Improvements in Furnaces and Apparatus for the Treatment of Towns Refuse, and Means for Utilizing the Waste Heat therefrom.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Jan., 1893
Complete Speciucation Left, 7th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Furnaces and Apparatus for the Treatment
of Towns Refuse, and Means for Utilizing the Waste Heat
therefrom.
WILLIAM WEAVER Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers Kensington
Town Hall London, W. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to make refuse furnaces more compact and to
prevent the escape of smoke and offensive gases and the passing of fine dust into
the atmosphere and at the same time provide an improved means of utilizing the
heat produced.
Furnaces now employed in burning towns refuse, usually require high chimney.
shafts, and at times, the smoke and gases emitted are offensive; particles of fine
dust are also carried out of the chimney and give rise to complaints from residents
in the vicinity.
My furnaces are built in pairs, supporting a multitubular boiler between them,
with flues arranged to pass the smoke and gases direct through the tubes and round
the boiler, and the draight is maintained by means of steam jets, or a fan, or other
well known forced draught methods.
The furnaces have feeding hoppers at the back for charging with refuse and the
clinker is taken out in front.
The smoke and gases with any particles of fine dust which may have escaped
from the furnaces, are carried forward into a main flue and passed into a condenser
or through a by-pass flue into a chimney.
The condenser consists of an iron casing circular or square in shape, having a
number of trays inside, and in the centre of each tray a large aperture to allow
the smoke and gases to pass upward. Round each aperture or opening a lip is
formed so that each tray will hold a certain depth of water; over each of the said
openings and iron hood is placed having a serrated edge dipping into the water
contained in the tray under it, and thus forming a water seal, and the smoke,
gases and particles of fine dust are made to pass through such water seal in each
tray.
The top of the condenser is provided with a perforated plate, and pipe, so that
the water entering the condenser will first fall in a kind of shower and afterwards
pass from tray to tray over the lip edges round the apertures or openings aforesaid,
until it finally reaches the bottom of the condenser.
Manholes are provided in the sides of the condenser, to allow of the removal of
the dust and soot accumulating in the trays and at the bottom. Cocks are attached
for drawing off water for testing purposes, and provision is also made for testing
the temperature and pressure. In connection with the outlet from condenser, a fan,
air pump or other exhaust apparatus is provided to assist if necessary, the passage
of the smoke and gases through the condenser.
When in operation the furnaces are first made hot by burning: selected refuse or
ordinary fuel, and the gases are passed through the boiler into the by-pass flue and
chimney, until steam is raised in the boiler, then the forced draught is brought into
use and the by-pass closed by means of a damper, and the furnaces fed with towns
refuse the damper leading to the condenser opened, when the smoke and gases with
particles of dust, pass in at the bottom of the condenser. The smoke and gases
then pass through the lowest tray under the hood and through the water seal,
leaving upon the tray part of the particles of dust, soot, sulphur and other matter
contained in the smoke and gases, the smoke &c. in diminishing volume, then

page_text: ascends to the second hood and is washed in a similar manner on a second water
tray, and again subjected to like treatment on a third tray, finally passing through
the shower of water before reaching the atmosphere.
The size of the condenser. and number of trays must be determined by the
number and size of the furnaces and the arrangement of the furnaces with steam
jets or other forced draught must be devised to suit the description of the refuse
and local circumstances.
Although the furnaces are built in pairs, provision is made for working them
singly or together.
The surplus steam generated may be used for driving clinker grinding mills,
dynamos, machinery for washing road slop or sweepings, or for other useful
purposes.
I thus provide against the escape of smoke, offensive gases and particles of fine
dust. I generate steam to create forced draught under special conditions, and by
placing the boiler between each pair of furnaces, I insure a better utilisation of the
heat produced in the furnaces.
WM. WEAVER..
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Furnaces and Apparatus for the Treatment
of Towns' Refuse, and Means for Utilizing the Waste Heat
therefrom.
WILLIAM WEAVER Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers Kensington
Town Hall London, W. 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 :-
The object of my invention is to make refuse furnaces more compact and to
prevent the escape of smoke and offensive gases, and the passing of fine dust into
the atmosphere, and at the same time provide an improved means of utilizing the
heat produced.
Furnaces now employed in burning towns refuse, usually require high chimney
shafts and at times the smoke and gases emitted are offensive; particles of fine
dust are also carried out of the chimney and give rise to complaints from residents
in the vicinity.
My furnaces are built in pairs supporting a multitubular boiler between them
with flues arranged to pass the smoke and gases, direct through the tubes and round
the boiler and the draught is maintained by means of steam jets, or a fan or other
well known forced draught methods.
The furnaces have feeding hoppers at the back for charging with refuse and the
clinker is taken out in front.
The smoke and gases with any particles of fine dust which may have escaped
from the furnaces are carried forward into a main flue and passed into a condenser
or through a by-pass flue into a chimney.
•
The condenser consists of an iron casing circular or square in shape having
a number of trays inside, and in the centre of each tray a large aperture to
allow the smoke and gases to pass upward. Round each aperture or opening a
lip is formed so that each tray will hold a certain depth of water; over each
of the said openings an iron hood is placed having a serrated edge dipping into
the water contained in the tray under it and thus forming a water seal, and the
smoke, gases and particles of fine dust are made to pass through such water seal in
each tray.
The top of the condenser is provided with a perforated plate and pipe so that
the water entering the condenser will first fall in a kind of shower and afterwards
pass from tray to tray over the lip edges round the apertures or openings aforesaid
until it finally reaches the bottom of the condenser.

page_text: Manholes are provided in the sides of the condenser to allow of the removal of
the dust and soot accumulating in the trays and at the bottom. Cocks are attached*
for drawing off water for testing purposes and provision is also made for testing
the temperature and pressure. In connection with the outlet from condenser, a
fan, air pump or other exhaust apparatus is provided to assist if necessary the
passage of the smoke and gases through condenser.
When in operation the furnaces are first made hot by burning selected refuse or
ordinary fuel, and the gases are passed through the boiler into the by-pass flue and
chimney until steam is raised in the boiler when the forced draught is brought into
use and the by-pass closed by means of a damper and the furnaces fed with towns
refuse and the damper leading to the condenser opened, when the smoke and gases
with particles of dust pass in at the bottom of the condenser. The smoke and
gases then pass through the lowest tray under the hood and through the water seal
leaving upon the tray part of the particles of dust soot sulphur and other matter
contained in the smoke and gases. The smoke &c. in diminishing volume then
ascends to the second hood and is washed in a similar manner on a second water
tray and is again subjected to like treatment on a third tray, finally passing through
the shower of water before reaching the atmosphere.
The size of the condenser and number of trays must be determined by the
number and size of the furnaces, and the arrangement of the furnaces with steam
jets or other forced draught must be devised to suit the description of the refuse
and local circumstances.
Although the furnaces are built in pairs, provision is made for working them
singly or together. The surplus steam generated may be used for driving clinker
grinding mills, dynamos, machinery for washing road slop or sweepings or for other
useful purposes.
I thus provide against the escape of smoke, offensive gases and particles of fine
dust. I generate steam to create forced draught under special conditions and by
placing the boiler between each pair of furnaces, I insure a better utilization of
the heat produced in the furnaces.
In order that my said invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect, I attach drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation on line A. B. Figure 2.
Figure 2 represents a general plan of the apparatus.
In Figure 1, a is the interior of the furnace shewing the fire brick arch band
the fire bars cover an ashpit d. The drying hearth is marked e and the feeding
hopper f, the outlet for products of combustion, with damper is at g and the steam
boiler with steam chest ; the flues passing round boiler are shewn at k and the
boiler tubes; the main flue is shewn in section at m, the opening to condenser at n,
the condenser o; hoods with serrated edges are shewn at 7 covering openings in
the trays with lips at r. The hoods are supported by the screws attached to a
levert which is made to move them by means of a regulating spindle u worked by
a hand-wheel v.
The water enters through pipe t, and a is a perforated plate; y the outlet
opening from condenser. is a damper in the main flue.
In Figure 2 the interior of furnaces is shewn by dotted lines a¹ and the furnace
doors at . Door for cleaning boiler tubes and flues is shewn at cl, the feeding
hopper f the boiler with steam chest the main flue at m¹ and n¹ opening into
condenser o. Lever t with hand-wheel v' for adjusting the serrated hoods inside
the condenser, and y' the outlet from condenser. is the main flue damper and
is the damper in by-pass flue. is the chimney and c a flue door.
The method of working my furnaces is as follows,―
Towns refuse is fed into the hoppers f and f' and as required by the process of
burning it is discharged into the furnaces upon the drying hearths e and afterwards
drawn upon the fire grate c and c where clinkers are formed and withdrawn at
intervals through the furnace doors b¹. The ash-pits dare closed by iron doors
and a steam jet or fau is attached to create a draught, and the power used is

page_text: derived from the steam generated in boiler h and h¹. I have not shewn details of
the forced draught as any known means, such as Meldrums, Hockings, Donkins
fan or blower or ordinary steam jets may be employed.
The products of combustion pass in the direction shewn by arrows in Figure 2
to the lower part of the condenser and enter at n and n¹ shewn in both figures;
they rise under the lower hood q¹ and then dip through the serrated edges and pass
into and through water held upon the lower tray 'p. The depth of water through
which the smoke and products of combustion must pass, is regulated by lifting or
lowering the hoods by means of the screws lever taxle u and hand-wheel t.
screws will allow each hood to be adjusted separately so that q' may dip more or
less than or q³.
The
The gases pass from 'p tray top tray and then to 3p tray and afterwards
through the perforated plate a meeting beneath same a shower of water falling
through the perforations in the said plate. If deemed necessary a layer of coke
or other material may be spread upon the upper surface of the perforated plate
to still further purify the smoke before it passes out at the top of the condenser.
The water used in condenser is supplied through pipe w. The products of
combustion not retained in the condenser pass out at the opening y and y'. The
draught may be assisted by connecting the outlet y and y' at the top of the con-
denser with a fan, blower, steam jet or other known apparatus, and if needful such
apparatus may be placed in main flue m and m¹ between the condenser and
furnaces.
The manholes for cleaning out the dust and soot and the cocks for drawing off
water, may be placed in any convenient positions in the sides of the condenser.
When starting the furnaces the damper shewn at z and z' may be closed and the
damper opened, in order to create chimney draught until steam is generated in
the boiler and ¹ and these dampers may be adjusted at any time during operations
in accordance with the fires and the quality of refuse being burned.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is;
Furnaces and apparatus as shewn and described and for the purposes specified.
Dad thin 7th day of Anabox 1002