Improvements in Purifying Feed Water for Steam Boilers
Year: 1897

page_text: "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Purifying Feed Water for Steam Boilers."
We, THOMAS RHYMER MARSHALL, of 11, Woodside Crescent, in the County of
Glasgow, North Britain, D.Sc., Professor of Chemistry, ROBERT TWENTYMAN
NAPIER, of Victoria House, Uddingston, in the County of Lanark, North Britain
Engineer and Shipbuilder, and STEPHEN ALLEY, of Sentinel Works, Polmadie
Road, in the County of Glasgow, North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this Invention to be as follows, that is to say:
Our said Invention has for its object the purification of feed water for steam
boilers in a manner to avoid corrosive or injurious action in the boilers.
The Invention is to a large extent directed to the separation from the water
of air or other gases to the presence of which corrosion in the boilers has hitherto
been largely due. We prefer to apply our improvements in a continuous manner
to feed water due to condensation of steam which has passed through engines,
as well as to any supplementary supplies of sea water or other water.
In carrying out the Invention we subject the feed water, from a hot well receiv-
ing it from an engine condenser for example, to heating by steam pipes or in
any other convenient way, and to a partial vacuum. We may employ a long
horizontal vessel having its bottom at one end connected through a regulating
stop valve to a hot well or vessel containing the feed water, the upper part of the
horizontal vessel being connected, preferably at its other end to the interior of a
condenser or other vessel in which there is a partial vacuum. The horizontal vessel
is placed at a suitable height such that atmospheric pressure acting in the hot
well will cause the water to rise into it, where the joint action of heat and the.
partial vacuum will cause the separation of air and gases. From the further end
of the horizontal vessel the feed water freed from gases descends to the boiler feed
pumps, but on its way passes through filtering apparatus which separates solid and
oleaginous impurities from it. With this arrangement the filtering apparatus
is subjected to a very small pressure, and its action is both effective and economical.
Dated this twenty seventh day of January, 1897.
EDMUND HUNT ·
Applicants' Agent.

page_text: NAPIER, formerly of Victoria House, Uddingston, but now of Trynlow, Strathaven,
in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, and STEPHEN ALLEY, of
Sentinel Works, Polmadie Road, in the County of Glasgow, North Britain,
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:—that is to say:-
Our said Invention has for its object the purification of feed water for steam
boilers in a manner to avoid corrosive or injurious action in the boilers.
The Invention is to a large extent directed to the separation from the water of
air or other gases to the presence of which corrosion in the boilers has hitherto
- been largely due. We prefer to apply our improvements in a continuous manner
to feed water due to condensation of steam which has passed through engines
as well as to any supplementary supplies of sea water or other water."
In carrying out the Invention we subject the feed water from a hot well receiv-
ing it from an engine condenser for example, to heating by steam pipes, or in any
other convenient way, in a vessel in which a partial vacuum is produced, preferably
by being connected to the condenser. Gases separated from the feed water by
the action of the steam pipes escape to the condenser while the purified feed
water is drawn from the vessel through filtering apparatus by the feed pumps.
And in order that our said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood we hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings,
to be hereinafter referred to, and showing apparatus for purifying feed water for
steam boilers as made according to our Invention.
Figure, 1, of the drawings is an elevation of our improved apparatus together
with parts of a marine engine with which it is in immediate connection. Figure, 2,
is a longitudinal vertical section of our improved apparatus as drawn to a larger
scale. In these drawings the same reference letters are used to work the same or
like parts wherever they are repeated.
Our improved apparatus comprises a long horizontal vessel, A, having its
bottom at one end connected by a pipe, B, fitted with a non-return valve, to a
hot well or vessel, C, containing the feed water, the upper part of the horizontal
vessel, A, being connected by a pipe, D, to the interior of a condenser, E, or other
vessel in which there is a partial vacuum. The horizontal vessel, A, is placed at
a suitable height such that atmospheric pressure acting in the hot well, C, will
cause the water to rise into it, where it is heated by one or more steam coils, G,
the extremities of these coils being passed through the end covers, P, of the vessel
and secured to the covers by nuts. The joint action of the heating coils, G, and
the partial vacuum formed by the vessel's connection with the condenser, E,
separates the gases from the feed water, the gases escaping to the condenser
through the pipe, D, while the purified feed water descends by the pipe, H, to the
feed pumps. A float, J, controlling a valve, K, capable of closing the condenser
pipe, D, is provided within the vessel, A, to prevent the water rising above a pre-
determined level and finding its way into the condenser with the gases. The float, J,
is guided vertically by a spindle, L, fixed in its lower side sliding in a tube, M,
fixed to the bottom of the vessel, A. The feed water on its way to the feed
pumps passes through filtering apparatus, N, which separates solid and oleaginous
impurities from it. With this arrangement the filtering apparatus is subjected
to a very small pressure, and its action is both effective and economical.
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:-
In the purification of feed water for steam boilers, separating the air and other
gases from the feed water by subjecting the feed water to the action of heat in
a vessel in which a partial vacuum is formed, the gases passing to the vacuum-

page_text: producing source, while the water freed from the gases passes to the feed pumps
through filtering apparatus substantially as herein before described.
Dated this twentieth day of October, 1897.
EDMUND HUNT.
Applicants' Agent.