purpose we prefer to employ apparatus similar to
that shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In this case d is a pipe from the air compressing
pump, is a pipe from the exhaust valve b, and ris pipe leading to a receptacle
similar to D.
1
The valve gear we prefer to employ is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and on a larger

page_text: scale in Figs. 7 & 8. f is a rod which receives a reciprocating motion from the
crank pin by gearing rods, g', g, & g³, and gearing wheels Y and Y', so as to
make one revolution for every two of the main shaft x, of the motor. The valves s
and t receive a positive motion from the rod f, during the charging of the forward
end and the discharging of the backward end of cylinder C. u is clearance
between rodf and valve t.
The valves bas spindle 6' sleeved on to it and a clearance equal to is made
between the collar 8 on f and 6' as shown in Fig. 8. so that both valves s and tare
opened simultaneously. a' is the port communicating with the forward end of the
cylinder C, and el with the backward end. f1 is the passage between the two
ends, is the weighted valve in the passage f. The valve s is at liberty to open
on the second backward stroke of the piston to allow the charge of atmospheric
air to enter the cylinder, the valve e' being shut in the usual way to exclude the
gas, the rod fduring this time making its outward stroke. On the return stroke of
the rod the firing valve c is opened to produce the explosion, and f continuing
its stroke, does not open the valve t until it has travelled the clearance space u.
The valve c remains open to the hot tube W until the return stroke of rod f
allows it to change its position by gearing Z. c is port from firing valve c to
passage f¹.
In governing the speed of the motor ordinary centrifugal governors or expansion
gear may be used upon the steam or expansion portion, whilst the gas or com-
bustion portion may be controlled by a governor actuated by the varying pressure
in the generator. Such a governor is shown in Fig. 8 in elevation where P is a
cylinder having a corrugated elastic disc or diaphragm 1, v is a pipe connected to
the generator by means of which the disc 1 is put under pressure. The disc 1 is 1
connected by rod 2 to arm 3 of lever 3, 3', which lever is fulcrumed at 4. On the
arm 3¹ is pin 5, and as the pressure increases in the cylinder P, the pin 5 is raised
to lift the rod 6 with knife edge, so as to miss the rod 7, which actuates the valve
in the gas valve chamber e¹, and so cut off the supply of gas to the cylinder C.
The screw pin n in Fig. 1 is for regulating the supply of gas by hand.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :
1. The method of generating steam by injecting the exhaust products from gas
or combustion engines into water or other fluid or the vapour thereof.
2. The combination of a cylinder or cylinders in which gas or vapour is
exploded or burned with a cylinder or engine in which the products of such
explosion or combustion, after being mixed with air, gas, water, or other liquid or
the vapour thereof, are expanded and converted into motive power.
3. The method of reclaiming the heat conducted to the water or air circulated
around the cylinder in which explosion or combustion takes place by the mingling
of the same with the exhaust products from such cylinder.
4. The method of adding the exhaust products from gas or combustion engines
to steam before or at the time when the steam enters the cylinder of a steam
engine, substantially as described and shown in the drawings.
5. The arrangement for simultaneously opening the valves and t for the
purpose specified substantially as described and shown in Figs. 7 & 8.
6. The governor for regulating the supply of gas or combustible vapour to an
explosive cylinder or cylinders working in combination with a generator and an
expansive cylinder or cylinders for the production of motive power, substantially
as described and shown in Fig. 8.
W. H. MUNNS,
Agent for Applicants.