Improvements in the Application of Heat to Generating and Heating Steam.
Year: 1886

page_text: Improvements in the Application of Heat to Generating and
Heating Steam.
I, MATTHEW PIERS WATT BOULTON of Tew Park in the County of Oxford
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
For generating steam, I employ a vessel at atmospheric or ordinary pressure,
containing a liquid of high boiling point, such as a solution of caustic soda, or potash,
or a mixture of glycerine and water. This vessel is heated by means of a fire, and
the heated liquid in it conveys heat to water in a boiler, steam being generated from
this water, at high pressure, or at such pressure as is desired.
The generation of steam in the boiler is controlled, or may be so, by controlling the
circulation of the hot liquid, in the vessel at atmospheric or ordinary pressure.
The liquid of high boiling point may also be heated in a vessel above the
atmospheric pressure: but I contemplete as one advantage of the plan that the
pressure in this vessel should always be much less than that of the boiler in which the
steam is generated.
As the liquid of high boiling point serves only as a vehicle of heat, no steam should
be generated from it. It is kept at its boiling point, or as nearly so as may be.
For superheating steam I employ a similar solution of high boiling point. This
solution is contained in a vessel at high pressure, or at the same pressure as the steam
to be superheated, and is heated by a fire, acting on the vessel externally. It may be
heated directly by this fire, or the fire may first heat a solution or liquid of high
boiling point as above described, this liquid in turn heating the superheating vessel.
The steam to be superheated is brought into direct contact with the hot liquid in the
superheating vessel, and means are provided for securing extended contact. For this
purpose the steam may be caused to pass through the hot liquid in numerous bubbles,
or it may be caused to pass among surfaces wetted by the hot liquid, which wetting
may be effected in any known suitable manner.
Where a steam engine is employed having numerous cylinders in succession,
numerous superheaters of this kind may be employed, being placed as desired between
the cylinders.

page_text: Also a superheater, or superheaters of the kind described may be combined with a
superheater of the kind described in the specifications of Patents granted to myself
and Edward Perrett, viz-A.D. 1882-14th April No. 1788 and A.D. 1883-18th
December No. 5797.
In such a case a heater of the latter kind may be employed in the first instance,
where the steam has higher pressure, and requires higher heat for superheating, while
a heater of the kind described in the present specification may be employed in a
subsequent stage, where the steam has lower pressure, and requires a lower degree of
heat for superheating.
Heated liquid of high boiling point may also be employed to surround the cylinders
of the engine, or such parts of them as is thought proper, so as to act as steam from
the boiler does in ordinary jacketted engines.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: "
Improvements in the Application of Heat to Generating and
Heating Steam.
I, MATTHEW PIERS WATT BOULTON of Tew Park in the County of Oxford,
Gentleman, 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:
:
For generating steam, I employ a vessel at atmospheric or, ordinary pressure,
containing a liquid of high boiling point, such as a solution of caustic soda, or potash
or a mixture of glycerine and water. This vessel is heated by means of a fire, and the
heated liquid in it conveys heat to water in a boiler, steam being generated from this
water at high pressure or at such pressure as is desired.
The generation of steam in the boiler is controlled, or may be so by controlling the
circulation of the hot liquid, in the vessel at atmospheric or ordinary pressure.....
The liquid of high boiling point may also be heated in a vessel above. the atmos-
pheric pressure; but I contemplate as one advantage of the plan that the pressure in
this vessel should always be much less than that of the boiler, in which the steam is
generated.
As the liquid of high boiling point serves only as a vehicle of heat, no steam, should
be generated from it. It is kept at its boiling point, or. as nearly so as may be.
For superheating steam. I employ a similar solution of high boiling point. This
solution is contained in a vessel at high pressure, or at the same pressure as the steam
to be superheated, and is heated by a fire, acting on the vessel, externally. It may be
heated directly by this fire, or the fire may first heat a solution or liquid of high
boiling point as above described, this liquid in turn heating the superheating vessel.
The steam to be superheated is brought into direct contact with the hot liquid in the
superheating vessel, and means are provided for securing. extended contact. For
this purpose the steam may be caused to pass through the hot liquid in numerous
bubbles, or it may be caused to pass among surfaces wetted by the hot liquid, which
wetting may be effected in any known suitable manner.,
...:
Where a steam engine is employed having numerous..cylinders in succession,
numerous superheaters of this kind may be employed, being placed as desired between
the cylinders.
i
Also a superheater, or superheaters of the kind described may be combined with a
superheater of the kind described in the Specifications of Patents granted to myself

page_text: In order that my said invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a steam generator.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of a steam heater in which the steam is passed through
the heated liquid.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of a steam heater in which the steam is brought into
contact with surfaces inoistened with the heated liquid; and
Figure 4 is a vertical section of a steam heater operating in like manner but
differently arranged. These are all constructed in accordance with my invention.
In Figure 1 a a is a vessel provided with a fire-box b in which the fuel is burned.
The tubes cc convey the products of combustion to the chimney d. The vessel is
partly filled with liquid of a high boiling point, such as a solution of caustic soda or
potash or a mixture of glycerine and water, which therefore receives heat from the fire.
Within this vessel is placed a boiler partly filled with water and from this water
steam is generated for use as may be desired. The boiler is fed by a pump or otherwise
and is provided with usual fittings.
In figure 2 a a is a vessel containing a solution of caustic soda or like liquid shown
at b. The vessel is provided with a fire-box c in which the fuel to heat the liquid is
burned. is a pipe conveying the steam to be superheated which is made to pass
into the tube e and from thence to bubble up through the heated caustic soda solution
or like liquid and thereby become highly heated, is the pipe to convey the super-
heated steam away. The following is a modification of the arrangement: the steam to
be superheated is blown or discharged upon the surface of the liquid through numerous
orifices, in place of being caused to pass through the liquid in bubbles.
In Figure 3 a vessel a is shown provided at its lower end with a fire-box b as before.
Fuel burnt in the fire-box heats the caustic soda solution or like liquid. The upper
part of the vessel a is filled with loosely packed porous material c¹. A circulating
pump d is provided which draws the heated solution from the lower part of the vessel
and discharges it over the porous material, from which it drops to be again heated and
circulated. The steam to be superheated is introduced by the pipe e,
it passes up
through the porous' material, abstracting heat therefrom and is drawn off for use in a
superheated condition by the pipe f.
In Figure 4 a vessel a partly filled with caustic soda solution or like liquid is set
over a furnace b from which the solution is heated. The vessel is provided with a
revolving shaft c carrying numerous perforated plates d d. Steam to be superheated
is brought in by the pipe e and taken away for use at f. When the shaft revolves the
plates are passed through the solution and become highly heated, and they superheat
the steam as it passes through them.
In some cases the same solution may be used to generate steam and also to superhcat
it as for example in the manner indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. The steam
to be superheated is brought into the vessel by the pipe g and made to bubble
through the solution by means of the small pipes h h and it is carried away by the
pipe in'a superheated condition to be used as may be desired.

page_text: 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. A steam generator consisting of an outer vessel heated by fire and an inner
closed boiler containing water which is evaporated under pressure; the said outer
vessel being charged with a solution of caustic soda or potash or a mixture of
glycerine and water or other liquid of high boiling point; which liquid serves as a
vehicle of heat from the fire to the water which is to be evaporated.
2. A steam heater consisting of a vessel heated by fire and charged with a solution
of caustic soda or potash or a mixture of glycerine and water or other liquid of high
boiling point; and appliances by which steam is led into the vessel, brought into
extended contact with the heated liquid and when thus superheated is conducted away
for use.
3. Annaratus substantially as described and represented in the annexed drawings.