Improvements in Steam Generators.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Aug., 1890-Accented. 11th Oct., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Generators.
I, DARWIN ALMY, of 183 Hope Street, Bristol, in the County of Bristol, State of
Rhode Island, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM GENERATORS," 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 the class of steam generators.
known as pipe boilers, in which pipe coils are connected with the water at or below
the furnace and with the steam above the furnace, so that a large area of heating
surface is exposed to the heat of the furnace and a steam generator having great
steam producing capacity and occupying a small space is produced.
The object of this invention is to so construct a steam generator that the pipes or
tubes exposed to the most intense action of the heat of the fire shall have a rapid
circulation of the water through such pipes or tubes; that in the pipes or tubes not
exposed to the most intense heat the circulation of the water shall be less rapid; that
the steam and water shall be effectually separated, the feed water thoroughly heated
by the waste products of combustion, and the sediments collected in a pocket or
pockets, below the fire, from which the same may be blown off from time to time.
To this end the invention consists in the peculiar and novel construction of the side
pipes by which they are made to extend over the fire in a loop and are connected
with the steam and water space of the boiler, thus allowing freedom for the expansion
or contraction of the pipes.
The invention further consists in the novel arrangement of the end pipes, by which
they are made to extend forward and backward over the loops of the side pipes and
are connected with the front of the steam chamber. Also in the novel arrangement
of the coils of pipe for heating the feed water placed above the steam generating
pipes, so as to absorb the heat from the waste products of combustion, and connected
with the water space of the generator. It further consists in the novel construction
of the steam and water separator and the novel use of a check valve, as will be more
fully set forth hereinafter.
In steam generators constructed of pipes or tubes placed in groups so as to secure
a very large heating surface in a small space, the excessive heat acting on the pipes
directly exposed to the furnace frequently causes such rapid generation of steam as to
force the water into opposite directions, the pipes thus exposed become highly heated,
they expand and cause the breaking of the joints, pipes or fittings. To avoid
this I place a check-valve into the water chamber and construct all parts of the
generator so as to permit all parts to expand and contract without straining the joints
or fittings.
Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional plan view on the line E-F on Figure 4.
Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional plan view on the line A-B of Figure 3.
Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line C-D of Figure 4, and
Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view longitudinal through the centre of the
generator.
and
Figure 5 is a cross section of a modified form of my improved steam generator,
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of the same.
Similar numbers of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the drawings.
The number 6 indicates a manifold water-chamber enclosing three sides of the
furnace, namely, the two sides and the rear of the furnace. The manifold 6 is
provided with two rows of nipples spaced alternately as is clearly shown in the

page_text: drawings. The vertical side pipes 7 and 8 are secured to the nipples of the
manifold 6 and form the sides of the furnace, the pipes 7 being nearer the fire and
the pipes 8 are placed between the pipe 7 on the outside nipples of the manifold.
The pipes 9 and 10 forming the end of the furnace are also secured to the manifold
by the nipples, the pipes 9 being secured in the row of nipples near the fire end,
the pipes 10 to the row of nipples placed between the pipes 9 on the other side of
the manifold.
Each of the two front ends of the manifold 6 is provided with the inlet 11. The
rear portion of the manifold 6 is provided with the sediment collector, consisting of
the pendant chamber 13 with which the blow-off pipe 14 is connected. The U-shaped
manifold 6 rests on the supports 45 protected on the top and inner side by any.
suitable non-conducting material covered by sheet metal so as to form the ashpit 15.
The grate 16, filling the rectangular space between the sides of the manifold 6,
separates the ashpit from the furnace. The number 17 indicates the manifold steam
chamber, which, like the manifold 6, forms three sides of an oblong or square. It
is placed above the steam generating pipes in a position the reverse of the position
of the manifold 6, the part connecting the two sides is placed in front and the
ends or the open part of the U are placed in the rear, the nipples, which in the
manifold 6 project upward, in the manifold 17 project downward.
The side pipes 7 and 8 extending upward from the manifold 6 to a height that
will be sufficient to form a combustion chamber or furnace, enter the elbows 18
from which the horizontal pipes 19 project over the furnace. The bends 20 connect
the horizontal pipes 19 with the horizontal pipes 21, which, by means of the
elbows 23, are connected with the vertical pipes 23 or 24, which pipes are connected.
by means of screw-threads, or in any other suitable manner, with the manifold 17
forming the steam chamber of the generator.
1
The water therefore in these side pipes 7 and 8, when the generator is in opération,
rises through the pipes 7 and 8, passes over the furnace nearly to the centre through
the pipes 19, through the bends 20 and the horizontal pipes 21 and 'then into the
pipes 23 or 24 where the steam enters the steam space in the manifold 17, as is clearly
shown in Figure 3.
I
The rear pipes 9 and 10 extend upward to a point above the loops formed by
the pipes 19 and 21 where they enter elbow fittings from which the pipes 25
extend forward across the loops of the side pipes, entering at the forward and
bent. fittings from which the pipes 26 extend to the rear end of the generator where
the pipes are connected by the usual bent fittings with tlie forward extending
pipes 27, the forward ends of which are provided with the usual elbow fittings and
connected with the manifold 17 by means of the short nipples 28, as is clearly shown
in Figure 4. The water in the pipes 25, 26 and 27 is not exposed to so intense a
heat as the water in the loops formed by the pipes 19 and 21, but is exposed to the
heated gases for a longer time.
The pipes 29 in the inner corners of the manifold 6 form a straiglit column
connecting with the last inner opening in the ends of the arms of the manifold 17,
forming a rigid support for the same.
The steam from the manifold 17 enters the steam dome 30 through the spiral
passage 31, giving to the passing steam a whirling motion by which the water carried
over by the steam is separated therefrom. This separation is greatly facilitated by
extending the partition 32 so as to form two passages, one leading to the centre of
the steam dome 30 open above and below to allow the steam to escape freely, and
the other to the opening 33 by which the water is discharged. The steam dome 30
rises above the horizontal cylinder 34 extending across the width of the steam
generator. This cylinder 34 is of considerable diameter so as to hold a considerable
quantity of water and expose a considerable surface of the water, thus allowing the
steam contained in the water to rise freely without lifting the water. The horizontal
cylinder 34 is connected with both ends of the manifold 6 by the pipes: 35, elbow
fittings 36 and the inlet nipples 11.

page_text: The feed water is supplied to the generator, by means of a pump or injector,
through the pipe 37 connecting with the continuous pipe coil, consisting of three
rows of pipes so connected by bent fittings that the feed water has to traverse all
the pipes in the three coils until it reaches the elbow fitting 39 connected with the
T-shaped fitting 40 from which the two pipes 41 extend to the opposite sides of the
generator, where, by means of the usual elbow fittings, they are connected with
pipes 12 secured in the outer corners of the manifold 6.
The whole generator is enclosed in a suitable casing, preferably consisting of non-
conducting material, or a poor conductor of heat protected by a sheet metal casing.
The generator may be set in brick-work in the usual manner.
To enable others to more fully understand the construction, its object and the
practical use of my improved steam generator, I will now describe the operation of
the same.
The steam generator being filled with water to the water line, as shown
in the horizontal cylinder 34 in Figure 4, and the fire burning with natural or
forced draught on the grate 16, the direct radiated heat of the fire is exerted on
the vertical pipes 7, 8, 9 and 10 and the horizontal pipes 19, the heated gases pass
around the pipes 21, and as the pipes 25, 26 and 27 extend at right angle across
the spaces between the pipes 21 and 22, as is clearly shown in Figure 2, the heated
gases are broken up and envelop the pipes 25, 26 and 27 successively, thus retarding
the exit of the heated gases. As a very large amount of heating surface is crowded
into a small space, the gases are now reduced in temperature so that they woult
have but little beneficial effect on additional steam generating surfaces, but to utilize
the gases more fully the feed water is now exposed in the pipes 38 to the action of
the heated gases before the same escape by the chimney 44, and to this comparatively
cold feed water the escaping gases surrender the heat yet contained in the same to a
greater or less extent according to the fierceness or slowness of the draught.
The operation of the water and the steam in the interior of the generator is a
continuous circulation through all parts of the generator excepting the feed water heater.
In this class of steam generators the water supply should be continuous, the pump or
injector should force into the generator just the quantity of water required to con-
tinnously supply the desired quantity of steam. This feed water passing through the
coil of pipes 35 exposed to the escaping gases becomes heated and enters the manifold
through the pipes 42 at the rear corners of the manifold 6, the water rises over the
heated surface of the side and rear pipes and through the horizontal looped pipes.
The water and steam enter the manifold 17, where, owing to the larger area, the flow
of the combined water and steam is less rapid, a partial separation of the steam and
water takes place, the partially separated steam and water pass from the manifold 17
into the steam dome through the spiral passage, where, by the swirling motion induced
by the circular road or channel of the passago the water is thrown against the outer
surface, is separated from the steam by the projecting partition 32, the steam enter
the steam dome and the water passes through the opening 33 into the horizontal
cylinder 34, as the centre of the spiral passage is open above and below some of the
water carried by the steam enters the steam space in the cylinder 34 and the steam
dome with the steam, but separates freely owing to the large steam space in the
cylinder 34 and the steam dome 30, so that nothing but dry steam is drawn from the
upper outlet of the steam dome.
As in this class of steam generators the water is always raised with the steam, the
circulation must be complete, the horizontal cylinder 34 is therefore connected with.
the manifold 6 by large pipes so that the water can flow freely downward to supply
the water raised with the steam.
Sediment collects in such a generator only in the quietest corners of the same. It
is obvious that the least circulation of the water is in the middle of the rear portion of
the manifold 6 where the chamber 13 is placed. By blowing off the contents of this
chamber from time to time, preferably at short intervals, the generator will be kept
lean and bright oven with muddy or salt water.
In the modified form shown in Figures 5 and 6, the pipes forming the steam

page_text: generator proper are connected with the water and steam manifolds by the branch
fittings 45, so that four pipes are connected in the fitting and cnly one connection is
male with the steam or water manifold. The steam manifold 17 is made in the shape
of the latter T, the cross arms forming the front part of the steain manifold and the
stem extending from the front rearward over the centre of the generator instead of
along the two sides, as is the case with the U-shaped steam manifold, as shown in
Figure 1. The side pipes S are connected with the pipes 19, extending over the
furnace toward the centre, by the elbows 18 and instead of returning to the sides
through the bends 20 and horizontal pipes 21, (as shown in Fig. 3.) they are connected
by an elbow with the vertical pipes 23 which enter the fitting 45 by which four pipes,
two from each of the opposite sides are united and only one connection is made with
the central steam manifold.
It is evident that tubes may be substituted in all or nearly all places for pipes and
that for the purpose of this specification the term pipes is the equivalent for the termi
tubes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manror the same is to be performed; 1 declare that what I
claim is:-
-
1. In a steam generator, the combination with a water chamber connected by pipes
with the steam chamber and exposed to the heat of the furnace, of a steam dome con-
nected with the steain space by a spiral passage ending in a central space opening into
a horizontal cylinder below the steam dome, and connections between the said horizontal
cylinder and the water chamber below the furnace constructed to separate the steam
from the water, as described.
2. In a steam generator, the combination with the manifold 6 and manifold 17,
of the pipes 7, 8, 19, 21, 23 and 24 constructed to form a loop extending over the
furnace, as described.
3. In a steam generator, the combination with the manifold 6, and manifold 17, and
the side pipes formed in a loop extending over the furnace and connected with both
manifolds, of the rear pipes 9, 10, 25, 26, and 27 connected with both manifolds, the
steam dome 30 and the horizontal cylinder 34 connected with the manifold 6, as
described.
4. In a steam generator, the combination with the manifold 6 and manifold 17, the
side pipes formed in a loop extending over the furnace and connected with both
manifolds, the end pipes connected with the horizontal pipes 25, 26 and 27 and
with the front of the manifold, the steam and water separator connected with the
manifold 17 and the manifold 6, of the feed-water heater consisting of the pipes 38
connected together and with the rear end of the manifold 6, as described.
5. The combination with the manifold 6 and manifold 17, of the pipes 7, 8, 19, 21,
23 and 24 constructed to form the sides of the furnace and extending over the same,
the pipes 9, 10, 25, 26 and 27 connected with the rear water space and with the front
steam space, the pipes 37, 38, 41 and 29 connected with the water space and the steam
dome 30 provided with the spiral passage 31 and connected with the upper and lower
manifolds, as described.
6. The combination with the steam space of a pipe steam generator, of a steam dome
connected with the steam and water chambers, the spiral passage 31, the projecting
partition 32 and water outlet 33 constructed to separate the water from the steam, as
described.
7. In a steam generator, the combination with the water and steam chambers, of
the pipes 7, 8, 19, 21, 23, and 24, the pipes 9, 10, 25, 26 and 27, the pipes 37, 38, 41
and 29, the steam dome 30, the horizontal cylinder 34 and connections 35, 36 and 11,
as described.
8. The combination with the manifold 6, the manifold 17, the side pipes extending
over the furnace in a loop, the rear pipes connected with the pipes 25, 26 and 27 and
with the front of the manifold 17, the steam dome 30, the horizontal cylinder 34

page_text: connected with the manifold 6, and the sediment chamber 13 provided with the blow-
off pipe 14, as described.
D
11
101
1.
D 1000
DARWIN ALMY.
igned in presence of :-
JOSEPH A. MILLER, Jr.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.