Improvements in Motive Power Engines Actuated by the Pressure of Vapour, and in Regulating Devices or Apparatus connected with such Engines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Sept., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 25th May, 1898-Accepted, 10th Sept., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Motive Power Engines Actuated by the Pressure
of Vapour, and in Regulating Devices or Apparatus connected
with such Engines.
A communication to me from CARL OETLING, of 37, Sedanstrasse, Dresden, in the
Empire of Germany, Doctor of Philosophy.
I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the Firm of Edwards and Co., Patent Agents
and Engineers, of 65 and 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to high pressure motive power engines of that kind in
which a liquid of very low boiling point is used, the power being obtained by
utilizing the difference in pressure between the cooled fluid, and the vapour given
off when it is heated.
In the methods heretofore used for applying this principle by vaporizing a
liquid of low boiling point in order to drive a motive power engine, and con-
densing the vapour after its work has been done in the engine, great variations
of pressure occur.
These result in, first, irregular working of the engine, and, second, a danger of
breakage from the suddenness of the increase of pressure. To remedy this, a
regulating device is inserted upon an air vessel in the inlet passage of the gases or
vapour to the motor, and also between the latter and the vaporizing chamber,
which causes to be set in movement a small piston, working in a cylinder, towards
the end of which it is kept pressed by an adjustable spring, the piston as it moves
actuating by a rack, upon its rod, a series of toothed wheels the spindles of which
are connected to the plugs of regulating cocks or throttle valves, by which the
passages into the air vessel and to the engine are throttled as the pressure of the
entering vapour rises and compresses the spring. In this method of construction
and operation, the continual introduction of the fluid medium into the vaporizing
chamber increases the pressure in the latter even up to bursting point.
To prevent this danger it is necessary not only that the temperature should be
quickly lowered, but also that the further introduction of the liquid, by means of
the pump worked by the engine for the purpose, should be partly or entirely
prevented.
The first of these requirements is effected by means of the piston and spring
already described, the former (as the pressure behind it increases) causing the
heated vapour to be throttled and gradually cut off.
The second requirement, that the supply of the circulating medium should be
cut off and little or none of it forced into the vaporizing chamber, is effected by
means of a second regulating device, in which a passage is formed communicating
with the delivery pipe from the pump already described to the vaporizing chamber,
and another passage in the outlet pipe from the exhaust of the engine to the

page_text: condenser. These passages communicate with each other, but are kept separated
by a valve, connected with a small piston in a cylinder (similar to that already
above described) which is kept down by an adjustable spring: If therefore from
the action of the regulator first described, the pressure in the vaporizing chamber
increases, the pressure in the delivery pipe from the pump also increases, and the
valve is opened against the pressure of the spring, and the passages being in this
way connected, the superabundant fluid passes direct into the condensor, and
through the latter into a collecting reservoir below.
Improvements in Motive Power Engines Actuated by the Pressure
of Vapour, and in Regulating Devices or Apparatus connected
with such Engines.
A communication to me from CARL OFTLING, of 37, Sedanstrasse, Dresden, in the
Empire of Germany, Doctor of Philosophy.
I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the Firm of Edwards and Co., Chartered Patent Agents
and Engineers, of 65 and 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, 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, and accompanying drawing, that is to say:
-
This invention relates to high pressure motive power engines of that kind in
which a liquid of very low boiling point is used, the power being obtained by
utilizing the difference in pressure between the cooled fluid, and the vapour given
off when it is heated.
In the methods heretofore used for applying this principle by vaporizing a
liquid of low boiling point in order to drive a motive power engine, and con-
densing the vapour after its work has been done in the engine, great variations
of pressure occur.
The result is, first, irregular working of the engine, and second, a danger of
bursting from the suddenness of the increase of pressure. To remedy this, a
regulating device F (Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing, which is
in illustration of the invention), is inserted upon a chamber M in the inlet passage
of the gases or vapour which pass down through a regulating cock d, to the
pipe d, and thence through the passage h, a branch h¹ from the last-named
passage setting in movement a small piston v, Figure 3, working in a cylinder,
towards the end of which it is kept pressed by an adjustable spring wo, the piston
as it moves actuating by a rack, upon its rod, a series of toothed wheels / the
spindles of which are connected to the plugs of regulating cocks or throttle
valves e and d¹, one of which a cuts off on throttles the heating medium (steam
for instance) which is admitted through e, and after passing through the cock e¹
enters the heating chamber E through the pipe 3. The other cock or valve d
regulates the passage of the gases or vapour to the motor C, as already described.
The greater the pressure of the gases the more is the spring to compressed, & the
more are the heating medium through e, and the heated gases to the motor
through h, throttled by the cocks e &, respectively.
In this method of construction and operation, the continual introduction of the

page_text: fluid medium to be vaporized into the heating chamber E would increase the
pressure in the latter even up to bursting point.
To prevent this danger it is necessary not only that the temperature should
be quickly lowered, but also that the further introduction of the liquid to be
vaporized, by means of the pump B worked by the engine for the purpose,
should be partly or entirely prevented.
The first of these requirements is effected by means of the piston and spring w
already described, the former (as the pressure behind it increases) causing the
heated vapour to be throttled and gradually cut off.
The second requirement, that the supply of the circulating medium to be
vaporized should be cut off and little or none of it forced into the vaporizing
chamber E, is effected by means of a second regulating device D. (Figures 1
and 4), in which a passage is formed communicating with the delivery pipe b
from the pump B already described to the vaporizing chamber E, and another
passage in the outlet pipe from the exhaust of the engine C to the condenser H.
These passages communicate with each other, but are kept separated by a valve p,
connected with a small piston in a cylinder (similar to that already above
described) which is kept down by an adjustable spring s. If, therefore, from the
action of the regulator first described, the pressure in the vaporizing chamber E
increases, the pressure in the delivery pipe 6 from the pump B also increases, and
the valve is opened against the pressure of the springs, and the passages g, g¹
being in this way connected, the superabundant fluid passes direct into the con-
denser H, and through the latter into a collecting reservoir A below.
Figures 5 and 6 show, on a smaller scale, a modified form of the apparatus
shown in Figure 4, the same letters referring to similar parts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
In a motive power engine actuated by the pressure of vapour, the combination
of the two regulating devices D and F, working independently of each other, and
one being inserted between the vaporizing chamber E and the motor C, while the
other is arranged partly between the outlet pipe from the exhaust and
refrigerator, and partly between the pump B and the motor C, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
oril 1
1000
EDWARDS AND Co.,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.