IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONDENSING STEAM AND FOR REFRIGERATING FLUIDS GENERALLY, ALSO APPLICABLE FOR HEATING SUCH FLUIDS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONDENSING STEAM AND FOR REFRIGERATING
FLUIDS GENERALLY, ALSO APPLICABLE FOR HEATING SUCH FLUIDS." A com-
munication from abroad by Dr. Otto Braun, of Berlin, in the German'
Empire.
.
Sealed the 13th February, 1880, and dated the 6th September 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th September 1879.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex. . "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONDENSING
STEAM AND FOR REFRIGERATING FLUIDS GENERALLY, ALSO APPLICABLE FOR.
HEATING SUCH FLUIDS." [A communication from abroad by Dr. Otto Braun, of
Berlin, in the German Empire.]
This Invention has more particularly reference to the condensation of steam
when mixed with other non condensible vapours. Such steam is not readily con-
densed in the ordinary construction of surface condensers, because when the layer of
steam that is in immediate contact with the refrigerating surface has become
condensed to water there still remains the layer of the non condensible vapour that
was mixed therewith, which being a bad conductor of heat prevents the next layer
of steam from being effectually condensed by the refrigerating surface.
The present Invention has for its object an improved construction of condensing
or refrigerating apparatus which not only affords the greatest possible extent of
cooling surface in a given space, but which also presents the steam or other fluid
to be condensed or cooled in exceedingly thin layers to the refrigerating surfaces,
so that all portions of such fluid sball come into immediate and effectual contact
therewith.

page_text: For this purpose a closed chamber has projecting downwards or inwards from
the top or one of its sides a number of tubes open at their attached end, and closed
at their other end, such tubes being arranged very close together so that only very
narrow spaces intervene between them, and in order to enable the tubes to be
effectually secured with their open ends in the tube plate so as not to weaken the
latter unduly by the great proximity of the holes formed therein the necks of the
tubes are made of smaller diameter than the other part, so that they assume a flask
like shape.
Through such open ends of the tubes pass pipes of small diameter, extending
inward to near the closed ends of the tubes, where they are open, and communicating
at their other ends with a chamber or receptacle formed at a certain distance
beyond the tube plate, into which the cold water or other refrigerating liquid is
made to pass, and whence it consequently finds its way down through the small
pipes to the closed ends of the tubes, and then up again through the annular space
between the pipe and the tube, issuing through the necks of the latter into the
space between the tube plate and the inlet chamber, from which it is conducted
away through a branch pipe.
The refrigerating or condensing chamber has near the tube plate a lateral branch
pipe, through which the steam or other fluid to be acted upon enters, so that this
in passing in between the exceedingly narrow spaces between the tubes is brought
into intimate contact in very thin layers with the cooled surfaces, and in the case
of steam or other condensible vapour becomes effectually condensed; flowing off
through a branch pipe at bottom, while any non condensible vapours mixed there-
with are led away through another branch pipe.
The spaces between the tubes may be made of perfectly uniform width by making
the tubes of triangular, quadrangular, or hexagonal section, or if they are made of
circular or other section the spaces may be made approximately uniform by intro-
ducing rods of corresponding. section into those portions of the spaces that are of
greater width than the others.
The refrigerating tubes may either be all of the same length, or some may be of
greater length than the others.
The apparatus may be employed with equal advantage for heating fluids by
causing heated air, water, or other fluid to pass through the tubes in the same
manner as above described, the fluid to be heated being made to pass into the
chamber so as to come in contact with the outer surface of the tubes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd
March 1880.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONDENSING
STEAM AND FOR REFRIGERATING FLUIDS GENERALLY, ALSO APPLICABLE FOR
HEATING SUCH FLUIDS." A communication from abroad by Dr. Otto Braun, of
Berlin, in the German Empire.
This Invention has more particularly reference to the condensation of steam
when mixed with other non-condensible vapours. Such steam is not readily con-
densed in the ordinary construction of surface condensers, because when the layer
of steam that is in immediate contact with the refrigerating surface hasbecome
condensed to water there still remains the layer of non-condensible vapour that
was mixed therewith, which being a bad conductor of heat prevents the next layer
of steam from being effectually condensed by the refrigerating surface.
The present Invention has for its object an improved construction of condensing
or refrigerating apparatus, which not only affords the greatest possible extent of
cooling surface in a given space, but which also presents the steam or other fluid to
be condensed or cooled in exceedingly thin layers to the refrigerating surfaces, so
that all portions of such fluid shall come into immediate and effectual contact
therewith.
For this purpose a closed chamber has projecting downwards or inwards from the top,
or one of its sides a number of tubes open at their attached end and closed at their other
end, such tubes being arranged very close together so that only very narrow spaces
intervene between thein, and in order to enable the tubes to be effectually secured
with their open ends in the tube plate so as not to weaken the latter unduly by
the great proximity of the holes formed therein the necks of the tubes are made of
smaller diameter than the other part, so that they assume a flask like shape.
Through such open ends of the tubes pass pipes of small diameter, extending inward
to near the closed ends of the tubes where they are open, and communicating at
their other ends with a chamber or receptacle formed at a certain distance beyond
the tube plate, into which the cold water or other refrigerating liquid is made to
pass, and whence it consequently finds its way down through the small pipes to the
closed ends of the tubes, and then up again through the annular space between the
pipe and the tube, issuing through the necks of the latter into the space between
the tube-plate and the inlet chamber, from which it is conducted away through a
branch pipe.
The refrigerating or condensing chamber has near the tube plate a lateral
branch pipe, through which the steam or other fluid to be acted upon enters, so
that this in passing in between the exceedingly narrow spaces between the tubes
is brought into intimate contact in very thin layers with the cooled surfaces, and in
the case of steam or other condensible vapour becomes effectually condensed, flowing
off through a branch pipe at bottom, while any non-condensible vapours mixed
therewith are led away through another branch pipe.
The spaces between the tubes may be made of perfectly uniform width by making
the tubes of triangular, quadrangular, or hexagonal section, or if they are made of
circular or other section the spaces may be made approximately uniform by intro-
ducing rods of corresponding section into those portions of the spaces that are of
greater width than the others.
-
The refrigerating tubes may either be all of the same length, or some may be of
greater length than the others.
The apparatus may be employed with equal
advantage for heating fluids by causing heated air, water, or other fluid to pass
through the tubes in the manner as above described, the fluid to be heated being made
to pass into the chamber so as to come in contact with the outer surface of the tubes.

page_text: .
·
Fig. 1 shews a vertical section of the above described improved apparatus; Fig. 2,
3, and 4 shew respectively sectional plans on the lines a, b, c, d, and e, f, of Fig. 1.
.In Figs. 5 and 6, shewing pipes of other than circular section, the upper half of each
Figure is a sectional plan on a, b, and the lower half is a sectional plan on c, d.
L is the condensing vessel having an inlet H for the steam or vapour, an outlet I
for the uncondensed gases or vapours, and an outlet K for the condensed liquid.
From M the tube plate forming the cover of the vessel L hang the tubes C in the
manner of what are known as field tubes. Above the plate M is an open cistern D,
having at as low a level as possible a lateral outlet E for the heated condensing
water. In the upper part of the cistern D or above it is situated the vessel Å
supplying the condensing water. From the bottom of this vessel extend the pipes B
(which are open at their lower ends) down, into, and nearly to the bottom of the
tubes C, one pipe in each tube. It is preferred to make the pipes B of material
which is a bad conductor of heat, caoutchouc for example. As indicated by the
arrows in Fig. 1, the cold water supplied to the vessel A. descends the pipes B and
ascends the annular spaces in the tube C to the cistern D, whence it escapes by the
outlet E, whilst the steam or vapour entering the condenser L by the inlet H
becomes condensed by its contact with the surfaces of the tubes C, and the liquid
product of condensation issues by the outlet K, such gases or vapours as remain
uncondensed escaping at I. The tubes Care, as shewn, contracted at their mouths
so that a large number of them may be fitted in the tube plate M without impairing
its strength (as shewn in Fig. 2, and that the spaces in the condenser between
the tubes may be as narrow as possible (as shewn in Fig. 3) for the purpose of
exposing the steam or vapour in thin sheets to their cooling action. By employing
tubes of hexagonal section, as shewn in Fig. 5, or of square or rectangular section,
as shewn in Fig. 6, may be obtained subdivision of the steam or vapour into films
uniformly thin. A similar effect may be obtained when tubes of circular section
are employed by introducing in the spaces between the tubes rods R, as shewn in
the part sectional plan, Fig. 7, and these rods may be round, as shewn, in one part
of the Figure, or of triangular section, as shewn in the other part of the Figure.
The tubes C may extend to various depths in the condenser, some of them, as C¹,
reaching nearly to the bottom, and others being shorter so as to leave more space
at the bottom for the liquid resulting from condensation, which liquid may be cooled
by the longer tubes. The apparatus may obviously be employed for cooling gases
or liquids, or, when arranged horizontally, for heating them. In the latter case the
vessels A and D are closed, and the fluid to be heated follows the course of the
water used for condensation. Several sets of the apparatus may be combined to
act in succession, the fluid to be cooled or heated passing through them in one order,
while that which cools or heats passes through them in the reverse order.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I
claim,―
First. The use for condensing steam and for réfrigerating fluids, and also for
heating fluids, of apparatus presenting an extended heat-conducting surface in the
form of tubes closed at the bottom, projecting from a tube plate into a vessel, and
having within them circulating pipes constructed and operating substantially as
herein described with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In apparatus of the kind referred in the preceding claim, contracting the
mouths of the tubes so that a large number of these mouths may be accommodated
in the tube plate without impairing its strength, whilst the tubes themselves have
a large surface and narrow.spaces between them, substantially as herein described.

page_text: Third. In apparatus of the kind referred to in the first claim, the use of tubes of
other than round form, so as to present between them narrow and approximately
uniform interstices for the subdivision into films of the fluid surrounding them,
substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6.
Fourth. In apparatus of the kind referred to in the first claim, the combination
of round tubes with rods R occupying portions of the spaces between the tubes,
substantially as herein described with reference to Fig. 7.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Denton Abel, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
CHA. D. ABEL. (L.S.)