Improvements in Apparatus for Purifying Feed-water from Air and Fat and Equalizing the Temperature of the Water in Boilers.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 11th June, 1838
Complete Specification Left, 11th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 13th Apr,
1889
Improvements in Apparatus for Purifying Feed-water from Air and
Fat and Equalizing the Temperature of the Water in Boilers.
1, ERNST LECHNER, of Jageisberg No. 20 Kiel, kingdom of Prussia, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows.
The object of my invention consists in the purification of water containing air and
fat, especially of water obtained by the condensation of exhaust steam, and designed
to be used as feed-water for steam-boilers, and in the equalization of the temperature
of the water in the boiler.
For this purpose I employ an apparatus comprising a vessel having a number of
tubes (to be termed heating-tubes) extending vertically or obliquely downward there-
from and closed at the bottom, a chamber for collecting the air and fat arranged at
the top of the vessel, and means of communication between the feed-pipe and the
heating-tubes whereby the feed-water is introduced into the said tubes at or near their
bottom, the tubes being made of sufficient width so that the water will slowly ascend
within them. Preferably the feed-water is conducted into the tubes by means of an
extension of the feed-pipe passing into the vessel and having branch-pipes that dip
into the tubes. The apparatus is placed in the boiler in such position that the said
Tessel and the heating-tubes are surrounded by water, a pipe is conducted from the
top of the collecting-chamber to a cock outside of the boiler, and the vessel is put in
communication with the water-space of the boiler, this communication being established
by a pipe reaching down to near the bottom of the said space, in case the construction
of the boiler is such that the water in the lower portion of the same is heated less than
in the upper portion.
When the boiler is working and the feed-pump in operation, the impure feed-water
passes through the branches of the feed-pipe into the heating-tubes, and as it rises
therein, its temperature is raised by the heat of the surrounding water. The increase
of temperature thus produced causes the air to separate out from the water and the

page_text: fat to collect in drops, both the air and the fat ascending and passing into the collecting-
chamber from which they are blown off at intervals, while the water passes in purified
and heated state into the boiler. Besides, if in boilers of the aforesaid construction
the feed-water is introduced near the bottom, the temperature of the water in the
boiler will be equalized.
Improvements in Apparatus for Purifying Feed Water from Air and
Fat and Equalizing the Temperature of the Water in Boilers.
I ERNST LECHNER Engineer of Kiel in the Kingdom of Prussia and German
Empire 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:-
The object of my invention consists in the purification of water containing air and
fat especially of water obtained by the condensation of exhaust steam and designed to
be used as feed water for steam boilers and in the equalization of the temperature of
the water in the boiler.
For this purpose I employ an apparatus comprising a vessel having a number of
tubes (termed heating tubes) extending vertically or obliquely downward therefrom
and closed at the bottom a chamber for collecting the air and fat arranged at the top
of the vessel and means of communication between the feed pipe and the heating tubes
whereby the feed water is introduced into the said tubes at or near their bottom the
tubes being made of sufficient width so that the water will slowly ascend within them.
Advantageously the feed water is conducted into the tubes by means of an extension
of the feed pipe passing into the vessel and having branch pipes that dip into the tubes.
The apparatus is placed in the boiler in such position that the said vessel. and the
heating tubes are surrounded by water a pipe is conducted from the top of the
collecting chamber to a cock outside of the boiler and the vessel is put in communica-
tion with the water space of the boiler this communication being established by a pipe
reaching down to near the bottom of the said space in case the construction of the
boiler is such that the water in the lower portion of the same is heated less than in
the upper portion.
ปี
1

page_text: When the boiler is working and the feed pump in operation the impure feed water
passes through the branches of the feed pipe into the heating tubes and as it rises
therein its temperature is raised by the heat of the surrounding water. The increase
of temperature thus produced causes the air to separate out from the water and the fat
or grease to collect in drops both the air and the fat ascending and passing into the
collecting chamber from which they are blown off at intervals while the water passes
in a purified and heated state into the boiler. Besides if in boilers of the aforesaid
construction the feed water is introduced near the bottom the temperature of the water
in the boiler will be more nearly equalized
And in order that my said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into practice I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying
sheet of drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a side view partly in section Figure 2 a transverse section and
part end view, and Figure 3 a plan partly in section of apparatus arranged and con-
structed in accordance with my invention Figures 4 and 5 show transverse and
longitudinal sections of a boiler having my improved apparatus applied thereto
The supply pipe A (of the apparatus) to the boiler leads to the inner inlet pipes B
each of which carries a number of distributing tubes C the latter descends into an
equal number of heating tubes D the upper open end of each of which is secured to a
chamber E which is the real separator This separator has at the top an air chamber F
to collect the eliminated air and grease and is fitted with a discharge pipe while at
bottom the discharge pipe for the purified feed water G is attached to it. The outlet
of this pipe is at the deepest point of the steam boiler and is either slit or perforated
or of blast pipe shape. The latter form is indicated in the diawing by dotted
lines.
In the interior of the separator or chamber E at about the middle between the two
apertures for the air chamber and the feel water discharge pipe an angular bent
plate K is fitted which on the one hand is intended to support the walls of the separator
against each other and on the other impede the flow-off of the upper strata of water
containing fat or grease.
If the construction of the boiler should not admit of a vertical arrangement of the
heating tubes D on the chamber E the heating tubes D must be arranged in an
oblique and lateral direction in the chamber E
The tubes B are at both ends perforated at top inside the chamber E where several
small holes are drilled into it so that the air which is sometimes eliminated or collected
in the pipe B may escape direct into the chambers E and F.
The apparatus is so arranged and constructed as to enable the separate parts to be
easily disconnected and introduced through the usual man hole of a steam boiler.
The apparatus is fixed to the bracings in the interior of the boiler in such manner
that the neck of the air chamber may be placed as near as possible at the surface of
the water the latter being at its normal height.
The inlet boiler tube A is now connected by means of a conduit of pipes with the
openings at the mouths of all the feed valves existing on the boiler (In the working
sketch of the drawing two such valves are shown at the boiler main wall next to the
fire boxes) The discharge pipe of the air chamber is carried through the front wall
of the boiler where it is shut off by means of a tap as shown at Figure 5.
The object of the apparatus is in the first place the better preservation of ship's or
marine boilers The wear to which these boilers are subject is due as is well known to
the fact that the feed water obtained by means of surface condensors contains remnants
of the lubricating oil from the cylinders besides sometimes a considerable quantity of
atmospheric air.
Another object of this apparatus is such that the low temperature of the quantity of
water remaining below (underneath) the fires which caused hitherto the uneven
expansion of the upper and lower parts of the boiler thus giving rise to continuous

page_text: leakages in the lower rivet seams is prevented. The apparatus in question is intended
to remedy, these two principal defects in modern ships or marine boilers in such a
manner that on working the boiler the feed water propelled by the feed pumps into the
apparatus and distributed through the heating tubes D in consequence of the great
total sectional area of these tubes rises very slowly and is heated by the water in the
boiler surrounding it owing to which the air is expelled and eliminated in the form of
small bubbles
These eliminated air bubbles and the other air infused into the feed water mechani-
cally as also the fatty or greasy parts or matter rise (in consequence of their smaller
specific weight) quicker upward and are collected in the air chamber from which they
are allowed to escape from time to time through the discharge pipe by opening the
tap placed at top of the front wall of the boiler while the feed water freed from the
said substances and heated almost to the same degree as that of the water in the boiler
is projected through the tube G into the lowermost parts of the boiler. Hence the
apparatus works automatically as soon as the boiler is put into action and the feeding
apparatus commences to work.
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 19:-
1. An apparatus to be placed into the interior of a steam boiler and to be connected
with all the feeding arrangements of the boiler by means of tube conduits, the said
apparatus consisting in the main of the connection of the metal chamber E with a
number of heating tubes D the number of which depends upon the construction and
dimensions of the boiler an air chamber F with discharge pipe a discharge tube G
discharging into the lowermost point of the boiler and interior inlet pipes B and
distributing pipes C the number of which is to be commensurate with that of the
heating tubes in such manner that the feed water projected by the various feed appara-
tus of the boiler into the inlet pipes B and led into the heating tubes D by means of
the distributing tubes C must pass first through these heating tubes D then through
the chamber E and lastly through the discharge tube G while it is being heated at the
same time by the hot water of the boiler surrounding it and liberated from air and
grease which collect in the air chamber so that at last it arrives purer and warm in the
lowermost parts of the boiler and the entire apparatus therefore acting automatically
as an air and grease separator and equaliser of the temperature of the water for steam
boilers substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
2. The improved arrangement and construction of apparatus for steam boilers for
separating air and grease from the feed water of condensation and also for equalizing
the temperature of the water in boilers all substantially in the manner and for the
purposes herein before described and illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
Boted tha 11th ov
March RRU
Doted tha 11th dow
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Patentee.