Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Utilising Exhaust Steam for Heating Feed Water.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 28th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 3rd Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Utilising Exhaust
Steam for Heating Feed Water.
I, JOHN DAWSON of Eldon Bank Greenhead Road, Huddersfield, Yorkshire
Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
'
This invention in utilising exhaust steam for heating feed water has for its object
the saving of fuel by supplying water at or near boiling point to the boiler.
In order to carry out my invention I employ a tank containing cold feed water
which is supplied through a valve opened and closed automatically by a rod or
lever connected with a float resting on the water in said tank which tends to main-
tain the height of the water at its normal level. Within the tank and arranged
horizontally or otherwise are a series of pipes or a coil or coils of pipes composed of
copper or other suitable metal connected to the exhaust port or pipe of a condensing
or other engine. The tank is placed at a higher level than the cylinder of the
engine, and the exhaust steam is drawn from the cylinder through the series of
pipes by a vacuum or other suitable form of pump so that during its passage
through said pipes the steam is condensed and the whole or nearly the whole of
the heat radiates from the pipes to the surrounding cold water in the tank which is
thus heated and raised to a high temperature. The feed water thus heated by the
exhaust steam is conducted from the tank to the boiler, by which means a great
Baving in fuel will be effected.
Dated this 27th day of January 1892.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Huddersfield, Agents
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Utilising Exhaust
Steam for Heating Feed Water.
I, JOHN DAWSON, of Eldon Bank, Greenhead Road, Huddersfield, Yorkshire,
Manufacturing Chemist, 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 :-
This invention in utilising exhaust steam for heating feed water has for its object
the saving of fuel by supplying water at or near boiling point to the economiser or
boiler which said heated water may also be used for other purposes.
In carrying out my invention, I employ a tank containing cold feed water which
is supplied through a valve opened and closed automatically by a rod or lever con-
nected to a float resting on the water in said tank which maintains the height of
the water at its normal level. Within the tank are a series of pipes or a coil or
coils of pipes composed of copper or other suitable metal which have communication
with the exhaust port or pipe of a condensing or other engine.
The steam flows or is drawn through the series of pipes by a vacuum or other
suitable form of pump and during its passage therethrough is condensed and the
whole or nearly the whole of the heat radiated from the pipes to the surrounding
water which is thus heated to a high temperature and can be supplied to the boiler;
circulated through the heating apparatus in a building to warm the same; or used
for other purposes in place of steam, and thus greatly reduce the amount of fuel
used at present to generate heat for purposes which can be equally as well served
by the water heated as above set forth,

page_text: Such being the nature and object of my invention, I will now describe the same
more fully, and for this purpose have annexed drawings illustrating same, wherein
Fig. 1 is sectional elevation of a feed water tank having my improved arrange-
ment of pipes or tubes for radiating heat placed therein, and Fig. 2 is sectional plan
of the tube stacks taken on line 1, 2, of Fig. 1.
Referring to the drawings, a indicates the feed water tank which is placed
between the cylinder and air pump of the condensing engine. Cold water is
supplied to the tank through valve which is opened and closed by a float c
carried by lever d pivotted to bracket e bolted to the side of the tank, and connected
by rod to the valve spindle f¹.
As the water in the tank falls below or rises to a fixed level, it causes the float c
to descend or rise and oscillate the lever d which raises or lowers the valve-spindle
and so admits or shuts off the admission of water. Within the feed water tank a
are the tube stacks arranged in tiers one above the other and consisting of upper
tube boxes 9, y', and lower tube boxes h, h, and the two series of tubes g² and h³
forming passages communicating with the boxes g, g', and h, h', respectively.
The tube boxes and are divided into three or more separate chambers or
compartments and the boxes g' and ' into two or more chambers or compartments,
whilst the tubes are arranged in sections each connected with separate chambers in
the boxes so that the steam shall be caused to pass from one compartment in the
boxes at one side to a compartment in the opposite boxes and from thence back
again to a second compartment in the opposite boxes, or, backwards and forwards
between them. These tube boxes are cast with flanges i by which the upper and
lower boxes are coupled together and secured by bolts, and with other flanges ; to
which are coupled the inlet pipe k and outlet pipe k', the latter having feet k³ by
which one side of the tube stacks is supported, the opposite side resting upon a
beam at the bottom of the water tank or it may also rest on feet or other suitable
support. A flange projects all round the tube boxes to which lids or covers
are bolted to seal the boxes. The open ends of the tubes extend through the walls
or shells of the tube boxes, as shewn in Fig. 2, and are inserted into short wood
bushes or collars m driven tightly into openings in the walls of the tube boxes.
The said bushes or collars are dry when driven into the openings and on becoming
moist they expand the inner walls of the bushes binding tightly against the
tubes 93, 3, whilst the outer surfaces bind tightly against the sides of the openings
in the boxes and expand at the extremities, as shewn in Fig. 2, thereby engaging
with the inner and outer faces of the walls of the boxes and making a secure and
tight joint.
having
To the inlet pipe of the tube stacks is connected one end of a pipe
communication with the exhaust port or pipe of the engine cylinder from which the
exhaust steam is to be obtained, and to the outlet pipe is coupled a pipe k' com-
municating with the air pump of the engine which serves to draw the steam through
the several sections of tubes, the distilled water resulting therefrom passing through
pump and being discharged thereby.
the
The exhaust steam from the cylinder passing through the inlet pipe k first enters
the box g at the chamber n from whence it passes through the section of tubes in
connection therewith to the chamber o in the opposite box and from said chamber
it circulates through another section of tubes into the chamber n' then returns
through a third series of tubes to the chamber o' in box g' and finally passes through
the fourth section of tubes into the chamber n³ in box g as clearly indicated by the
several arrows in Fig. 2. The steam is now drawn from the chamber down
pipe into the lower tube box h where it circulates backwards and forwards to
and from the boxes h, h, in precisely the same manner as above described but
commencing from the chamber in box h which corresponds to the chamber n² in
box g and finally entering the chamber at the opposite end of box / directly under
the chamber n in box g, from whence the condensed steam is drawn through pipe k
into and through the pump and discharged.
By circulating the exhaust steam through the tube stacks in the manner herein.

page_text: before set forth, the whole or nearly the whole of the heat therein is radiated from
the tubes and being absorbed by the surrounding water in the tank the latter is
quickly heated to or nearly to boiling point, and if passed through the economiser,
steam is generated and the boiler thus supplied with steam, or steam and water at a
high temperature, consequently reducing considerably the amount of fuel consumed.
At present this cannot be accomplished as the combined jet of water from the
injector and condensed steam leaves the air pump at only about 80° F.
The injector may now be dispensed with, or only employed as occasion requires,
such as when the water in the tank a is not drawn upon for some time and the whole
becomes heated and fails to condeuse the steam.
The feed water thus heated may also be circulated by means of another pump
through the heating apparatus of the factory or building to warm the same which
will dispense with the boiler employed to generate steam for this purpose and
thereby effect a great saving of fuel; or said water may be used for other purposes.
The tubes are preferably made of copper and are of small bore so as to aid rapid
conduction of the heat to the feed water.
Although there are only two series of tube boxes with their communicating tubes
shewn in the drawings, it will be obvious that for heating much larger quantities of
water, there may be added thereto other tube boxes with the same or a larger
number of chambers or compartments and tubes built up on the top of those shewn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
Firstly. The method of and apparatus for utilising the heat of exhaust steam
from stationary condensing steam engines to heat feed water in the manner and for
purposes substantially as herein set forth.
Secondly. The application and employment in combination with a feed water
tank of tube boxes connected together by tubes forming steam passages for
circulating exhaust steam from stationary condensing steam engines and radiating
the heat thereof to the surrounding water in manner substantially as herein
described and shewn.
Thirdly. The general arrangement and construction of apparatus substantially
as herein shewn and described for utilising exhaust steam from stationary condensing
steam engines to heat feed water.
Dated this 27th day of October 1892.
DAT
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Huddersfield, Agents.