and Purifying Feed Water.
Year: 1888

page_text: and Purifying Feed Water.
I, ROBERT REICHLING, Engineer, of Dortmund, Germany, do hereby declare. the
nature of my 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 relates primarily to apparatus which will condense the exhaust of a
steam engine (or of several engines) and at the same time purify and heat the feed
water.
In the following description reference will be made to the accompanying
drawings, of which Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a condenser and feed-water purifier
embodying my invention, while Figs. 2, 3 and 4 represent modifications.
The apparatus represented by Fig. 1 consists of two principal parts, namely the
condensing space B and the precipitating space F situated below the condensing space.
The condensing space is again divided into two compartments, namely the upper
compartment or condenser proper, and the lower compartment or heater, in which the
water to be purified is heated to almost boiling temperature.
m,
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The exhaust of one or more engines enters the lower part of the condenser at and
ascends under the influence of an air pump acting through the suction pipen'. The cooling
water enters through the pipe k and trickles down over deflecting plates d³, d²,-
or over the edges of shallow boxes into the receptacle i from which the water not
required for purification escapes through the barometer tube r. This tube, as well as
the tubes g and n, has a length of over 10.3 meters, so that the water column will
balance the atmospheric pressure,
thus leaving a vacuum in the condenser. If such a
height is impracticable, the cooling water must be removed by a pump. The water to
be purified flows into the tank 0 through an opening controlled by a valve
thence over a series of baffle-plates, being met during its downward course by the
ascending steam and heated to a temperature corresponding to the vacuum. At this
temperature one equivalent of carbonic acid separates from the bi-carbonate dissolved
in the water, leaving a monocarbonate of lime insoluble in water. There remains
only the sulphate of lime, to be precipitated, for which purpose a corresponding
quantity of soda is added to the water in the tank O, so as to produce sulphate of soda
and

page_text: which remains dissolved in the water, and monocarbonate of lime which is insoluble.
The hot water, together with the particles suspended therein, now descends into the
lower part of the precipitating space F, ascends through a filter situated in the same
space, leaving back the suspended impurities, and passing through the pipe n into the
feed pump. The float S allows the same quantity of water to pass through the valve v,
which is taken off by the feed-pump, so that the water in the precipitating space
remains always at the same level.
In order to keep the column of water in the tube & always at the required height
and to prevent air from entering the condenser through the said tube, the supply
pipe k, for the cooling water, is made longer than 10.3 meters and is surrounded at
the bottom by a closed jacket pipe, into which the water from the cold water pump is
delivered. This pipe extends above the level of suction of the condenser and has at
the top a double beat valve z. The valve is kept suspended by an adjustable spring in
such a manner that a very slight difference of pressure will suffice to lift the valve
from the lower seat or to press it upon the same.
Supposing now, the vacuum in the condenser to have been destroyed, the cooling
water entering from the pump will rise equally in the inner and in the outer tube, the
valvez allows the air to escape and remains quietly in its lower position, until the
rising water lifts the valve and causes it to close its upper seat. After this the water
continues to rise in the tube k until it reaches the condenser. As the vacuum in the
condenser increases, the level of water in the jacket tube descends, until a condition of
equilibrium corresponding to the desired vacuum has been attained. The water level
in the jacket tube depends on the pressure of the water column in the tube k.
If the level in the jacket tube is rapidly thrown up above its normal height owing
to a downward pulsation of the water in pipe k, the air will be driven out of the outer
tube. Subsequently, (during the upward pulsation) the valve will be sucked down on
its lower seat, and the air in the tube will be rarefied, so as to counteract the
pulsations.
The tube communicates with the condenser by two short tubes, the lower and
wider tube serving for the access of water, while the upper and narrower tube admits
air. A hinged flap is placed in front of the latter, to prevent the passage of water
through the upper tube. A connection may also be established directly between the
upper tube and the pipe n' belonging to the air pump, as indicated in the drawing by
dotted lines.
Above the deflecting plates d are situated light moveable flaps, suspended on
horizontal hinges, so as to force the water to rise behind the flap until the pressure is
strong enough to lift the flap, the object of this device being to distribute the water
uniformly over the entire width of the condenser, and to render the apparatus
applicable with very dirty or muddy water. In the latter case the plates d are placed
obliquely.
To prevent water from entering the steam pipe m owing to variations in the
discharge pipe », the receptacle y, into which the piper discharges, is arranged in
such a manner, that it reaches above the level of the water in the pit in which the
receptacle y is situated and from which the water flows off. The receptacle y is
always filled with water, but only as large as required by the sectional area of the
tube .
If now the column of water begins to move up and down, the down motion of this
column will cause water to flow over the edge of the receptacle y, which water is
therefore prevented from moving again upward in the column . For the same
purpose a valve is used in the bottom of the chamber containing the float. Con-
sequently, the condenser cannot be filled by suction.
Fig. 2 illustrates a modification of the apparatus described above, the peculiarity
of this form being, that only the steam to be condensed is conducted through closed
vessels or pipes, which may be connected with an air pump, while the water used for
cooling is situated in open vessels.
For this purpose, I place at the top a water tank A, and below the same a con-
densing chamber B, in which is situated a system of condensing vessels C, arranged

page_text: directly one over the other, as in Fig. 2, or in zig-zag fashion, as in Fig. 5, or
obliquely, as in Fig. 3, each vessel being situated in a water receptacle d. The
vessels C may have any convenient shape, and smooth or corrugated or ribbed walls,
or they may be armed with parallel plates of sheet metal or of wire gauze as indicated
by Fig. 4, or tubes may be employed, to increase the surface. The condensing
vessels and the armatures may be situated in separate liquid receptacles.
The steam enters at m and passes upwards through the vessels C, one after the other,
during which time it is gradually condensed. The water of condensation runs down-
ward into the tube g and thenco into the precipitating space F. During its ascent
it is relieved of oil and other impurities by the filter and then sucked off at n by a
pump, together with the air..
Or the water may be removed by means of a barometer tube (like the tuber in
Fig. 1), while the air is allowed to escape separately at n¹.
The cooling water falls from the tank A through a suitable regulating device v
successively into the tanks d',-d³, until it reaches the lowest tank d, from which it
escapes sideways (Figs. 2 and 5).
Or the tanks A and d',-- are provided with stop-valves or regulating mechanism v
in such a manner, that the water in these tanks will periodically fall and rise, and that
they will be periodically full and empty or more or less filled with cooling liquid. In
this manner, the tanks C and their ribs or armature plates are alternately wetted with
cooling water and again laid bare and thus utilised for the transmission or dispersion
of heat. The steam produced by evaporation escapes into the atmosphere, either
directly or, if the condensing chamber B is closed, through pipes situated in the
tank A.
If the water of condensation is to be employed for feeding boilers, it is necessary
to compensate for any steam or water lost by leakage, or by blowing off steam or by
using it for other purposes.
To effect this automatically, the float S is connected with a water supply valve
in such a manner, that according to its position, depending on the level of the water
in the precipitating space, more or less water will be admitted, or none at all. The
water thus admitted promotes energetically the condensation, and flows afterwards into
the precipitating space F. Here it receives the admixture of soda necessary for its
purification before entering the feed pump. a is a tube extending from the bottom
of the tank A above the level of the water contained in the same. c is a revolving
cam acting periodically on a lever I from which the valve spindle is suspended, the
valves being arranged in such a manner, that the water outlet from the tank A and
vessels d¹d will be alternately opened and closed.
In the arrangement represented by Fig. 5, the water flows over the edges of the
tanks d¹, d',
d³.
Having now particularly described the nature of my invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :
1. A condenser, comprising in its construction an upper tank A, an intermediate
heating chamber B, and a precipitating space F, the chamber B containing
receptacles & provided with condensing vessels C, in which the steam passes upward,
the parts A and B being connected with each other by a valve or regulating appliance v,
and condensing vessels C, with or without a water feeder x controlled by a float
situated in the precipitating space.
2. The combination of upper tank A, with receptacles d containing condensing
vessels C, and with valves or regulating appliance v, arranged in such a manner, that
the receptacles & are alternately full and empty or more or less full, at regular intervals
of time, for the purpose of alternately dipping and laying bare the vessels C or parts
of the same, and thereby promoting the transmission or dispersion of heat, also the
application of vessels C armed with ribs, or provided with corrugations or with
sheets of solid metal or wire-netting or with tubes, to increase the cooling surface.
3. The modification of the device specified in clause 2, by using condensing vessels
and armatures situated in liquid receptacles separate from each other.

page_text: 4. A surface condenser, provided with an automatic appliance for supplying to the
condenser, or to the tube situated between condenser and engine, the quantity of water
which has been lost by leakage and other causes.
5. In condensers fed with water by a pump, a closed jacket pipe extending
upward above the level of suction of the condenser, and provided at the upper end
with a valve Z.
6. The combination with the discharge pipe r, of a receiving tank y arranged so
that the upper edge of the said tank is situated above the level of the out flowing
water, for the purpose of rendering harmless any pulsations of the column of water
in the pipe r.
7. The combination of the deflecting plates d with moveable flaps for the purpose
of distributing the water uniformly over the entire width of the said plates, even
when the latter are inclined.
The whole substantially as described, and for the purposes specified.