AN IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING STEAM OR VAPOR
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, MATTHEW PIERS WATT BOULTON of Tew Park in the county of Oxon,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "AN IMPROVED
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING STEAM OR VAPOR to be as follows :—
This Invention relates to a method of generating steam or vapor and apparatus
for that purpose. One of the objects at which it aims is to render it easier to
construct boilers in which steam inay be generated and contained at very high
pressure, by doing away with the external application of heat to the boiler.
Another of its objects is to enable the generation of the steam or vapor to be
adjusted to the demand when this is varying or intermittent.
In describing the construction and the method of working according to this
invention, I shall speak of water as the liquid to be evaporated it being understood
that other liquids can be treated in like manner.
I provide a vessel of suitable capacity and strength in which the water to be
evaporated is contained, or to which it is supplied. I provide also a heater
containing fire-brick or refractory material constructed generally in the manner
described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me and to E. Perrett
N° 1788 dated 14th April 1882, and in a Provisional Specification filed by us on
the 18th Dec. 1883 No 5797.
This heater at one time is heated by fire and by passing through it products of
combustion, while at another time it is put in communication with the boiler.
A pair of heaters or many heaters may be provided, so as to keep up the alternate
service continuously, as has been explained in the Specifications previously
referred to.
Further, I provide a pump or its equivalent by means of which a circulation of
steam from the steam space in the boiler can be maintained through the heater and
the boiler.
The steam drawn by the pump from the steam-space is made to pass through
the heater or heaters, so as to become super-heated and is then caused to pass
through the water in the boiler in such a manner as to be brought into extended
contact with it, either by travelling through it in numerous fine streams or by
travelling backwards and forwards through it, as directed by suitably disposed
diaphragms

page_text: . Or, otherwise, it is caused to pass among or between wetted surfaces so as to
generate steam from these.
When this latter method is adopted the following construction is applicable.
A vessel is provided similar generally to the heater, or to the cooler described as
a cooler or condenser in the Provisional Specification N° 5797 above referred to.
This vessel contains material which is bibulous, porous or easily wetted and is
arranged with numerous interstices or passages, and this material is kept constantly
wet by water dropped on it or introduced among it. The superheated steam is
caused to pass through the interstices or passages and flowing in contact with the
wetted surfaces, generates steam from them."
When this mode of operating is adopted it is possible to dispense with the pump,
the circulation being maintained by means of the difference of the temperatures of
the heater and boiler. Also when this mode of operating is adopted, a fan can
conveniently be employed to cause or promote the circulation.
The speed of the pump or circulating apparatus, which may be driven in various
ways, may be regulated as desired: and the regulation may be made automatic, and
controlled by the pressure in the boiler.
If a pump or circulating apparatus is used previous to the generation of steam,
this may be worked by any convenient source of power. Such power may be
power stored by previous working of the engine.
In some cases previous to the working of the pump or circulating apparatus, the
water in the boiler may be heated to the requisite degree and the steam-space filled
with steam by sending into the water steam from another boiler.
The mode of arranging the heater or heaters in relation to the boiler may be
varied in many ways. In some cases the heater or heaters may be external to the
boiler; in other cases the heater or heaters may be arranged in a position similar
to that of fire-tubes or flues within the shell of the boiler.
It is to be understood that in operating in the manner above described, the
portion of steam or vapour that is caused to circulate through the heater and boiler
acts as a vehicle of heat, which it conveys to the liquid. in the boiler so as to effect
generation of an additional quantity of steam or vapour, which can be used for
working an engine or for any purpose to which steam or vapour is applicable:
BOLL
1004

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
"
I, MATTHEW PIERS WATT BOULTON of Tew Park, in the county of Oxon,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "AN IMPROVED
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING STEAM OR VAPOR 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 a method of gonerating steam or vapor and apparatus
for that purpose. One of the objects, at which it aims is to render it easier to
construct boilers in which steam may be generated and contained at very high
pressure, by doing away with the external application of heat to the boiler.
Another of its objects is to enable the generation of the steam or vapor to be
adjusted to the demand when this is varying or intermittent. It also renders it
possible to work with a small quantity of water in the boiler.
In describing the construction and the method of working according to this
invention, I shall speak of water as the liquid to be evaporated it being understood
that other liquids can be treated in like manner.
I provide a vessel of suitable capacity and strength in which the water to be
evaporated is contained or to which it is supplied. I provide also a heater
containing fire brick or refractory material constructed generally in the manner
described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me and to E. Perrett
No 1788 dated 14th April 1882, and in a Provisional Specification filed by us on
the 18th Dec 1883 No 5797.
This heater at one time is heated by fire and by passing through it products of
combustion, while at another time it is put in communication with the boiler. A
pair of heaters or many heaters may be provided, so as to keep up the alternate
service continuously, as has been explained in the Specifications previously
referred to.
Further I provide a pump or its equivalent by means of which a circulation of
steam from the steam space in the boiler can be maintained through the heater and
the boiler.
The steam drawn by the pump from the steam space is made to pass through the
heater so as to become superheated and is then caused to pass through the water
in the boiler in such a manner as to be brought into extended contact with it
either by travelling through it numerous fine streams or by travelling backwards
and forwards through it, as directed by suitably disposed diaphragms.
Or, otherwise it is caused to pass among or between wetted surfaces, so as to
generate steam from these.
When this latter method is adopted the following construction is applicable.
A vessel is provided similar generally to the heater, or to the cooler described as
a cooler or condenser in the Provisional Specification N° 5797 above referred to.
This vessel contains material which is bibulous, porous or easily wetted and is
arranged with numerous interstices or passages, and this material is kept constantly
wet by water dropped ou it or introduced among it. The superheated steam is

page_text: caused to pass through the interstices or passages and flowing in contact with the
wetted surfaces, generates steam from them.
When this mode of operating is adopted it is possible to dispense with the
pump, the circulation being maintained by means of the difference of the tempera-
tures of the heater and boiler. Also when this mode of operating is adopted, a
fan can conveniently be employed to cause or promote circulation.
The speed of the pump or circulating apparatus which may be driven in various
ways may be regulated as desired; and the regulation may be made automatic, and
controlled by the pressure in the boilor.
If a pump or circulating apparatus is used previous to the generation of steam
this may be worked by any convenient source of power; such power may be
power stored by previous working of the engine.
In some cases previous to the working of thic pump or circulating apparatus,
the water in the boiler may be heated to the requisite degree and the steam spaco
filled with steam by sending into the water steam from another boiler.
The mode of arranging the heater or heaters in relation to the boiler may be
varied in many ways. In some cases the heater or heaters may be external to the
boiler; in other cases the heater or heaters may be arranged in a position similar
to that of fire-tubes or flues within the shell of the boiler.
It is to be understood that in operating in the manner above described, the
portion of steam or vapor that is caused to circulate through the heater and
boiler acts as a vehicle of heat which it conveys to the liquid in the boiler so as to
effect generation of an additional quantity of steain or vapor, which can be used
for working an engine or for any purpose to which steam or vapor is applicable.
The method described of generating steain or effecting evaporation of liquid is
obviously equally applicable when it is not desired to utilise the steam or vapor
15
Fig. 1 is a vertical section showing one form of apparatus according to my
invention.
Here H is the heater, containing the hot fire bricks or bodies suitably disposed
with numerous interstices between them. B is the boiler in which the water has
to be evaporated. C is a cylinder in which a piston works as a pump causing
circulation of the stean. This piston is worked by a piston in the cylinder D
.driven by steam. The pump Ċ draws in steam from the boiler B through the
pipe P, and sends it through O into the lower part of the heater H.
It ascends through the annular space around the fire-bricks or heated bodies, and
subsequently descends through the interstices among them to the space E, whence
it passes through the pipe T into the boiler. It issues beneath the water in this
and rises through the perforations in the plate F so as to rise through the water in
numerous fine streams, generating steam as it so passes and rising along with the
generated steam to the steam-space S. The excess of steam passes away by the
pipe U going to work an engine or to be utilised in any manuer desired or if tho
object aimed at be simply to evaporate the water, it passes away as waste.
A fire place is shewn beneath the boilor B by which steam may be raised for
the working of the pump C at the commencement of the operation.
If no fire place is provided under the boiler, then means are provided by which
the circulating pump can be worked at the commencement of the operation by
some convenient source of power. A wheel is shewn at W which may be worked
by hand or in other ways for this purpose.
The generation of steam is or may be controlled by a governor, which acts on a
throttle valve in the steam pipe through which steam is supplied to the circulating
pump, so as to enlarge or contract this passage as the pressure in the boiler falls
or rises.

page_text: This mode of operation being well known, it has not been thought necessary to
shew it.
In fig. 2 the heater and the general system of circulation are the same but
the manner of bringing the steam into extended contact with the water is
different.
Here the boiler is a vessel containing plates or bodies like those of a regenerator
which may be of various materials, disposed so as to afford numerous interstices
among or between them. Water is caused to drop upon these bodies from a
distributing apparatus D, so as to flow over their surfaces.
The current of hot steam issuing from the heater, enters a space in the upper
part of B, and descends through the interstices among the bodies wetted by the
water so as to generate steam, the excess of steam passing away by the pipe U.
A fan is shewn or indicated at F as the instrument for causing or maintaining
the circulation. As previously explained, some suitable means are provided for
working this at the commencement of the operation.
"L
A branch pipe is shewn at X by which superheated steam can be taken to work
the engine. If it is desired to work with this steam alone, then the other pipe
shewn at U is dispensed with. But if it is desired to work with steam lower in
temperature than that of the superheated steam at X then both these pipes aro
used, the steam passing through them being caused to mix in a chamber, so that
the tomperature in this chamber is that which is desired."
Fig. 3 which is also a vertical section, shews an arrangement in which the pump
is dispensed with tho circulation of the steam being effected by the difference of
temperatures that is to say by the difference of weight of columns of hot and cool
steam or elastic fluid. Here B the boiler is placed above the heater H. As H is
filled with hot steam, while the pipe P is filled with cool steam, a current is created,
ascending from H to B, and descending through P to the lower part of H. Any
water which may pass unevaporated through the plates or bodies in B is collected
in the space S, and taken away, either by the feed pump or by suitable apparatus,
which may be automatic.
The rapidity of circulation of the steam and consequent speed of generation of
steam is controlled by a throttle valve in the down steam pipe, which may be
worked by the engine if desired; or otherwise it may be worked by the pressure
of steam in the generator or boiler.
In this construction, the plates or bodies in the boiler may, previous to the
generation of steam, be heated by the circulation which naturally takes place
owing to the difference of temperatures in the parts as previously explained. The
beuter H being heated by the internal fire, and passage of products of combustion,
heat may be made to ascend from H to B and heat the bodies in it.
The bodies in B having been heated, generation of steam commences at once as
soon as water is introduced through the distributing passage D, so as to drop upon
them. When the pressure within the vessels is sufficiently raised by generation of
steam, the engine can be worked.
Fig 4 shows an arrangement for heating the bodies in the boiler by passing
through them products of combustion at the time when the hoater is being heated.
When the fire is lighted in the fire place F, the valves V₁ and V³ are closed, and
V and V are open.
The products of combustion ascend from the space above F, through the firo
bricks, and afterwards descend through the annulus to the space at the bottom of
the heater. From this they pass through the tube T into the space at the bottom
of the boiler, whence they rise upwards through the plates or bodies, and pass
away through the chimney.
When the operation of heating the heater has been finished, the valves V* and V*
are closed and V₁ and Vs are opened. Water is now introduced into the boiler
through the distributing apparatus D, so as to drop upon the plates or bodies in it,
and wet their surfaces, thus generating steam and raising the pressure in the
vessels. When this pressure is sufficiently raised the engine can be started. The

page_text: engine works the fan P, causing the circulation of ateam as has been previously
explained, by means of which the generation of steam is maintained. The circu-
lation and consequent genoration of steam is controlled by regulating the valve V³.
Provision is also made for regulating the supply of water according to the
requirements of the boiler, by diminishing the supply as the pressure increases and
vice-versa. The modes of governing or regulating such operations being well
known it has not been thought necessary to show them.
Instead of distributing the water through numerous fine apertures in a fixed
plate it may be distributed through larger apertures in a Barker's mill. In such a
case it is as well to provide the Barker's mill with several arms of various lengths.
The apertures in such a construction being larger they are less liable to be choked.
An arrangement suitable for locomotive or portable engines is shewn in figs. 5
and 6, fig 5 being a longitudinal section and fig. 6 a cross section.
In this arrangement, the cylindrical vessel containing the heater is placed within
the boiler. The circulating pump A driven from the steam cylinder B is shewn on
the top of the boiler..
The steam is drawn from the steam space of the boiler C and is discharged into
the annular casing D passing through the heated fire-bricks past the check valve E
and the stop valve F into the branch pipes G, and boing delivered from perforations
in the distributing pipes H, so as to rise in bubbles or fine streams through the
water to be evaporated. The supply for the main engine is drawn from the steam
space of the boiler at any convenient place.
Fig. 7 shews a cross section for an arrangement suitable for marine boilers. In
this plan two or more heaters are placed immediatoly beneath the boiler or vessel
containing the water to be evaporated. The pump A draws steam and causes it to
circulate through one of the heaters whilst the othor heater is being heated; the
pipes shew clearly the method of working which is similar to that previously
described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is
1, The hereindescribed method of generating steam or vapor in a boiler by first
heating by fire burning under ordinary pressure, refractory material arranged
with numerous interstices in a vessel or heater, and subsequently putting this
vessel or heater in communication with the boiler and causing steam or vapor from
the boiler to circulate through the boiler and heater, so that after being super-
heated in the latter, it returns to the boiler and generates steam or vapor therein
by immediate contact with the liquid.
2, For the purpose of generating steam or vapor in the manner referred to in
the preceding claim, the combination of a boiler, a circulating apparatus and a
heater, constructed and operating substantially as heroin described.