New or Improved Process and Apparatus for Determining the Amount of Water Contained in Steam.
Year: 1889

page_text: .Date of Application. 24th Dec., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 9th Sept., 1890-Accepted. 11th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Process and Apparatus for Determining the
Amount of Water Contained in Steam.
I, MAX GEHRE of Rath near Dusseldorf, in the Empire of Germany, Engineer and
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a process and apparatus for determining the amount of
water contained in steam. In this process the amount of water contained or held in
suspension in the steam is determined by enclosing hermetically a portion of the
steam in a suitable receptacle and superheating the same and then by determining by
calculation (from the difference between the weights which respectively correspond to
the pressure of the steam before heating and that when the superheating has com-
menced) the amount of water afterwards converted into steam or the amount of water
with which the steam was saturated.
The apparatus for carrying out this process consists, in its main parts, of a cylinder
through which the steam passes, of two rapidly closing valves, of a manometer, which
is provided (in order to render the measurement easier) with a temperature and
weight scale for the various steam pressures, and of a thermometer as well as a heating
arrangement situated under the cylinder.
The cylinder having thin sides is built in the path of the steam, through which
(cylinder) the steam can pass. In a thin walled box, screwed into the cylinder afore-
said, a thermometer can be placed, whilst the manometer communicates with the cylinder
by a pipe in the usual manner. The cylinder can be heated by a heating arrangement
placed underneath or in any other suitable manner. To render the measurement easier.
the manometer is provided with a temperature and weight scale for the various steam
pressures. The valves arranged in suitable boxes at the ends of the cylinder can be
quickly closed by manipulating levers in order to shut off the steam contained in the
cylinder from that in the steam supply pipe. The valves can have any suitable shape.
If
now,
by means of the heating apparatus, the steam in the cylinder and the water
with which it is saturated be further heated, the water is converted into steam. As
long as the steam remains saturated, its pressure and temperature remain always in a
fixed proportion, which is given in the well known trial tables. If, however, all the
water contained or carried in the steam be vaporised, by continuing the heating, the
temperature will rise disproportionately as the steam is now superheated. But at
the moment when the thermometer indicates a higher temperature than it does at the
same pressure with saturated steam (which can be discovered by a glance at the tem-
perature scale of the manometer and of the thermometer) all the water is converted
into steam.
The indicator of the manometer and the height of the mercury in the thermometer
will indicate the same temperature until the steam becomes superheated, until there-
fore all the water contained therein is converted into steam. From this point the
temperatures indicated by the manometer and thermometer will vary, as the steam
now commences to be superheated. It is only necessary therefore to read on the
manometer at what pressure of steam this point is attained.
As it is well known that saturated steam has a given temperature and a given
weight for every pressure, so, from the difference between the weight fixed by the
tables for an equal volume of saturated steam at various pressures, the percentage of
water afterwards vaporised or of water contained in the steam can be ascertained.
If the steam for instance traverses the steam pipe with a pressure of 4 atmospheres,
the thermometer and manometer indicate 15 degrees Centigrade as the steam is
saturated. If the pressure rise now according to the manometer to 5 atmospheres and

page_text: with this increased pressure the thermometer begins to indicate a higher temperature
than that on the manometer, this is the moment (at 5 atmospheres) that all the water in
the steam is vaporised.
The weights of this equal quantity of steain at 4 and 5 atmospheres pressure are in
proportion to the weights per cubic metre of steam of the above pressures (4 to
5 atmospheres), namely as
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Process and Apparatus for Determining the
Amount of Water Contained in Steam.
I, MAX GEHRE, of Rath near Dusseldorf, in the Empire of Germany, Engineer and
Manufacturer, 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 :-
This invention relates to a process and apparatus for determining the amount of
water contained in steam. In this process the amount of water contained or held in
suspension with the steam is determined by enclosing hermetically a portion of the
steam in a suitable receptacle and superheating the same, and then by determining by
calculation (from the difference between the weights which respectively correspond to
the pressure of the steam before heating and that when the superheating has com-
menced) the amount of water afterwards converted into steam or the amount of water
with which the steam was saturated.
The apparatus for carrying out this process consists in its main parts of a cylinder
through which the steam passes, of two rapidly closing valves, of a manometer which
is provided (in order to render the measurement easier) with a temperature and
weight scale for the unit quantity of saturated steam in its different pressures, and of
a thermometer, as well as a heating arrangement situated under the cylinder.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing shows an end view of the apparatus, and
Figure 2 a longitudinal section.
The cylinder a, having thin sides, is built in the path of the steam, through which
(cylinder) the steam can pass. In the thin walled box screwed into the cylinder a
aforesaid, a thermometer t can be placed whilst the manometer m communicates with
the cylinder a by a pipe in the usual manner. The cylinder can be heated by a
heating arrangement e placed underneath, or in any other suitable manner. The
valves b, arranged in suitable boxes at the ends of the cylinder, can be quickly closed
by manipulating the lever d in order to shut off the steam contained in cylinder a
from that in the steam supply pipe. The lever d is fastened upon the shaft e and
upon the latter are fastened the frames f for the valves b. Therefore by turning
the lever, the valves can be moved up and down and the cylinder a be closed at
both ends. The valves being as represented in their lower position they can be
forced against the joints by means of pins h working upon coins or wedges g.
If now, by means of the beating apparatus c, the steam in the cylinder and the
water with which it is saturated be further heated, the water is converted into
steam. As long as the steam remains saturated, its pressure and temperature
remain always in a fixed proportion which is given in the well known trial-tables.

page_text: If however all the water contained or carried in the steam be vaporised, by con-
tinuing the heating, the temperature will rise much more quickly in proportion
to the increase of the pressure, than would occur, if the steam were supplied with
heat in contact with water. Now the steam is superheated and the indications of
temperature given by the thermometer t will instantaneously far exceed those of
the manometer m. The moment the thermometer t indicates a higher temperature
than it does at the same pressure with saturated steam (which can be discovered
by a glance at the temperature scale of the manometer and of the thermometer)
all the water is converted into steam.
The indicator of the manometer and the height of the mercury in the thermometer
will indicate the same degree of temperature until the steam becomes superheated, and
until all the water contained therein is converted into steam. From this point the
temperatures indicated by the manometer and thermometer will vary as the steam
now commences to be superheated. It is only necessary therefore to read on the
manometer at what pressure of steam this point is attained.
As it is well known that saturated steam has a given temperature and a given
weight for every pressure, so, from the difference between the weight fixed by the
trial tables for an equal volume of saturated steam at various pressures, the per-
centage of water afterwards vaporized or of water contained in the steam can be
ascertained.
If the steam, for instance, traverses the steam pipe with a pressure of 4 atmospheres,
the thermometer t and manometer m indicate 151 degrees Centigrade, as the steam is
saturated. If the pressure rise now according to the manometer from 4 to 5 atmo-
spheres, and with this increased pressure the thermometer begins to indicate a higher
temperature than that on the manometer, this is the moment (at 5 atmospheres) that
all the water in the steam is vaporized.
The weights of this equal quantity of steam at 4 and 5 atmospheres pressure are in
proportion to the weights per cubic meter of steam of the above pressures (4 to
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
1 claim is
1. The process for determining the amount of water contained or held in suspension
in steam, which consists in enclosing a portion of the steam in a suitable steam-tight
receptacle and superheating it in order to determine, by calculation from the
difference of the weights which correspond to the pressure before superheating and
after it has commenced, the quantity of water afterwards vaporized or the quantity of
water with which the steam was saturated, substantially as described.
2. An apparatus for working the process described in claim 1, consisting in its main
details of a receptacle a in which the steam can be shut off and superheated together
with a manometer m which is provided with a weight and temperature scale for the
various steam pressures and a thermometer t, substantially as described.
T: 4th done at Cantember 1890
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.