Improved Means and Apparatus for Generating Steam and Purifying the Water employed therefor.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 4th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 7th Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means and Apparatus for Generating Steam and Purifying
the Water employed therefor.
I, DRUITT HALPIN of No. 17 Victoria Street, Westminster, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object improved means and apparatus for generating
steam whereby firstly I am enabled with an ordinary boiler of comparatively small
size and power to produce a large store of motive power of which a large or a
comparatively small portion may be utilised at one time without affecting the
economical working of the steam generator, and secondly I am enabled to effectually
purify the water before it enters the steam generator proper and thus preserve the
latter from all injury from deposits.
For this purpose I employ in combination with any suitable known form of steam
any convenient
generator a reservoir or auxiliary boiler of large capacity placed in
position and I connect such reservoir with the steam generator by a pipe reaching
up to a certain height above the bottom thereof so that, assuming the reservoir to
be partly filled with water the steam generator will be entirely so filled, while the
steam space will be formed by the upper part of the reservoir. I connect the lower
part of the reservoir also with the lower part of the steam generator, by a pipe so
that the water will descend into the steam generator from the reservoir through
the last named connection, while the steam and hot water produced in the steam
generator will rise into the reservoir through the first named connection.
Furthermore I introduce the feed water, which may be previously heated to any
required degree, into the lower part of the reservoir, and I take off the steam
required for consumption from the steam space of the latter. Thus the action of
the apparatus so arranged will be as follows. The feed water, in entering the
reservoir charged with hot water and steam, will deposit practically the whole of its
impurities in the bottom thereof, so that the steam generator will remain practically
free from deposit.
The steam generator will be continuously worked to its full power, and conse-
quently in the most economical manner possible, and such economy will be largely
increased by the absence of all deposits which in ordinary tubular steam generators
prevent their being worked at a high rate of duty.
The reservoir, receiving and storing up in its large capacity the whole of the
steam generated in the generator, is rendered capable of giving off either con-
tinuously a power equal to that produced by the steam generator or at times it may
give off considerably less than that power and at other times considerably more,
as not only the power stored in the reservoir but at times also in addition a certain
proportion of the power generated by the generator can be taken off.
The reservoir may either be placed at a higher level or at the same or at a lower
level than the steam generator, and the before described circulation of the water
may be assisted or produced by a pump.
Also, instead of having the steam generator entirely filled with water as described,
the parts may be so arranged that steam spaces are provided both in the reservoir
and in the steam generator.
Also, two or more separate steam generators might communicate with one
reservoir, or two or more reservoirs with one generator.
Dated this 7th day of January 1892.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means and Apparatus for Generating Steam and Purifying
the Water employed therefor.
I, DRUITT HALPIN of No. 17 Victoria Street, Westminster, Engineer, 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:-
My invention has for its object improved means and apparatus for generating
steam, whereby, firstly, I am enabled with an ordinary boiler of comparatively
small size and power to produce a large store of motive power of which a large or
a comparatively small portion may be utilised at one time without affecting the
economical working of the steam generator; and, secondly, I am enabled to
effectually purify the water before it enters the steam generator proper, and thus
preserve the latter from all injury from deposits.
For this purpose, I employ in combination with any suitable known form of steam
generator a reservoir or auxiliary boiler of large capacity placed in
any convenient
position, and I connect such reservoir with the steam generator by a pipe reaching
up to a certain height above the bottom thereof so that, assuming the reservoir to
be partly filled with water, the steam generator will be entirely so filled, while the
steam space will be formed by the upper part of the reservoir. I connect the lower
part of the reservoir also with the lower part of the steam generator, by a pipe so
that the water will descend into the steam generator from the reservoir through
the last named connection, while the steam and hot water produced in the steam
generator will rise into the reservoir through the first named connection.
Furthermore I introduce the feed water, which may be previously heated to any
required degree, into the lower part of the reservoir, and I take off the steam
required for consumption from the steam space of the latter. Thus the action of
the apparatus so arranged will be as follows. The feed water, in entering the
reservoir charged with hot water and steam, will deposit practically the whole of its
impurities in the bottom thereof, so that the steam generator will remain practically
free from deposit.
The steam generator will be continuously worked to its full power, and conse-
quently in the most economical manner possible, and such economy will be largely
increased by the absence of all deposits which in ordinary tubular steam generators
prevent their being worked at a high rate of duty.
:
The reservoir, receiving and storing up in its large capacity the whole of the
steam generated in the generator, is rendered capable of giving off either con-
tinuously a power equal to that produced by the steam generator, or at times it
may give off considerably less than that power and at other times considerably
more, as not only the power stored in the reservoir but at times also in addition a
certain proportion of the power generated by the generator can be taken off.
The reservoir may either be placed at a higher level or at the same or at a lower
level than the steam generator and the before described,circulation of the water
may be assisted or produced by a pump.
Also, instead of having the steam generator entirely filled with water as described,
the parts may be so arranged that steam spaces are provided both in the reservoir
and in the steam generator.
Also, two or more separate steam generators might communicate with one
reservoir or two or more reservoirs with one generator.
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings show longitudinal and horizontal
sections of one of my arrangements for thermal storage. 1, is the generating boiler,
containing a flue 2; 3, 3, show two thermal storage receivers working in connection
with the boiler 1. In this arrangement water is introduced into the thermal
storage receivers 3 by means of the pipe 4, which preferably projects the water

page_text: downwards. 5, in Fig. 2 are loose vertical partitions extending somewhat above
the level at which the water is introduced into the thermal storage receivers, and
approximately dividing the contents of the lower part of each receiver into two
equal parts. 6, in Fig. 2 are similar loose partitions sub-dividing one half the arca
of each thermal storage receiver. The feed water is introduced into one of the
quadrants 7 thus formed, and, owing to the high temperature which it meets with
there, impurities are quietly deposited at the bottom of the thermal storage
receivers. From the other quadrants 8, Fig. 2, the pipes 9 supply the circulating
pump 10, which forces the water through the pipe 11, into the boiler 1. The
water is received at the back of the boiler, traverses the whole length of the boiler
towards the front, and is discharged through a suitable stop valve 12, and pipe 13
back into the larger compartiments 14 of the thermal storage receivers 3.
The boiler is under these conditions always kept full of water, and is preferably
made somewhat tapering, the larger diameter being towards the upper end. The
boiler is also preferably slightly inclined, so as to prevent any lodgment of steam,
the whole of the thermal effect produced being carried off by the water circulating
through the boiler. 15 is a manhole and 16, a safety valve. The steam for
working the engines is taken from the thermal storage receivers by pipes 17,
provided with stop valves 18, and suitable blow-off cocks and manholes are of
course arranged on the thermal storage receivers, which are well covered with any
efficient non-conducting material.
The tops and bottoms of the thermal storage receivers are shewn corrugated to
resist the pressure without requiring girders or stays; but this of course may be
modified in any desired practical manner.
When working according to this arrangement the boiler, the thermal storage
receivers and the engines may be working at approximately the same pressure, or
a higher pressure may be kept up in the boiler, and receivers than is used at the
engines, should this at times be found desirable.
Figs. 3 and 4 show another arrangement of working my thermal storage system.
18 represents an ordinary battery of Lancashire boilers, supplying steam to the
engines they drive through the steam pipe 19, furnished with stop valve 20. When
the thermal storage system is in use the feed is introduced into the thermal storage
receiver 21, by means of the feed pipe 22, and steam is taken from the boilers
through the steam pipes 23 and their stop valves, and is delivered into the thermal
storage receiver 21, through the nozzles 24, thus bringing the water contained in
the thermal storage receiver 21, up to the same temperature and pressure as exists
in the boilers 18. The boilers 18*, are fed from the thermal storage receivers by
means of the pipe 25, supplying the pump 26, and delivering the feed water into
the boilers by the feed pipe 27, and the clack boxes 28. The feed pipe 25 reaches up
some distance above the bottom of the thermal storage receiver 21, so that the
whole of the deposit of impurities which takes place in the thermal storage
receiver, owing to the rise of temperature, may be kept in the receiver without
passing into the boiler, suitable means being provided for expelling this deposit
from the cylinder at proper times in any convenient manner.
The thermal storage receivers are of course clothed with an efficient non-
conducting material, to reduce the radiation to the least possible amount.
Although I have shown certain forms and numbers of boilers and thermal
storage receivers by way of example, it is to be understood that these may be
varied in form, numbers and positions.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would have it understood
that make no general claim to the use in connection with a steam boiler of an
additional space which may be charged with water or steam for the temporary
supply of extra power, but what I claim is :-
1. In the working of steam boilers for supplying heat or power varying from
time to time, transmitting such excess of the power furnished by the boilers at any

page_text: time over the demand at that time to thermal storage receivers, from which power
is taken at times when the demand exceeds that which the boilers can supply,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. For working steam boilers in the manner above referred to, the combination
with a boiler or boilers of one or of several thermal storage receivers, which are
supplied with feed water, and which, by means of a pump or other forcing
apparatus, are made to deliver water to the boilers and to receive steam and hot
water therefrom, substantially as described.
3. In thermal storage receivers such as are above referred to, delivering the feed
water at such levels and under such conditions, that impurities are deposited from
the water in the receivers themselves without passing to the boilers, substantially
as described.
Doted thin 1th dor of Datcher 1809
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.