US1435239A - Pumping system - Google Patents

Description

H. M. JENKINS.

PUMPING SYSTEM. v APPL|CATION FILED AUG. 1B, 921.

1,4;35,2=9, Patented Nov. 14,1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEEI I H. M. JENKINS.

PUMPING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEEI 2.

Patented Nov. M, 1922.

H. M. JENKINS.

PUMPING SYSTEM.

APPLICATLON FILED AUG. I8, 1921.

1,4}35fi39, mm Nov. 14,1922,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented Nov. id, 3922.

UNITE STATES PATENT @FFHQE.

PUMPING SYSTEM.

Application filed August 18, 1921.

T 0 all 20 710m it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD M. JENKINS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have made a new and useful Invention in Pumping Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to centrifugal pumps and has for an object to produce a pumping system in which means are employed for maintaining the working passages of the pump filled while the pump is in operation.

An object of this invention is to prevent erosion and corrosion of the working parts of the pump occasioned by the passage of free air, other gases or vapor, through the pump.

A further and more general object is to produce new and improved means in connection with a pumping system for maintaining an adequate supply of liquid at the intake or suction port of a pump.

These, and other objects, which will be made apparent throughout the further description of the invention, are attained by means of apparatus associated and combined as herein disclosed and embodying the features herein set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 diagrammatically illustrates a pumping system embodying my invention and adapted for the removal of condensate from a condenser. F igure 2 is a view similar to Fig.1 illustrating a modified form of apparatus and Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a still further modification of my invention.

In centrifugal and other rotary pumps, the pumped liquidis acted upon a propeller moving at a high velocity and it has been discovered that the passage of free air, or other gases or vapors with the liquid traversing the working passages of the pump occasions corrosion or erosion and thereby shortens the life of the pump. It is, therefore. highly desirable to maintain the working passages full of liquid and so prevent the passage of free air or other compressible fluids with the liquid. In condenser installations and particularly in surface condenser installations, the quantity of liquid to be pumped by the condensate pump varies with Serial No. 493,402.

the load on the prime mover. In addition to this, it is impractical to vary the speed of the condensate pump to compensate for the variations in the amount of liquid pumped, Under such conditions, it is not only den sirable, but necessary, to provide a condensate pump of sufficient capacity to discharge the maximum amount of condensate discharged through the condenser, since otherwise, the condenser would tend to flood during periods of maximum load on the prime mover served by the condenser. As a result, the working passages of the pump are only partially filled during periods of decreased load on the prime mover and free air or other gases are sucked in through the intake of the pump and occasion the objectionable corrosion and erosion. Under some conditions of operation, the condensate drawn from the main condenser is employed as cooling water in a supplemental jet condenser. The supplemental condenser usually serves an auxiliary such as an air ejector employed for the purpose of removing air or other non-condensible vapors from the main condenser. In such instal lations, it is necessary to deliver a substantially constant supply of cooling liquid to the supplementary condenser, since the load on the auxiliaries is more or less independent of the load on the prime mover and remains substantially constant. An object of my intention is therefore, the production of means in a pumping system for maintaining the supply of liquid delivered by the pump substantially constant and independent of variations in the amount of liquid at the main source of supply.

A further object is to provide simple and effective means for supplementing the main source of supply to compensate for variations therein.

Referring to the drawings; in Fig. 1, I have diagrammatically illustrated a surface condenser 4 and a centrifugal or rotary pump 5 for withdrawing the condensate from the hot well (3 of the condenser. As shown, the condensate delivery port of the condenser is connected to the intake port of the pump by means of piping 7 and 8. In the drawings, the piping 7 discharges into the piping 8 which extends substantially vertically and communicates with a valve casing 9, of a float controlled valve 10. The delivery port 10 of the valve casing 9 communicates with the intake of the pump 5 and is specially formed so that the piping 8 is in open and free communication with the pump intake independently of the position of the valve 10. The inlet port 10 of the valve casing 9 communicates with a pipe or passage 11 which in turn communicates with a supplementary source of liquid supply.

nicates with a feed water tank 12 into which the pump 5 may discharge.

The valve 10 is operated by a float 13 located in'a float chamber 14 communicating with the upper end of the piping 8. As shown, the float chamber is located at substantially the -same level as the condensate well 6 and the piping 7 forms an equalizing passage between the float chamber and the condensate well, The float chamber is hermetically sealed except that it is provided with a passage 15 which communicates with the interior of the condenser 4t and with the interior of the chamber 14 at a point above the normal water level. The float 13 is operatively connected to the valve 10 by means of a long stem 16 which extends downwardly through the vertical piping 8. The valve 10 is 0 arranged with relation to its seat that it is opened by a downward movement of the float and thereby establishes communication between the intake of the pump 5 and the supplemental source of liquid supply.

Under normal operation conditions, the float will be raised to its valve closing position by the normal level of the condensate in the well 6 and that under such conditions, the supply of supplemental liquid from the source 12 will be .cut oil. As the water level in the well 6 falls, the float, moving downwardly, will open the valve 10 more or less, depending upon the water level in the well 6 and will proportion the delivery of water from the supplemental source so as to compensate for the decreasing head in the con-I densate well.

, One of the features of the invention is the arrangement of the float 13 with relation to the valve 10 and particularly the connections between the float and the valve. It will be apparent that the float is so arranged with relation to the valve that no packings or lands are required for the valve stem 16. n the illustrated embodiment, this is ac complished by so locating the float chamber that the valve stem 16 passes through the supply pipe 8 and the port 10 of the valvecasing 9; the valve 10 and its co-operating seats being so located with relation to the inlet port 10" that there is no tendency for leakage around the valve stem when the valve is closed and consequently no necessity for valve stem packings or glands. In opera- As illustrated, the pipe 11 commution, the pump normally receives liquid from the hot well 6 and delivers it through the discharge pipe or passage 18. As-the supply of condensate from thecondenser decreases, the condensate level in the hot well falls, thus lowering the water level in the float chamber and opening the valve 10. As soon as the valve 10 is opened the water from the supplementary source 12 augments that from the-source 6 so as to maintain a uniform delivery to the pump 5, since a decreasing water level in the well 6 will increase the de livery of augmenting water from the supplementary source. As the supply of condensate increases, the wateizlevel will rise in the float chamber, thus decreasingthe delivery from the supplemental source. WVhen the water reaches a predetermined level in the float chamber, the valve 10 is completely closed and all the water delivered to the pump is drawn from the well 6.

In Fig. 2, I have shown an arrangement'o-f apparatus similar to that disclosed in Fig. 1,

except that the float controlled valve 10 is located in a branch pipe 19 which establishes communication between the delivery pipe 18 and the intake pipe 8 of the pump. As shown, the valve casing 9" is provided with three ports, 10", 10 and 10 which respectively communicate with the delivery pipe 18, the float chamber 141 and the equalizing or branch passage 19.

As previously described, the float chamber is located at substantially the same level as the'condensate well 6 and is provided with a pressure equalizing passage 15. Valve casing 9 is also so formed'that free and open communication exists between the float chamber 14 and the passage 19 a-nd 8 when the valve 10 is closed. Valve stem 16 extends through the port 10 and the registering port of the float chamber. The valve is so connected to the float and so located with relation to its seats that packings or' glands are rendered unnecessary for the reasons previously set forth.

As the water level falls in the condensate well 6 it will also fall in the float chamber 14 by reason of the equalizing pipe 19 and after a predetermined low level has been reached,

the float 13 in moving downwardly will open in the previous embodiments, the con.

denser 1 is provided with a hot well 6 which communicates with the intake of the pump 5 through a passage 8% float chamber 14 is located at the same level as the condensate well 6 and an equalizing passage 7 establishes communication between the float chamber and the condensate well. The float controlled valve 9 is, however, adapted to control the delivery of water from a secondary source, such as the feed tank 12, into the condenser 4. T o accomplish this, piping 20 establishes communication between a water delivery port formed in the condenser shell and the port 10 of the valve casing; and piping 21 establishes communication between the supplemental source-12j and the inlet port 10 of the valve casing. The valve stem 16" extends upwardly through a tubular member 17 located between the floatchamber 14 and the valve casing 10 As the water level in the condensate well falls, the float moves downwardly and opens the valve 9 thereby establishing communication between the supplemental source 12 and the interior of the condenser. Atmospheric pressure will occasion a delivery of water from the source 12 to the interior of the condenser and the water so delivered will augment the supply of condensate entering the condensate well. As soon as the water rises to a predetermined level in the condensate well, the float will close the valve 9 and so shut off the supply of augmenting water.- The arrangement of apparatus is such that the valve stem 16 need not necessarily be provided with a packing gland or packing such as is ordinarily employed since leakage from the valve chamber into the float chamber will not be objectionable and the closing of the valve will absolutely prevent such leakage. By providing a tubular member 17 such as is illustrated in Fig. 3, with a relatively small passage formed therein, the frictional resistance to flow will cut down the flow from the valve casing 10 to the float chamber 14 to such an extent that appreciable quantities of liquid will not be delivered directly to the float chamber. If the opening through the tubular member 17 is of such diameter that it merely provides a free sliding fit for the valve stem, flow through the clearance space around the valve stem may be absolutely prevented by'lengthening the member as shown in Fig. 3.

The apparatus of Fig.3 is particularly well adapted for use in connection with a supplemental condenser where the pump 5 delivers cooling water to the supplemental condenser since the water from the secondary source will be partially cooled in passing through the condenser.

While I have illustrated and described three modifications of the pumping system embodying my invention it will be apparent that other and various modifications may be made in any one of the systems without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth by the appended claims.

I claim 1. In combination in a pumping system, a rotary pump, a normal source of supply communicating therewith, a supplemental source and means responsive in operation to variations of the supply of liquid from the normal source for delivering water from the supplemental source to said pump.

2. In combination in a pumping system, a centrifugal pump, a main source of supply in open and free communication with the intake of said pump, and a float controlled valve responsive in operation to variations in the amount of liqu d at main source for delivering a supplementing supply of liquid.

3. In combination in a pumping system, a .centrifugal pump, a main source of supply, piping establishing open communication between the main source of supply and the intake of. said pump and a float-controlled valve located in said piping for augmenting the supply of liquid delivered to said pump.

4. In combination in a pumping system, a centrifugal pump, a main source of supply, a float chamber, piping establishing communication between said source of supply, said float chamber and the intake of said pump, a valve located in said piping for delivering an augmenting supply of liquid to said pump, a float in said float chamber and a valve stem extending through said piping and connecting said valve and said float.

5. In combination in a pumping system, a pump, a source of liquid supply, piping establishing open communication between said source and the intake to said pump, a valve casing located in said piping and so formed as to provide a free passage therethrough independently of the position of the enclosed valve, a float chamber in open communication with said pipe and said casing, a valve located in said casing and operatively se cured to said float for controlling the delivery of a supplemental supply of liquid to said pump.

6. In combination in a pumping system, a condenser, a pump for withdrawing condensate therefrom, a valve for delivering a supplemental supply of liquid to said pump, a float controlling the operation of said valve, a. float chamber enclosing said float and equalizing passages between said chamber and the interior of, the condenser above and below the normal water level therein.

7. In combination in a condenser, a centrifugal pump for withdrawing condensate therefrom, a float chamber, an equalizing passage between said chamber and said condenser, a valve for delivering an augmenting supply of liquid to said pump, a float located in said chamber for actuating said valve, a casing on said valve and means including said valve casing establishing open .communication between the intake of the pump and said condenser.

8. In combination with a condenser, a pump for withdrawing condensate from the condensate well of the condenser, a valve for controlling the delivery of augmenting liquid to the condenser, a float for controlling the valve, a float chamber enclosing the float a liquid level equalizing passage between the chamber and the well, and a pressure equalizing passage between the chamber and the interior of the condenser.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 6th day of August,

H. M. JENKINS.

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