Improved Means for Creating Currents of Air for Draught in Furnaces or for Ventilating or for other Analogous Uses.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd June, 1886.
Complete Left, 2nd Mar., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 2nd July, 1887.
Improved Means for Creating Currents of Air for Draught in
Furnaces or for Ventilating or for other Analogous Uses.
I THOMAS TAYLOR SMITH of Greencroft Park Durham Esquire do hereby declare
the nature of this Invention to be as follows :-
This Invention relates to the use and application of compressed air in any condition
as to temperature and pressure for the purpose of effecting a regular and continuous
forced draught in furnaces of all or any description either for consumption therein or
otherwise and further for ventilating stoke holes, Engine rooms and any other space
or place or for analogous uses.
According to my Invention 1 by means of air pumps connected to main or auxiliary
engines compress air into Receivers or accumulators to such a pressure as may be
advisable for securing a regular and continuous forced draught. I provide the
receivers or accumulators with controllable outlets by which to convey the air so
compressed to the furnaces or other place of utilization.
1000

page_text: Improved Means for Creating Currents of Air for Draught in
Furnaces or for Ventilating or for other Analogous Uses.
I THOMAS TAYLOR SMITH of Greencroft Park in the County of Durham, Esquire
do hereby declare the nature of said invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention relates to the application of compressed air of high pressure and
temperature for the purpose of supplying furnaces of any description, but chiefly
applicable to steam boiler furnaces in continuous and controllable currents to stimulate
and cause perfect combustion of the fuel therein and prevent smoke; and further
relates to the application of such highly compressed air, after being treated by
requisite processes, for ventilating or cooling purposes on board steamships. The air
is compressed to such pressure as may be required, by pumps worked by the main or
auxiliary engines, or preferably by independent compressing engines into a receiver
from which it is conducted to the boiler furnaces, for consumption with the fuel in
controllable currents at suitable points of application, or to apparatus in which it is so
treated as to be applicable for ventilating or cooling purposes.
The principle of this invention differs materially from the ordinary systems of
applying air to marine boilers by the various systems of what is known as
"forced-
draught," either with closed "stoke-holds" or otherwise in which air of a very low
pressure such as is obtainable by fans or similar appliances is used. The intention is
to use air compressed to a high pressure, say from 30 lbs per square inch and upward,
and to apply it at its consequently increased temperature, in continuous currents to
the fuel at all or any of those points within the furnace where its action will be most
advantageous in effecting complete combustion the quantity of the currents being
controllable by valves at each point of application. The highly compressed air
accumulated in the receiver is also available for treatment by proper processes for the
other uses named ventilation and cooling.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
On the sheet of drawings herewith I have shewn the application of my invention to
boiler furnaces to promote combustion by the supply of highly compressed air and
also for cooling purposes on board steamships.
Figures 1 and 2 shew respectively a portion of, front end of a marine boiler with
three furnaces and a longitudinal section through the centre furnace.
Figure 3 shews to a smaller scale a front view of two such boilers side by side as

page_text: A, A and A' are the furnaces fitted with the ordinary fronts, dead plates, fire bars
and bridges the latter being formed so as to admit of the application of the compressed
air over the fuel in front of the bridge and behind the bridge to mix with the gases in
combustion chamber.
The compressed air from the receiver B, into which it is delivered by the pump C,
is brought by a main pipe D to the front of the boilers where a valve E shuts off the
supply from either or both boilers.-The branch pipes F and F conduct the air to the
furnaces of each boiler through the valves G G and G³ to the curved perforated pipe
H which distributes it over the fuel in the furnace; through the valves J J¹ and J' ;
to the perforated pipes K K' and K³, across the fronts of furnaces under the dead
plate, which distribute it underneath and through the spaces between the bars and
amongst the fuel; and, through the valves L L and L' by the pipes M M and M*
(one of which is shewn on Figure 2) to the hollow bridge there to be distributed by
channels at desired points.
the
Referring to Figure 4 the air compressing steam pumps C, which will preferably be
in duplicate, delivers the compressed air into the receiver B whence it is conducted by
pipe D to the front of boilers. When a portion of the compressed air is to be
used for cooling purposes it passes from the receiver B into a vessel N to be reduced
in temperature, by surface or direct contact with cold water, supplemented it may be
by cold air after expansion. The air after being cooled in this manner is conducted to
the engine O where it is expanded by working the Fan P and exhausted, at a greatly
reduced temperature, to the suction side of the fan by which it is forced through the
delivery side into pipes Q, R and S, each closed or opened by stop valves. The pipe Q
conveys the cold air to the space T between the cargo bulkhead and a sham bulkhead
to protect the cargo from the heat of furnaces. The pipe R conveys it to the cabins,
saloons or other places requiring to be cooled, and the pipe S conveys it to a tubular
vessel V, between the delivery of circulating pumps and the surface condenser, to cool
the injection water when required in hot climatos. The injection water passes through
the tubes in the vessel V, around which the cold air is made to circulate in a series of
courses before it escapes. A small pipe W conveys cold air from the fan to assist in
cooling the compressed air in the vessel N.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :—
First. The application of currents of highly compressed air to the furnaces of
boilers of marine or other steam engines, with the objects hereinbefore set forth.
Second. For the application of currents of highly compressed air to the furnaces of
boilers of marine or other steam engines the apparatus comprising the parts combined
as shewn, or in merely modified forms, constructed and operating substantially as
described and shewn.
Third. The application on board steamships of highly compressed air, cooled and
afterwards expanded by operating in an engine driving a fan or pump, by which it is
delivered at a low temperature to the stoke holds, bulkheads (between stoke holds and
cargo) cabins and saloons and to the injection water with the objects hereinbefore set
forth.
Fourth. For the application of highly compressed air so treated to the various
purposes above stated the, combination of parts arranged and operating substantially
as described and shewn.
D
L 1007