the internal sub-aqueous combustion of fuel in steam boilers
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 29th May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 28th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 29th June, 1895 '
I, PERCIVAL PINCKNEY, cf 51 Commercial Road Portsmouth, Mechanical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
The following mechanical details are developments of my invention of "the
internal sub-aqueous combustion of fuel in steam boilers," previously described in
Specification, Number 3025, date February 11th 1893, & now fully protected by
Patent.
The nature, & object of my present development, & invention, is likewise for the
purpose of cheapening steam,& its transmutative forms of power, as well as for
all purposes to which the invention can be practicaly applied.
My present development, & invention consists amongst others, of the following
parts.
An auxiliarating motor,-electric,-hydraulic,-pneumatic heat, inanual, or of
any other suitable description, may be connected with the aforesaid boiler
arrangement.
1°
The primary, & special purpose of such auxiliarating motor, being to force the
gaseous, -or other suitable-fuel, into the aforesaid boiler arrangement, while
atting ITH stoom
PERCOLATION BAFFLES.
Percolation baffles for the purpose of assisting the action of convection, will be
used to retard the products of combustion from rising to the surface of the water,-
or other fluid, until the heat of the said products has been reduced by the action

page_text: of convection to a thermal equilibrium (or thereabout) with that of the water,―or
other fluid.
My present development, & invention, essentialy, & distinctly consists of a
method by which I am enabled to cause gas, or any other suitable-fuel, to enter
into a steam boiler, by the agency of the steam pressure, & yet without wasting
any of the steam, by the agency of which, such entrance of the fuel shall have been
effected.
I likewise propose to apply the device for the injection of the feed water into
the boiler, & that as aforesaid, "without wasting" any of the steam by the agency
of which, such injection of the feed water shall have been effected.
Dated this 28th day of May 1894.
I, PERCIVAL PINCKNEY, late of Hyde Park Road, Southsea, but now of
51 Commercial Road, Portsmouth, in the County of Hants, Mechanical 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 :-
The present invention has for its object a boiler of such construction that by its
aid the generation of steam for motive power and other purposes may be effected
more economically than has heretofore been practically possible.
My improved boiler I construct of two, or in some cases, more than two,
independent chambers, arranged preferably one within the other and so heated hy
what may be termed subaqueous combustion that is the combustion of gaseous,
liquid, or other fuel directly within the water contained in one of them, at a point
below the other, or others, by the combustion of fuel in a combustion chamber
situated within or beneath the innermost, or otherwise, that steam may be generated
at two or more different pressures.
The connections of these different chambers are such that the steam generated in
the highest pressure chamber may be first utilized for motive power, or other
purposes, and then conducted into the compartment in which steam is generated at
the next highest pressure, where it mixes with the steam contained therein, and
may again be utilized; such connections being repeated where the boiler has more
than two compartments.
To prevent the loss of live steam from either of the chambers, except that in
which steam is generated at the lowest pressure, in cases where an excess of steam
is generated beyond that actually required, the blow-off of the highest pressure
chamber or chambers is connected to the interior of the chamber or chambers in
which steam is generated at the next highest pressure and so on when the boiler is
designed to generate steam at more than two different pressures, whilst the quantity
of steam generated, and the amount of water supplied to the chambers, may be
automatically governed by a suitable mechanism operated by the steam in one or
more of the chambers.
And in order that my invention may be better understood and reduced to
practice, I will now proceed to describe the same by the aid of the accompanying
drawings, which illustrate three methods of carrying my invention into practical
effect, in so far as concerns the use of two independent chambers.
Three or more chambers may however, when found more suitable, be embraced
in a single boiler, and these either arranged one within the other, or otherwise, in
order that steam may be generated at two or more different pressures, whilst many
other modifications, including the use of water-tube boilers, may be introduced,

page_text: as will be well understood, without departing from the principal features of my
invention.
Of the drawings above referred to-
On Sheet 1-Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section; Fig. 2 a plan, and Fig. 3
a sectional plan on line I-I Fig. 1 of a compound boiler heated by the subaqueous
combustion of gaseous, liquid, or other fuel.
On Sheet 2-Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section; Fig. 2 a plan, and Fig. 3
a sectional plan on line 1-1 Fig. 1 of a compound boiler heated by the combustion
of fuel in a combustion chamber arranged partly within the inner chamber and
partly below the inner and outer chambers.
On Sheet 3-Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section; Fig. 2 a plan, and Fig. 3
a section on line I-I Fig. 1 of a compound boiler heated by the combustion of
fuel in a combustion chamber arranged partly in the inner chamber and partly in
the outer chamber.
And on Sheet 4-Figs. 1 to 9 are enlarged detailed views of fittings for such
boilers.
Like letters and numerals refer to like parts throughout the drawings.
The boiler illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, and 3, Sheet 1, is formed of two distinct
chambers A, B, arranged one within the other so that the water line K of the inner
one B is below that at L of the outer one A. The inner chamber B has that
portion of its steam space C extending from the water line K to, or slightly above,
the water line L, coated with slag-wool, or other suitable non-conducting material,
and below this coating it has an annular baffle D, so secured to it that a space R
remains between them, with which communicate the opposite ends of a number of
tubes E.
The bottom of the chamber B has a chamber F formed in it the interior of
which communicates with that of the chamber A through an opening formed by
supporting the inner chamber so that its bottom does not rest on the of the outer
chamber and in which are arranged a number of curved tapering water tubes G
communicating at both ends with the interior of said inner chamber B. In this
chamber takes place the combustion of gaseous, liquid, or other fuel supplied at
the necessary pressure, together with the requisite quantity of air, through pipe 8
to the burner 9, the heated products of such combustion, after passing into the
space R and through the tubes E, escaping through the water in the outer
chamber A into the steam space of the latter as indicated by arrows.
The gas or other fuel supplied to the burner 9 may be ignited by the aid of au
electric spark, or other equivalent means, and in order to render it possible to
examine the interior of the chamber F to see that the combustion of such fuel is
taking place properly, I employ a tube 7 (two forms of which are shown detailed
in Figs. 1 and 2, Sheet 4) which has its inner end closed by a disc or block of
glass or other transparent material a and is coated internally with a suitable
reflecting material, and when necessary, provided with one or more lenses or
reflectors b.
The supply of the gas, or mixtures of gases, or other fuel, as well as that of the
feed water, is governed by a valve or the like, preferably operated by a piston c
working in a cylinder d, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, Sheet 4, said piston being
operated in one direction by a spring, or the like, and in the opposite direction by
steam or water from one of the chambers.
With a boiler so constructed, steam is generated in the inner chamber B at a
higher pressure than that generated in the outer chamber A, the difference in the
pressures being regulated by the aid of a pressure alarm 1 which will sound when
the fuel supply should be reduced on the inner chamber and suitable blow-off
valves.
The blow-off valve of the outer chamber may be of the ordinary construction and
arranged to blow off into the atmosphere, but that of the inner one is preferably in
the form of a slide valve, having the inlet and outlet thereof, which are arranged on
the box and cover as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, Sheet 4, connected with the interior

page_text: of the high and low pressure chambers respectively, and its slide operated by two
pistons of different sizes arranged either as shown in Fig. 7, Fig. 8, or Fig. 9,
Sheet 4,,and, acted upon in opposite directions by steam or water from the different
chambers of the boiler, the difference in the size of said pistons being regulated
according to the difference of pressure to be maintained in said different
chambers.
The steam generated in the inner chamber from water entering through pipe H-
which pipe is likewise used for cleaning out the inner chamber is supplied through
steam pipe 4 to the point at which it is to be utilized for motive power and other
purposes, and, after being so used, conducted through pipe 5 into the interior of the
outer chamber, when it may be again utilized together with the steam generated
in said outer chamber and the gases resulting from the subaqueous combustion,
such mixture being supplied through pipe M to the point at which it is to be
used.
The boiler illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, Sheet 2, is similar to that above
described in so far as concerns the use of two chambers A, B, arranged one within
the other, and the connections of these chambers. The inner chamber however is
completely coated with slag-wool, asbestos, or other non-conducting material, and
in order that the whole may be heated in the usual manner instead of by subaqueous
combustion, the interior of the combustion chamber F communicates with a
chimney T instead of with the interior of the outer chamber.
The boiler shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, Sheet 3, is the same as that illustrated in
Figs. 1, 2, and 3, Sheet 2, except that the inner chamber occupies a higher position,
so rendering it possible to increase the size of the combustion chamber F, and
arrange this partly within the inner chamber B, and partly within the outer
chamber A, whilst providing it with additional water tubes Z communicating with
the interior of the outer chamber A.
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) A steam generator or boiler formed in two or more independent chambers so
arranged and heated by the combustion of fuel in a single combustion chamber,
that steam may be generated in said independent chambers at two or more different
pressures substantially as and for the purpose described.
(2) A steam generator or boiler formed of two or more independent chambers
arranged one within the other and so heated, by the combustion of gaseous, liquid,
or other fuel directly within the water contained in one of them that steam may be
generated in said independent chambers at two or more different pressures
substantially as and for the purpose described.
(3) A steam generator or boiler formed of two independent chambers A, B,
arranged one within the other, the inner compartment B being partly coated with
slag-wool, asbestos, or other non-conducting material, and provided with baffle D
below said covering, the whole being heated by the combustion of gaseous, liquid,
or other fuel within a chamber F provided with curved tapering water tubes G
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings Figs. 1, 2,
and 3, Sheet 1.
(4) A steam generator or boiler formed of two independent chambers A, B,
arranged one within the other the inner compartment B being coated with slag-
wool, or other non-conducting material, and provided in the bottom thereof with a
combustion chamber having curved tapering water tubes G substantially as and
for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, Figs. 1, 2,
and 3, Sheet 2.
(5) A steam generator or boiler formed of two independent chambers A, B,
arranged one within the other, the inner chamber B being coated with slag-wool, or
combustion
other non-conducting material, and the whole provided with a
chamber F situated partly within the inner chamber B, and partly within the

page_text: outer chamber A and provided with water tubes G and Z connected with the
interiors of the inner and outer chambers B, A, respectively substantially as and
for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, Figs. 1, 2,
and 3, Sheet 3.
(6) In a steam generator or boiler formed of two or more independent chambers
so arranged and heated by the combustion of fuel in a single combustion chamber
that steam may be generated in said chambers at two or more different pressures,
apparatus for regulating the supply of water to said independent chambers and the
supply of fuel to such boiler consisting of a valve or the like actuated by a piston
operated on one side by a spring and on its opposite side by steam or water from
one or more of said chambers substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, Figs. 3 and 4, Sheet 4.
(7) In a steam generator or boiler formed of two or more independent chambers
so arranged and heated by the combustion of fuel in a single combustion chamber
that steam may be generated in said independent chambers at two or more different
pressures, apparatus for regulating the relative pressure in each two of said
chambers consisting of a slide valve having its inlet and outlet connected with the
interior of said chambers respectively and operated by two pistons of different sizes
acted upon in opposite directions by steam or water from said chambers respectively
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, Figs. 5, 6,
7, 8, and 9, Sheet 4.
(8) In a steam generator or boiler formed of two or more independent chambers
so arranged and heated by the combustion of gaseous or other fuel within the
water contained in one of them, an inspection device formed of a straight or bent
tube 7 closed at one end by means of a disc or block of glass or other transparent
material and coated internally with reflecting material and, or, provided with one
or more lenses or reflectors substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 Sheet 1, and Figs. 1 and 2, Sheet 4.
Dad thin 5th dow of Lune 1805
"
CASTLE SMITH,
Invention" Office, 54 Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.