Improvements in Apparatus for Heating, Evaporating, and Con- densing, Applicable as a Feed-water Heater, a Distiller, or a Condenser.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Nov., 1889
• Complete Specification Left, 6th Aug., 1890--Accepted, 6th Sept.. 1890
Improvements in Apparatus for Heating, Evaporating, and Con-
densing, Applicable as a Feed-water Heater, a Distiller, or a
Condenser.
I, WILLIAM WALTER BENGOUGH of 42 Claremont Road, Forest Gate, in the County
of Essex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in apparatus for distilling, heating,
evaporating, and condensing, applicable as a feed water heater, as a distiller or
evaporator, or as a condenser.
My apparatus is of the class in which steam used for heating and distilling purposes,
or steam that is to be condensed as the case may be, is caused to pass through one or
more coiled pipes arranged within a suitable vessel provided with inlet and outlet.
branches for the liquid that is to be heated or that is to serve for abstracting the heat
from steam to be condensed as the case may be. In such apparatus according to this
invention one or more sections of coiled pipe is or are employed each in the form of a
double volute. The two volute coils of pipe forming each section, are in one piece or
connected together at their inner ends, and at their outer ends are connected by
suitable, unions or couplings to adjacent similar sections of pipe if several be used; if
only, one section be used the ends thereof or if several be employed then the outer
ends of the uppermost and lowermost sections are placed by suitable connections in
communication with steam inlet and outlet pipes.
The two volute coils of pipe forming a section may advantageously be made in one
piece of solid drawn copper tubing. With this construction a large heating or cooling
surface, as the case may be, can be provided in a small space. Steam passing through
the coiled pipe will pass from the circumference to the centre of one volute part of each
section and from the centre to the circumference of the other part. The coiled pipe
is arranged within a vessel of suitable material such as gun metal cast iron or copper
provided with inlet and outlet branches and so constructed as to afford ready access
to its interior and to the coiled pipe therein. The upper and lower ends of the pipe
are preferably so connected to the parts of the vessel carrying the inlet and outlet
brauches that they can be readily disconnected from the vessel when necessary for
cleaning or other purpose. The apparatus can be provided with suitable valves or
cocks for controlling the admission of steam to the coiled pipe, and of water or water
and vapour to and from the vessel.
When the apparatus is to be used for evaporating liquid for example sea water, for
producing fresh water for feed or other purpose the interior of the vessel can be placed
in connection with a condenser so that a partial vacuum may obtain in the vessel
and the water therein be more readily evaporated by the heat of steam circulating
through the coiled pipe. The vessel may be provided with means for blowing off
concentrated brine from time to time.
When the apparatus is to be used as a feed water heater, the water to be heated may
be caused to circulate through the vessel enclosing the coiled pipe and exhaust or
live steam to pass through this pipe or the water may pass through the pipe and
exhaust or live steam be admitted to the interior of the vessel. When the apparatus
is to be used as a condenser, a filter of any suitable construction can be combined
therewith. In this case the lower end of the coiled pipe is placed in communication
with the interior of the filter so that the water of condensation from steam can
percolate through charcoal or other suitable material in the filter and pass thence to a
storage tank or other suitable place.
Deted this 16th day of November 1889.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Heating, Evaporating, and Con-
densing, Applicable as a Feed-water Heater, a Distiller, or a
Condenser.
I, WILLIAM WALTER BENGOUGH of 42 Claremont Road, Forest Gate, in the County
of Essex, 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 :-
This invention has reference to improvements in apparatus for distilling, heating,
evaporating, and condensing, applicable as a feed water heater, as a distiller or
evaporator, or as a condenser.
My apparatus is of the class in which steam used, for heating and distilling purposes,
or steam that is to be condensed, as the case may be, is caused to pass through one or
more coiled pipes arranged within a suitable vessel provided with inlet and outlet
branches for the liquid that is to be heated, or that is to serve for abstracting the heat
from steam to be condensed, as the case may be. In such apparatus according to this
invention one or more sections of coiled pipe is or are employed each in the form of a
double volute. The two volute coils of pipe forming each section are in one piece
and connected together at their outer ends by suitable unions or couplings to adjacent
similar sections of pipe if several be used; if only one section be used the ends thereof,
or if several be employed then the outer ends of the uppermost and lowermost sections
are placed by suitable connections in communication with steam inlet and outlet
pipes.
The two volute coils of pipe forming a section may advantageously be made in one.
piece of solid drawn copper tubing. With this construction a large heating or cooling.
surface, as the case may be, can be provided in a small space. Steam passing through
the coiled pipe will pass from the circumference to the centre of one volute part of
each section and from the centre to the circumference of the other part. The coiled
pipe is arranged within a vessel of suitable material such as gun metal, cast iron or
copper provided with inlet and outlet branches, and so constructed as to afford ready
access to its interior and to the coiled pipe therein. The upper and lower ends of the
pipe are preferably so connected to the parts of the vessel carrying the inlet and
outlet branches that they can be readily disconnected from the vessel when necessary
for cleaning or other purpose. The apparatus can be provided with suitable valves
or cocks for controlling the admission of steam to the coiled pipe, and of water, or
water and vapour, to and from the vessel.
When the apparatus is to be used for evaporating liquid, for example sea water, for
producing fresh water for feed or other purpose, the interior of the vessel can be
placed in connection with a condenser as for instance that used in connection with a
marine engine, so that a partial vacuum may obtain in the vessel, and the water
therein be more readily evaporated by the heat of steam circulating through the coiled
pipe. The vessel may be provided with means for blowing off concentrated brine
from time to time. When the apparatus is to be used as a live steam feed water
heater, the water to be heated can be caused to circulate through the vessel enclosing
the coiled pipe and live steam to pass through the coiled pipe. For an exhaust steam
feed water heater, the water can pass through the pipe, and exhaust steam be admitted
to the interior of the vessel to act upon the exterior surface of the coiled pipe. When
the apparatus is to be used as a condenser, a filter of any suitable construction can be
combined therewith. In this case, the lower end of the coiled pipe is placed in com-
munication with the interior of the filter so that the water of condensation from
steam can percolate through charcoal or other suitable material in the filter, and pass
thence to a storage tank or other suitable place.
In the accompanying three sheets of drawings Figs 1 to 4 shew a single condenser
constructed according to this invention, Fig. 1 being a plan, Fig. 2 a side elevation

page_text: partly in vertical section, Fig. 3 an inverted plan, and Fig. 4 a horizontal section of
Fig. 1.
1, 2, 3, 4 etc., are double volute coils, of which there may be any convenient
number. Each double volute starts from the periphery and runs to the centre;
it
then turns down and commences a second volute from the centre terminating at the
periphery. Consequently each double volute has both its orifices (inlet and outlet) at
the periphery. In the example shewn in Fig. 2 each coil has a union at each end,
and the outer convolution is bent out of the general plane of the volute to enable it to
be connected to the next volute. The upper coil has a union passing through the
case 8 in which the coils are contained, and the lower coil is similarly provided at 9
with a junction to an external pipe 10.
Steam is admitted to the upper end of the coils at 11 and the water of condensation
runs off at the lower end 9. Cooling water enters the case at 12 and passes away
at 13.
14 is a filter through which the condensed water passes, emerging at 15,
whence it flows to a storage tank or other receptacle.
The case and coils may be made of any suitable material, but I prefer to make the
latter of solid drawn copper pipe.
Figs. 5, 6 and 7 shew the application of volute coils according to my invention for
evaporizing purposes. In this arrangement the coils are contained in a suitable case 8
and are connected together by coupling pipes 1. These pipes are each bolted by
means of a flange 1b to a removable door 8 to which the top and bottom coils are
connected by unions 1°. By this construction the door 8" and coils can be readily
removed for cleaning purposes. This form of apparatus is well suited for the evapora-
tion from sea water of feed for marine boilers to make up for loss of water caused by
leakage &c. By this means no solid matter is passed into the boiler and thus the
formation of scale therein is prevented. The case is connected to a condenser (it may
be the main condenser say of a marine engine) by a pipe with valve, and the
evaporation of the sea water takes place at a temperature corresponding to the vacuum
in the condenser. The condensed steam from the coil is conducted to the hot well,
where it meets the water from the condenser, and passes with the feed water into the
boiler. Suitable means for instance a cock as at 8 are provided for drawing off the
brine from the case at intervals.
It is well known that it is more economical to effect the production of fresh
drinking water in a double effect apparatus than in a single effect apparatus such
as shewn in Figs. 1 to 4. Fig. 8 shews in vertical elevation, partly in section, such
an apparatus constructed according to this invention. The apparatus comprises two
Steam is admitted to the
cases, each containing double volute coils 1, 2, 3, 4 etc.
upper volute in the right hand case at 11, (Fig. 8) and the water of condensation,
resulting from that steam runs off from the lower volute at 9. . The case itself is filled
with cooling water, which is, however, first heated in the left hand case. The heat
abstracted from the steam causes this water to boil, and the steam from it rises through
the copper baffle plates 15 to the head 16, and descends by the pipe 17 to enter the
upper set of coils in the left hand case then passing through the vertical pipe 18 and
coil 19 from which it escapes at 20 as cool water, owing to the action of the cooling
water which enters the left hand case at 21 and leaves it at 22.
The hot water of condensation from the right hand case flows by the pipe 23 to
the lower set of volute coils in the left hand case entering at 23* and escaping at 23b
and thence passes to the storage tank.
A part of the cooling water flowing off at 22, which is now somewhat warm, is
used to feed the case on the right hand side. Means, not shewn, are provided for
blowing off the brine from the two cases or vessels 8 as required.
In all these apparatus the volute coils can be easily removed to be cleaned.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is: -
1. The construction of an apparatus for heating, evaporating or condensing with

page_text: one or more coils of pipe arranged or each arranged in the form of a doable volute
substantially as hereinabove described.
2. The construction and arrangement as hereinabove respectively described with
reference to and shown in Figs. 1 to 4.inclusive and in Figs. 5 to 7 inclusive of the
drawings annexed of app iratus of the kind referred to in the preceding claim.
Dated this 17th day of July 1890
W. W. BENGOUGH.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.