Improvements in Steam Generators.
Year: 1899

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Generators.
ERNEST JOHN CLUBBE and ALFRED WILLIAM SOUTHEY, Engineers, both of
16, Elm Street, Gray's Inn Road, London, W.C., do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be parti-
cularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement;
The object of our invention is to construct a steam generator suitable for motor
carriages, steam launches and the like, in which solid fuel shall be automatically
fed as required without checking the fire or rendering combustion incomplete.
Our invention provides means whereby any smoky fuel, such as soft coal,
may be used without difficulty.
Our invention specially applies to small furnaces, where hitherto it has been
almost impossible to burn smokeless fuel such as coke, which is difficult to
ignite, for steam raising, as the fire is checked when fresh fuel is added.
18
We are aware that hoppers and central feed systems are now used whereby
fuel is fed on the top of the fire, but in those cases the combustion space
choked by the fuel, and the air supply checked.
In those systems of automatic stoking where the fuel is delivered into an
ordinary grate, cheap smoky fuel cannot be used in a satisfactory manner owing
to imperfect combustion.
We carry our invention into effect by constructing our generator of an outer
case lined with any suitable refractory material, containing a central coned fuel
feed chamber, through which the fuel is fed from a hopper above.
In order that the fuel directly under the fuel feed chamber may be perfectly
burnt we provide sets of fire bars or gratings inclined together in the form of
an inverted V so that the air is delivered to the entire surface of the fire and not
to the upper or lower parts only, combustion being thereby supported inside the
lower edge of the fuel feed chamber, so that all smoke may be consumed.
We, by this device, obtain a thin fire continuously fed with fuel which is
automatically distributed over the fire-bars as combustion proceeds, thus over-
coming the difficulty of supplying air to a thick body of burning fuel, and enab-
ling a high rate of combustion to be maintained.
The water tubes are arranged between the upper part of the coned fuel feed
chamber and the outer case.
A suitable flue and ash doors are provided.
In the centre of the coned fuel feed chamber we fit a rotating shaft, having
pins fitted on it at right angles, to prevent the fuel caking on the top of the fire;
this shaft may be kept in motion by any suitable means.
Reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1, shows a
cross section of a series tubular generator, Fig. 2, a cross section of a parallel
tubular generator, and Fig. 3, a single coil to indicate how the series tubular
generator shown in Fig. 1, is built up.
The letters refer to the same parts in each figure:-In Fig. 1, the inclined
bars A, are fitted in the centre of the bottom of the outer case, the ash pan D,

page_text: being placed beneath them. Ash doors F, F, are provided to enable the ashes
falling on either side of the bars to be cleared away.
A flue E at one end of the outer case carries away the products of combustion.
The central coned fuel feed chamber C, through which the fuel is fed is fitted
with an air-tight joint to the top of the case, the hopper (not shown) being also
air-tight so that the draught may not pass upwards through the fuel.
The tubes B, B, are preferably made in double coils P, as shown in Fig. 3,
the coils being connected in series by unions as now used fitted at the front of
the outer case.
A revolving shaft M, having pins fitted on it at right angles is provided to
keep the fuel from caking in the central coned fuel feed chamber.
In Fig. 2, the water tubes B, are connected in parallel by water drums H H
HH as commonly used, baffle plates G G being fitted, through which the fuel
is fed, answering the same purpose as the coned fuel feed chamber shown in
Fig. 1.
The bars A, ash pan D, flue E, ash doors F, F, are arranged in the same
manner as shown in Fig. 1.
By constructing our furnace in this manner we ensure the perfect combustion
of the fuel, which is not checked when fresh fuel is added.
By the arrangement of inclined fire-bars as described the following results
are obtained;—
Perfect combustion directly under the fuel feed chamber. A thin body of
fire of large area, allowing a very high rate of combustion to be maintained.
The automatic distribution of the fuel over the fire bars as combustion proceeds.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1. In steam generator furnaces the arrangement of inclined fire-bars for the
purpose of ensuring the perfect combustion of fuel directly under the fuel feed
chamber, substantially as described and as shown in the drawings.
2. The steam generator substantially as described and shown in the drawings.
Dated this 21st day of November 1899.
E. J. CLUBBE,
A. W. SOUTHEY.