IMPROVEMENTS IN BOILERS AND CONDENSERS AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH FOR UTILIZING THE HEAT CONTAINED IN SOLAR RAYS, THERMAL SPRINGS, MINES, OR THE LIKE
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltino, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BOILERS AND CONDENSERS AND APPARATUS CONNECTED
THEREWITH FOR UTILIZING THE HEAT CONTAINED IN SOLAR RAYS, THERMAL
SPRINGS, MINES, OR THE LIKE" A communication from abroad by Eusebius
J. Molera and John C. Cebrian, both of San Francisco, California, United
States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lako at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd April 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOILERS AND CONDENSERS
AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH FOR UTILIZING THE HEAT CONTAINED IN
SOLAR RAYS, THERMAL SPRINGS, MINES, OR THE LIKE" [A communication from
abroad by Eusebius J. Molera and John C. Cebrian, both of San Francisco,
California, United States of America.]
This Invention is more especially intended to provide a boiler or condenser for
use in connection with motor engines of that class in which the expansive force of
aminonia and other vapors is employed:
The object of the said Invention is to supply the proper boilers to collect the
comparative low temperatures present in solar rays, thermal springs, mines, and
similar sources of heat.
Solar heat as a source of power has been heretofore utilized, and amongst others
by Ericson in his well known solar engines, also by Adams and Mouchot, but on
account of employing the expansive force of air and vapor of water, an heliostat
and reflector have always been necessary to concentrate the rays of the sun on the
boiler. These two requirements have limited the use of such engines to small
dimensions and have prevented their use for practical purposes.

page_text: A boiler constructed according to this Invention consists essentially of two
parallel shells of various forms suitably connected, leaving between each other a
narrow space which is filled with the liquid to be vaporized, and which vapor is
used to move the motors. They are placed horizontally, or nearly so, and do not
require to be changed in their position for the daily movement of the earth. As
they expose a large surface to the source of heat, and the mass of liquid is
in near contact to the metallic plates of the boiler, the heat received by the
latter is readily absorbed by the liquid, and the generation of the vapors is very
rapid.
I also use similar vessels for the absorption of cold in order to condense said
vapors after they leave the motors, and in this manner I increase the available
pressure of the motor by creating a partial vacuum on the egress side of it. Snow,
water, or even air when cold will reduce sufficiently the temperature of the
absorbing liquid when the condensers are large enough.
Heretofore vapor has been raised to a suitable degree of tension by being
introduced into a chamber provided with steam-pipes, the heat of said pipes
serving to expand the vapor within the chamber. My said Invention differs from
this last named method of expanding vapor, in that I do not employ any interior
heating means, neither do 1 bring the liquid or vapor in direct contact with any
heating medium; but I cause the temperature of the atmosphere or substance
which surrounds the shell to affect the contents of the latter, so that said contents
are vaporized or condensed solely by the action of said temperature on the exterior
of the shell. The main object of the said Invention is to cause the contents of
the boiler or condenser to be rapidly and sensibly affected by slight variations
in temperature of the atmosphere surrounding the boiler or condenser.
The said Invention comprises, first, the combination with an engine and
intermediate connecting means of one or more shells providing large exterior
surface exposure, and adapted to either vaporize or condense their contents by the
action thereon of the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere or substance,
secondly, the combination with an engine and intermediate connecting means of
one or more metallic shells adaped by their horizontal location and slight thickness
to provide a large exterior surface exposure to the direct rays of the sun, and
thereby vaporize their liquid contents, thirdly, the combination with an engine
and intermediate pipes which connect therewith, of one or more metallic shells
exposed to the open atmosphere, and one or more metallic shells protected from the
open atmosphere, said exposed shell or shells being adapted to serve as a boiler by
day and a condenser by night, and said protected shell or shells being adapted to
serve as a condenser by day and a boiler by night.
In carrying the said Invention into practice the boiler or condenser may be made
with one or more metallic shells, the latter being of any desired form and
construction, provided they are adapted to furnish a large surface-exposure for
their contents. The boiler is preferably located in horizontal inclination, so as to
be freely exposed to the rays of the sun, and also permit the expanded vapor to
pass out therefrom into a dome. From the latter the expanded vapor passes
through a pipe to an engine, the latter preferably being one of the class herein before
mentioned. It is evident that any engine adapted to be actuated by vapors which
at comparatively low temperatures acquire great tensive force may be employed.
Connected with this engine is an exhaust-pipe which leads to a receiver, and from
the latter passes a pipe which connects with the condenser. A pipe is adapted to
pass the condensed vapor from the condenser to the boiler, and a pump actuated by
the vapor engine forces the condensed vapor through said pipe. The condenser
and receiver are placed in a cellar or other place adapted to protect them from the
beating action of the free atmosphere during day time, and also to protect them
from the cooling action of the open atmosphere during night time. In this manner
it is evident that whatever vapor in solution is first introduced into the boiler, it
will be effectively exposed to the sun's rays, the vapor expanding therefrom will

page_text: pass into the engine, and after acting therein will be exhausted into the receiver.
From said receiver the vapor will be subjected to the action of the condenser, and
the condensed vapor is then re-introduced into the boiler. It is also apparent that
by reason of the boiler being exposed to the open atmosphere, and the condenser
being protected from the latter, their respective functions may interchange for
night season, the day boiler being a night condenser, and the day condenser being
a night-boiler. If desired the apparatus for condensing and returning the vapor
to the boiler may be omitted. In this case the pump would force liquefied
vapor from any feed source through the pipe into the boiler.
Changes, substitutions, and omissions may be made as regards the previously
described means provided the essential features of the Invention are employed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd
October 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents.
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOILERS AND CONDENSERS
AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH FOR UTILIZING THE HEAT CONTAINED IN
SOLAR RAYS, THERMAL SPRINGS, MINES, OR THE LIKE." A communication from
abroad by Eusebius J. Molera and John C. Cebrian, both of San Francisco,
California, United States of America.
This Invention is more especially intended to provido a boiler or a condenser
for use in connection with motor-engines of that class in which the expansive force
of ammonia or other vapor is employed; also to provide suitable boilers to utilizo
the comparatively low temperatures of solar rays, thermal springs, mines, and
similar sources of heat.
Solar heat as a source of power has been already utilized, amongst others by
Ericson in his well known solar engines, also by Adams and Mouchat, but by
reason of their employing the expansive force of air and aqueous vapor, a heliostat
and reflector have always been necessary to concentrate the rays of the sun on the
boiler. These two requirements have limited the use of such engines to small
dimensions, and have prevented their use for practical purposes.
A boiler constructed according to this Invention consists essentially of two
parallel shells suitably connected, and having between them a narrow space which
is filled with the liquid to be vaporized and to drive the engines. They are placed
horizontally or nearly so, and do not require to be changed in their position
according to the daily movement of the earth. As they expose a large surface to
the source of heat, and the mass of liquid is in close contact with the metallic plates
of the boiler, the heat received by the latter is readily absorbed by the liquid, and
the generation of the vapor is very rapid.
I also use similar vessels for the absorption of cold, in order to condense the
vapors after they leave the motors, and in this manner I increase the available
pressure of the motor by creating a partial vacuum on its egress side. Snow,
water, or even air when cold will reduce sufficiently the temperature of the
absorbing liquid if the condensers are large enough.
Heretofore vapor has been raised to a suitable degree of tension by being
introduced into a chamber provided with steam-pipes, the heat of said pipes serving
to expand the vapor within the chamber. My said Invention differs from this
last named method of expanding vapor, in that I do not employ any interior
heating means, neither do I bring the liquid or vapor in direct contact with any
heating medium, but I cause the temperature of the atmosphere or substance
which surrounds the shell to affect the contents of the latter, so that such contents
are vaporized or condensed solely by the action of the temperature on the exterior
of the shell.
The main object of the said Invention is to so construct the boiler or condenser
that its contents will be rapidly and sensibly affected by slight variations in
temperature of the atmosphere surrounding the boiler or condenser.
The said Invention comprises, first, the combination with an engine and
intermediate connecting means of one or more shells with a large exterior surface
exposure, and adapted to either vaporize or condense their contents by the action
thereon of the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere or substance, secondly,
the combination with an engine and intermediate connecting means of one or more
metallic shells adapted by their horizontal location and slight thickness to expose

page_text: a large exterior surface to the direct rays of the sun, and thereby vaporize their
liquid contents, thirdly, the combination with an engine and intermediate pipes
connected therewith of one or more metallic shells exposed to the open atmosphere,
and one or more metallic shells protected from the open atmosphere, the said
exposed shell or shells being adapted to serve as a boiler by day and a condenser
by night, and said protected shell or shells being adapted to serve as a condenser by
day and a boiler by night.
In carrying the said Invention into practice the boiler or condenser may be
made with one or more metallic shells, the latter being of any desired form and
construction, provided they are adapted to furnish a large surface exposure for
their contents.
The Drawing represents some of the different forms in which these shells may be
made and combined for the purpose of this Invention.
Figure 1 is an elevation shewing the said Invention as in use.
Figure 2 is a perspective view partly in section of the boiler or condenser.
Figures 3 and 4 represent two modifications of the said boiler or condenser.
The boiler A is preferably arranged with a horizontal inclination, so as to bo
freely exposed to the rays of the sun, and permit the expanded vapor in the boiler
to pass therefrom into the dome B. From the latter the expanded vapor passes
through a pipe C to an engine D, the latter preferably being one of the class
herein before specified. It is evident that any engine adapted to be actuated by
vapors which at comparatively low temperatures acquire great tensive force may
be employed. Connected with this engine is an exhaust-pipe E which leads to a
receiver F, and from the latter extends a pipe G which connects with the
condenser H. A pipe L is adapted to conduct the condensed vapor from the
condenser to the boiler, and a pump M actuated by the vapor-engine forces the
condensed vapor through said pipe. The condenser and receiver may be placed in
a building like that shewn at N, or in a cellar or other place adapted to protect
them from the heating action of the free atmosphere during the day, and also to
protect them from the cooling action of the open atmosphere during the night.
In this manner it is evident that whatever fluid or solution is first introduced into
the boiler it will be effectively exposed to the sun's rays, the vapor generated
therefrom will pass into the receiver. From the said receiver the vapor will be
subjected to the action of the condenser, and the condensed vapor is then
re-introduced into the boiler. It is also apparent that by reason of the boiler A
being exposed to the open atmosphere, and the condenser H being protected from
the latter, their respective functions inay be interchangeable for the night, the day
boiler A being a night condenser, and the day condenser H being a night boiler.
If desired the apparatus for condensing and returning the vapor to the boiler A
may be omitted. In this case the pump would force liquefied vapor from any source
of supply through the pipe L into the boiler.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I do not restrict myself to the precise details of construction and
arrangement of the above described apparatus, so long as the essential features of
the said Invention are embodied therein, and I claim,―
First. In an apparatus for utilizing as motive power the expansive force of
vapor, the combination with an engine and intermediate connections of one or more
shells A with large exterior surface exposure and adapted to either vaporize or
condense their contents by the action thereon of the temperature of the surrounding
atmosphere or substance, substantially as set forth.
Second. In apparatus for utilizing as motive power the expansive force of vapor,
the combination with an engine and intermediate connections of one or more
metallic shells A adapted by their horizontal location and slight thickness to expose
a large exterior surface to the direct rays of the sun, and thereby vaporize their
liquid contents, substantially as set forth.

page_text: Third. In apparatus for utilizing as motive power the expansive force of vapor,
the combination with an engine and intermediate pipes which connect therewith of
one or more metallic shells exposed to the open atmosphere, and one or more
metallic shells protected from the open atmosphere, the said exposed shell or shells
being adapted to serve as a boiler by day and a condenser by night, and the said
protected shell or shells being adapted to serve as a condenser by day and a boiler
by night, all substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.