IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLICATION OF PETROLEUM AND OTHER HYDROCARBON OILS FOR THE PURPOSE OF FILTERING OR PURIFYING THE WATER IN STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER VESSELS, AND IN APPARATUS THERE- FOR."
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Jensen, of 33, Chancery Lane, London, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLICATION OF PETROLEUM AND OTHER
HYDROCARBON OILS FOR THE PURPOSE OF FILTERING OR PURIFYING THE
WATER IN STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER VESSELS, AND IN APPARATUS THERE-
FOR." A communication from abroad by William Major, of Copenhagen, in
the Kingdom of Denmark, Engineer in the Royal Danish Navy.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Jensen at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th January 1877.
"
PETER JENSEN, of 33, Chancery Lane, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLI-
CATION OF PETROLEUM AND OTHER HYDROCARBON OILS FOR THE PURPOSE OF
FILTERING OR PURIFYING THE WATER IN STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER VESSELS, AND
IN APPARATUS THEREFOR.' (A communication from abroad by William Major, of
Copenhagen, in the Kingdom of Denmark, Engineer in the Royal Danish Navy.)
"
The main object of this Invention is to purify the water in steam boilers while
such boilers are in use, and thus to prevent what is technically called priming in
steam boilers; to prevent incrustation on and partly also corrosion of their interior
parts, thereby producing greater economy in the production and application of
the steam, and lessening or preventing the danger of the collapsing or other dete-
rioration of or damage to certain interior parts of steam boilers.
Another object of this Invention is the purification of water generally for manu-
facturing and other purposes, such, for instance, as for dyeing, bleaching, or other
manufacturing purposes.
For dyeing purposes, especially, hard water is not suitable till the inorganic
matters therein contained are removed, and hard water containing sulphate of lime
and magnesia is unsuitable for the generallity of manufacturing purposes. The so-
called lime method of filtering is difficult of application, because the exact quantity
of lime is not easily determined, neither is the object of softening the water fully
attained thereby.
According to this Invention the aforesaid objects are attained in a safe and con-

page_text: venient manner by the application of petroleum or other similar hydrocarbon oils,
all as herein-after described.
In the case of marine and other boilers the petroleum or other hydrocarbon oil is
introduced in suitable and regulated quantities into the boiler while in action
together with the feed water when desired or required. By this means the organic,
inorganic, and other impurities are precipitated or thrown down, and thereby the
priming is prevented or checked. For this purpose a closed iron or other metallic
storing tank is used, which is filled with the mineral oil by means of a pipe
descending or led to the bottom of the tank, and there, by preference, provided with
perforations. This pipe is closed by cock, or valve, or tight fitting screwed cover,
and is provided with filling funnel. The tank is placed in the engine room or place
convenient thereto, and as it is quite closed no danger is incurred thereby. Another
pipe is led to the bottom of the tank and connected to a regulating valve apparatus,
connected either directly on to the top of tank, or to the feed pump, donkey
engine, injector, or other appliance for supplying the boiler with water. This valve
apparatus or pipe therefrom may be connected to the suction pipe of the feed water
apparatus, but it is preferred to attach it directly on to the valve box of the feed
pump or other feed appliance; it is fitted with a valve which closes the passage to
the tank, but which lifts when the apparatus is opened to the feed pump; this
opening is effected by a stop-cock or valve of suitable construction, but by pre-
ference so that it can be set to a graduated index, whereby the quantity of mineral
oil used can be regulated. When this cock or valve is opened the oil flows into the
feed pump, commingled or commingling with the feed water, and is thence forced
into the boiler, spreading therewith throughout the boiler, filtering the water of the
organie, inorganic, and other impurities which it may contain; these fall to the
bottom, whence they may be blown off in the usual manner; the steam is thereby
greased also.
Instead of filtering the water of its organic, inorganic, and other impurities in the
steam boiler itself, the mineral oil may be applied to filter the water of the said
impurities under heat and pressure before it passes into the steam boiler or other
vessel for manufacturing purposes requiring to be supplied with water void of
impurities. For this purpose the mineral oil is forced into the filtering tank or
vessel while the water in the latter is exposed to heat and to steam or other
pressure, the said filtering tank being of course made to withstand such pressure.
For railways such tanks may advantageously be placed at stations where the
locomotives take water.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Peter Jensen in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th July
1877.
PETER JENSEN, of 33, Chancery Lane, London.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLI-
CATION OF PETROLEUM AND OTHER HYDROCARBON OILS FOR THE PURPOSE of
FILTERING OR PURIFYING THE WATER IN STEAM BOILERS AND OTHER VESSELS, AND
IN APPARATUS THEREFOR." (A communication from abroad by William Major, of
Copenhagen, in the Kingdom of Denmark, Engineer in the Royal Danish Navy.)
The main object of this Invention is to purify the water in steam boilers while
such boilers are in use, and thus to prevent what is technically called priming in
steam boilers, that is, the mixture of watery particles with the steam in the steam
space, whence they pass into the engine along with the steam; also to prevent
incrustation or undue formation of stony scale on the interior parts of steam boilers;
and also to prevent corrosion or oxydation of same, thereby producing greater
economy in the production and application of the steam, and lessening the danger
of the collapsing or other deterioration of or damage to certain interior parts of
steam boilers.

page_text: Another object of this Invention is to purify or filter water in the course of or
before being supplied to steam boilers; or, generally, to filter or purify water which
is to be applied to manufacturing or other purposes where water freed from organic
and inorganic impurities is to be applied.
According to this Invention the aforesaid objects are attained in a safe, efficient,
and convenient manner by the application of rectified petroleum or other similar
hydrocarbon oils, by preference without admixture of other oily or fatty bodies, and
as applied directly to steam boilers in as pure or rectified condition as commercially
possible or convenient. By this means the organic, inorganic, and other impurities
contained in the water are thrown down, and the priming is prevented or checked.
The petroleum is introduced into the boiler itself in suitable and regulated quan-
tities while the boiler is in use or with steam up, and by preference together with
the feed water. The Inventor has found a marked difference in the application of
various qualities of petroleum; thus, on the one hand, he has found that heavy
hdrocarbon oils used as lubricants in the engine, and thence passing into the boiler,
although suitable for checking priming in the boiler and otherwise useful in the
engine and condenser, are partly deposited in the boiler in certain parts, thereby
in some cases causing danger, inasmuch as they or their heaviest parts commingle
with and permeat or coat the calcareous deposit or scale, say, on the fire-boxes in a
marine boiler, and thereby render the said scale impervious to water, and by pre-
venting the access of water to the iron surface beneath such scale produce over-
beating of the plate, causing weakness of same and sometimes collapsing of the
fire-box crowns. When using light or more or less rectified petroleum, however, no
such permeating or coating of the scale with heavy petroleum or their residuals
takes place, more especially as regards rectified petroleum; moreover, as all not
rectified qualities of petroleum contain more or less of such heavy parts, the Inventor
has found it best for direct injection in the boiler to use pure rectified petroleum,
which is volatile, and quick and powerful in its action on the water in the steam
boiler, which water thereby becomes entirely lubricated in all its parts, and probably
more especially where the heat and steam production is greatest, and where conse-
quently there are most steam globules which really require the lubrication in order
to avoid the priming, which, according to the Inventor's views, simply is caused by
friction between the steam globules and the water through which they ascend or
pass. Petroleum that is heavy ordinary, not rectified petroleum, has heretofore often
been proposed to be applied by direct injection into steam boilers for the purpose of
checking or preventing priming, but pure, light, or rectified petroleum has not here-
tofore it is believed been applied to this purpose; in fact, of late years very heavy
petroleum oil produced artificially has been used extensively as a lubricant in the
marine engine, and thus found its way into the boiler, as aforesaid. For the purpose
of carrying this part of the Invention into effect, namely, a safe and convenient
mode of supplying steam boilers with petroleum, a closed iron or other metallic
storing tank is used, which is filled with the mineral oil (by preference rectified).
This tank is placed in the engine room or place convenient thereto, and as it is
quite closed no danger is incurred thereby; in fact, not so much as by the use of
petroleum lamps and cans.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a vertical section through such a tank
with its appurtenances and other parts required and suitable for a marine or sta-
tionary boiler.
A is the tank for holding the petroleum, and B is the pipe for filling it; this
latter is here shewn with a hinged lid and bell mouth, or it may be fitted with a
screwed cap and loose funnel, or it may have a fixed funnel with a cock or valve
below it. The pipe B descends to the bottom, and has a strainer below to prevent
the accidental entry of impurities, or the funnel may be formed or provided with a
sieve or strainer for the saine purpose. C is another pipe leading to the bottom of
the tank; the upper end of this pipe is connected to a regulating valve apparatus,
connected either directly on to the top of the tank A, as here shown, or to the feed
pump, donkey engine, injector, or other appliance for supplying the boiler with

page_text: water, or in any intermediate position. D is the valve apparatus, which is fitted
with a valve d which closes the passage to the pipe C and tank A, but which
lifts when the apparatus is opened to the feed pump. E represents the valve
box of a feed pump, or donkey engine. pump, or hand pump, and g is the pipe
connection with the valve apparatus D; the latter may be placed or connected
directly against the valve box E, instead of on the tank A, as here shown; or it
might be connected to the suction pipe of same. e is a stop-cock (or it might be a
screw-down or other shut-off valve or cock) for opening, shutting, and regulating
the admission of petroleum to the feed water pump; this cock or valve may be
fitted with a graduated index, whereby the quantity of petroleum to be used can be
regulated. When this cock e is opened partly or fully the oil flows from the tank A
into the feed pump valve box E (or its suction pipe), and commingles with the feed
water therein; from the valve box E the water and oil commingled in the required
proportion is forced into the boiler, wherein the oil quickly spreads throughout the
same (as ascertained by drawing off a certain small test, quantity of water and also
stean), and filters the water of the organic, inorganic, and other impurities which it
may contain; these fall to the bottom, whence they may be blown off from time to
time in the usual manner; as the water becomes permeated therewith (and probably
those parts most where the heat is greatest), the water becomes greased, and the
steam globules also which ascend through same, thus as a primary object doing away
with, or checking, or preventing priming, all according to the quantity of petroleum
used and the quality of same, and also by the solvent and deoxydising action of
the petroleum preventing incrustation and corrosion in the boiler.
The feed water may doubtless, if in a very hot state, to some extent be acted upon
by the petroleum while on its way to the boiler, so that it arrives there in a more
or less filtered state, especially if time is allowed for this passage; and the impurities
in the water may be partly thrown down beforehand if the pipe is suitably formed
-or provided with a settling chamber or equivalent appliance, which may be blown
off occasionally as required.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of a petroleum tank placed or formed in the water
tank of a locomotive tender.
F is the water tank, and A the petroleum tank therein, thus placed for con-
venience and safety. B is the filling pipe closed by a cap. C is the pipe leading to
the valve apparatus D, which is here shown slightly different from that shewn at
Figure 1 (but one is as suitable for either purpose as the other, only the one shown
at Figure 2 is simpler in construction). The valve d is regulated as to its stroke or
lift by means of the screw handle e, which in this apparatus serves the same purpose
as the cock or valve e at Figure 1; when more or less raised it allows the valve d
to lift. The pipe g communicates with the water suction pipe G, passing down in
the water tank F of the tender. E is the pipe leading to the injector, or feed pump,
or donkey pump of the locomotive, or the common suction pipe for them all. When
any one of these feed appliances is in action, water is drawn from the water tank F
and petroleum from the petroleum tank A, the two liquids commingling in the
pipe E, and passing through the feed pump or other feed appliance into the loco-
imotive boiler. The feed water, if in a very hot state, arrives there in a more or less
filtered state, so that the impurities may settle either in a settling chamber before
coming into the boiler, or in the lower part of the boiler itself.
The pipe E may be made and used as a settling chamber, and its form modified
accordingly.
When the petroleum containing feed water comes in the boiler, the petroleum acts
quickly and powerfully on the water therein, as before described, or the tender itself
may be made strong enough to bear the necessary pressure, and the filtering take
place in it.
Instead of, as just described, filtering the water more or less in the steam gene-
rator itself, and there throwing down the inorganic, and organic, and other impurites
which have not been thrown down already while passing along with the hot feed
water to the boiler, the petroleum or any other mineral hydrocarbon oil may be

page_text: applied to filter or purify the water of the said impurities before it is passed into
the steam boiler, or in fact any other vessel requiring to be supplied with water
void of impurities, or, more generally expressed, to be used for manufacturing pur-
poses. According to this Invention the water is efficiently filtered while subjected
to heat and pressure, and by the application of petroleum or other mineral oil the
impurities are thrown down before coming into the steam boiler to the bottom of
the filtering vessel, and are thence blown off or otherwise removed as required. For
the purpose of carrying out this part of this Invention the mineral oil is forced or
placed into a filtering tank or vessel charged or continuously feed with the water to
be filtered, the said water being exposed to heat and pressure; this may conveniently
be done by steam pressure, and the vessel must of course be made strong enough to
withstand it.
For filtering the water which is to be used, say, for locomotives, a common cylin-
drical stationary boiler is all that is required, its capacity being sufficient for the
purpose.
If a boiler of a given heating surface and power is to be supplied with filtered
water, the filtering vessel need only have hardly one-third the heating surface or
power of the boiler to be supplied, because the water is not to be evaporated, in fact
all that is required is that the water in the filtering tank or boiler is to be raised to
a temperature sufficiently high to separate the organic and inorganic matters in the
water, which takes place at the boiling point of water or thereabouts; at this tem-
perature it is found that the carbonic acid in the water evaporates and liberates the
carbonate of lime and magnesia which are held in suspension, and these two latter
then fall down to the bottom of the filtering boiler or tank. The acids that hold
the sulphate of lime cannot evaporate, but they are also precipitated. As however
in many cases a raised tank will have to be provided above the level of the bottom
of the filtering boiler, a steam pressure will then be required for forcing the filtered
water up into such raised tank, as also for driving a feed pump, or injector, or other
feed appliance, and for blowing off the earthy sediments. The petroleum or other
mineral oil being introduced into this filtering tank, either intermittently or con-
tinuously, but by preference the latter, the consequence is that the cohesion of the
particles of the water is destroyed, whereby the carbonic acid is set free, the preci-
pitation of the lime and other substances is at the same time hastened, and, lastly, the
adhesion of any of the particles to the boiler itself is prevented. The sediments are
blown off as fast as they are collected at the bottom of the boiler without stoppage
for this purpose; all corrosions or oxydations are also prevented.
The water storing tanks now used at railway stations may be used for holding
the filtered water, a pipe fitted with a cock or valve, say, near the end of the filtering
boiler being led into it.
By the application of petroleum or other mineral oils in the manner described, it
becomes possible to filter or purify large masses of water in a quick and perfect way,
incrustations and corrosions with their attendant evils are avoided, and all the
advantages as regards economy of fuel and the lessening of the wear and tear of the
boiler and parts connected therewith are attained.
For purifying or filtering water for manufacturing and other purposes, such, for,
nstance, as for dyeing and bleaching, the process described is especially suitable.
For dyeing purposes hard water is not suitable till the inorganic matters therein
contained are removed, and hard water containing sulphate of lime and magnesia
s unsuitable for the generality of manufacturing purposes. The so-called lime
method of filtering is difficult of application, because the exact quantity of lime is
not easily determinable, neither is the object of softening the water fully attained
hereby.
And having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of this Invention,
declare that I claim as the herein-before described improvements,-
Firstly. The application of petroleum and other mineral oils to steam boilers, sub-
tantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

page_text: Secondly. The filtering of water under heat and pressure by means of petroleum
and other mineral oils, substantially as set forth.
Thirdly. Supplying petroleum and other mineral oils to steam boilers by means of
apparatus constructed and operating substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Jensen, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Eleventh day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
PETER JENSEN. (L.S.)