Improvements in or relating to the Heating or Cooling of Fluids and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1895

page_text: Improvements in or relating to the Heating or Cooling of Fluids
and Apparatus therefor.
I, THOMAS CLARKSON, of Grove Villa, Carshalton Grove, Sutton, County of Surrey,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
I, will describe this invention as an atmospheric condenser, but I wish it to be
understood that I can use it for other purposes, heating for example,
The object of this invention is to provide a condenser by which steam or other
vapour can be condensed by contact with the atmosphere, although water may be
applied instead of or in addition to the air where circumstances permit of this. By
my invention I am also able to produce an exceedingly light and portable condenser.
In carrying out the invention I prefer to employ tubes made as light and thin as
the requisite strength will allow, and to form a spiral in the surface of each tube
and to lap round this a coil preferably of fine wire coiled like a helical spring, but.
preferably with some little space between the coils so that the tube through which
the vapour to be condensed passes is more or less completely covered with a spiral
coil of spirally wound wire amongst the coils of which the air can freely circulate.
The tube being thus as it were corrugated is strengthened and a thinner tube can be
employed than would be the case with plain tubes, and the helical recess or depression
forined in the surface of the tube serves as a useful channel in which the lapping
wire can be placed and better contact obtained. To ensure a good conducting contact
I may secure the lapping wire to the tube by sweating it on with tin, solder or the
like and I may also varnish the complete tube and lapping with radiating varnish or
other radiating medium, as for example I may form a deposit by placing it in a
suitable atmosphere.
Any required number of tubes above described may be placed together in a suitable
frame forming the complete condenser, the tubes being connected at each end if
desired with a receiving chamber into one of which the steam may be led and from
the other of which the condensed water may be withdrawn or the whole condenser
may be formed of a single length of tubing arranged in spiral or other form. Or any
other suitable arrangement or combination of the tubes for effecting the necessary
condensation may be employed.
A suitable arrangement is to place a number of these lapped tubes side by side in
a frame or other retaining device curving them somewhat into horse-shoe form and
causing the air current to impinge upon the concave side and pass through between
the coils of the lapped tubes so that the air and the hot metals are brought into most
intimate contact and the air split up into small portions as it passes between the
heated metal. With such an arrangement I may with advantage insert a spraying

page_text: tube or equivalent in front of the concave face which may with advantage be used
with the air apparatus when extra power is temporarily required.
The above described is only one way of carrying out this invention and I wish it
to be understood that I do not bind myself to that way only. For example I may
employ simple tubes and connect them by weaving or otherwise applying wires,
woven or worked in and out amongst the tubes, so as to effect the close metallic
connection the interweaving wires being preferably fine wires coiled as previously
described. Or again the condensing tubes inay be covered with wire gauze or the
like wrapped round it to any desired thickness, water being if desired allowed to
percolate amongst the threads of the gauze and the air to impinge upon or amongst
them.
This invention can also be employed for cooling liquids which may be circulated
amongst the fabric or parts of the condenser; or it may be used for heating purposes
instead of cooling and in most cases the particular application may be reversed viz.:
the heating or cooling medium being either inside or outside the apparatus as
desired.
Amongst other applications of this invention it is peculiarly suitable for locomotive
purposes where atmospheric condensation is desired as for example in steam tram-
cars and road vehicles of various descriptions. In some of these cases for example
where cycle wheels are employed the condenser may be placed near the wheel so as
to obtain the advantage of the draught caused by it, and if desired special appliances
in the nature of vanes or the like may be attached to the wheel or spokes to increase
the draught or a fan or equivalent blower may be operated by the mechanism so as
to make or increase the draught and conduits or deflecting devices may be used to
direct the air current on to the condenser.
Dated this 13th day of June 1895.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to the Heating or Cooling of Fluids
and Apparatus therefor.
I, THOMAS CLARKSON, of Grove Villa, Carshalton Grove, Sutton, in the County of
Surrey, 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:-
I will describe this invention as an atmospheric condenser, but I wish it to be
understood that I can use it for other purposes, heating for example.
The object of this invention is to provide a condenser by which steam or other
vapour can be condensed by contact with the atmosphere, although water may be
applied instead of or in addition to the air where circumstances permit of this. By
my invention I am also able to produce an exceedingly light and portable condenser.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings
in which ;-
Fig. 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of a portion of one form
of condenser tube constructed accordingly to this invention.
Fig. 2 is a diagram showing one form of heating or cooling apparatus constructed
of such tubes, and
Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively a plan and an elevation showing the manner of
constructing another form of heating or cooling apparatus according to this inven-
tion.

page_text: Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
In carrying out the invention as shown in Fig. I, I employ a tube A made as light
and thin as the requisite strength will allow, and preferably form a spiral A¹ in the
surface of it and lap round this a coil B conveniently of fine wire coiled like a helical
spring, but preferably with some little space B' between the coils so that the tube A
through which the vapour to be condensed passes is more or less completely covered
with a spiral coil B of spirally wound wire amongst the coils of which the air can
freely circulate. The tube A being thus as it were corrugated is strengthened and a
thinner tube can be employed than would be the case with plain tubes, and the
helical recess or depression A¹ formed in the surface of the tube serves as a useful
channel in which the lapping wire B can be placed and better contact therewith
obtained. To ensure a good conducting contact I may secure the lapping wire B to
the tube A by sweating it on with tin, solder or the like and I may also varnish the
complete tube A and lapping B with radiating varnish or other radiating medium, as
for example I may form a deposit on it by placing it in a suitable atmosphere.
Although I prefer to corrugate the tubes A in the manner previously described
satisfactory results may be obtained from a tube having a smooth wall and around
which is spirally wound a spiral coil of wire.
Any required number of the tubes above described may be placed together in a
suitable frame forming the complete condenser, the tubes being connected at each
end if desired with a receiving chamber into one of which the steam may be led and
from the other of which the condensed water may be withdrawn or the whole con-
denser may be formed of a single length of tubing arranged in spiral or other form.
Or any other suitable arrangement or combination of the tubes for effecting the
necessary condensation may be employed.
A suitable arrangement as shown in Fig. 2 is to place a number of these lapped
tubes A which, in this Figure are shown by single lines side by side in a frame or
other retaining device C curving them somewhat into horse-shoe form and causing
the air current to impinge upon the concave side and pass through between the
coils B of the lapped tubes so that the air and the hot metal are brought into most
intimate contact and the air split up into small portions as it passes between the
heated metal. The frame C as shown in Fig. 2 may consist of three enclosed
chambers with the interior of which the tubes A are in free communication. With
such an arrangement I may with advantage insert a spraying tube or equivalent in
front of the concave face which may with advantage be used with the air apparatus
when extra power is temporarily required.
The above described is only one way of carrying out this invention and I wish it
to be understood that I do not bind myself to that way only. For example I may
as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 employ simple tubes A and connect them by weaving or
otherwise applying wires B woven or worked in and out amongst the tubes, so as
to effect the close metallic connection the interweaving wires being preferably fine
wires coiled as previously described. Or again the condensing tubes may be
covered with wire gauze or the like wrapped round it to any desired thickness,
water being if desired allowed to percolate amongst the threads of the gauze and the
air to impinge upon or amongst them.
This invention can also be employed for cooling liquids which may be circulated
amongst the fabric or parts of the condenser; or it may be used for heating purposes
instead of cooling and in most cases the particular application may be reversed, viz.
the heating or cooling medium being either inside or outside the apparatus as
desired.
Amongst other applications of this invention it is peculiarly suitable for locomotive
purposes where atmospheric condensation is desired as for example in steam tram-
cars and road vehicles of various descriptions. In some of these cases for example
where cycle wheels are employed the condenser may be placed near the wheel so as
to obtain the advantage of the draught caused by it, and if desired special appliances
in the nature of vanes or the like may be attached to the wheel or spokes to increase
tne draught or a fan or equivalent blower may be operated by the mechanism so as

page_text: to make or increase the draught and conduits or deflecting devices may be used to
direct the air current on to the condenser.
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. A wire-enwrapped tube for use in apparatus for heating or cooling fluids, in
which the wrapping wire is sweated on to the tube with tin soller or the like.
2. In apparatus-for-heating or cooling Auids the combination with a tube of a
wrapping of wire-so-arranged thereon-that-the-heating or cooling medium-or the
Auid-to-be-heated-or-cooled may-pass-freely between adjacent portions of it and inte
contact-with-the-exterior of the tube substantially-us and for the purpose-described.
23. A tube for use in apparatus for heating or cooling fluids comprising a
cylindrical or smooth tube or a spirally grooved tube such as as A A' and a spirally
coiled wire spirally coiled around it and sweated on to the tube with tin solder or the
like substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. The combination with a tube for use in apparatus for heating or cooling fluids
of a wrapping of wire gauze thereon substantially as described.
4. In apparatus for heating or cooling fluids the combination with two or more
tubes of one or more wires or wire coils interwoven with them substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 13th day of April 1896.