Improvements in Apparatus for Burning Petroleum or other Oil Fuel in Steam-boiler Furnaces.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 16th June, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 15th Mar., 1900-Accepted, 21st Apr., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Burning Petroleum or other Oil Fuel
in Steam-boiler Furnaces.
Partly a communication from abroad by DAVID CROLL, Engineer, Rotterdam,
Holland, and partly of his own invention.
1, JAMES HOWDEN, of 195, Scotland Street, in the County of Glasgow, North
Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows, that is to say:-
This invention has for its object to obtain improved resuits when burning
petroleum or other oil fuel in steam-boiler furnaces.
In carrying out the invention the oil having a pressure produced by a pump
or otherwise is projected into the furnace in the form of fine jets or spray through
a nozzle encircled by an annular opening through which the air for combustion
supplied by a fan or blower and heated by the waste gases from the boiler,
issues so as to impinge all round and mix with the oil jets or spray as they
enter the furnace. By these means complete and efficient combustion of the oil
is obtainable. The oil is, by preference, pumped into an accumulator or air
receiver and passes thence to the nozzle or nozzles, the pump pulsations being
thereby neutralised.
Crude petroleum may be used or any suitable carbonaceous oil, such for example
as the residuary heavier oil obtained in distilling petroleum or other mineral
oil. If the oil employed is not naturally sufficiently fluid it may be rendered
so by subjecting it to heat in any convenient way, as for example, by passing it.
through a pipe or pipes placed inside the heated air for combustion contained in
the reservoir surrounding the furnaces, or the pipes may be passed through the
uptake so as to be heated by the waste gases from the furnaces; or the oil may
be heated by means of live or exhaust steam.
The oil nozzle is, preferably, made adjustable being provided with a central
spindle adapted to close the nozzle orifice more or less.
The heated air under pressure from the blower may be supplied to the annular
opening encircling the oil nozzle in any convenient way. It is however preferred
to employ a hollow furnace front, such as is used for forced-heated draught for
ordinary boiler furnaces, the air being forced by a fan through apparatus in
which it is heated by the used furnace gases. In the inner plate of the hollow
furnace front openings are provided with mouth-piece flanges, and a pipe having
the oil nozzle at its inner end is made to extend through the outer plate and
into each opening in the inner plate. There may be one two or more oil and
air nozzles for each furnace, these being preferably arranged at the upper part
of the furnace front and inclined downwards and towards the centre so as to
suitably direct the burning oil into the furnace.
In addition to the air supplied directly to the oil jets or spray, air may be
admitted through regulating valves and perforated plates or fire doors. The

page_text: furnace may be provided with a grate for ordinary fuel to be used when oil is
unavailable, such grate being covered by plates or firebrick slabs when oil is being
used and the oil and air nozzles being closed or withdrawn when ordinary fuel
is being used, and the grate being uncovered.
Dated this Fifteenth day of June 1899.
EDMUND HUNT.
Applicant's Agent.
.
Improvements in Apparatus for Burning Petroleum or other Oil Fuel
in Steam-boiler Furnaces.
Partly a communication from abroad by DAVID CROLL, Engineer, Rotterdam,
Holland, and partly of his own invention.
I, JAMES HOWDEN, of 195, Scotland Street, in the County of Glasgow, North
Britain, 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, that is to say:-
This invention has for its object to obtain improved results when burning
petroleum or other oil fuel in steam-boiler furnaces.
In carrying out the invention the oil having a pressure produced by a pump
or otherwise is projected into the furnace in the form of fine jets or spray through
a nozzle encircled by an annular opening through which the air for combustion
supplied by a fan or blower and heated by the waste gases from the boiler issues
so as to impinge all round and mix with the oil jets or spray as they enter the
furnace. By these means complete and efficient combustion of the oil is obtain-
able.
And in order that the said invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood, I hereunto append three sheets of explanatory
drawings to be hereinafter referred to in describing the improvements.
Figures 1, 2, and 3, of the accompanying drawings are respectively a front
sectional elevation a longitudinal sectional elevation, and a front elevation of the
improved apparatus, as applied to steam-boiler furnaces. Figures, 4, and 5, are
similar vertical sections on an enlarged scale of a portion of the improvements.
Figure, 6, is a longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, of a main part of the
improved apparatus. In these drawings the same reference letters and numerals
are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
In carrying out the invention the oil fuel is projected under pressure into the
boiler furnace through a nozzle, B, fitted to the furnace front plate the pressure
being preferably produced by a force pump, C, the suction pipe, C1, of the pump
being connected to the oil source, and the discharge pipe, C2, to the nozzle
pipe B1. An accumulator or air receiver, C3, is fitted to the discharge pipe, C2,
so as to neutralise the pump pulsations. Instead of adopting a separate force
pump as shown, a pump worked by the main engines may be employed for
forcing the oil:
Crude petroleum may be used or any suitable carbonaceous oil such for example
as the residuary heavier oil obtained in distilling petroleum or other mineral
oil. If the oil employed is not naturally sufficiently fluid, it may be rendered
so by subjecting it to heat in any convenient way. A convenient heating
arrangement is shown in Figure, 2, the oil being heated by a steam coil within
the air receiver, C3, the coil being supplied with live or exhaust steam from a

page_text: suitable source, by a pipe, C4, the steam passing through the coil being there-
after discharged by the pipe, C5, into the exhaust pipe C, of the power cylinders
of the pump, C, or it may be discharged into any other suitable part. A filter-
ing device is fitted within the air receiver, C3, so as to filter the oil and clear it
of solid particles, and thereby prevent choking of the nozzle, B. Or instead
of or in addition to this heating arrangement, the oil may be heated by passing
it through a pipe or pipes placed in contact with the heated air for combustion
contained in the reservoir or part, D, surrounding the furnaces, A, B, or the
pipes may be placed within the uptake so as to be heated by the waste gases
from the furnaces, or they may be led through the ashpit so as to be heated by
the radiation from the furnace.
The oil nozzle, B, is screwed on to the inner end of the nozzle pipe, BI, and
is provided with an adjusting or regulating device for regulating the quantity
of oil to be discharged from the nozzle orifice, B2, at any time. The regulator
consists of a spindle, B3, which is arranged to move up and down within the
pipe, B1, and nozzle, B, one end, B4, of the spindle being made taper so as
to work within a taper part or passage, B5, within the oil nozzle, and leading
to the nozzle orifice, the other end of the spindle being fixed to a key or turning
piece, B6, screwed to work in a detachable outer part, B7, of the nozzle pipe, B 1.
By turning the key, B6, the taper end, B4, of the spindle can be made to
occupy different positions within the taper passage so as to alter the size of the
annular passage for oil encircling the taper end and thereby cause a corresponding
alteration in the quantity of oil to be discharged from the nozzle orifice, B2
Helical grooves, BS, are formed on a part of the spindle working within the
nozzle, B, near the taper end, B4, so as to impart a whirling motion to the oil
as it issues from the nozzle orifice, or the spindle may be simply fluted on its
surface at that part.
The heated air under pressure from a fan or blower may be supplied to the
annular opening encircling the oil nozzle, B, in any convenient way. It is
however preferred to employ a hollow furnace front, G, as shown such as is
used for example in my system of forced heated draught for ordinary boiler.
furnaces, the air being forced by a fan (not shown) through the usual appa-
ratus, H, in which it is heated by the used furnace gases, the air entering the
apparatus by the pipe, H1, as shown in Figure 2, and passing round the outside
of the smoke box, H2, to the annular air openings. In the inner plate, G 1, of
the hollow furnace front, G, openings, J1, 12, are formed for each furnace, A,
and B, and each nozzle pipe, B1, having the oil nozzle, 13, at its inner end is
made to extend through the outer plate, G2, and into each opening in the inner
plate, the nozzle pipe being bolted to the outer plate through a flange piece, B9,
fixed or formed on the pipe. An adjusting valve, K, is provided for each of the
openings, J1, J2, for the purpose of adjusting the supply of heated air coming
through the annular opening to the oil nozzle. The valve is fitted to slide on
the nozzle pipe, B1, and is provided with handles, K1, K2, which extend
through the outer plate, G 2, so as to enable it to be worked conveniently by the
attendant. There may be one two or more oil and air nozzles for each furnace,
but in the example shown two are found a convenient number the nozzles being
preferably arranged at the upper part of the furnace front and inclined down-
wards and towards the centre so as to suitably direct the burning oil into the
furnace. Each nozzle pipe, B 1, is provided with a stop valve, L, which is con-
nected to the oil supply pipe, C2, by a branch pipe, L1.
In addition to the air supplied directly to the oil jets or spray as hereinbefore
described air may be admitted to each furnace through ports, M, formed above
the crown, N, of the furnace door opening, N1, and governed by a valve, MI,
worked by a handle, M2. The air proceeding through the ports, M, enters
compartments or passages, PP 1, formed round the furnace door opening and
at the back of the inner plate, G1, and thereafter passes into the furnace through
perforations formed in the crown plate, N, the furnace door air boxes, N 2, and

page_text: the back plates, P2, of the compartments, Pl. Each furnace may be provided
as shown with a grate, R, for ordinary fuel to be used when oil is unavailable,
such grate being partially or wholly covered by firebrick slabs, R1, or iron
plates when oil is being used. It is preferred to keep the grate partially un-
covered as shown by omitting some of the slabs at the end and sides of the
furnace, so as to allow heated air, which is admitted to the ashpit under the
grate to pass into the furnace, and thereby more thoroughly aid the process of
combustion, the heated air being admitted to the ashpit through valves, N 3. When
ordinary fuel is to be used the slabs, R1, are removed and the oil nozzles are
preferably withdrawn each air opening being then closed by its valve piece as
shown in Figure, 5, the valve piece forming a cover for the opening. The valve
piece or cover, K, is fixed over the opening, J1, by a stud piece, Q, which
extends through the opening formed for the nozzle pipe in the outer plate, G2,
the inner end of the stud engaging in the cover and the outer end being bolted
to the outer plate through a flanged part, Q1, of the stud.
The improvements have been herein before described and shown as applied to
ordinary boiler furnaces, but are likewise equally applicable to water-tube boiler
furnaces.
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
1 claim is:-
In apparatus for burning petroleum or other oil fuel in steam boiler furnaces,
the method of charging the furnace with oil fuel in which the oil having a
pressure produced by a pump or otherwise is projected into the furnace in the
form of fine jets or spray through an adjustable nozzle encircled by an adjustable
annular opening through which the air for combustion supplied by a fan or
blower and heated by the waste gases from the boiler issues, and mixes with
the oil jets as they enter the furnace, the parts being constructed arranged and
operating substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Fourteenth day of March 1900.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.