Improvements in and relating to Motors Actuated by Hydrocarbon and other Volatile Fluids.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left. 25th July, 1889-Accepted, 21st Sept., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Motors Actuated by Hydrocarbon
and other Volatile Fluids.
I ALPHONSE REIS in care of Messieurs E. Bede & Cie. 37 Rue Philippe le Bon
Brussels in the Kingdom of Belgium, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to engines in which the motive power is derived from vapour
having sufficient elastic or expansive force at a low temperature for instance below
100 degrees Centigrade as is the case with the vapour of suitable hydrocarbons, spirits
or ethers or certain other liquids.
The improvements relate principally to the prevention of the cooling and conden-
sation of the vapours previous to and during their use in performing the work
required.
The motor comprises the following main parts:
1. A tubular generator adapted to volatilize (or practically so) .the liquid which is
driven therein continually during the operation of the motor.
2. A cylinder with suitable slide or other valve and piston for receiving the vapour
and utilizing the elastic or expansive power thereof.
.
3. A tubular condenser for condensing by surface the exhaust vapour immediately
after the stroke so as to combine the vacuum produced by the condensation with the
expansive force of the live vapour.
4. A feed pump for forcing the liquid condensed into the bottom of the generator
in a regular manner adapted to the requirements of the machine."
The slide valve is driven back and forth by a rotary cam calculated according to the
cut off required. This cam is fixed upon a shaft traversing the wall of the slide box
passing through a stuffing box preferably constructed as hereinafter described said
shaft having a continuous rotary movement. The stuffing box above mentioned is
constructed in the usual manner except that the bottom of the box is shaped as a
hollow cone and the shaft carries integral with it a conical flange resting in said hollow
conical bottom.
The generator may be formed in any desirable form and of a tube or tubes of any
metal and of any diameter. It may be replaced by any other suitable form having the
same heating surface without being constructed of tubes.
The cylinder and valves thereto and the generator are all encased in a closed
chamber or tank filled almost entirely with water or other suitable liquid maintained
at a temperature approaching boiling point.
This water or liquid may be heated by the injection or passage of steam derived
from any suitable source or by a current of water or liquid heated in a special boiler
connected to the tank.
The condenser is fed with a current of cold water entering below and passing out
heated at the top. The current provided for heating the generator should on the
contrary pass from above downwards.
The feed pump is driven by an eccentric from the main shaft of the machine but the
gear controlling the pump therefrom is contrived so that the stroke of the pump and
consequently the liquid delivered thereby can be varied to suit the rate of working
desired. By this means, a better regulation of speed is obtained than by the means
n use heretofore in such engines.
The lubrication of the interior moving parts of the engine is effected by dissolving
uitable oils in the motive fluid.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Motors Actuated by Hydrocarbon
and other Volatile Fluids.
I ALPHONSE REIS in care of Messieurs E. Bede & Cie. of 37 Rue Philippe Le Bon
Brussels in the Kingdom of Belgium 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 relates to engines in which the motive power is derived from elastic
or expansive force of vapour produced at a low temperature from suitable hydrocarbon
spirits or ethers or other liquids.
The improvements relate principally to the prevention of the cooling and condensa-
tion of the vapours previous to and during their use in performing the work
required.
Referring to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1. is a sectional elevation,
Fig. 2 an elevation looking to the other side and Fig. 3 a sectional end view of a
motor constructed according to my invention.
The motor comprises the following main-parts :
1). A tubular generator A adapted to volatilize instantly the liquid, which is driven
therein continually during the operation of the motor. 2) A cylinder B with suitable
slide-valve D and box Cor the like, and piston, for receiving the vapour and utilizing
the elastic or expansive power thereof. 3) A tubular condenser E for condensing
by surface the exhaust vapour immediately after the stroke so as to combine the
vacuum produced by the condensation with the expansive force of the live vapour.
4). A feed pump F forcing the liquid condensed into the bottom of the generator, in a
regular manner adapted to the requirements of the machine. 5) The slide valve,
which is driven back and forth by a rotary cam G calculated according to the cut off
required. This cam is fixed upon a shaft traversing the wall of the slide-box passing
through a stuffing-box preferably constructed as hereinafter described, said shaft
having a continuous rotary movement imparted by an endless chain H or by an
intermediate shaft.
The tubular generator may be formed in any desirable form, and of a tube or tubes
of any metal and of any diameter. It may be replaced by any other suitable form
having the same heating surface without being constructed of tubes.
The cylinder and valves thereto and the generator are all encased in a closed
chamber or tank I filled almost entirely with water or other suitable liquid maintained
at a temperature approaching boiling point.
The condenser is fed with a current of cold water entering below and passing out
heated at the top. The current provided for heating the generator should on the
contrary pass from above downwards.
The feed pump is driven by an excentric K from the main shaft of the machine, but
the gear controlling the pump may be contrived so that the stroke of the pump and
consequently the liquid delivered thereby can be varied to suit the rate of working
desired. By this means a better regulation of speed is obtained than by the means
in use heretofore in such engines.
The cylinder B and its valve D as well as the tubular generator A are encased
completely in a closed chamber or tank I, forming a double enclosure, of which the
space between is filled either with boiling water, or with steam serving for the purpose
of heating and giving the maximum of temperature for maintaining the vapour of
the ether at its proper temperature, and also to overheat it a little, so that it may be
thoroughly dry, during working the water or steam for heating passes into the tank
containing the instantaneous generator A; this generator can be placed either under-
neath the machine as indicated in the drawing or alongside.
The condenser E is fed by a cold-water-current entering from below and leaving in
a heated state from above, flowing in reverse direction to the ether-vapour, in order
to attain the maximum of cooling with the minimum of water.

page_text: The feed pump F is worked by an excentric K keyed to the shaft of the machine;
the motion transmission of the excentric to the pump can be arranged direct or by the
medium of a side-lever L, according to the construction of the machine. A governor M
is placed on any part of the machine, and works a valve which regulates the delivery
of the feed-pump and in consequence the production of steam as well as the power and
the speed of the machine, since the tubular generator A being always empty, the pro-
duction of vapour takes place instantly by the injections of ether, and the stoppage of
the feed pump, causes naturally an almost immediate stoppage of the machine, In
order to regulate the speed of the machine in a more instantaneous manner.
The dimensions of the steam-pump F are different to those of a feed-pump of a
steam-engine; the others having generally a very low boiling-point, it is almost im-
possible to obtain with the natural cold water (except perhaps in the winter) a
complete condensation of its vapour; I therefore use a much larger pump than the
one which would be necessary for pumping ether in a liquid state, in order to suck at
the same time the light vapours and even the air, which might be within the condenser ;
in this manner I preserve in the condenser a sufficient empty space and I reduce the
quantity of water to be condensed to a minimum.
This arrangement also permits me to work with very volatile gases and with a far
less quantity of cooling water.
The machine which is the object of this invention works in the following manner :
I use any source of heat; I conduct the source of heat at disposal into the double-
mantle of the cylinder, from there into the tank containing the tubular generator.
When all parts of the machine, within which the vapour has to work, have reached a
sufficient temperature, I introduce a certain quantity of other into the tubular
generator by means of a small hand-pump O, this small pump draws like the feed
pump from the bottom of the condenser; into which has been introduced a quantity of
volatile liquid, estimated at about a litre per one horse power. At the time of
the introduction of the ether a certain quantity of mineral oil is added for lubricating
purposes.
The ether introduced into the tubular generator vaporizes instantaneously and pro-
duces a pressure in accordance with the temperature of the tubes; the machine is
now ready to be started; for doing this it suffices to open the regulator-valve P, the
vapour travels into the distribution box, then into the cylinder, where it drives the
piston forward and sets the machine going; each side of the cylinder is put alternately
in communication with the condensor, the used up vapour condenses therein, the liquid
coming from the condensation is taken up again by the feed pump, which now starts
to work by the motion of the machine, the feed-pump injects the liquid into the
generator A where it is re-vaporized to work again within the cylinder B and thus
indefinitely in a cycle.
The important peculiarity of my motor is that all parts within which the ether
vapour has to work have the maximum temperature of this vapour and that therefore
the latter instead of condensing partly by expansion and by loss of heat due to
surfaces, not only maintains its normal temperature, but even dries up, which allows of
working with a long expansion and a long compression thus a large saving of fuel is
effected from this combination, besides which the shocks within the cylinder are
completely avoided.
The automatic greasing is done by the carrying along of the oil by the ether vapour,
the speed of the current of which is larger, in consequence of the limited. section of
the tubes compressing the ether generator.
From time to time one withdraws from the bottom of the condenser (when the
machine is at rest) the oil and ether thickened and blackened by long working. For
the mixture of the ether and the oil the proportions may vary considerably according
to circumstances and according to the nature of the ether.
The stuffing boxes R R R in the machine are made double with an intermediate
chamber S communicating with the condenser by a small tube T, this arrangement
assures perfect tightness and allows the machine to be worked during a long space of
time without appreciable loss of ether.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
In engines driven by the elastic force of the vapour of liquids of low boiling point
as set forth
1. A generator adapted to be heated substantially as herein described.
2. The method of encasing the generator and engine as herein described.
3. The surface condenser constructed as herein described and illustrated..
Dated this 25th day of Tul.. 1000
HERBERT & Co.,
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C., Agents to Applicant.
HERBERT & Co.,
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C., Agents to Applicant.