Improvements in the Means or Apparatus Employed for Heating Feed Water as it is Supplied to the Steam Boilers of Steam Engines.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in the Means or Apparatus Employed for Heating
Feed Water as it is Supplied to the Steam Boilers of Steam
Engines.
I JOHN KIRKALDY of 40 West India Dock Road in the County of Middlesex
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR HEATING FEED WATER AS IT IS SUPPLIED
TO THE STEAM BOILERS OF STEAM ENGINES" to be as follows:-
According to this invention I employ together with a tubular feed water heater
in which the feed water is heated by steam passing direct from the boiler a valve
for controlling the admission of steam to the beater which valve is kept open by '
the flow of water to the boiler so long as the feed pumps are working but which
closes so soon as the feed pumps cease to work. In order also to allow for
contraction and expansion I provide an expansion joint either where the feed
water pipe enters or leaves the heater-I also fit a dirt arrester such as is described
in the Provisional Specification lodged by me N° 606 in this year to the inlet to
the feed heater to prevent the passage of any solid matters to the feed heater and
boiler. In some cases in place of making the feed water heater separate from the
condenser I divide off a compartment of the condenser at that end at which steam
enters and cause the feed water on its way from the feed pumps to the boilers to
pass through this compartment.
In this way the feed water may be heated to the temperature or nearly so of the
incoming steam without impairing the efficiency of the condenser.
The above improvements apply not only to the construction of new condensers
but can also readily be applied to those at present in use with but slight alteration
of their internal arrangements.

page_text: I JOHN KIRKALDY of 40 West India Dock Road in the County of Middlesex
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
sanie is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
According to this invention I employ together with a tubular feed water heater
in which the feed water is heated by steam passing direct from the boiler a valve
for controlling the admission of steam to the heater which valve is kept open by
the flow of water to the boiler so long as the feed pumps are working, but which
closes so soon as the feed pumps cease to work.
Figure 1 of the drawings hereunto annexed shows an elevation of a feed water
heater arranged in this manner and Figure 2 a longitudinal section of one end
thereof.
A is the casing of the feed water heater through which the feed water is made
to pass on its passage to the boiler. B is a valve at the inlet end of this casing, it
is carried by a spindle C and covers the water inlet passage. The spindle C-is
carried out from the casing A through a stuffing box and on its outer end carries
a crank pin D which enters a slotted hole at the end of a valve rod E. On the
valve rod is a valve F which controls the passage of steam through the steam pipes
which are carried through the interior of the casing A.
The steam pipes all lead into a steam chamber G (as described in the Specification
of a former Patent granted to me) from which is a steam inlet to the valve
chamber H-J is the outlet from the valve chamber.
As will be seen from Figure 2 any water entering the casing A would press back
the valve B and turn its spindle Č the crank pin on the end of the spindle will
then press back the steam valve F away from its seat and permit steam again to
flow past this valve.
In order also to allow for contraction and expansion I provide an expansion
joint either where the feed water pipe enters or leaves the heater. In Figure 1-it
is shown applied when the water leaves the heater.
_
A dirt arrester such as is described in the Provisional Specification lodged by me
N° 606 in this year may also be fitted if desired to the inlet to the feed heater to
prevent the passage of any solid matters to the feed heater and boiler. In some
cases in place of making the feed water heater separate from the condenser I divide
off a compartment of the condenser at that end at which steam enters and cause
the feed water on its way from the feed pumps to the boilers to pass through this
compartment.
In this way the feed water may be heated to the temperature or nearly so of
the incoming steam without impairing the efficiency of the condenser.
The above improvements apply not only to the construction of new condensers
but can also readily be applied to those at present in use with but slight alteration
of their internal arrangements.

page_text: Figure 3 shows a side elevation partly in section. Figure 4 a transverse section
and Figure 5 an end view of a tubular surface condenser and feed water heater
combined as above described.
A is a portion of the condenser divided off from the remainder and through
which the feed water is to be made to flow.
B is the remaining portion which is used as an ordinary surface condenser.
C is the outlet for the circulating water from the portion B and D the outlet
from the portion A for the heated feed water to pass to the boilers.
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
I claim is
1. In feed water heaters in which the feed water is heated by. steam from a
steam boiler the employment of a steam valve for automatically controlling the
passage of steam which valve is kept open by the flow of water through the heater
and closes when no water is passing.
2. The arrangement of apparatus substantially as described for controlling the
passage of steam through a steam heated feed water heater substantially as herein
before described and illustrated in the drawing annexed.
3. Forming a feed water heater by dividing off a compartment of a surface
condenser substantially as described.