AN IMPROVED METHOD OF GENERATING VAPOUR
Year: 1885

page_text: JAMES MURRIE, Engineer, 206 Gallowgate Street Glasgow, Lanarkshire N.B.
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED METHOD OF
GENERATING VAPOUR, to be as follows:-
My said Invention has for its object the employment of apparatus wherein
liquids are evaporated or distilled by simple evaporation, the raising of the boiling
point any desired extent without ebullition, the obtaining of a vapour comparatively
free from impurities, the prevention of priming when applied to steam generators
and the employing of very high pressures when such is an object.
In apparatus of the kind referred to water or other liquid is enclosed in a series
of vertical or nearly vertical tubes, which tubes have their ends or terminals con-
nected to one or more chambers or receivers, the fluid or fluids in the vertical tubes
being in communication with the chambers referred to. The series or nest of
vertical tubes without or with their receivers are placed in a chamber, which
chamber is filled filled with a heated fluid, the tubes or apparatus being thus
enveloped by the heated body. The vertical tubes may or may not be filled with
water or fluid as in a steam boiler of the ordinary description; the object being in
this case to allow evaporation to proceed from the surface of the water or other
liquid instead of by convection or ebullition, it is preferable to have the vertical
tubes only partially filled with the liquid, even altho' the whole apparatus be
subjected to heat, including the chambers at top and bottom. To observe the
height of the water in the vertical tubes, one or more tubes in connection with the
apparatus are placed outside the heated chamber, the tubes referred to being fitted
with transparent gauge glasses as in the ordinary steam boiler.
The chambers in the bottom of the vertical tubes, may consist of a series of
cross tubes, or any known method of connecting similar tubes, which chambers
are filled with the liquid, thus serving as feeders to the vertical tubes. The
chamber or chambers in the upper end, may be similarly constructed to the bottoni
vessel or vessels, which upper chambers are filled wholly or partially with the
vapour generated from the liquid. These chambers or terminals to the vertical
tubes to be in communication with exterior apparatus for feeding the liquid & with
the motor or condenser respectively.
When vapour is generated by the foregoing apparatus, the heated body is made
o act uniformly or nearly so over the apparatus in the heating chamber, the
emperature of the heated fluid being maintained at a stage near the temperature

page_text: existing in the space over the liquid, where evaporation is taking place. The chamber
in which the heated fluid is contained may consist of any known form of oven, or
vessel surrounded by some non-conducting material.
The fluid in the oven may be heated in any form of superheater or furnace,
in the latter case care being taken to reduce or diffuse the gases, so that the
temperature may be nearly uniform and not in excess of the necessary degree of
heat to permit evaporation without ebullition. The apparatus for generating
vapour as well as the oven for containing the heated fluid may have the usual
fittings and connections commonly employed in kindred apparatus.
When the foregoing apparatus is employed to generate pressure, the vapour
formed from the liquid in the vertical tubes, re-acting on the liquid referred to has
the effect of raising the boiling point without ebullition taking place very much
higher than is possible under normal conditions, hence this mode of generating
vapour can be applied to nearly all descriptions of distilling apparatus where the
distilling action is the result of convection and ebullition, due to the heat being
applied at or near the base of the vessel containing the liquid.

page_text: I, JAMES MURRIE, of 9 Shuttle Street, Glasgow, in the County, of "Lanark,
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:-
}
My said invention relates to an improved mode of generating vapour by the
employment of apparatus wherein liquids are evaporated or distilled by simple
evaporation the objects being to provide for raising of the boiling point to any
desired extent without ebullition, the obtaining of a vapour comparatively free-
from impurities, the prevention of priming when the apparatus is applied for
steam generating purposes and the employing of a very high pressure when such
is desirable.
Referring to the annexed drawings, which represent in sectional elevation at
figure 1 and in detail to a larger scale at Figures 2 and 3 a modification of vapour
generating apparatus of the kind referred to as adapted for use in carrying out my
invention, water or other liquid is enclosed in a series of vertical or nearly vertical
tubes A which are connected at their ends by screwing or by flanges or otherwise
to one or more chambers or receivers, one receiver B being in communication with
the upper ends of the tubes and a second one C with the lower ends of the tubes.
The series or nest of vertical tubes A with or without their receivers B and C are
placed in a chamber D filled with a heated fluid, which may be in the form of a
liquid such as oil capable of withstanding a high temperature or of gaseous
products of combustion of ordinary fuel or superheated steam or heated vapour, the
tubes or apparatus being thus enveloped by a heated body. The vertical tubes A
may be filled or partially filled with water or fluid as in a steam boiler of the
ordinary description; the object being in this case to allow evaporation to proceed
solely from the surface of the water or other liquid instead of by convection or
ébullition. It is preferable to have the vertical tubes only partially filled with,
the liquid, even although the whole apparatus be subjected to heat including the
chambers at top and bottom.
To observe the height of the water in the vertical tubes one or more tubes in
connection with the apparatus may be placed outside the heated chamber, the tubes
referred to being fitted with transparent gauge glasses as in the ordinary steam
boiler, and with the object of preventing too rapid lowering of the level by
evaporation of the liquid within the tubes A when such tubes are of small diameter
a large tube or reservoir E is provided. A mud drum or reservoir F may be
connected to the lower receiver C for the collection and periodical removal of
sludge.
The chambers C at the bottom of the vertical tubes, may consist of a series of
cross tubes, of which one only is shown in the diagrams, and they are filled
with the liquid and may serve as feeders to the vertical tubes. The chamber or
chambers B at the upper end, may be similarly formed, the connection to the
vertical tubes being by a fluid tight joint and they are filled wholly or partially
with the vapour generated from the liquid. The chambers or terminals C com-
municate by suitable piping G with exterior apparatus for feeding the liquid and

page_text: the chambers B in a similar manner communicate by piping H with a condenser
in cases in which the apparatus is employed for distilling purposes and with a
motor when steam or other vapour is generated within the apparatus for motive
power purposes.
When the apparatus is employed for distilling or for generating vapour the fluid
employed for applying the requisite heat is made to act uniformly, or nearly so,
over the whole of the apparatus in the heating chamber D, the temperature of the
heating fluid being maintained at a stage approximating to the temperature existing
in the space over the liquid in the tubes A where evaporation is taking place.
The chamber D in which the heated fluid is maintained may consist of any
known form of oven, or vessel surrounded by some non-conducting material and
provided with a suitable inlet and outlet.
The fluids in the oven may be heated in any known form of superheater or
furnace, in the latter case care being taken to reduce or diffuse the gases, so that
the temperature may be nearly uniform and not in excess of the necessary degree
of heat to permit evaporation without ebullition.
:
The apparatus for generating vapour as well as the oven for containing the
heated fluid may have the usual fittings and connections commonly employed in
kindred apparatus.
When the aforesaid apparatus is employed to generate steam or vapour under
pressure the vapour formed from the liquid in the vertical tubes, re-acting on said
liquid has the effect of raising the boiling point without ebullition taking place
very much higher than is possible under normal conditions, hence this mode of
generating vapour can be applied to nearly all descriptions of distilling apparatus
where the distilling action is the result of convection and ebullition, due to the
heat being applied at or near the base of the vessel containing the liquid.
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. The improved method herein set forth of generating vapour from liquids by
the use of apparatus substantially such as described.
•
2. The herein described method of generating vapour- which consists in
immersing a liquid contained within a series of tubes or receivers in a bath of
heating fluid surrounding and acting not only on the liquid but also on the vapour
generated therefrom on its passage through the tubes or receivers whereby
ebullition is prevented and evaporation takes place only at the surface of the
liquid, substantially as herein set forth.
..
3. As means for generating vapour for motive power purposes and in the art of
distillation.the improved apparatus herein described with reference to the diagrams
annexed.