IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR GENERATING STEAM AND DISTILLING LIQUIDS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents, 66,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR GENERATING STEAM AND DISTILLING LIQUIDS."
A communication from abroad by Alfred Nobel, of Paris, in the Republic of
.France.
Sealed the 6th January 1880, and dated the 15th July 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th July 1879.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR GENERATING
STEAM AND DISTILLING LIQUIDS." [A communication from abroad by Alfred
Nobel, of Paris, in the Republic of France.]
This Invention relates to a novel construction of a generator capable of vapor-
izing liquids with great rapidity, and applicable as well for distilling purposes as
for producing steam for motive power.
The chief peculiarity of this generator is that it exposes a small bulk of the
liquid to be vaporized to a large beat communicating surface. In its simplest form
it consists of a coiled tube of copper, iron, steel, or other suitable material heated
outside, and through the core of which water (or other liquid) is let in at one end
and escapes as steam (or vapour) at the other. The temperature of such steam (or
vapour) under otherwise similar conditions depends on the quantity of water (or
other liquid) which is permitted to flow through the aforesaid coil generator, and
can be read off on a thermometer connected therewith. To avoid superfluous
friction of the steam produced the bore of the coiled tubular generator is tapered
outwards, as towards the exit end of the coil. Thus the first fifth part of the coil may
have only 3 millimeters inside diameter by 8 or 9 millometers outside diameter, and
increase by one milliméter for each following fifth, so as to have 7 millimeters
inside diameter at the outlet. Whilst friction is thus kept down the small bulk of
water (or other liquid) which the inlet tube can hold secures a great velocity of
flow, whereby, as practice has proved, incrustation from lime and other impurities
contained contained in the feed-water is avoided. To prevent incrustation still more
effectually a small steam or air injector is connected with the pipe letting in the
feed-water, which latter is thus violently agitated.

page_text: of steam needed, and each coil may without inconvenience be made 50 and even
-100-yards-in-length
The aforesaid generator is placed in a suitable furnace, and is connected at the one
-end-with-a feeding pump-or-other-feeding contrivance and at the other with a
=suitable condenser if used-for-distilling-liquids, or with a steam pipe furnished with
safety valve, thermometer, and manometer if intended to supply the place of a
boiler for, a steam engine.
There being no store of water in a generator of this kind it is necessary, in order
to avoid burning the coiled tube, that it should continue to be fed with water for
a certain time after the engine has been set at rest. It is therefor better to make
use of a steam pump independent of the main engine, or what is technically called
a donkey.
The aforesaid generator works as follows:-When the fire is ignited below the
coiled tube or tubes the water contained therein at starting becomes heated and is
converted into steam, which sets the engine and feeding pump in motion. The
latter by giving a constant supply of water will ensure this maintainance of a
supply of steam. The thermometer hereinbefore mentioned indicates how far the
steam is superheated, and the manometer shows its pressure. To modify both at
will the engineer has only to. regulate the inflow of feed water, the draft-valve in
the chimney, and the admission of waste steam to increase the draft.
It is evident that the form of the aforesaid generator may be greatly varied
without varying the main feature, which consists in presenting to the feed water
(or feeding liquid) such a large heating surface as to convert it into steam (or
vapour) as fast as it can flow through the generator.
..
The main advantages of the generator herein described consist in its perfect
immunity from danger of explosion, in the possibility of securely utilizing any
amount of steam pressure and expansion, in cheapness of construction, and in being
able to get up steam without waste of time.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th January 1880.
"
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR GENERATING
STEAM AND DISTILLING LIQUIDS." A communication from abroad by Alfred
Nobel, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
This Invention relates to the construction of stills or generators for vaporising
water, spirits, petroleum, or any other liquid.
The chief characteristics of this still and generator are that a small bulk of the
liquid which is to be vaporized is exposed to a comparatively large heating surface,
that the said liquid is kept throughout in rapid motion with the object of prevent-
ing incrustation or deposit, and that the space wherein the said liquid is contained
enlarged by degrees as the vapours formed tend to expand in bulk.
In its simplest form the still or generator consists of a coiled tube of copper, iron,
or other suitable material, heated throughout its length and receiving at its lower
end the liquid to be vaporized, which escapes at the upper end of the tube in the
form of vapour, such liquid being supplied to the generator under pressure.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn the improved apparatus as arranged
for a high pressure steam generator; but with slight modification, as will be here-
after explained, it will be suited for distilling spirits and petroleum oils. Figure 1 is
a partial vertical section of the improved apparatus, the middle portion of the
Figure being removed as unnecessary for explaining the construction and operation of
the apparatus; Figure 2 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 1, 2, of Figure I
A, A, is a long coil of tubes of copper, iron, or other suitable material, the bore
of which increases in steps from a (where the liquid which is to be vaporized is
pumped in) unto a', where the same liquid escapes vaporized. The gradual increase
of the coiled tube is obtained by screwing together tubes of varying diameters..
This coil of connected tubes is enclosed in a jacketted furnace B, formed with an
annular chamber C for receiving and heating the water or other liquid that is to be
vaporized; D is the fire place; and E is the chimney for leading off the gases of
combustion. It should be remarked that if no preparatory heating of the liquid to
be vaporized is required the heating chamber C may be replaced by suitable brick-
work; C¹ is the supply pipe; in such case the supply pipe C¹ is connected directly
with the coil of pipe A. In Figure I. the chamber Cis shewn as connected with the
bottom coil by means of a descending pipe C², which leads into a horizontal pipe
C³ attached to the lower extremity of the coil; F is a damper situate between the
fire place D and the coils A, A, and serving to cut off when required the heat of
the fire place from the steam generator. This damper is composed of two half
discs of sheet iron of the diameter of the fire chamber, and carried by independant
horizontal spindles F¹ and F².
G is a flue leading from the fire place to a chimney, and serving to conduct off
the gases of combustion when the damper F is closed. This flue is furnished with
a damper G¹, which is fitted to the spindle F', it being set in such position on the
spindle relatively to the damper F that wher the one is open the other will be
closed. The spindles of the damper F are furnished with handles H, H, for raising
and depressing the two halves of the damper. When the handle on the spindle Fl
is brought into position (shewn in Figure I.) the portion of the damper F on that
spindle will be raised and the damper G¹ in the flue G will be simultaneously
closed, but when the damper F is shut the damper G¹ will be open to allow of the
gases of combustion passing off from the fire place to the chimney.
The steam or vapour as it passes off from the coil A, is received into a
chamber I mounted on the top of the furnace, and constructed by preference as,
shown in the detached views Figures III, and IV. In these Figures K is a safety

page_text: valve fitted to the chamber I; L is a pressure guage; and M and N are cocks
regulating the in and outflow of the steam or vapour. These appliances will not
be required when the apparatus is constructed for use as a still.
Where-distillation-is-the-only-object in-view-the-vapours-formed are simply led
into a condenser of the usual form.-_O-is-a-thermometer indicating the temperature
of the vapours.
Figure V. shows the details of a small apparatus, the object of which is to send high
pressure steam or vapours into the coil A, A, simultaneously with the liquid which
is to be vaporized. The purpose of such a jet of high pressure steam or vapour_is_
to impart a violent stir and motion to the said liquid in its passage through the
coil A, A, with a view to more effectually preventing incrustation from impurities
in or decomposition of the liquid which is to be vapourized.
P is a tube which communicates with a high pressure steam boiler, and serves to
supply steam to a nozzle Q which is situate in the horizontal supply pipe C³
attached to the lower extremity of the coil A. This tube P connects with the
pipe C³, and before joining with the pipe it is fitted with a conical regulating
valve P¹; this valve serves to regulate the inflow of high pressure steam or vapours
quickening the flow of the liquid that enters the coil.
The improved apparatus, whether used as a generator or still, works as
follows:-
The pipe C is connected with a forcing pump, which secures a continual inflow
to the apparatus of the liquid which is to be vaporized, and that at such velocity
as always to exceed ten metres a second. When the velocity imparted by the
pump is deemed or found insufficient for the purpose of preventing incrustation
recourse is bad to the aid of a current of high pressure steam or vapours entering
the coil A, A, simultaneously with the liquid by aid of the contrivance shown in
Figure V.
The dimensions to be given to the coil A, A, will naturally depend on the
quantity of liquid which it is intended to vaporize in a given time. If the tube
into which the liquid first enters has an inside diameter of 3 millimetres then the
coil may be subdivided into five parts, of which the first should have an inside
diameter of three millimetres, the second four, the third five, the fourth six, and
the fifth seven millimetres.
The inflow of liquid into the coil A should of course be regulated so as to suit
the vaporizing capability of the fire. Thus if one homogeneous liquid is to be
distilled the capacity of the inlet pipe should be made to correspond with the
capacity of the apparatus to vaporise the whole of the supply, which vaporization
is by means of a thermometer easily ascertained. If various liquids possessing
different boiling points are passed through for the purpose of vaporizing only one
of them, then of course the quantity which should pass through in a given time has
also to be regulated by the aid of a thermometer. The damper F provides for the
damping of the fire when that is requisite. .
Figure 6 shews the section of a still somewhat modified in shape, but based on the
same principle as that before described; A, A, is a tube made from copper, iron,
or other suitable material, into the lower end of which is fitted a plug B of cast
iron or other suitable material, of such conical shape as to form the empty space C
between A, A, and B; D is a second plug, which screws into the top of the tube A
and bears against the upper end of the plug B, it being recessed to receive it and
hold it firmly in place; and a passage is made in the lower end of the plug B to
admit the liquid that is to be vaporized into the space C, and a passage is made
through the upper end of the plug B to connect the space C with a central opening
or exit passage in the plug D; E is a tube screwed into the plug B and connected
with a forcing pump letting into the tube the liquid which is to be distilled; and
E' is a pipe serving to conduct off the vapours, which thence escape into a con-
denser. The still is enclosed in a suitable furnace, where the outer surface of the
tube A, A, will be exposed to the flame. The use of this apparatus as of the afore-
said coiled tube requires that incrustation, if the liquid to be distilled is liable to

page_text: produce such, should be prevented by imparting great velocity of motion to the
liquid which is to be distilled.
The construction of stills on this plan may be greatly varied without departing
from the main points upon which their advantageous use is based.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of improved apparatus for
generating steam and distilling liquids as communicated to me from abroad, and
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood
that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim-
First. The construction of apparatus for generating steam and distilling liquids
as described, in which the liquid as it rises in temperature has presented to it an
increased diameter of tube to allow of its expansion, as and for the purpose above
set forth.
Second. In combination with the improved generator the arrangement of
apparatus described with reference to Figure V. for quickening the rate of flow of
the supply liquid to and through such generator for the purpose of avoiding
incrustation therein.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
H. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)