RETURNING EXHAUST STEAM TO THE BOILER
Year: 1884

page_text: I JOSEPH HARRISON ADAMS 34 Fullerton Road, Wandsworth Surrey, Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for RETURNING EXHAUST
STEAM TO THE BOILER to be as follows:-
It is a well established fact that in the steam engine there is a vast disproportion
between the force liberated by the fuel and that which is given out by the engine
only about being given out and the remainder lost, the principal cause of this
excessive waste lies in the fact that the heat of the exhaust steam is dissipated in
the atmosphere or lost in the condenser. If the steam is exhausted into the
atmosphere at 20 lbs pressure every pound of this steam has 1156° of heat (taking
the actual temperature at 259° and the latent heat at 897°). Therefore if the
steam or the greater portion of it, can be returned to the boiler the greater portion
of the heat (force) will be returned and this source of waste in a great measure
avoided. This is what I accomplish in the present invention.
I do so by utilizing the dynamic force of the exhaust steam. It is obvious that
no advantage whatever could be realized (if it could be done) by returning it by
the force of the engine. I discharge the exhaust steam into a surface condenser-
the exhaust pipe having it's diameter contracted as it enters the surface condenser.
Opposite the exhaust pipe in the surface condenser and in a line with it is a cone
which is in communication with the boiler; this has a valve opening into the
boiler. From the engine the steam rushes into the opposite cone which is in
communication with the boiler. As the exhaust steam enters the partial vacuum
of the surface condenser it is free to exert it's dynamic force which is sufficient to
overcome the opposing boiler pressure.
The nature of the force which the steam exerts while it propels the piston and
that which it exerts in the exhaust pipe is totally different.
In the former it
exorts an equal pressure in every direction but in the latter it exerts a force only
in the direction of it's exit-in the one case it is a static force in the other a
dynamic force.
It is thus that I obtain a complete circuit of the steam-from the boiler to the
engine and thence back again through the condenser to the boiler.
There may be some overflow from the receiving cone which is in communication
with the boiler. This will be condensed by the surface condenser. But whatever

page_text: the amount may prove to be, if any, the area of the cooling surface must be in
proportion to the steam required to be condensed in accordance with established
principles. Whatever condensed steam may be formed is returned to the boiler
either by the exhaust steam or a jet from the boiler.
It follows from the above
1st As the steam, or the greater portion of it, does not require to be re-evaporated
the grate surface, heating surface, and general dimensions of the boiler will be
reduced to a very large extent with a corresponding decrease in the consumption
of fuel.
2nd That when the boiler has been supplied with it's proper quantity of water it
requires no further feeding but the supply remains constant.

page_text: I JOSEPH HARRISON ADAMS, of 34 Fullerton Road, Wandsworth, in the County
of Surrey Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of iny Invention for RETURNING
EXHAUST STEAM TO THE BOILER, 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 is to return the exhaust steam of any steam motor to
the boiler or generating vessel without previously condensing such steam.
I carry my invention into effect by causing the exhaust pipe of any steam engine
to communicate with a surface condenser and by providing such condenser with an
injection pipe leading to the boiler or steam generator. The orifices of the two
pipes are so situated that the issuing jet of exhaust steam plays into the mouth of
the injection pipe across the interior of the condenser. The exhaust pipe is
preferably of a slightly conical forin so as to accelerate the velocity of discharge,
and the injection pipe is also preferably of conical form so as to form an expanding
chamber in which the entering steam may exert a statical pressure upon the valve
opening into the boiler as distinguished from the dynamical energy that causes it
to enter the chamber. 1 furthermore shape the mouth of the injection pipe in the
form of a vena contracta or other suitable form with the view of reducing any
overflow round the entering jet of steam to a minimum. Whatever steam overflow
takes place is condensed by the action of the condenser and the water thus formed
may be fed into the boiler by a suitable injector operated oither by the jot of steam
already mentioned or by a separate jet from the boiler.
The action of this apparatus obviously requires a preliminary blow through of
steam to expel the air before turning on the condensing water and beginning work.
It is also obvious that the blow off valve of a cylinder or other working vessel may
be connected with either the exhaust pipe or condenser.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1 An apparatus for utilizing the dynamic force of exhaust steam as a means of
returning such steam to the steam generator substantially as specified.
2. The combination in such apparatus as aforesaid of suitably shaped discharge
and injecting tubes separated from each other by a vacuum chamber substantially
as specified.
151004