Specially Applicable for Supplying Marine Boilers.
Year: 1885

page_text: Specially Applicable for Supplying Marine Boilers.
We PETER SMITH of 40 Rokeby Street Stratford Engineer, and JAMES THOM
SMITH 21 Ingleston Street Greenock Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
our invention for AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR EVAPORATING
SEA WATER, SPECIALLY APPLICABLE FOR SUPPLYING MARINE BOILERS, to be as
follows:-
The object of this Invention is to Distil Sea Water for the purpose of supplying
Marine Boilers at a trifling cost, and is applicable for increasing the efficiency of
the ordinary Fresh Water Condenser in use on Board Ship, or to Condensers on
shore.
We shall now describe its application to Marine Boilers.
A Coil of Piping is fitted inside the exhaust passage from the Engine to the
Condenser.
Sea water is supplied to this coil either from the Circulating Pump Discharge,
the Bath Pump, Discharge or the Sea direct.
In passing through the coil in the exhaust passage the temperature of the sea
water is raised to about 180° Degrees Fahrenheit.-From the coil it passes out into
a cylindrical or other conveniently shaped vessel which I call the evaporator, where
it is to be converted into steam by a series of coils heated by steam and contained
in the vessel. This series of coils consists of three or more divisions according to
the heating surface required to evaporate a given quantity of water, they are so
arranged that the steain at its highest temperature passes first through the top of
the first division where evaporation takes place, then through the whole of the
middle division, and finally through the bottom division where the coldest water
is, by this arrangement violent circulation is prevented.-According to one
arrangement of coils which I prefer each division of three concentric coils through
which the steam passes in succession, entering at the smallest central coil and
leaving the largest outer coil, to enter the smallest coil of the division next below,
and so on.
The steam thus generated escapes from the evaporator through a stop valve and
is carried by a pipe into the Low Pressure receiver, doing work in the Low
Pressure Cylinder on its way to the Condenser, If not convenient to utilise the
steam in this way it could be used for the purpose of heating the jackets, or carried
to the Hot Well direct, thereby raising the temperature of the Feed Water.

page_text: The steam to heat the coils in the evaporator is taken either from the steam
jackets, or the main steam pipe, it passes through the steam space in the evaporator
to the top division of the heating coils, and is discharged from the last division
into the Hot Well, direct or into the Condenser.
The Evaporator may be made of cast iron malleable iron, or copper, and is well
covered with felt to prevent loss of heat.
We shall in the second place describe the application of the evaporator to
increase the efficiency of fresh water condensers.-The steam instead of being
carried direct to the Condenser is first passed through the coils in the evaporator
and then into the Fresh Water Condenser. The steam generated by the heat
extracted from it in its passage through the coils is also carried to the Fresh Water
Condenser and is equal to a considerable per centage more water with the same
expenditure of fuel.
This proceess will be specially suitable for Troop Ships on long voyages, or for
ships carrying cattle etc.-it can also be applied to existing condensers on shore
with the same beneficial result.
To prevent the Evaporator from priming the steam exit pipe is led into a
receiver with a drain pipe leading from the bottom back into the Evaporator, with
the same object a flat spiral coil of piping forming a continuation of the heating
coils is placed in the top of the steam space so that particles of water striking
against it may be evaporated.

page_text: Specially Applicable for Supplying Marine Boilers.
We PETER SMITH of 40 Rokeby St. Stratford Engineer, & JAMES THOM SMITH
of 21 Ingleston St. Greenock Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of our
invention for AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR EVAPORATING SEA
WATER SPECIALLY APPLICABLE FOR SUPPLYING MARINE BOILERS and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This is a process by which sea water can be distilled for the purpose of supplying
Marine Boilers while at sea, at a trifling cost, and can also be applied for increasing
the efficiency of the ordinary fresh water condensers in use on Board Ship, without
increasing the expenditure of fuel.
To apply it for supplying Marine Boilers with distilled water.
A is the sea water supply pipe leading from the bath pump, or other available
pump. B. is a coil of piping fitted inside the exhaust passage from the Engines to
the Condenser, through which the sea water is forced from the pipe A, and where
it is heated during its passage, to a temperature of 180 degrees, from thence it
flows into the Evaporators through the regulating valve C, it is there evaporated
by the beat from the steam passing through the series of coils shewn in section.
These coils can be a series of either three or more, and may be in three or more
divisions, according to the heating surface required to evaporate a given quantity
of water. The drawing shews a series of three coils, in three divisions, which are
so arranged that the steam at its highest temperature, passes first through the
whole of the top division where evaporation takes place, then through the whole
of the middle division, and finally through the bottom division where the coldest
water is. By that arrangement violent circulation is prevented. H. H. are drain
pipes from the Cylinder Steam jackets, the latent heat from these drains is utilised
for evaporating the sea water round the coils.
On entering the evaporators, it passes first through the spiral coil I, which
intercepts, and evaporates any water thrown up by ebullition. It then enters the
centre coil at the top as shewn & passes through it to the bottom, it then returns
to the top of the intermediate coil, and passes through it to the bottom, it returns
again to the top and enters the outer coil, and on reaching the bottom, it enters the
top of the centre coil of the middle division, where the same operation is repeated,
and so on to the bottom. It is then led by the pipes J. J. and mingles with the
feed water in the hot-well. The steam thus generated in the Evaporators, is led
by the pipes D. D to the Receiver or Separator E. which is fitted to insure dry
steam. Any water carried into the Separator returns to the Evaporators by the
drain pipes F. F. The steam from the Separator passes through the regulating
valve G, and is led to the Low Pressure Engine, thus doing work to extract the
heat from it on its passage to the Condenser. But if it is not convenient to utilise
the steam in that way, it can be returned to coils specially fitted in the Evaporators

page_text: for the purpose of extracting the latent heat from it before entering the Hot Well,
and assisting in evaporating the sea water.
To apply the Evaporator for increasing the efficiency of ordinary fresh water
condensers, the steam instead of being led direct to the Condenser, first passes
through the coils, entering by the pipes H. H. and leaving by the pipes J. J. which
leads it to the fresh water condenser.-The Steam generated by the heat extracted
from it on its passage through the coils, is also led to the fresh, water condenser,
and is equal to 75 per cent more water condensed with the same expenditure of
fuel. K is the blow off valve and is used as a continuous brine to keep the water
at a given density, L L are gauge glasses. Ma cock communicating with pressure
gauge & N a perforated steam outlet pipe.-The Evaporators are cylindrical vessels
and can be made of malleable iron or cast iron, the top and bottom ends are easily
removed, and the coils taken out for cleaning purposes. The coils are made of the
best drawn composition tubes.
The above process will be found of great advantage in economy to all steamers
on long voyages, in enabling them to replace with fresh water that wasted by the
Engines &c, thereby keeping the Boiler plates and tubes free from deposit, which
effects a great saving in labour and economy in fuel. It will also be found
beneficial to all vessels carrying Troops &c, when condensing is required by
applying it as above directed.
In a modified form of this apparatus one Evaporator only is used, with an
additional series of coils, and a large steam space on the top, The receiver or
Separator E is dispensed with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that
what I claim is
An improved process and apparatus for evaporating sea water substantially as
and for the purposes herein before described.