IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONDENSING EXHAUST STEAM AND HEATING AND PURIFYING FEED WATER FOR STEAM BOILERS
Year: 1884

page_text: I JOSEPH WRIGHT of Tipton Staffordshire Mechanical Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
CONDENSING EXHAUST STEAM AND HEATING AND PURIFYING FEED WATER FOR
STEAM BOILERS to be as follows:-
According to my Invention I provide passages or steam pipes into which the
exhaust steam from any number of high pressure or condensing Engines may be
collected together or separately as may be required at one and the same time and
from which it is conveyed by the said passages or steam pipes into a tubular Feed
water Heater (such as that known as the "Berryman Heater") wherein a portion
of the steam thus collected is condensed in heating and cleaning the feed water
under pressure at boiling heat with the heat obtained from the exhaust steam of
the high pressure or condensing Engines jointly or separately.
The feed heater having received the requisite beat for its purpose from the steain
thus collected now conveys the remaining portion to a second heater or surface
condenser which is employed in conjunction with the above feed heater wherein
partial vacuum is secured either by air or water on the tubes as may be most
convenient.
.
I may use either air or water as the condensing Agent; when I use water
I supply it by means of a circulating pump or from a tank and the outlet for the
said water from the said Condenser may be controlled by a valve actuated
automatically by the pressure or absence of pressure in the steam passages of the
tubes of the Condenser so that the supply of water will be regulated, in accordance
with the quantity of steam, passing, and to be condensed.
The water of condensation of the exhaust steam is taken from the bottom
chamber of the Heaters, and Condensers, by pipes, to a specially constructed hot
water tank with diaphragm, and tun pipe, arranged for partially separating the
grease, and other impurities, from the condensed steam water before it is finally
passed into the Feed Heater, for boiling, and complete cleansing.
The water which has been used for condensing the steam in the second condenser,
can be run off to a pool, to be cooled for re-use,

page_text: When high pressure and condensing Engines are both employed in the same
works, and the exhaust steam from the high pressure Engines is insufficient to
effectually heat and clean the feed water for the whole, I employ an automatic or
self acting vacuum valve between the exhaust pipe of one or more of the condensing
Engines, and the inlet steam passage of the combined Heater and Condenser,
whereby I am enabled to convert the condensing Engines to noncondensing for a
time, and to utilize the whole of the exhaust steam for the time being, in heating
and cleaning feed water in the joint Heater and Condenser, and as these conversions
can be effected automatically, and without stopping the Engines or interfering
with the work they may be doing, an important engineering difficulty is overcome
thereby, and the economy of coals, water, and labour, is very considerable.
Dated Oth Mov 1884

page_text: I JOSEPH WRIGHT of Tipton Staffordshire Mechanical Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
CONDENSING EXHAUST STEAM AND HEATING AND PURIFYING FEED WATER FOR
STEAM BOILERS" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My Invention has for its object to provide apparatus or arrangements whereby
the whole of the exhaust steam from high pressure and condensing Engines is
condensed and the water of condensation is obtained in such a condition that it
may be used over and over again in the boilers or for other purposes, by which
means I not only effect great economy in water but also in fuel by the prevention
of incrustation, scum or grease in the boiler.
According to my Invention I provide passages or steam pipes through which
the exhaust steam can be led from a high pressure engine (or Engines) and also
when desired from a low pressure or condensing Engine or Engines, after it leaves
the low pressure cylinder or cylinders, the said Exhaust steam passing, by the
said passages into a tubular feed water heater such as that known as a Berryman
heater. The steam from the high pressure Engine passes through the heater and
is condensed or partially condensed thereby, and it may where not completely
condensed be conducted into a second heater, or surface condenser to be further
condensed. Where there is not sufficient steam from the high pressure Engine or
Engines the exhaust steam from the low pressure cylinder or cylinders of the
condensing Engine or Engines is diverted from the condenser or condensers of the
Engine or Engines and led into the water heater with the exhaust steam from
the high pressure Engine or Engines.
Where a second heater is employed acting as a surface condenser I may use
either air or cold water as the condensing Agent when I use water I supply it by
means of a circulating pump, or from a tank, and the outlet for the said water from
the said condenser may be controlled by a valve actuated automatically by the
pressure or absence of pressure in the steam passage leading from the condenser,
so that the supply of water will be regulated in accordance with the quantity of
steam passing, and to be condensed. The water of condensation of the Exhaust
steam is taken from the bottom chambers of the heaters and condensers by pipes
to a tank or pool preferably provided with an overflow pipe through which oil
and other impurities which may accumulate on the surface of the water is run off
automatically. The water which has been used for condensing the steam in the
second heater or condenser can be run off to a pool or tank to be cooled for re-use.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to
the several figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents in elevation a combination
of apparatus arranged to operate according to my Invention and Figure 2 is a plan

page_text: The exhaust
17 13 R..
of the same
A represents a high pressure steam engine and B a compound engine;
B¹ being the high pressure engine and B2 the condensing or low pressure engine,
C is what is known as a
and B the condenser in connection with the latter.
Barryman Feed water heater and D an air or water condenser.
ports of the high pressure engine A and also those of the condensing or low
pressure engine B2 of the compound engine B are in communication by a pipe or
passage a and branches a¹ with a tube b communicating at its lower end with the
interior of the lower part of the heater C, its upper end being open to the
atmosphere. The tube b is provided with a valve at 61 for the purpose of shutting
off the communication with the atmosphere when it is required to pass the exhaust
steam from the engines through the heater C. The low pressure or condensing
engine B2 communicates with the condenser B3 by a pipe a' which is provided
with a valve as for the purpose of cutting off the communication between the
engine B' and the condenser B³ when it is required to conduct the exhaust steam
into the heater C. The exhaust steam from the engine or engines entering the
heater C passes through the tubes therein and is condensed by, the surrounding
water as is well understood any of the said steam however passing through the
tubes uncondensed passes from the heater C by the connecting tube c into the
condenser D where it is subjected to further condensation and should there be still
some of the steam. uncondensed it is allowed to escape into the atmosphere through
the pipe E. The water of condensation from the steam admitted into the vessels C
and D pass out therefrom by the pipe F and enter a tank G by the branch pipe H.
The condenser D may be supplied with condensing water (when water is employed
as the condensing agent) from a tank I connected with a circulating pump K for
forcing the water into the condenser through the pipe k. The outlet for the
condensing water from the condenser D is regulated by a valve i the opening of
which is controlled automatically by the pressure or absence of pressure of
uncondensed steam passing from the condenser to the pipe E for example if
there be a considerable amount of uncondensed steam passing from the condenser D
the pressure of the said steam by acting upon a piston in the chamber d
(which, piston is connected by the rods d and d to the valve i) will open
the said valve more or less according to the pressure of the steam and thus
allow the water to. flow from the condenser more or less rapidly. The extent to
which the valve i is allowed to remain opened in, the absence of steam from the
chamber d, may be regulated by a screwed nut d³ working on a screwed rod or
spindle d the position of the said nut on-the-spindle controlling the descent-of-the
piston in the chamber d by a collar d on the piston coming in contact with the
nut and consequently the valve i will be allowed to close more or less by adjusting
the nut d on the spindle d and thereby regulate the flow of the water from the
condenser through the pipe d6. The water from the condenser will pass direct
through a ball cock ör valve at e into the tank Gif there, be sufficient room
therein to contain it, if however the tank be full the said ball cock or valve will
be closed by the water in the tank so that the water will be caused to pass through
the pipe e to a pool or reservoir from which the tank G is supplied with water,
when deficient, by the return pipe e also fitted with a ball cock or valve at e³ to
regulate its admission.
The water for condensing the steam entering the heater C is supplied from the
tank G from which it flows by the pipe ġ to the pump L by which the water is
forced through the pipe into the heater C. This water effects the condensation
or partial condensation of the exhaust steam admitted therein from the engines as
herein before described and having absorbed heät therefrom passes out by the
pipe M and is conducted to the boiler in a highly heated condition. The water of
condensation passes from the heater as. herein before described into the tank G
which tank is provided with an overflow pipe g2 through which any grease or other
impurity which may accumulate on the surface of the water flows away; the
boilers being thus fed with water in a highly heated condition, and comparatively,
free from impurities thereby effecting a great saving in fuel for raising steam,

page_text: whilst the boilers are preserved from incrustation for a long period and a con-
siderable saving in the consumption of water is obtained as it is used over and over
again as herein before described.
In some cases the condenser D may be dispensed with and the arrangement for.
automatically regulating the passage of the water therefrom be applied in a similar
manner to the heater C. The high pressure engine or engines A may be used in
combination with the heater C and the condenser D without the condensing
engine B²; or the condensing engine or engines B2 may be combined with the
heater C and condenser D without the high pressure engine or engines 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
First: The employment in combination with condensing engines or with non-
condensing engines or with both condensing engines and non-condensing engines a
feed water heater in conjunction with a water, or an air condensing apparatus
the water of condensation from the exhaust steam from the steam engine or
steam engines being employed in the heating apparatus for effecting the con-
densation or partial condensation of the said exhaust steam substantially in the
manner herein before described with reference to my drawings.
Second: The combination with a condensing engine or engines and a non-
condensing engine or engines of a feed water heater into which the exhaust steam
from the engines may be passed and condensed the water of condensation from the
steam being employed for condensing the exhaust steam from the said engines
substantially as herein before described with reference to my drawings.
Third Means for automatically controlling the flow of condensing water
according to the volume of steam to be condensed substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by my drawings.