Improved Method of Expanding Gases and Vaporising Fluids and Liquids by Direct Intermixture and Moleculator Contact with Heated Gases.
Year: 1885

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of Expanding Gases and Vaporising Fluids
and Liquids by Direct Intermixture and Moleculator Contact
with Heated Gases.
I CHARLES JULIUS BALL of 9 Bush Lane, Cannon Street, London, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my said invention for IMPROVED METHOD OF
**
EXPANDING GASES AND VAPORISING FLUIDS AND LIQUIDS BY DIRECT INTER-
MIXTURE AND MOLECULATOR CONTACT WITH HEATED GASES," to be as follows :—
The object of this invention is to produce pressure in gases or to generate steam
by the ordinary method of applying heat to either but the particular process
I apply is different from those at present in use.
.
I supply by means of two pumps a current of gas, of any combustible kind, and
a current of air, the respective proportions being such as to ensure perfect com-
bustion with a slight excess of air. These two currents are mixed in a special
burner and having been ignited a highly heated jet of flame issues from the end of
this burner which is composed of a cylinder of refractory metal, containing either
platinum wire, or platinum sponge, or most refractory substances, capable of
resisting the action of great heat. The jet of flame thus obtained and which in
large engines would naturally be subdivided down to reasonable dimensions is
caused to blow at right angles against an upward or in preference a downward
pipe or a pipe in any position that may be most convenient connected with the
water supply of the machinery or supplied with a forced jet of water from the
engine feed pump. This operation takes place inside a small vessel with safety
valve, steam space, and steam tap to engine, with pressure guage etc. The burner
by means of a screw and handle is withdrawn from this vessel the two gas and air
pumps started, the mixture ignited either automatically by the platinum sponge or
by a light, aud once the flame is in full blow, the burner is screwed back into the
vessel and a pressure tight joint made by any ordinary well known arrangements
and the future action takes place inside the vessel. Here the feature is that the
water is pulverised and sprayed by the jet of the blowpipe burner and the small
globules of water are surrounded and mixed with the hot blast and rapidly trans-
formed into steam. To complete the saturation of the gases the vessel is lined
with asbestos or other material of the same nature, connected with the feed water

page_text: by the outside of the bunches tufts or threads of asbestos and by the inside
exposed to the hot gases of the apparatus.
The main point in this apparatus consists :-
First. In the preliminary pulverisation or spraying of the water either by
forcing it through narrow apertures, or throwing it against a dispersing plate or
obstruction, or by dividing it into small globules by the action of a strong jet of
gases.
Secondly. The water being duly pulverised or sprayed by any convenient method
to mix it thoroughly with the hot burnt gases of the blow pipe burner or burners
and thereby transform it into steam instantaneously on account of its state of
minute subdivision.
Thirdly. To fully saturate the now gaseous mixture by causing it to pass over
surfaces like asbestos, indestructible by heat, and yet offering enormous vaporising
surfaces kept damp by connection with the water supply. Finally the mixture is
drawn in the usual way by a steam cock or starting valve leading to any engine of
any kind which it is desired to actuate.
When I want to dilate or expand anew gases such especially as the spent steam
of a steam engine, 1 use in the same way a jet of flame froin the burner previously
described or more willingly a jet of high pressure steam, which revives the
exhausted steam, which can then be used over again in the steam cylinder, instead
of being exhausted in the air.
In pulverising or spraying the water by the jet of hot gases or by pumping it in
in fine spray or otherwise this can be done either before the ignition of the gases or
after, but it is thought that the presence of the water during combustion would
have a tendency to retard combustion and render it imperfect.
The burner reaches a very high temperature and therefore to prevent its wasting
away or bodily melting it is advantageous to cause the water to be vaporized to
circulate around it in a properly constructed recess so as to cool it and to collect
the heat it would otherwise give off in the very water to be vapourized.
The small gas and even water feeding pumps are actuated by the shaft of the
engine driven either directly or indirectly, but some slight reservoir must be
interposed between the said pumps and the vessel and fitted with taps, so that
when the engine is stopped they may be kept full of compressed air and gas,
ready to start the engine the next time it is wanted. The system practically
supplies itself exactly in proportion to the number of its strokes and revolutions.
The pressure I employ in preference is 100 pounds to the square inch in the burner
and 90 pounds in the vessel leaving an excess of about 10 pounds to produce the
blast in the so called blow pipe burner.
A great number of methods can be used to pulverize or spray the water. I use
for instance forced jets of water against a splash board or through minute holes,
the action of hot or even cold air or air and gas jets against a water pipe, or the
jets of water and gases can be concentric or diametrically opposed or meeting at an
angle, or parallel.
The main feature of this Invention is pulverizing or spraying the water thereby
increasing its surface immensely and mixing it directly, and without intervening
metallic or other surfaces being interposed, with the products of combustion.
Dated this 30th day of Wa 1985
H.
GARDNER,
Agent for the said Charles Julius Ball.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of Expanding Gases and Vaporising Fluids
and Liquids by Direct Intermixture and Moleculator Contact
with Heated Gases.
1 CHARLES JULICS BALI. of 9 Bush Lane, Cannon Street, London, 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:—
The object of this invention is to produce pressure in gases or to generate steam
by the ordinary method of applying heat to either but the particular process
I apply is different from those at present in use.
I supply by means of two pumps a current of gas, of any combustible kind, and
current of air, the respective proportions being such as to ensure perfect
combustion with a slight excess of air. These two currents are mixed in a special
burner and having been ignited a highly heated jet of flame issues from the end
of this burner which is composed of a cylinder of refractory métal, containing
either platinum wire, or platinum sponge, or most refractory substances, capable
of resisting the action of great heat. The jet of tame thus obtained and which in
large engines would naturally be subdivided down to reasonable dimensions is
caused to blow at right angles against an upward or in preference a downward
pipe or a pipe in any position that may be most convenient connected with the
water supply of the machinery or supplied with a forced jet of water from the
engine feed pump. This operation takes place inside a small vessel with safety
valve, steam space, and steam tap to engine with the steam guage etc. The burner
burner by means of a screw and handle is withdrawn from this vessel the two gas
and air pumps started, the mixture ignited either automatically by the platinum
sponge or by a light, and once the flame is in full blow the burner is screwed back
into the vessel and it pressure tight joint made by any ordinary well known
arrangements and the future action takes place inside the vessel. Here the feature
is that the water is pulverised and sprayed by the jet of the blow pipe burner and
the small globules of water are surrounded and mixed with the hot blast and
rapidly transformed into steam. To complete the saturation of the gases the
vessel is lined with asbestos or other material of same' nature; connected with the
feed water by the outside of the bunches, tufts, or threads of asbestos and by
the inside exposed to the hot gases of the apparatus.
The main point in this apparatus consists, first, in the preliminary pulverisation
or spraying of the water either by forcing it through narrow apertures or throwing
it against a dispersing plate or obstruction or by dividing it into small globules
by the action of a strong jet of gases: Secondly the water being duly pulverised
or sprayed by any convenient method to mix it thoroughly with the hot burnt
gases of the blow pipe hurner or burners and thereby transform it into steam
instantaneously on account of its state of minute subdivision.

page_text: Thirdly. To fully saturate the now gaseous mixture by causing it to pass over
surfaces like asbestos indestructible by beat and yet offering enormous vaporising
surfaces kept damp by connection with the water supply.
Finally. The mixture is drawn in the usual way by a steam cock or starting
valve leading to any engine of any kind which it is desired to actuate.
When I want to dilate or expand anew, gases such especially as the spent steam
of a steam engine I use in the same way a jet of flame from the burner, previously
described or more willingly a jet of high pressure steam which revives the
exhausted steam, which can then be used over again in the steam cylinder instead
of being exhausted in the air.
In pulverising or spraying the water by the jet of hot gases or by pumping it
in in fine spray or otherwise, this can be done either before the ignition of the
gases or after but it is thought that the presence of the water during combustion
would have a tendency to retard combustion and render it imperfect."
The burner reaches a very high temperature and therefore to prevent its
wasting away or bodily melting, it is advantageous to cause the water to be
vaporized to circulate around it in a properly constructed recess so as to cool it
and to collect the heat it would otherwise give off in the very water to be
vaporised.
The small gas and even water feeding pumps are actuated by the shaft of the
engine driven either directly or indirectly, but some slight reservoir must be
interposed between the said pumps and the vessel and filled with taps, so that when
the engine is stopped they may be kept full of compressed air and gas, ready to
start the engine the next time it is wanted.
The system practically supplies itself exactly in proportion to the number of its
strokes and revolutions. The pressure I employ in preference is 100 lbs to the
square inch in the burner, and 90 lbs in the vessel, leaving an excess of about
10 lbs to produce the blast in the so called blow pipe burner.
I use
A great number of methods can be used to pulverise or spray the water.
for instance forced jets of water against a splash board or through minute holes,
the action of hot or even cold air or air and gas jets against a water pipe, or the
Jets of water and gases can be concentric or diametrically opposed or meeting at an
angle or parallel.
The main feature of this invention is pulverising or spraying the water thereby
increasing its surface immensely and mixing it directly and without intervening
metallic or other surfaces being interposed with the products of combustion.
This invention will be understood by reference to the annexed drawings in
which Figure 1 represents a section of a boiler A. with combustion pipe or
cylindrical burner B. C is a water spraying pipe held in position by a collar D.
E is the steam outlet to the engine. F is the chamber in which the air and gas
are mixed before being taken through the pipe G to the combustion pipe B. His
the lighting hole, I the water feed pipe, and J an asbestos ring or packing to make
joint, between the rings B and G. bbare pieces of refractory material kept red
hot and insuring complete combustion. Figure 2 is a section of the pipe B
representing an arrangement whereby the water is heated (before it is finally
sprayed into the hot gases) by passing through a serpentine water-spraying pipe C
having its nozzle K within the nozzle of the combustion pipe_1.
In Figure the spray is directed against an oblique plate L having a number
of oblique slits . . . through which the gas flame is forced; an arrangement
advantageous. for dirty water. Figure 4 shows an arrangement in which the
pipes B and C supply several nozzles at right angles and Figure 5 an arrangement
for concentric gas and water sprayers. Figure 6 is a contrary current sprayer.
Figure represents a boiler containing a cylindrical cistern M fitted with asbestos
tufts d d the water overflowing to feed the vaporisator C. Figure 8 shows an
inverted water feed with feed regulator N and in which the excess of water
is returned from A to A by the feed pumps. In Figure 9 water is sprayed by

page_text: causing it to impinge against a metal or other baffler P and heated gases let in at
the bottoni ascends spirally.
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
The improved method of expanding gases and vaporising fluids and liquids
by direct intermixture and molecular contact with heated gases as herein before
described.
H. GARDNER,
Agent for the said C. J. Ball.