Improvements in Arrangements for Utilizing the Vapour of Volatile Liquid Hydro Carbons for Actuating Motive Power Engines.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Dec., 1886
Complete Left, 6th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 8th Nov., 1887
Improvements in Arrangements for Utilizing the Vapour of Volatile
Liquid Hydro Carbons for Actuating Motive Power Engines.
I CHARLES EDWARD HEARSON of No. 31 Coburg Road in the County of Surrey
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows':-
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in arrangements
for utilizing the vapour of volatile liquid hydro carbons for actuating motive power
engines the objects of the said improvements being to vaporize the liquid by means
of waste heat from the engine and to cause the vapour to pass into the cylinder of the
engine by the action of the engine alone and to fire the explosive mixture of vapour
and air in the cylinder by means of the flame of a vapour burner and to effect or
control the supply of the liquid to be vaporized by means of mechanism connected to
moving parts of the engine and actuated thereby.
In order to vaporize the liquid by means of the waste heat from the engine I
arrange in a vessel or chamber containing the liquid a pipe or pipes connected to the
flow pipe which communicates with the water jacket or to the exhaust pipo which
communicates with the cylinder of the engine and I provide the said pipe or pipes
with means for directing or regulating the passage of the heated water from the
water jacket or of the heated products of combustion from the cylinder either through
the said vessel or chamber or otherwise in order to admit of regulation of the extent
to which the liquid in the said chamber is heated.
In order to provide for the passage of the vapour of the said liquid into the cylinder
of the engine I connect the gas inlet of the engine with the said chamber or vessel
the interior of which is in communication with the atmosphere. By this arrangement
the mere action of the engine causes vapour from the said chamber and a certain
portion of air to be drawn into the cylinder and also causes air to pass into the said
chamber to be carburretted or charged with the vapour of the liquid therein no
independent forcing or pumping apparatus being used or required. The air 'required
is admitted to the cylinder in any of the ordinary ways.
In order to fire the explosive mixture I deliver a volatile liquid hydrocarbon under
pressure into a vapour burner consisting of a vaporizing tube provided with two holes

page_text: through which the vapour of the liquid hydrocarbon issues the said holes being in
such positions relatively to each other and to the firing port of the engine that the
jet of vapour issuing from one of the said holes when ignited will ignite the explosive
mixture in the cylinder and tho jet of vapour issuing from the other of the said holes
will when ignited relight the first named jet if and when it is extinguished by the
explosion in the cylinder. To admit of adjustment of the amount of vapour issuing
from the said holes I arrange two needle valves in the burner one for each jet.
The vapour burner is provided with the usual or any suitable means for heating it
at starting and with conductors arranged in any suitable way for sustaining the heat
required to vaporize the liquid.
In cases where the "firing light" is carried by a slide I connect one of the jets of
the vapour burner with the slide as is usual in gas engines worked by coal gas.
Instead of charging the carburretting chamber or vessel with a quantity of hydro-
carbon sufficiently to provide vapour for working the engine for a considerable time,
I in some cases provide arrangements by which a quantity sufficient to form vapour
for one charge only of the cylinder may be admitted to the said chamber or vessel at
one time and I determine the delivery or control the admission of the liquid thereto
by means of mechanism actuated at the required times by connection with any
suitable working part or parts of the engine which mechanism may consist of an
ordinary feed pump connected to the crank shaft of the engine or of a diaphragm
pump actuated by the explosion of the mixed gases in the cylinder or of a valve so
actuated by the engine governor or otherwise as to control a continuous flow of the
liquid as required.

page_text: Liquid Hydrocarbons for Actuating Motive Power Engines.
I CHARLES EDWARD HEARSON of No. 31 Coburg Road in the County of Surrey
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention and in what manner the samo
is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in arrangements
for utilizing the vapour of volatile liquid hydrocarbons for actuating motive power
engines such as those ordinarily known as gas engines the objects of the said
improvements being to vaporize the liquid by means of waste heat from the engine
and to cause the vapour to pass into the cylinder of the engine by the action of the
engine alone and to fire the explosive mixture of vapour and air in the cylinder by
means of the flame of a vapour burner or apparatus in which volatile liquid hydro-
carbon is vaporized under pressure and without access of air.
In order to vaporize the liquid by means of the waste heat from the engine I
arrange in a vessel or chamber containing the liquid a pipe or pipes connected to the
flow pipe which communicates with the water jacket or to the exhaust pipe which
communicates with the cylinder of the engine and I provide the said pipe or pipes
with means for directing or regulating the passage of the heated water from the
water jacket or of the heated products of combustion from the cylinder either through
the said vessel or chamber or otherwise in order to admit of regulation of the extent
to which the liquid in the said chamber is heated.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing is a vertical section of an apparatus in
which the hydrocarbon is vaporized by the waste heat from the engine.
a is the
vessel for containing the liquid to be vaporized the upper part of which vessel is
provided with a cover a. is a portion of the flow pipe or exhaust pipe of the
engine. c is the pipe in the vessel a which communicates with the pipe b. d is a
cock placed between the points at which the two ends of the pipe e communicate with
the said pipe by opening or closing which cock the heated water from the water
jacket or the heated products of combustion is or are caused to pass either direct
through the said pipe or through the pipe c. a² is a tube through which air enters
the vessel a and a³ is a pipe by which the vapour or the carburetted air passes from
the said vessel. The broken line indicates approximately the height to which the
vessel a should be kept charged with the liquid hydrocarbon while the apparatus is in
action. is a lamp by which the apparatus is heated at first starting and h h are
rings of metal secured to the underside of the bottom of the vessel a which receive
heat from the flame of the lamp 9 and convey it to the liquid in the said vessel.
g

page_text: In order to provide for the passage of the vapour of the liquid in the vessel a into
the cylinder of the engine 1 connect the gas inlet of the engine with the pipe a³.
By this arrangement the mere action of the engine causes carburetted air from the
said chamber to be drawn into the cylinder and also causes air to pass into the said
chamber to be carburetted or charged with the vapour of the liquid therein no
independent forcing or pumping apparatus being used or required. In some cases
I arrange for the whole of the air required to produce an explosive mixture with the
vapour of the hydrocarbon to pass through the vessel a. Where a less proportion
of air is admitted to the said vessel the further proportion required may be admitted
to the cylinder of the engine in any of the ordinary ways.
In order to firo the explosive mixture in the cylinder of the engine I deliver a
volatile liquid hydrocarbon under pressure into a vapour burner or apparatus con-
sisting of a tube or chamber into which the liquid passes and in which it is vaporized
which tube or chamber is provided with two outlets through each of which a jet of
the vapour of the liquid hydrocarbon issues the said outlets being in such positions
relatively to each other and to the firing port of the engine that one of the said jets
when ignited will ignite the explosive mixture in the cylinder and the other of the
said jets will when ignited relight the first named jet if and when it is extinguished
by the explosion in the cylinder. To admit of adjustment of the amount of vapour
issuing from the sail outlets I provide each of them with a needle valve. The
vaporizing apparatus or vapour burner is provided with the usual or any suitable
means for heating it at starting and with conductors arranged in any suitable way
for sustaining the heat required to vaporize the liquid.
Figure 2 of the accompanying Drawings is a vertical section of the said apparatus
and Figure 3 is a plan thereof. The chamber in which the liquid is vaporized consists
of tubes connected by a junction piece k on which a burner tube Z is formed the
upper end of the said tubo i having a cap m secured to it on which cap another
burner tube n is formed. The liquid hydrocarbon to bo vaporized is supplied under
pressure to the said apparatus by means of a pipe provided with a stopcock and
communicating with the lower part of the tube j and with a reservoir of the said
liquid the pressure being produced by arranging the said reservoir at a sufficient
height above the said vaporizing apparatus or by other suitable means. km² are the
outlets for the vapour and are the needle valves by which the amount of vapour
issuing therefrom is regulated. o is a cup in which hydrocarbon is place I and ignited
in order to heat the apparatus at starting and m³ ³ (see Figure 3) are projecting
pieces of metal which absorb heat from the burning jets and conduct it to the
vaporizing chamber when the apparatus is in action. The liquid is vaporized in the
said apparatus without access of air and the vapour issuing from the outlets
mixes with air in the burner tubes 7n the air passing into the burner / through
holes, therein and into the burner n between its end and the part of the cap min
which the outlet m' is formed. A portion of the engine and its firing port are shown
at p Figuro 2 in order to indicate the position in which the said apparatus is arranged
relatively to the engine. Where desirable the vaporizing apparatus may be supplied
with hydrocarbon from the vessel a Figure 1.
m³
In cases where the "firing light" is carried by a slide I connect one of the jets of
the vapour burner with the slide as is usual in gas engines worked by coal gas and
I arrange the relighting jet in the required position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I wish it to be understood that I do
not limit myself to the precise details herein before described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings as they may be varied without departing from the nature of
my invention but I declare that I claim
First Apparatus constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference
to and illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings for vaporizing a liquid
hydrocarbon by means of the wast heat from motive power engines of the kind
herein before referred to and for carburetting air for the supply of such engines,.
'

page_text: Secondly The use in connection with motive power engines of the kind herein-
before referred to of apparatus in which a volatile liquid hydrocarbon is vaporized
under pressure and without access of air.
Thirdly The use in connection with motive power engines of the kind herein-
before referred to of apparatus constructed substantially as herein before described
with reference to and illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying Drawings
for the vaporization of a volatile liquid hydrocarbon under pressure and without
access of air.
Fourthly Heating an apparatus in which liquid hydrocarbon is vaporized for use
in the working of a motive power engine of the kind hereinbefore referred to by
means of the firing jet or flame by which the explosive mixture is ignited in the
cylinder or by means of the flame by which the firing jet is ignited after being
extinguished by the explosion of the mixture in the cylinder.
Fifthly-Igniting an explosive mixture in the cylinder of a motive power engine
of the kind hereinbefore referred to by means of a burning jet of the vapour of a
liquid hydrocarbon.
Datad hic Fifth day of Anthon 1007
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.