Improvements in Condensers.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 12th May, 1899-Accepted, 29th July. 1899
Improvements in Condensers.
I, WILLIAM HERBERT JONES, of 303, Harvard Street, in the City of Cambridge,
County of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, United States of America,
Paper Maker, 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:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in condensers for condensing
water, and it relates to that class of condensers in which steam is conducted into
the condenser and air conveyed therein from the outside and mixed with the
steam immediately before it passes into the condensing chamber.
The invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts
hereinafter described, whereby the aeration and condensation of the steam
entering the condenser is rendered more perfect, and the process regulated with
exactness and rendered practicable, more especially on a somewhat extended
scale, all as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which;-
-
Figure 1 is a central, vertical section of a condenser and portions of its connec-
tions embodying my invention.
Figure 2 is a section taken on line, Fig. 1.
Figure
3 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on line y-y Fig. 4.
Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical section in detail of the regulating mechanism
at the upper end of one of the steam chambers.
Figure 5 is a horizontal section similar to that indicated in Fig. 2, of a modifi-
cation.
Figure is an enlarged cross section of the air-duct showing the regulating
valve or damper.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts:
A, A represent two vertical, annular steam chambers arranged concentrically,
the inner one enclosing a central vertical cylindrical steam chamber A. These
chambers are of equal height and are so arranged that the annular spaces B
between them are equal in width and constitute water chambers. These
annular chambers A and A' are condensing chambers, and are closed at their
apper ends except for regulating exhaust valves (described below). The water
chambers B are open at the top and closed at the bottom by means of the
orizontal walls B connecting the chambers A, A. The outer wall of the outer
nnular condensing or steam chamber is extended downward and bolted at its
ower end to the contracted portion or ring D of the cylindrical case D which
urrounds and encloses the steam chamber, and is provided with a top D' furnished
ith a suitable outlet d. The outer wall of the annular chamber A has secured
o its outer side the horizontal annular trough E, which is set at about the same
eight as the lower ends B₁ of the water chambers B, and a small tube c extends
rom the bottom of said trough downward and out through the part d' of the
ortion D
The regulating valves at the unber ende

page_text: chambers A, A' consist of the vertical tubes C each provided with opposite open-
ings or ports C¹, said tubes connecting with the interior of the chambers A, A¹,
and the caps C provided with the opposite ports C. By rotating the caps the
ports C and C¹ may, of course, be made to coincide or not as desired.
Fis the pipe through which steam supplied from a suitable boiler enters the
condenser. The portion of the pipe F which is inside the condenser is provided
with a number of vertical branch pipes F¹ which extend from the upper side of
the pipe F and open into the chamber H below the annular chambers A, A¹, B.
A number of pipes K lead into the same chamber above the steam-pipe but
below the upper ends of the pipes 1, each of said pipes K being provided with
a suitable regulating valve or damper K¹. A water pipe L extends into the
casing near its upper end and thence down into one of the water chambers B. A
pipe leads through the bottom of the condenser and enables the distillate to
be drawn off.
E.
In practical operation, steam from a boiler is injected into the chamber H
through the pipe and the series of pipes F, the latter dividing the blast and
directing it upward into the steam chambers A, A At the same time air is
introduced into the chamber H through the air ducts K. The air and steam
are thus mixed in said chamber H and pass up into the steam chambers A, A'
At or about the same time cold water is introduced through the pipe L into one
of the annular water chambers B, and overflowing it flows into the outer chambers
which are also overflowed, so that the water finally overflows all the chambers B
and runs down the outer wall of the chamber A into the trough E and is carried
off by the pipes This continuous flow of water keeps the walls of the steam
chambers comparatively cool so that the aerated steam which is forced up there-
into from the pipes condenses on the inner walls of said chambers A, A' and
runs down said walls into the chamber H, from which the distillate is drawn off
by means of the pipe 1. During this progress the ports in the valve C, C are
usually about one-third open as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, for the purpose of allow-
ing the surplus steam, or the steam containing gases brought with it into the
condenser, to pass off at the upper ends of the condensing chambers and out
through the pipe d. In practice the regulation by means of the valves K¹ of the
air passing through the ducts K is attended to with great care, and said valves K¹
and the valves C, C are adjusted with exact relation to each other. Moreover,
the amount of steam in the blast and the amount of air entering through the
ducts are regulated with relation to each other with due regard to the capacity
of the steam for receiving and the condensed steam for retaining the air, so that
the aeration may be as complete as possible.
In practice the steam is usually filtered before it is introduced into the con-
denser and the distillate is filtered and cooled after it leaves the condenser, the
pipe Pleading to a suitable coil and filter.
By means of the construction of the condenser, especially by means of the
arrangement of alternate water chambers and steam chambers concentrically, I
provide large areas of condensing surfaces in a small space.
It is not necessary
however that the chambers which surround the central chamber A' should be
annular, nor that said central chamber should be round as indicated in Figs. 1
and 2. In Fig. 5 the chambers and also the central chamber are square and are
alternately steam and water chambers, and the case corresponds to them in shape.
The principle and operation however are exactly the same as where the chambers
are annular. There are certain places, as in ships and vessels of a certain
description, where a square condenser is desirable, and hence I do not wish to
confine myself to the circular shape of the chambers or condenser.
Having now particiularly 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. In a condenser of the character described, the series of concentrically

page_text: Steam or condensing chambers A, A' closed at their upper ends and
provided at said ends with means for allowing and regulating the escape of steam
and air, said condensing chambers opening at their lower ends into the
chamber H; the concentrically arranged water chambers Barranged alternately
with the condensing chambers and open at their upper and closed at their lower
ends, the walls between said condensing and water chambers being common to
both; the case D enclosing the said chambers; the steam inlet tube opening
into the chamber H; the air ducts K opening into said chamber H near the
level of the steam tube, and provided with suitable regulators; and means for
admitting water into and circulating it within the water chambers B, substantially
as described.
2. In a condenser of the character described, the series of concentrically
arranged steam or condensing chambers A. A closed at their upper ends and
provided at said ends with means for allowing and regulating the escape of steam
and air, said condensing chambers opening at their lower ends into the
chamber H; the concentrically arranged water chambers B arranged alternately
with the condensing chambers and open at their upper and closed at their lower
ends, the walls between said condensing and water chambers being common to
both; the case 1 enclosing the said chambers; the steam inlet tube F opening
into the chamber H; the branch pipes F1 extending from the tube F toward
the lower ends of the condensing chambers and dividing and directing the blast
of steam; the air-ducts K opening into said chambers H near the level of the
steam tube, and provided with regulators; and means for admitting water into
and circulating it within the water chambers B, substantially as set forth.
Dated this Eighteenth day of April 1899.
WILLIAM HERBERT JONES,
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
WILLIAM HERBERT JONES,
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.