IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION AND APPLICATION OF GASEOUS FLUID FOR MOTIVE-POWER PURPOSES AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREIN
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Mudge Marchant, of Kirby Street, Hatton
Garden, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION AND APPLICATION OF GASEOUS FLUID
FOR MOTIVE-POWER PURPOSES AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREIN."
Sealed the 13th October 1877, and dated the 19th April 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Mudge Marchant at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th April 1877.
ROBERT MUDGE MARCHANT, of Kirby Street, Hatton Garden, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION AND APPLICATION
OF GASEOUS FLUID FOR MOTIVE-POWER PURPOSES AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED
THEREIN."
This Invention has reference to improvements upon an Invention of "Improve-
ments in Motive-power Engines and in Apparatus connected therewith," for which I
obtained Letters Patent dated the 9th day of February 1874, No. 509, and consists
of the production and application of what I term a new gaseous fluid. This fluid
is a mixture of air, steam, and water, which I produce and apply for motive-power
purposes in the manner and by the apparatus herein-after described.
In the Specification of the Letters Patent above referred to, I described a mode
and apparatus by means of which any portion of the exhaust steam from an engine
might be utilized in its condensed condition, that is to say, as boiling water, to
saturate the rest of the exhaust in the state of vapor during its return passage
through forcing pumps to the boiler. I have however found in practice considerable
difficulty in getting up the required pressures; but I have since discovered that by
pumping air into the steam when saturated with water any determined pressure
can be obtained in the air and steam (so saturated with water to any desired extent)
without the production of those fixed temperatures, which are in other cases
produced by steam according to its pressure. Steam can thus be manipulated or
made use of so that its latent heat may be re-applied for any continuous action; for
example, the exhaust steam from an engine can be pumped together with air and

page_text: hot water at any determined pressure and temperature into the boiler from which
such engine is supplied.
In a fog or a cloud, air and vapor of water, and water in suspension, exist at
temperatures which vary even at the same density. So in my combination or
mixture of air, steam, and water, the steam supplies the vapor of water, air is used
as a necessary part of the combination or mixture, and water is supplied at the
temperature of exhaust or other steam for the saturation of both; and I can pump
or compress this combination or mixture to any desired pressures, and at temper-
atures which may be varied as required for any of such pressures, the final
temperature depending upon the proportion of water and air supplied to the steam,
but being in no case below the temperature of the steam supply.
For the purpose of my Invention, I make use of the apparatus described in the
Specification of the Letters Patent above referred to, and I add thereto an air pump,
by means of which I draw in atmospheric air in the required proportion and force
it into the pumps, by which the steam saturated with water is compressed as
described in the said Specification; the air mixing or combining with the steam and
water in these pumps becomes compressed therewith, and the whole is pumped
forwards as one mixture to the boiler, as described in the said Specification,
where it is further heated to be subsequently utilized for motive-power purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Robert Mudge Marchant in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th October 1877.
ROBERT MUDGE MARCHANT, of Kirby Street, Hatton Garden, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION AND APPLICATION
OF GASEOUS FLUID FOR MOTIVE-POWER PURPOSES AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED
THEREIN."
This Invention has reference to improvements upon an Invention of "Improve-
ments in Motive-power Engines and in Apparatus connected therewith," for which
I obtained Letters Patent dated the 9th day of February 1874, No. 509, and
consists of the production and application of what I term a new gaseous fluid.
This fluid is a mixture of air, steam, and water, which I produce and apply for
motive-power purposes in the manner and by the apparatus herein-after described.
In the Specification of the Letters Patent above referred to, I described a mode
and apparatus by means of which any portion of the exhaust steam from an engine
might be utilized in its condensed condition, that is to say, as boiling water, to
saturate the rest of the exhaust in the state of vapour during its return passage
through forcing pumps to the boiler. I have however found in practice considerable
difficulty in getting up the required pressures, but I have since discovered that by
pumping air into the steam any determined pressure can be obtained in the air and
steam (saturated with water to any desired extent) without the production of those
fixed temperatures which are in other cases produced by steam according to its
pressures. Steam can thus be manipulated or made use of so that its latent heat
may be reapplied for any continuous action; for example, the exhaust steam from an
engine can be pumped together with air and hot water at any determined pressure
and temperature above that of the exhaust steam into the boiler from which such
engine is supplied.
In a fog or a cloud, air and vapor of water, and water in suspension, exist at
temperatures which vary even at the same density. So in my combination or
mixture of air, steam, and water, the steam supplies the vapor of water, air is used
as a necessary part of the combination or mixture, and water is supplied at the
temperature of exhaust or other steam for the saturation of both; and I can pump
or compress this combination or mixture to any desired pressures, and at temper-
atures which may be varied as required for any of such pressures, the final

page_text: temperature depending upon the proportion of water and air supplied to the steam,
but being in no case below the temperature of the steam supply.
For the purpose of my Invention, I make use of the apparatus described in the
Specification of the Letters Patent above referred to, and I add thereto an air pump,
by means of which I draw in atmospheric air in the required proportion and force
it into the pumps, by which the steam saturated with water is compressed as
described in the said Specification; the air mixing or combining with the steam
and water in these pumps becomes compressed therewith, and the whole is pumped
forwards as one mixture to the boiler, as described in the said Specification, where
it is further heated to be subsequently utilized for motive-power purposes.
The manner in which my Invention may be carried into effect will be understood
on reference to the annexed Drawings,-
Figure 1 of which is a side elevation; Figure 2, a vertical section; and Figure 3,
a plan representing a set of pumps arranged on the principles set forth in the
Specification of the Letters Patent before referred to, with which is combined an air
pump for carrying out my present Invention.
A, B, C, are three pumps, each of which is composed of two chambers, one on each
side of a piston (D), as clearly seen in the sectional view, Figure 2, the said piston
working in a barrel E; F is a pipe for conveying hot water to the two chambers of
the first pump A, each of which chambers is provided with an inlet valve at the
points marked respectively a¹ and a²; the said hot water may be the product of
condensed exhaust steam, or be hot water from the boiler, or otherwise; G is a pipe
for conveying exhaust steam to the pumps; and H is an air pump, by means of
which air, drawn in from the outer atmosphere, is forced through the pipe I into
the exhaust steam pipe G. The exhaust steam and the air mixed therewith enter
the chamber K and are delivered to the two chambers of the first pump A alternately
through the two valves L, L, and passages M, M. The steam and air become
saturated with the hot water in the pump chambers, and during the return stroke
in each chamber of the piston D, are forced back through the corresponding
passage M and through the valve N into the storage chamber O of the first pump.
From this chamber the gaseous mixture of air, steam, and water, in the state of
compression imparted to it by the first pump, is drawn through valves into the
second pump B, in which it is further compressed and from which it passes to the
storage chamber of this pump, and then through other valves to the third pump C,
and to the storage chamber of the same, from which it is finally conveyed through
a pipe P to the boiler.
The construction and operation of the series of pumps is explained in the Speci-
fication of the Letters Patent before referred to, the present Invention relating to
the employment of the air pump H for forcing in atmospheric air in the desired
proportion to mix with the steam and hot water, and so form the new gaseous
mixture or fluid. The air pump is worked by the rod Q, which receives its motion
from extensions of the pump rods, as shewn. The amount of air necessary to enable
the required pressures and temperatures of the steam and hot water to be attained
is comparatively small, for instance, for an engine of 500 indicated horse power
the diameter of the air pump required would not exceed 4 inches with a stroke of
12 inches.
Although I have described my present Invention as applicable to a series of
pumps, such as are described in the Specification of my Letters Patent of 9th
Feb. 1874, before mentioned, it will be readily understood that it is not
limited to such particular arrangement of pumps; my new gaseous mixture can be
produced by pumping water into any pump to which steam and hot water are
admitted, and from which pump the air and steam saturated with the hot water are
pumped forwards in the form of a gaseous mixture or fluid to a boiler to be further
heated and subsequently utilized for motive-power purposes.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First. The production of a gaseous mixture of air, steam, and water, by pumping

page_text: air into a pump supplied with steam and water, and the application of the said
mixture of air, steam, and water for motive-power purposes, substantially as herein-
before described.
Second. Constructing apparatus, substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described and represented in the annexed Drawings, or any mere modification
thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Mudge Marchant, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of October, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-seven.
R. M. MARCHANT. (L.S.)
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