Improvements in Stationary and Portable Pumps Actuated by Steam Turbines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 12th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 14th Dec., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stationary and Portable Pumps Actuated by
Steam Turbines.
I, The Honourable CHARLES ALGERNON PARSONS, of Heaton Works,
Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the County of Northumberland, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to steam pumps actuated by steam turbines, and my object
is to produce a combination of steam turbines and rotary pump in which the pump
is coupled directly to the turbine spindle.
My invention consists in the combination of a suitable steam turbine and rotary
pump; in a suitable construction of pump for high speeds of rotation; and in
various devices for producing a combined steam turbine and pump suitable for
stationary pumps, or portable pumps, or fire engines.
My invention is applicable to pumps for water or other liquids, and also applies
to fans or pumps for air or other gases.
;
In a stationary pump constructed in accordance with my invention, I provide a
steam turbine of my well-known type, having rings of blades suitable for a con-
siderable range or expansion, and having dummy or other balancing arrangements
according to any of my well-known patented devices. To a continuation of the
low pressure casing, or of the bed if need be, of the steam turbine, I bolt a suitable
casing containing a centrifugal pump, which may be of the ordinary type, but of a
suitably small diameter to enable it to work at a high speed or rotation. But I
prefer instead of the centrifugal fans, such are ordinary used in centrifugal
pumps; screws, which screws operate in a cylinder or cylinders, and propel the
water or other liquid forward by screw action, instead of by centrifugal action.
By the use of such screws I can permit a higher peripheral speed, and so the said
screws are more suitable for coupling directly to the spindle of a high speed steam
turbine. By such use of screws I am enabled to produce an economical pump
which forces water without undue consumption of power. By arranging the screws
of a proper pitch, and a small enough diameter, I prevent the formation of a
vacuum behind the blades, and so avoid the loss of power which would occur if
such a vacuum were formed. In some cases I use several screws, in series; the
screws being of increasing pitch, beginning with a fine pitch, and terminating with
a greater pitch, my object being to gradually accelerate the flow of fluid, and
prevent the formation of a vacuum or fluid vapours behind the blades. Such
screws may be arranged with or without guide-blades, and in some circumstances
may even be arranged of uniform pitch, and may be placed either in the same or in
separate chambers. Instead of screws alone, or centrifugal fans alone, I may use a
centrifugal fan in combination with a screw, the fan being arranged to accelerate
the water gradually and feed it to the screw or another fan disc of higher peripheral
velocity. By this device I prevent the formation of a vacuum space in the centre
of the larger fan disc or chamber, or behind the larger screws.
I arrange my pump casing to carry the continuation of the pump turbine spindle,
and construct my hearings both for the turbine and the pump in accordance with
any one of my well-known devices for preventing undue vibration at high speeds.
I may adopt, for example, my well-known friction ring device, enclosing the
bearings, or iny hydraulic damping device, consisting of a number of rings enclosing
the bearing in which the spindle rotates.
I also provide oil circulating and supplying devices to force oil through' the

page_text: bearings, and I arrange a centrifugal governor driven from the turbine spindle by
a worm wheel and by a belt; which centrifugal governor controls the speed of the
turbine. Other governors, however, may be used instead of centrifugal governors.
I provide suitable steam admission pipes, valves, and passages; suitable steam
exhaust passages, and suitable suction and discharge passages for the pump. I also
arrange to fill the pump at starting by means of a steam jet ejector.
My invention is equally applicable to portable pumping engines, such as steam
fire-engines, and for this purpose I arrange a boiler of the water-tube type, which
boiler I mount upon a suitable wheeled carriage with a framework to carry boiler,
turbine, and pump. In the case of large fire-engines, or portable pumping engines,
I provide suitable trams for horse traction. I provide the said portable pumping
engine with a funnel, and firing arrangements of a convenient kind.
Such a fire engine is especially designed to suit town fire-brigades, docks, and for
other purposes.
Sometimes I arrange a portable pump and turbine, on a carriage without a steam
boiler, and provide suitable means of coupling the pump, and turbine to steam and
water supply. Such a pump is convenient in connection with many manufactures.
My invention may also be applied to the purpose of combining a steam turbine
and a fan or air pump, for ventilating buildings, mills, workshops; and indeed for
supplying or moving air for any purpose.
Special pumps may also be arranged for other liquids than water.
MARKS & CLERK,
18 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13 Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Stationary and Portable Pumps Actuated by
Steam Turbines.
I, The Honourable CHARLES ALGERNON PARSONS, of Heaton Works,
Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the County of Northumberland, 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 invention relates to steam pumps actuated by steam turbines, and my object
is to produce a combination of steam turbine and rotary pump in which the pump
is coupled directly to the turbine spindle.
My invention consists in the combination of a suitable steam turbine and rotary
pump in a suitable construction of pump for high speeds of rotation; and in
various devices for producing a combined steam turbine and pump suitable for
stationary pumps, or portable pumps or fire engines.
My invention is applicable to pumps for water or other liquids, and also applies
to fans or pumps for air or other gases.
To a
In a stationary pump constructed in accordance with my invention, I provide a
steam turbine of my well known type, having rings of blades suitable for a
considerable range or expansion, and having dummy or other balancing
arrangements according to any of my well known patented devices.
continuation of the low pressure casing, or of the bed if need be, of the steam
turbine, I bolt a suitable casing containing a centrifugal pump, which may be
of the ordinary type, but of suitably small diameter to enable it to work at a
high speed of rotation. But I prefer instead of the centrifugal fans, such as
are ordinarily used in centrifugal pumps, screws, which screws operate in a

page_text: .
cylinder or cylinders, and propel the water or other liquid formed by screw
action, instead of by centrifugal action. By the use of such screws I can permit
a higher peripheral speed, and so the said screws are more suitable for coupling
directly to the spindle of a high speed steam turbine. By such use of screws I am
enabled to produce an economical pump which forces water without undue
consumption of power. By arranging the screws of a proper pitch, and a small
enough diameter, I prevent the formation of a vacuum behind the blades, and so
In
avoid the loss of. power which would occur if such a vacuum were formed.
some cases I use several screws in series; the screws being of increasing pitch,
beginning with a fine pitch, and terminating with a greater pitch, my object being
to gradually accelerate the flow of fluid, and prevent the formation of a vacuum or
fluid vapours behind the blades. Such screws may be arranged with or without
guide-blades, and in some circumstances may even be arranged of uniform pitch,
Instead of screws
and may be placed either in the same or in separate chambers.
alone, or centrifugal fans alone, I may use a centrifugal fan in combination with a
screw, the screw being arrangel to accelerate the water gradually and feed it to
the fan or another fan disc of higher peripheral velocity. By this device I prevent
the formation of a vacuum space in the centre of the larger fan disc or chamber, or
behind the larger screws.
I arrange my pump casing to carry the continuation of the pump turbine spin lle,
and I construct my bearings both for the turbine and the pump in accordance with
any one of my well-known devices for preventing undue vibration at high speeds..
I may adopt, for example, my well-known friction ring device, enclosing the
bearings, or my hydraulic damping device, consisting of a number of rings
enclosing the bearing in which the spindle rotates.
I also provide oil circulating and supplying devices to force oil through the
bearings, and I arrange a centrifugal governor driven from the turbine spindle by
a worm wheel and by a belt; which centrifugal governor controls the speed of the
turbine. Other governors, however, may be used instead of centrifugal governors.
I
I provide suitable steam admission pipes. valves, an passages; suitable steam
exhaust passages, and suitable suction and discharge passages for the pamp.
also arrange to fill the pump at starting by means of a steam jet ejector.
My invention is equally applicable to portable pumping engines, such as stea
fire-engines, and for this purpose I arrange a boiler of the water-tube type, which
boiler I mount upon a suitable wheeled carriage with a framework to carry boiler,
turbine, and pump. In the case of large fire-engines, or portable pumping engines,
I provide suitable trams for horse traction. I provide the said portable pumping
engine with a funnel, and firing arrangements of a convenient kind.
Such a fire engine is especially designed to suit town fire-engines, docks, and for
other purposes.
Sometimes I arrange a portable pump and turbine, on a carriage without a steam
boiler; and provide suitable means of coupling the pump, and turbine to steam
and water supply. Such a pump is convenient in connection with many
manufactures.
My invention may also be applied to the purpose of combining a steam turbine
and a fan or air pump, for ventilating buildings, mills, workshops; and indeed for
supplying or moving air for any purpose.
Special pumps may also be arranged for other liquids than water.
Referring to the four accompanying sheets of drawings:-
Figure 1 is a turbine of my parallel flow type attached to the centrifugal pump
having two screws and a fan.
Figure 2 shows one of my turbines coupled to a screw pump having three screws.
Figure 3 shows a portable pumping plant consisting of one of my steam turbine
motors, a modified centrifugal pump and a water tube boiler and mounted on
wheels.
Figures 4 and 5 are respectively side elevation and plan showing one of my
steam turbines coupled directly to a screw fan.

page_text: One arrangement of pump and turbine constructed in accordance with my
invention is shown at Figure 1 Sheet 1.
In this arrangement I provide one of my well-known parallel flow turbines A
having dummy or other balancing arrangements and having rings of blades
suitable for a considerable range of expansion according to several of my patented
devices. To a continuation of the turbine bed 1 bolt a suitable casing C containing
the modified centrifugal pump having a central disc or fan and two feeding
screws E E. The diameter of the pump disc D is suitably reduced to enable it to
work at a high speed of rotation and the blade angles may be made as usual in
pumps of that class but for high lifts I prefer to set them at a finer angle so as to
diminish the shock in the water at their leading edges. The two feeding
screws EE are preferably of fine pitch and they assist in feeding the central disc
and blades by the pressure they give to the moving column of water and also in
keeping it solid on its entry to the centrifugal blades and disc D. The illustration
Figure 1 of this part of the invention is an elevation with the pump portion in
section. The water inlet is at F and the delivery is at G. The pump spindle H
is coupled directly to the turbine spindle and though the bearings II in which the
pump spindle H revolves are shown as of ordinary construction, I may use any of
the patented bearing devices in use on my turbines.
In a centrifugal pump constructed as herein before described I may dispense with
the screws E E in some cases.
In another modification of my invention instead of the centrifugal fan pumps as
herein before described I prefer to use screws; such screws operate in a cylinder or
cylinders and propel the water or other liquid forward by screw action. By the
use of such screws I can permit a higher peripheral speed, and so the said screws
are more suitable for coupling directly to the spindle of any speed steam turbine.
By the use of such screws I am enabled to produce an economical pump which
forces water without undue consumption of power. By arranging the screws of a
proper pitch, and a small enough diameter, prevent the formation of a vacuum
behind the blades, and so avoid the loss of power which would occur if such
a vacuum were formed. In some cases I use several screws in series; the screws
being of increasing pitch, beginning with a fine pitch and terminating with a
greater pitch, my object being to gradually accelerate the flow of fluid and prevent
the formation of a vacuum or fluid vapours behind the blades. Such screws may
be arranged with or without guide blades and in some circumstances may be
even arranged of uniform pitch and may be placed in the same or in separate
chambers.
At Figure 2 is shown an arrangement of pump and turbine constructed in
accordance with herein before described screw modification of my invention. The
figure is an elevation of a screw pump and turbine, the pump being in section.
The turbine A is of parallel flow type similar to that shown in Figure 1 and it is
coupled directly to the screw shaft K of the pump; this pump consists of three
screws L M N revolving in a casing O. These screws are of increasing pitch and
decreasing diameter from L to N, and the casing O carries guide blades P P
between the screws and is of slightly conical shape to suit the decreasing diameters
of the screws L M N. This arrangement of screws and casing takes the water at
its inlet end Q and gradually accelerates it up to the point of exit R at the smaller
end of the conical casing O; and such an arrangement for gradually accelerating
the flow of a column of water may be used for other purposes such as the propulsion
of vessels. In modifications in which I make the screws of uniform diameter and
of slightly increasing pitch, the column of water is moved at uniform velocity but
the pressure is increased at each screw and the water kept thereby solid. The
screw spindle bearings S S Figure 2 may be of the ordinary form as shown or of
any of the special forms used in my turbines.
My invention is equally applicable to portable pumping engines, such as steam
fire engines and at Figure 3 1 illustrate in elevation such an application.
In this application I arrange a boiler T of water tube type upon a suitable wheel

page_text: carriage U and one of my steam turbines V, having directly coupled to it one of
the modified centrifugal pumps W hereinbefore described. The exhaust steam is
led up the boiler chimney in the usual manner as at X Figure 3.
In another modification of my invention I apply my turbine directly to a screw
fan for forced draught or ventilating purposes. Such an application is clearly
illustrated at Figures 4 and 5, Figure 4 being an elevation and Figure 5 a plan.
A is one of my steam turbines coupled directly to the fan shaft B upon which the
screw fan C is fixed. In the elevation Figure 4 the screw fan C is shown placed
in the flue D for forced draught purposes. It revolves at a speed of from 2000
to 3000 revolutions per minute and gives a pressure of from 12 to 22 inches of water
column and delivers from 5000 to 7000 cubic feet of air per minute. If greater air
pressures are required I sometimes adopt the arrangement shown in Figure 2
but preferably I use screws of uniform pitch and diameter and a cylindrical casing
around them.
In all the bearings of the hereinbefore described pump modifications of my
invention I may adopt any well known devices for preventing undue vibrations at
high speeds, for example my friction ring device enclosing the bearings or my
hydraulic damping device consisting of a number of rings enclosing the bearing in
which the spindle rotates.
I also provide oil circulating and supplying devices to force oil through the
bearings and I arrange a centrifugal governor driven from the turbine spindle by
a worm wheel and belt; which centrifugal governor controls the speed of the
turbine; other governors may be used however instead of centrifugal governors.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
:-
1. In high speed pumps for coupling to a steam turbine the use of devices for
gradually accelerating the water or liquid so as to avoid the formation of vacuum
or vortices containing water or liquid vapour substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. In high speed pumps for coupling to a steam turbine the combination of one
or more screws for feeding the water to a centrifugal fan or pump substantially as
hereinbefore described.
3. In high speed pumps for coupling to a steam turbine the combination of
several screws on the same or different shafts revolving at the same or different
speeds, the screws being of uniform or increasing pitch or of different pitches and
arranged with or without guide blades, the casing being cylindrical or conical all
so arranged as to secure a gradual acceleration of the water column and prevention
of vacuum substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. The combination of any of my well known forms of steam turbines with pumps
as herein before described.
5. The combination of any of my well known forms of steam turbines with screw
fans as described for forcing air or gases.
6. The arrangement of turbine and pump as described and illustrated for fire
engine purposes.
7. The arrangement of turbine pump boiler and other parts as described and
illustrated for fire engine or pumping purposes.
Dated this 8th day of November 1895.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.