IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM CONDENSERS, AND IN SUPPLYING STEAM GENE- RATORS WITH WATER
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bristow Hunt, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's
Inn, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM CONDENSERS, AND IN SUPPLYING STEAM GENE-
RATORS WITH WATER." -A communication from abroad by Jean
François Cail, of the Firm of J. F. Cail and Company, of Paris,
France.
Sealed the 15th February 1870, and dated the 26th August 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bristow Hunt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th August 1869.
I, BRISTOW HUNT, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM CONDENSERS, AND IN SUPPLYING STEAM
GENERATORS WITH WATER," (a communication to me from abroad by Jean
François Cail, of the Firm of J. F. Cail and Company, of Paris, France,)
to be as follows:-
In manufactories wherein steam driving power is employed many
difficulties have to be contended with for which hitherto no complete
remedy has been obtained. :

page_text: The principal point to be sought alter in the employment of steam
power being the smallest possible consumption of fuel, in order to arrive
at the least daily expense, the first cost of the establishment remaining
the same, whilst the daily expense constantly repeated and multiplied in
the end weighs heavily upon the cost price, and the results of work, the
care and attention of manufacturers and engineers are naturally and
principally directed towards the two following elements of their con-
struction :-
Firstly. To have a steam-generating apparatus which shall produce
the greatest quantity of steam with a given weight of fuel. As regards
this point the tubular boiler unquestionably gives the most economical
results.
Secondly. To have a steam engine which shall consume the smallest
possible quantity of steam for each horse power produced. For this
purpose the preference is given to engines with variable expansion,
reduced steam ports, steam cylinder jackets, and condensers, but it is in
realizing this double desideratum that the manufacturer finds himself in
the presence of difficulties hitherto only incompletely remedied and
sometimes insurmountable. For example, with tubular boilers, the
nature of the water generally charged with calcareous salts renders their
employment most difficult and even impossible, without some peculiar
(and necessarily costly) arrangement of removable tubes.
For con-
densing engines, such as are most generally constructed, that is to say,
with the condensation of the exhaust steam effected by means of the
injection of water in direct contact with the said steam, this condensa-
tion requires considerable quantities of water, which entirely prevents
the application of this system of engine in some localities, and in others
(such as towns, for example,) represents a considerable expense for
water. Moreover, in this arrangement the condensed exhaust steam
being mixed with the injection water it becomes impossible to collect
the distilled water formed by the condensation of the exhaust steam,
which distilled water is thus wasted as regards its purity.
Lastly. Condensers by immersion, which might give the advantage
of collecting separately the distilled water, themselves require great
quantities of water to form the cooling bath, renewable constantly, thus
increasing the cost for water, as above named.
In order to remedy these inconveniences it is proposed by the present
Invention to employ a condenser somewhat similar to that used in sugar

page_text: manufactories and refineries. The exhaust steam from the engine on
leaving the cylinder passes through a tube of large diameter, offering
every facility for its discharge or escape. This tube leads into a worm or
coil arranged either spirally or in the ladder form of tubes, superposed
horizontally as in the evaporating condensers above alluded to. The steam
enters this worm by the upper part, the lower part thereof communicating
with a tubular drum like that of an immersion condenser in the tubes of
which a current of cold water passes, the said tubular drum being in its
turn in communication with the air pump which produces the vacuum in
the condensers and exhausts the distilled water from the condensed steam.
Above the worm is arranged a gutter, which allows the refrigerating
water to flow constantly in thin streams or drops over the surface worm,
through which the exhaust steam passes. The steam thus brought to a
state of distilled water is taken by the air pump and forced thereby into
a cistern, whence it is withdrawn by the feed pump and forced into the
boiler. As it is very difficult practically to recover by condensation of
the exhaust steam all the water consumed in the vaporisation, and as this
loss must be made good by the natural waters to be obtained in the
locality containing calcareous salts and other impurities, which should
not be introduced into the boiler, for this purpose is employed the water
which has been distributed over the evaporating condenser (and has
deposited the greater quantity of its calcareous salts), which is collected
in a reservoir for that purpose, and serves to make up the difference.
Thus it will be seen that according to this arrangement it is only for the
first starting that it is necessary to take the natural water of the locality..
In case of repairs a reservoir is also provided, into which the water may.
be withdrawn from the boiler and returned when required, and thus the
deleterious effects of incrustation are reduced to a minimum.
the 26th February 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BRISTOW
HUNT, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Bristow Hunt, Her special licence that I, the
said Bristow Hunt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Bristow Hunt, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM CONDENSERS, AND
IN SUPPLYING STEAM GENERATORS WITH WATER," communication to me
from abroad by Jean François Cail, of the Firm of J. F. Cail and
Company, of Paris, France,) upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Bristow Hunt, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Bristow Hunt, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, and on reference being had, to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that is to say :-
In manufactories wherein steam driving power is employed many
difficulties have to be contended with, for which hitherto no complete
remedy has been obtained.
The principal point to be sought after in the employment, of steam
power being the smallest possible consumption of fuel, in order to
arrive at the least daily expense, the first cost of the establishment
remaining the same, whilst the daily expense constantly repeated and
multiplied in the end, weighs heavily upon the cost price and the results
of work, the care and attention of manufacturers and engineers are

page_text: naturally and principally directed towards the two following elements of
their construction :-
Firstly. To have a steam-generating apparatus which shall produce
the greatest quantity of steam with a given weight of fuel. As regards
this point the tubular boiler unquestionably gives the most economical
results.
Secondly. To have a steam engine which shall consume the smallest
possible quantity of steam for each horse power produced. For this
purpose the preference is given to engines with variable expansion,
reduced steam ports, steam cylinder jackets, and condensers; but it is in
realizing this double desideratum that the manufacturer finds himself in
the presence of difficulties hitherto only incompletely remedied and
sometimes insurmountable. For example, with tubular boilers, the
nature of the water generally charged with calcareous salts renders their
employment most difficult and even impossible without some peculiar
(and necessarily costly) arrangement of removeable tubes. For con-
densing engines, such as are most generally constructed, that is to say,
with the condensation of the exhaust steam effected by means of the
injection of water in direct contact with the said steam, this condensa-
tion requires considerable quantities of water, which entirely prevents
the application of this system of engine in some localities, and in others
(such as towns, for example,) represents a considerable expense for
water. Moreover, in this arrangement the condensed exhaust steam
being mixed with the injection water it becomes impossible to collect
the distilled water formed by the condensation of the exhaust steam,
which distilled water is thus wasted as regards its purity.
Lastly. Condensers, by immersion, which might give the advantage
of collecting separately the distilled water, themselves require great
quantities of water to form the cooling bath, renewable constantly, thus
increasing the cost for water, as above named. In order to remedy these
inconveniences, it is proposed by the present Invention to employ a
condenser somewhat similar to that used in sugar manufactories and
refineries. The exhaust steam from the engine on leaving the cylinder
passes through a tube of large diameter offering every facility for its
discharge or escape. This tube leads into a worm or coil arranged either
spirally or in the ladder form of tubes superposed liorizontally as in the
evaporating condensers above alluded to. The steam enters the worm
by the upper part, the lower part thereof communicating with a tubular

page_text: drum like that of an immersion condenser, in the tube of which a
current of cold water passes, the said tubular drum being in its turn in
communication with the air pump which produces the vacuum in the
condensers and exhausts the distilled water from the condensed steam.
Above the worm is arranged a gutter, which allows the refrigerating
water to flow constantly in thin streams or drops over the surface of the
worm through which the exhaust steam passes. A rapid passage then
takes place of the caloric contained in the exhaust steam to the water
running on the exterior of the tubes, which water evaporating rapidly
in the open air or under the accelerating action of an ascending current
of air causes, according to physical laws, a very active refrigeration and
condensation of the exhaust steam contained in the interior of the worm,
which condensation is completed if needed in the tubular condenser
above named. The steam thus brought to a state of distilled water is
taken by the air pump and forced thereby into a cistern, whence it is
withdrawn by the feed pump and forced into the boiler, which as there
is no fear of incrustation keeps its metallic heating surface clear of all
calcareous or other isolating bodies, and consequently preserves all its
energy of calorific transmission, which always exists in a new boiler, and
diminishes little by little till there is a considerable difference, which is
shewn by an enormous increase in the consumption of fuel in proportion
as the calcareous deposits are produced on the heating surface. Another
important result then is obtained by the purification of the ordinary
water. As it is very difficult practically to recover by condensation of
the exhaust steam all the water consumed and vaporization in the boiler,
and as the losses resulting require to be replaced by water which must
be drawn from natural sources supplied by the locality, and as these
natural waters are charged with calcareous matter, it is highly important
not to introduce into the generator these auxiliary waters in their state
of impurity. But those waters which have been employed in this
arrangement by being distributed over the surface of the evaporating
condenser have deposited the greater quantity of their calcareous salts,
and collected in a reservoir serve then to make up the difference required
over and above the water obtained by the condensation of the steam.
Thus by an arrangement of this nature it will be seen that it is only for
the first starting that it is necessary to take the natural water of the
locality for being careful in the most minute details of the means of
preserving the supply of pure water; the arrangements are so made that
in case there is any necessity to stop, or from any cause (repairs or

page_text: otherwise) to empty the boiler, the water contained therein is forced by
the pressure into a boiler placed above, where it is kept to be afterwards
caused by the opening of a tap to redescend into the boiler when it is
required to start again. In order to avoid, even on the first day of
starting, the employment of the natural waters coming from the earth,
which in some countries are so saturated with calcareous salts, that even
the first charge of the boiler is capable of producing very sensible
incrustation on the heating surface, it is advisable to collect and use
the rain water for that purpose.
Finally, by this novel combination and arrangement of elements not
hitherto used in connection the double desideratum before alluded to
will be obtained, that is, to have a production of steam without a fear of
the deleterious effects of incrustation, and to obtain the same economy
of steam as in the best condensing engines, without any need for the
great quantity of water required by injection or immersion condensers.
As an example of this combination I have hereunto annexed a Sheet
of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures
and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof, at the same time I desire expressly to reserve the
application of this system to all other stationary or marine engines,
and also to portable and locomotive engines.

page_text: the latter and the cylinders having been previously intercepted by means
of the valve box D, which allows the steam to escape into the air; H is
the tubular condenser intended to condense in the tubular drum the
lost particles of steam in contact with the tubes through which a current
of cold air passes; I is a horizontal double-acting air pump for main-
taining the vacuum in the condensers, and collecting the distilled waters
of condensation to return then to the upper tank J; K, a feed pump
taking the distilled water from the air pump I by the tube L, and forcing
it by the tube M into the boiler A; M, a valve cock for regulating the
delivery of the feed pump. Note.-The distilled feed water for the boiler
is shown by the red color, and the arrows indicate the direction of its
course. O, the upper reservoir containing ordinary water necessary for
the condensation, and of a capacity at least equal to the volume of water
in the boiler; Pare tubes conveying the water from the reservoir O to the
distributing pipe R; Q is a valve cock for opening or closing communi-
cation from the reservoir O to the pipe R; R, a distributing pipe for
conveying the water to the gutter T by means of cocks S, S, which
regulate the quantity of water to be distributed on the condenser; T is a
gutter supplied with water by the distributing pipe R, and allowing it to
fall in small drops on to the pipes G of the evaporating condenser; U is
a tank for receiving the water which has been used for condensation;
V, the water pump for taking the water from the tank U and forcing it
back into the upper tank O; Z, a valve cock placed on the suction pipe
of the water pump. a, a, are tubes in communication with a supply
tank to convey the natural water passing into the tubes of the tubular
condenser H, and emptied into the upper tank O by the tubes b, b, to
replace the quantity of water lost by evaporation; c is a cock to regulate
the delivery of the natural water. Note. The yellow color shows the
natural water, and the arrows the direction of its course. d is a cock
taking the water (by a tube e on the exit pipe of the water pump)
which has been already purified by evaporation to convey it to the
tank J, and supply the place of the small accidental losses of the distilled
water procceding from the condensation of the steam. f, a cock, taking
water by the tube h, and delivering it on to the valve which closes thic
communication with the open air so as to make a hydraulic joint, and
thus prevent all entrance of air into the condenser; i, the exhaust tubes
opening into the air; j, j, are overflow pipes of the upper tank O leading
into the lower tank U; k is the overflow pipe of the lower tank U
leading to a drain or sewer; ¹ is a tube to put the water pump and the

page_text: receptacle E into communication so as to remove the contents of the said
receptacle by means of the pump; is a discharge cock for the boiler;
m are pipes for emptying by pressure the water contained in the boiler
into the upper tank O, and thus to preserve the whole of the distilled
water whilst cleaning or repairing the boiler; n is a cock for refilling
the boiler by means of the tube o with the water contained in the
tank O. Note.-The violet color shows the course of this water in
emptying and refilling the boiler.
Figure 4 shows in transverse section, Figure 5 in elevation, and
Figure 6 in plan view the improved arrangement for keeping the bearings
of the crank shaft cool, as applied to an engine placed on the boiler.
r is a tube for conveying cold water into the lower part of the
pedestals; is a pipe communicating from the upper part of the
pedestal s to the lower part of the pedestal u; x is a small cock for
regulating the quantity of water required for preventing the heating of
the pedestals; y is a water-tight partition placed in the piedestals, and
is an outlet pipe from the pedestal u.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bristow Hunt, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.