Fuel in Steam-boiler Furnaces
Year: 1888

page_text: Fuel in Steam-boiler Furnaces,
We, JAMES BALLANTYNE HANNAY, of Cove Castle, Loch Long, in the County of
Dumbarton, North Britain, Chemist, and ROBERT PILE DOXFORD, of Pallion Yard,
Sunderland, in the County of Durham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
Our said Invention has for its object to apply apparatus for efficiently and satis-
factorily employing liquid fuel in steam-boiler furnaces, and it comprises improved
apparatus or arrangements, including what are known as Pyrigen burners, which are
a kind of spray lamps or burners adapted for heating purposes.
And in order that our said Invention and the manner of performing the same may
be properly understood wo hereunto append three sheets of explanatory drawings to
be hereinafter referred to, and representing our improved apparatus as applied to a
marine steam boiler of a kind suitable for a torpedo boat.
Figure, 1, on sheet, 1, of the drawings is a front end elevation of the boiler and
burner apparatus, and figure, 2, on sheet, 2, is a corresponding longitudinal vertical
section as at right angles to figure, 1. Figure, 3, on sheet, 3, is an enlarged sectional
sido elevation of parts of the apparatus. In these drawings the same reference
numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
The boiler shown in the drawings is of a horizontal cylindrical form with a firebox
or combustion chamber, 4, at the lower part of one end, tubes, 5, fixed in the inner
end plate of the firebox serving for the passage thence of the fire gases, as in what is
known as the "locomotive" type of boiler. At the front end of the firebox, 4, there
is fixed across the mouth of it a framing, 6, consisting of a plate stiffened with angle
iron and formed with holders, 7, for four rows of burners; and between the holders, 7,
there are openings over which bang light plates, 8, hinged at their tops to the inside
of the framing, 6. At the middle lower part there is a larger hinged plate, 9, which
can be opened for removing any dust or residues from the inside of the firebox, 4.
Our improved apparatus is contrived so that the main part of any one of the

page_text: .
burners can be withdrawn from the furnace in the event of its becoming overheated;
and when the maximum power of the furnace is not wanted it is practically
advantageous to be able to withdraw any burners not in use. A Pyrigen burner as a
whole ordinarily comprises in addition to the main body of the burner with the jet
nozzles, a kind of cup or shell which encircles the jet of spray for a short distance
from the nozzles. Hereinafter we will for convenience apply the term burners to the
part without the cups, as we make the cups, 10, separate and fix them to the insides
of the holders, 7, it being unnecessary to withdraw them when withdrawing the
burners, 11. When withdrawing a burner, 11, the opening through its cup, 10, can
be closed by a cap, 12, (figure, 3) which is retained in position by a spur formed on
it being entered into a holo in the angle iron of the framing, 6, or other part and by
its upper edge having a latchet, 13, turned over it, the latchet 13, also serving
to retain the burner in position when working.
"
Each burner consists of a main tube or body, 11, with its internal parts and jet
nozzles constructed as in the Pyrigen burner, and with a conical cup botton, 14,
fixed at its inner end and made with perforations for admitting air to the spray jet in
addition to the compressed air which acts on the oil within the burner body. This
cup bottom 14, is made with a small flange round its outer edge with which the
latchet, 13, bereinbefore mentioned engages when the burner is in its working
position. The burners, 11, are horizontal and each is jointod to two parallel
pipes 15, 16, the inner one 15, supplying the compressed air, and the outer one, 16,
supplying the oil. The parallel supply pipes, 15, 16, bave their other ends jointed to
short branches, 17, 18, on horizontal pipes, 19, 20, which last respectively supply the
compressed air and oil through the branches, 17, 18, to the parallel pipes, 15, 16, and
through these to the burners, 11. The parallel pipes, 15, 16, jointed to the burners 11,
and to the branch supply pipes, 17, 18, allow of the burners being withdrawn without
disconnecting any pipe connections. In figure, 3, one burner, 11, is shown as with-
drawn, whilst another is shown as in its working position. There are upper and
lower supply pipes, 19, 20, each supplying two rows of burners, 11, by means of
parallel pipes, 15, 16, of different lengths for the two rows. The supply pipes 19, 20,
are carried by brackets 21, 22, fixed to the boiler end, and they are branches from
single pipes of which one, 23, is shown in figure, 1, the other with the branch pipes 19,
being directly behind what is shown in that figure. Stop and regulating valves are
fitted to the various pipes; namely stop valves, 24, on the horizontal oil supply
pipes, 20; similar stop valves, 25, (figure 2) on the compressed-air supply pipes, 19,
regulating valves 26, 27, controlling the several small supply branches, 17, 18; and
also additional regulating valves, 28, on the burners, 11, for fino adjustment of the
oil. These additional valves, 28, may however be dispensed with.
When only the bottom row of burners are in use sufficient air for combustion is
obtainable with natural draught. But when the second row from the bottom is also
used, or the first, second and third or all four rows are used it is necessary to employ
forced draught; and the opening in the front plate of the furnace must be adjusted
so as to distribute the air uniformly to all the burners. In particular, care must be
taken by closing or nearly closing the lower plates, 9, 8, to prevent too large a portion
of the air from passing along the bottom of the furnace, 4, directly to the tubes, 5,
which would tend to cause an, accumulation of burnt gases in the upper part and
thereby interfere with the combustion of the oil from the upper burners.
It is generally convenient to have the oil supplied from a reservoir at a higher
level than the boiler, and in such case we prefer to fit an adjustable reducing valve in
connection with the oil supply pipe so that the oil may not reach the burners under
too great a pressure. We prefer to construct the burners substantially as described
in Hannay's Patent Specifications Nos. 1632 and 3113 of 1887.
Our improved liquid-fuel apparatus may be modified to suit boilers of various
sizes, forms, or types. The number of rows of burners may be varied; and the
burners may be placed horizontally as herein before described or in any other required
position.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is.
1. The combination of apparatus or arrangements for burning liquid fuel in
steam-boiler furnaces substantially as hereinbefore described and as shown in the
accompanying drawings.
2. The connecting of the burners to their supply pipes by jointed parallel pipes
allowing the burners to be withdrawn without disconnecting the pipes substantially
as hereinbefore described.
3. The construction of the furnace front plate with the burner cups fixed to it and
with air inlets substantially as herein before described.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants' Agent.