Improved Method of Working Steam Bollers, and Apparatus in connection therewith.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 19th Aug., 1892-Accepted, 19th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of Working Steam Bollers, and Apparatus in
connection therewith.
I, DRUITT HALPIN of No. 17 Victoria Street, Westminster, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
In employing steam engines and boilers for performing work that requires
variable expenditure of power, the great disadvantage is experienced that the
boiler for supplying the requisite steam has to be constructed so as to supply the
maximum power that is required, and consequently it is worked at a great
disadvantage as regards economy when only a minimum amount of power is wanted.
My invention relates to the application of means whereby this disadvantage is
more or less entirely obviated, and it consists in combining with the said boiler one
or more reservoirs that, at the times when only a comparative small duty has to be
performed, are charged with the surplus power generated by the boiler at such
times, in the shape of hot water and steam, so that the power thus stored up can
then be utilised as occasion may require.
This method of working may be applied in a variety of ways according to the
purposes to which the power produced is to be applied.
Thus in the case of stationary boilers, I provide in close proximity to the same,
one or more such before mentioned reservoirs which may be cylindrical shells,
effectually encased with bad conductors of heat, and which are connected with the
boiler by cocks or valves, and injector apparatus which are opened when it is required
to convey the surplus power to such reservoirs. Or, in the case of locomotive engines,
I provide on the top of the ordinary boiler, a separate cylindrical reservoir which
is connected with the boiler by means of an injector or other feed apparatus, and
also by pipes provided with cocks or valves whereby the hot water and steam
which has been stored up in the reservoir by the injector, say while running on a
level road, can be utilised for increasing the power of the boiler when running up
inclines.
Dated this 20th day of Noveumban 1801
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of Working Steam Boilers, and Apparatus in
connection therewith.
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:-
In employing steam engines and boilers for performing work that requires
variable expenditure of power, the great disadvantage is experienced that the boiler
for supplying the requisite steam has to be constructed so as to supply the maximum
power that is required, and consequently it is worked at a great disadvantage as
regards economy when only a minimum amount of power is wanted.
My invention relates to the application of means whereby this disadvantage is more
or less entirely obviated, and it consists in combining with the said boiler one or
more reservoirs that, at the times when only a comparative small duty has to be
performed, are charged with the surplus power generated by the boiler at such

page_text: effectually encased with bad conductors of heat, and which are connected with the
boiler by cocks or valves, and injector or forcing apparatus which are opened. when
it is required to convey the surplus power to such reservoirs. Or, in the case of
locomotive engines, I provide on the top of the ordinary boiler, a separate
cylindrical reservoir which is connected with the boiler by means of an injector or
other feed apparatus, and also by pipes provided with cocks or valves whereby the
hot water and steam which has been stored up in the reservoir by the injector, say
while running on a level road, can be utilized for increasing the power of the boiler
when running up inclines.or for starting.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figs. 1 and 2 show an arrangement for utilizing my invention in connection with
ordinary stationary boilers. In these views a locomotive boiler is shown; but it is
of course evident that any kind of boiler can be used and that one boiler can be
connected to several reservoirs or vice verso.
Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section of the arrangement and Figure 2 shows a
cross section. 1, 1, is the boiler. 2, 2, the reservoir which I will call the
Thermal Storage Reservoir," and which is enclosed in a casing 2 of a suitable
bad conductor of heat.
The boiler may be fed by an injector 3, 3, supplied by the pipe 4, 4, taking steam
either from the boiler itself, or by means of the pipe 5, 5, taking steam from the
thermal storage reservoir, and the water delivered by this injector can either be
sent into the boiler by the pipe 6, 6, through the clack box 7, 7, the valve 8, 8,
being then open and the valve 9, 9, shut, or water can be delivered by means of
the injector directly into the thermal storage reservoir by closing the cock 8, 8,
and opening the cock 9, 9, when water will be forced up into the reservoir by
means of the pipe 10, 10, and the clack box 11, 11.
The boiler 1, 1, can be worked having the water level at the ordinary distance
of about five or six inches above the top of the fire box crown, part of the steam
(for working the engines when the load is light) being taken off through the stop
valve 12, the remainder of the steam then being taken away through the
valve 13, 13, and pipe 14, 14, and entering the thermal storage reservoir by means
of the injector 15, 15, so arranged as to give distribution of the heat. The steam
can here be stored up until required, and when it is desired, can be drawn off
through the stop valve 16, 16, and the pipe 17 to the engine; or the boiler 1, 1, can
be worked completely full of water, the hot water being then delivered through
the stop valve 13, 13, the pipe 14, 14, and the injector 15, 15, into the thermal
storage reservoir, and the boiler can be fed by means of the pipe 18, 18, and the
pump 19, 19, delivering water from the thermal storage reservoir 2, 2, into the
boiler 1, 1, through the pipe 20, 20, and the clack box 21, 21. The thermal
storage reservoir can also be fed from any convenient source under pressure
through the pipe 22.
When the boiler 1, 1, is worked full of water, of course the steam for driving
the engines is taken through the stop valve 16, 16, and pipe 17, 17.
At convenient times of working, part of the heat in the boiler 1, 1, will be stored
in the reservoir 2, 2, the remainder going to work the engines, by means of the stop
valve 16, 16 and pipe 17. At other times the engines may be using a greater
quantity of steam than can be supplied by the boiler 1, 1, in which case the whole
of the steam supplied by the boiler is taken to the engines, in addition to the steam
stored up by the heat contained in the thermal storage reservoir 2, 2.

page_text: Fig. 3 shows a locomotive partly in longitudinal section, and Fig. 4 a cross
section of the same locomotive arranged according to my invention.
2, 2, shows the thermal storage reservoir placed on top of the boiler 1, 1, of the
engine. The boiler is fed by the injector 3, 3, supplied with steam by the pipe 4, 4,
the injector drawing water from the tank 5, through the pipe 6 and delivering it
into the boiler by the clack box 7, 7, the cock 8, 8, being then closed and the
cock 9, 9, being open; or should it be desired to introduce water into the thermal
storage reservoir 2, 2, this is done by means of the injector drawing water as
before, and delivering it through the pipe 10, 10, into the reservoir, the cock 9, 9,
then being closed, and the cock 8, 8, being open.
Advantage is taken of periods when the engine is running down hill or when the
boiler is doing less than its maximum duty to deliver steam from the boiler 1, 1,
into the reservoir 2, 2, by means of the internal supply pipe 11, 11, and the
injector 12, 12, into the thermal storage reservoir 2, 2, which injector is so arranged
in order to make a good distribution of the steam, the connection between the
thermal storage reservoir and the boiler being controlled by means of the
valve 13, 13.
When it is desired to obtain the benefit of the thermal storage reservoir, this is
done by utilizing the water it contains and which is at a relatively high
temperature and pressure, and forcing this water into the boiler instead of
supplying the boiler with the comparatively cold water contained in the tank.
For this purpose the cock 14, 14, in the pipe 15, 15, connecting the reservoir with
the feed pump 16, 16, is opened and the water is forced by means of the
pump 16, 16, into the boiler through the pipe 17, 17, and the clack box 18, 18.
When applying my invention to locomotive boilers as last described, the pressure
in the thermal storage reservoir would of course as a rule be made to be the
same as that in the boiler, being the pressure at which the engine works. When
applying my invention to stationary boilers on the other hand, the boiler and the
thermal storage reservoir may at times have a higher pressure in them than that
at which it is convenient to work the engines.
I am aware that for the purpose of giving increased power to steam boilers,
there have been combined therewith vessels communicating with the boiler by
means of tubular connections in such manner as to allow of a more or less free
circulation of the water through the boiler, such vessels being consequently
merely enlargements of the boiler's capacity, and I do not claim such an arrange-
ment as my invention.
In such arrangements, the amount of the free circulation is comparatively
limited, as it is dependent on the difference in weight, owing to the difference in
temperature, of the columns of water respectively flowing away from the boiler
and returning to it. With the arrangement according to my invention on the
other hand, as a forcing apparatus is used between the boiler generating the
power and the reservoir storing it up, the amount of heat transferred from
the boiler to the storage reservoir can be very greatly augmented over the amount
capable of being transferred if natural circulation alone is relied on.
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 is :-
;-
1. The method of working steam boilers, whereby any excess of power generated
therein over and above that which for the time being requires to be expended
in work, is transmitted in the shape of hot water and steam to one or more
reservoirs separate from the boiler, but capable of being placed in communication
therewith through the medium of forcing apparatus, so that the separate store of
power thus formed may be subsequently drawn upon when an increased duty has
to be performed by the boiler, substantially as described.
2. For carrying out the method of operating referred to in the preceding claim,
the use, in combination with a steam boiler, of a separate closed reservoir capable of

page_text: being put in communication with the boiler through the medium of forcing apparatus
in such manner as to receive therefrom in the shape of hot water and steam any
power generated in excess of that required to be expended, and to give off such
stored power when increased duty has to be performed substantially as described.
3. The combination with a stationary steam boiler 1 of a storage reservoir such
as 2, capable of being supplied with water from the boiler or otherwise by an
injector or other forcing apparatus 3 or 22 and with steam from the boiler through
a pipe with shut-off valve 13. 14. 15 while the hot water stored in the reservoir 2 is
conveyed into the boiler when required by a pipe 18 and forcing apparatus 19
substantially as described with reference to Figures i and 2 of the drawings.
4. The combination with a locomotive steam boiler.1 of a storage reservoir such
as 2 supplied with feed water by an injector or other fercing apparatus 3, and with.
steam from the boiler through a pipe with shut off valve 11. 12. 13ª, the hot water
stored in the reservoir 2 being conveyed into the boiler when required through a
pipe 15, and suitable forcing apparatus 16 substantially as described with reference
to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings.
Dated this 19th day of August 1802
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.