Improvements in Combined Boiler Feed-Water Heaters and Steam Engine Condensers.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Nov., 1897-Accepted, 8th Jan.,
1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Combined Boiler Feed-Water Heaters and Steam
Engine Condensers.
I, CHARLES ARTHUR ALLISON, of 52, Chancery Lane, London, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which
has been communicated to me from abroad by the International Feed Water
Heater Co., of 93 Griswold Street, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America)
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement: —
This invention relates to new and useful improvements in Feed-water Heaters
in which the feed-water is purified and the exhaust steam from the engine
condensed.
The invention consists of the features hereinafter described and claimed, all
of which will be fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which,
Fig. 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the heater.
Fig. 2 is a horizontal section as on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a like section as on line 3-3. of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the apparatus showing it connected with a pump
for transferring the purified feed-water and the water of condensation to the
superheated pipes located in the uppermost chamber.
Referring to the letters of reference, 5 designates the casing of the apparatus.
The space inclosed by this casing is divided by horizontal plates 6 and 7, into
three compartments, A, B, and C. The compartment A, which is uppermost,
receives the exhaust steam from the engine through an inlet pipe 8. In the
bottom of this chamber and resting on the partition plate 6 is located a pipe-
coil 9 whose function will be fully explained hereinafter. The plate 6 does not
entirely separate the compartments A and B, an opening 10 being left at the
extremity remote from the inlet pipe 8. The exhaust steam after traversing
the entire length of the chamber A in contact with the pipe-coil 9 passes down-
ward through the opening 10 into the condensing chamber B next below, in
which are located the air-pipes 12 through which a blast of cold air is continuously
passed through the instrumentality of a fan 13 attached to a casing or hood 14
made fast to the end of the casing 5. The pipes 12 are open-ended and com-
municate at one extremity with the blast chamber 15 inclosed by the casing 14.
The opposite ends of said pipes 12 pass through the opposite end of the casing
and open into a chamber 16 inclosed by a hood 17 attached to the end of the
casing remote from the blast chamber.
The air which has been heated by passing through the pipes 12 may be taken
from the chamber 16 and utilized for warming purposes.
The exhaust steam after passing through the opening 10 is allowed to circulate
through the entire chamber B, passing around and between the cold air pipes 12,
thereby facilitating condensation. Located between the series of cold air pipes 12
within said chamber B, in vertical order, is a series of baffle-plates 18 which pro-
ject alternately from opposite ends of said chamber, causing the steam and water

page_text: in condensation to travel back and forth from end to end in said chamber in their
passage therethrough.
The exhaust steam being condensed in chamber B, the water passes through
the apertures 11 formed in the plate 7 at the extremity of the chamber B remote
from the opening 10 through which the steam enters the chamber. The course
of the exhaust steam is indicated by the arrows as shown in Fig. 1. The water
of condensation passing through the apertures 11 enters the water chamber C
and mingles with the feed-water introduced through the perforated pipe 20 which
crosses the end of the chamber B and from which the feed-water is thrown in a
spray, as shown at a in Fig. 1. This feed-water entering at one extremity of the
chamber and traversing back and forth over the baffle-plates becomes heated
by the presence of the steam and at the same time assists in condensing the steam
within said chamber, escaping finally with the water of condensation through the
aperture 11 into the water chamber C.
Near one extremity of the chamber C is located a depending plate 21 attached 1
to the dividing plate 7 and reaching nearly to the bottom of the chamber C,
forming a compartment D communicating with the main chamber C. Attached
to the bottom of the case and projecting upwardly into the compartment D adjacent
to the plate 21 is a short plate 22 whose upper end extends slightly above the lower
extremity of the plate 21.
Depending from the dividing plate 7 into chamber C are the plates E. These
plates cross the chamber C transversely but terminate a short distance above the
bottom thereof to permit the water of condensation and feed-water to pass there-
under. The purpose of these plates is to quiet the water of condensation after
reaching said chamber C, said plates serving to break the motion thereof and
facilitate the precipitation of any foreign matter therein.
Formed in the wall of the casing is a vent opening F which obviates any back
pressure within the heater.
The water is taken out of the compartment D near the bottom, and is entirely
free from oil and other impurities. The impurities in the feed-water settle in
chamber C and may be removed via the hand-hole 23. The two plates 21 and 22
form a trap against the entrance of oil and other impurities to the compartment D.
The water of condensation, together with the purified feed-water, is taken from
the compartment 1) and transferred to the pipe-coil 9 in the chamber A through
the instrumentality of any suitable pumping apparatus, conventionally shown
at 27 in the drawings, and the pipes or conduits 24 and 25. The water while
passing through the pipes in the uppermost chamber is superheated before it
passes to the boiler, since the pipe-coil 9 is in direct contact with the hot exhaust
steam when it first enters the apparatus via the inlet-pipe 8, as heretofore ex-
plained. After traversing the entire pipe-coil 9, the superheated water passes
to the boiler via a pipe 26, connected with the coil 9.
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 I
claim is:
1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of the casing
with horizontal plates dividing the space inclosed by the casing into three com-
partments, namely, the steam-chamber A, the condensing chamber B, and the
water-chamber C, the chamber A being uppermost and provided with an inlet
for exhaust steam which enters chamber A before passing to the condensing
chamber, the superheated pipe-coil located in the chamber A, the air-pipes
located in the chamber B, means for forcing the air through said pipes, the
apparatus being provided with a passage-way for the exhaust steam from cham-
ber A to chamber B, and an outlet for the water of condensation to allow it to
pass from chamber B to chamber C; and means for transferring the water from
chamber C and forcing it through the superheated pipe-coil in the chamber A
prior to its passage to the boiler.

page_text: 2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of the casing,
the horizontal, or approximately horizontal plates dividing the space inclosed by
the casing into three horizontal compartments A, B and C, the apparatus being
provided with an inlet for the exhaust steam to chamber A, an outlet for the
exhaust steam from chamber A to chamber B, and an outlet for the water of con-
densation from chamber B to chamber C; the superheated pipe-coil located in
chamber A, the open-ended condensing pipes located in chamber B, means for
forcing cold air through said pipes, the feed-water pipe also located in chamber B,
and means for transferring the water from chamber C and forcing it through
the superheated coil in chamber A before it passes to the boiler.
3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of the casing,
the horizontal, or approximately horizontal partition plates dividing the space
inclosed by the casing into three compartments, A, B and C, the apparatus being
provided with a passage way for the exhaust steam from chamber A to chamber B,
and a passage-way for the water of condensation from chamber B to chamber C;
the superheated pipe located in chamber A, the air pipes located in chamber B,
a series of baffle-plates located in said chamber B between said pipes, means for
forcing cold air through said pipes, and means for transferring the water from
chamber C and forcing it through the superheated pipe in chamber A.
4. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of the casing,
the horizontal, or approximately horizontal plates dividing the space inclosed by
the casing into three compartments A, B and C, the chamber A being uppermost
and adapted to receive the exhaust steam from the engine, the apparatus being
provided with a passage-way for the exhaust steam from chamber A to chamber B,
and a passage-way for the water from chamber B to chamber C; the superheated
coil located in chamber A, the open-ended cold air pipes located in chamber B,
means for forcing air through said pipes, the oil-trap comprising a depending
plate located near the extremity of the chamber C but not reaching to the bottom
of said chamber, and a short upwardly projecting plate attached to the bottom
of said chamber and extending a short distance above the lower extremity of the
depending plate, and means for transferring the water from chamber C to the
superheated pipe in chamber A and forcing it therethrough.
+
5. In an apparatus of the character described the combination of the casing
having a compartment A, a steam-pipe entering said compartment B in communi-
cation with the compartment A, a compartment C located below and being in
communication with the compartment B, pipes passing through the compart-
ment B, means for forcing air through said pipes, the pipe-coil located in the
chamber A, and means for pumping liquid from the chamber C through said
pipe-coil which is superheated by direct contact with the steam which first enters
the compartment A and passes thence to the condensing compartment B.
Dated this 4th dox of November 1897