US1559763A - Steam generator - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 3, 192 1,559,7 3

' H. A. NICHOLSON STEAM GENERATOR rum May 10., 1919 4 Shuts-Shoot 1 wa Q ATTORNEY {ma KAZW' Nov."3,19z5.- 1,559,763

H. A. NICHOLSON STEAM GENERATOR Filed May 10. 1919 4' Shuts-Shut 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Nov. 3', 1925. 1,559,763

H. A? NICHOLSON I swam esuanxron I Filed May 10, 1919 4 Shoots-Shut 3 &

ATTORNEY Nov. 3 1925.

' H. A. NICHOLSON swam GENERATOR Filed law 10, 1919 4 Sheets-snout 4 iNVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 3, 192 5.

UNITED STATES 1,559,763 PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. mononson, or ARVKLES BAY, AUCKLAND, AssIGNonmo ERNEST acmre, on AUCKLAND, NEW mas ive.

' s'rnAM GENERATOR.

Application filed May 10,

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. NIoHonsoN, a citizen of New Zealand, and a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing in Ark- :les. Bay, Auckland, New Zealand, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvef ments inj Steam Generators, of which the following is a specification. 1 This invention relates to steam generators of the class set forth in my pending application 284,657, in which water advancing through a' single tubular circuit is gradually heated to a high temperature and its conversion into steam completed as it .enters the steam drum.

According to the present construction, the flames may pass directly from a fire box of simple type into a chamber which contains a grid of water tubes, the tubes being space apart to facilitate heating, and the flames being compelled to follow a zigzag course up through the flame chamber by means of box, one of the doors and door plates being removed to disclose the interior.

a system of baffle plates, which are inserted between certain rows of tubes. [Thus there higher than that which it is necessary to maintain in the service steam "drum. 7 A reserve of heated water is provided in a drum arranged between the, grid and the force pump which supplies the water, as

set forth in said application.

The heated fluid is delivered from the grid into a steam drum, which is provided with a converting device, the pressure being preferably reduced about fifty pounds, so that the heated fluid which reaches the drum under high pressure is let into the drum in the form of steam at a lower pressure. The

converting dev ce may regulate the pressure of steam in the service drum.v

Provision is also made to guard against (1' ing valve used at the inlet of the stea is provided an inexpensive and simple apparatus for heating the fluid to a pressure.

1919. Serial No. 296,086.

an. obstruction to the delivery of highly heated fluid from the grid to the delivery drum. This is evident because the service valye would blow off if the pressure in the dellvery "drum were above normal, Whereas the blowing off of the special valve shows that pressure is excessively above normal in the reserve water drum. Other features and advantages will heremafter appear. I

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a part-sectional side elevation of ,a steam generator embodying the present improvements in oneform.

Figure 2 is an edge elevation of a preferredform of baffle plate for the flames used in the grid chamber of the generator.-

Figure 3 is a detail of a pressure-reducdrum. I 7 5 Figure 4 is a plan of the generator. Flgure 5 1s a front elevation of the fire Figure 6 is a diagram to show the operation of the apparatus. I

Figure 7 s a sectional elevation takentransversely of the flame chamber, showing the arrangement of the grid and baflle plates therein.

The fire box comprises side walls 20, rearwall 21 and-top 22, all ofwhich may be of brick; the top being supported by a bridge or crown late 23. In'the front wall 24 of the fire ox are arranged vertical frames '90 or plates 25, each having a fuel door 26 and an ash 'd0or' The fuel rests upon a grate 28:."

In the upper part of the' rear Wall is formed an opening 29, for the passing of flames into a flame chamber, which comprises-a frontwall 30, a rear wall 31, and side walls 32, 33; the flames passing in a zigzag-course through this chamber, to heat the water which is advancing 1n av set of tubes forming a grid, which will presently be described. The hot gases vent through a'chimney 34, having a damper 35. The air is preferably passed through the fuel by forced draft. 3 The water from which the steam is generated is supplied by a force pump '36, a reserve ofwater being accumulated in a drum 37, through which the pump communicates by means of a main 38 rising therefrom, 110

where it is exposed. to the outflowing hot gases and heated thereby. Said :rid chamber or flame .-hamber- 30, 31., 32. 33 1s surmounted by a dome whose walls are indicated at id. 4-]. and this water drum is arranged in said dome so that the gas will eireulate on all sides thereof, as set forth in my said eonipauion applieation 984.657. It. will be seen at Figure t that the. drum is eouneeted to the horizontal portion of the supply main 39. by a short branch or fittingr 42.

hilo the boiler is steaming. a "alve 43 in the pipe 82 is closed. so thatall the water that is forced through 39 by the pump enters the hot water drum 3?, keeping the latter tilled with water.

An outlet 44 is plated in the top of the drum, so as to insure that the drum shall keep filled with water. This is evident be eause it any steam should form in the drum. it must first pass through the outlet it. permittine water to rise/in the drum. in other words. steam eannot be trapped in the drum.

The water flows out through a short horizontal pipe 45, and down through a vertieal pipe 46 to the middle of a distributor 47, at whose ends are elbows 48 joined to headersdt). so at the top of the flame ehamher. These headers extend horizontally along the sides of the ehamher. From the headers the Water flows down through a grid, and is collected at the bottom by means of other horizontal side-headers 5], 52. ends of the strips 23 and 28 are equipped The grid is eomposed of vertieal sections. I

eaeh seetion eomprising horizontal transverse tubes 52;, through which the water flows down in a zigzag eourse. as \vill be understood from Figure 7: the tuhes being eonneeted at their rear ends alternately by eouplings or vert eal tubes or passages 54 provided in vertical headers 55, which may he. ot the eons-traction set forth in said applieation Qfiltm. 'lhese grid sections e0nneet alternately with headers 49, 50, the upper tube in eaeh grid section having a. coupling 56 opening into header 4.) or 50,

. and the lower tube in the same section haveither distributing header 49 or 50 flows.

ing a eoupling 57 opening into lower header 51 or 52; the preferred construction being such that the uppermost tube eonneets with the horizontal distributing header on one.

side. while the lowest tube eonneet-s with the horizontal roller-ting: header on the other side. It will be seen that thowater from down ina zigzag course through the flame chamber and is, collected in one of the bot.- tom headers 51 or 52, at the delivery portion of the generator. (The vertical section headers are provided with scre w plugs 58"for -Cl6tlD-Ulli. openings formed therein-opposite n V100, eonsisting ot a vatirezk'tt inch may ture 80 within the drum, and earryingy, 2

the ends of the tubes. Each grid section is a unit. being connected at. its upper end. at one side by flanges 59 to flanges on the up per header, and at the bottom on the other side by flanges 6O bolted to flanges on the hot-tom header. Adjustable supports in the form of serews til may be provided for the remaining corners of each grid section.

A system of battle plates 62, 63, 8%., 65, and 66 may be, provided for directing the flames in a zigzag path up through the grid filifitle her; said plates being preferably of eorru gated form for strength, as indicated in Figure 2; this form of plate having plain supporting flanges 67 at its ends.

flanges may rest upon lugs (38 provided upon some or all of the vertical headers ot the grid seetions; the plates being slidden hori' zontally forward into position upon these lugs before the rear Wall 31 of the grid chamber is set up.

As seen at Figure 1, these battle plates are all too short to extend trmn frontentireiy to the haelc ot' the grid chamber. 'ihey are set alternately against the. front and hook waits, so as to leave flame. passages at alternate ends. The hailie, plates (32, {54, and $6, for example. are set against the front well, while plates 63 and 65 may be set against the rear wall.

At the top of the flame chamber, sur mounting the top row of tithes, may he pro vided a special battle piate 68, which he mueh shorter than the others, to leave a broad opening for the vent. ot flames and hot gases from the grid chamber,

'lhese battle plates are placed between a, ternate horizontal rows of tubes as illns trated. the rows of tubes being nun'ierous, and the battle plates being preferably not so numerous as to interfere with the proper flow ot' flames and hot gases through the grid chamber.

From the collecting headers 51, 52, the heated fluid is delivered through vertical pipes or mains 'i't). and horizontal pipes Z1 and inlets 72, to the ends of a stoma drum 73. At each inlet 72 is fiat-ed a device whereby the remnant of the aid whi'eh is in water 315 form and which reaches said inlet, under high pressure may he eonverted and enter the drum in the form o'i'teteani. At Figure 3 is illustrated one form oteonrerting the elosethe inlet or orifice i5 provided in the tlrununncl mayhare a horizontal gun-hug.

t i- "*4 stem 76. pivoted at 74 to the. short arm tti of an elbow iever pivoted at T9 upon a ti adjustable weight 8i; said weight: Being:

preferably adjusted to such point that the ressure of steam within the drum is ru -uat-efl to fifty pounds less than that. of the heated fluid in the delivery main "The steam drum isin communication with only the delivery end of the system of water pip ing, which system includes the grid.

*hen the generator is beingheated up, the valve 43 is opened, thus permitting circulation of Water as it becomes warmed.- At this time, the pump is not working. The heated water rises to the top of the grid system, and the cooler water flows to the bottom of the apparatus, so that a. circulation is set up by the heated water rising in the grid. The coolest water reaches the, lower headers 51 and 52, and upon becoming heated rises in the grid, flowing through the distributer 47 to the drum 37, whence it may flow down through the main 82 (containing saidvalve 43), down throughpipes 71, 70 to the bottom of the system. This circulation may continue until steam forms, whereupon the valve 43 may be closed, and the pump 36 may be started. The pump may of course be operated by steam now derived from the generator. Heat is supplied as the water progresses in its single passage through the generator, until the temperature of the water far exceeds 212 F. The time spent by any portion of water in the generator is only enough to enable it to acquire the desired degree ofheat once. The smallness of the heating surface is rendered possible by the fact that the water does not circulate around and around, but is-heated only once, and as soon as sufficiently heated is used. The fluid is forced through the system at such a rate that it will acquire the maximum of heat just as it is about at the lowest point.- The constant forced flow of fluid tends towards uniformity of heat in the Water-pipe system, and hence to prevent excessive heat at a any point. By means of the grid and its distributing headers, the flow of fluid is split up into fine streams, so as to expose it intimately to the flames, and to heat it quickly, so that it may not remain in the generator many minutes, and will not absorb more heat than necessary-to produce the required delivery of steam.

In the steam delivery main leading from steam drum is arranged a service safety valve 82, which,may beset to keep the pressure in the steam'drum'TS within normal limits: while in a'pipe 83 let into the main 46 between the water-reserve drum '37 and the grid system may be arranged an emergency safety valve 84, set at say or 100 pounds higher pressure than the service valve 82 Under ordinary conditions the generator will be amply protected by the service valve 8:2; .but if from any cause there should be a checking of the flow of water through the grid system. so that. the pressure rises unduly high in the water reserve drum'37, the emergency safety valve blow ofi". -This notifies the engineer steam for a time, until the trouble can be ascertained and remedied. If necessary, the i valve 43 may be opened after the pump stopped, permitting the water to keep flowing idly through the system, obviating the liability of the overheating of the tubes or pipes at any point. This circulation will aflord opportunity for the fire to be drawn or other precautions taken. If desired, a.

back-pressure valve 85 may be arranged in main .39, to prevent liability of heating of the pump 36 by hot water or steam.

Variations may be resorted towithin the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: i i

1. A steam boiler system comprising a furnace, a grid of downwardly extending tubes therein, a pump for forcing water into the upper entrance of said grid, asteam drum above the grid of tubes into which the tubes deliver, said'drum having a steam outlet and normally having communication with the grid of tubes only at their endsfurthest from the pump whereby the same water can pass only once through the tubes, and said communication means comprising means for reducing the pressure of the fluid as it passes from the grid into the drum.

2. A. boiler system comprising a grid .of downwardly extending tubes, a pump for pumping Water into the upper entrance end of the tubes, means for heating, the tubes to convert the water into steam and a steam drum within the furnace above said tubes and normally having communication only with the exit ends of the tubes, said drum having a steamoutlet, and said connnunication having thereon means for reducing the pressure of the fluid as it passes from the grid into the drum.

3. A boiler system comprising a furnace,

a grid of tubes zig-zagging hack and forth in the furnace from top to bottom thereof, a pump for pumping water into the upper entrance ends of the tubes, and a steam drum within the furnace and normally having communication. only with the exit ends of said grid of tubes, whereby the same water can pass only oncethrough the tubes. said so f pump for pumping water into the entrance" ends of the tubes, a header into which said tubes discharge, and a steam drum normally having communication only with the said header, there being, a pressu e reducing means between the header and the steam drum. v v 5. A boiler system (IOII'IPIlSiH,Q;=L furnace, a header thereon, a grid of tubes zig-zafrging back and forth from the said header to the bottom of the furnace, means for forcing water into the header and down suid tubes, a steam drum in the top of the furnace normally having communication only with the exit ends of the tubes, and u pressure reducing means between the drum and the tubes. t

6. A boiler system comprising a furnace, headers in the upper portion of the furnace, grids of tubes in the furnace extending from said headers downwardly, a pump for pumping water into the headers and tubes, head ers in the lower portion of the furnace into which the tubes discharge, a stezun drum into which the lower headers discharge, and pressure reducing means between the lower headers and said stemn drum.

7. A boiler system comprising a l'urnure. a water drum and n steam drum both inside the furnace and a grid of tubes liming: their entrance ends connected with the water drum and their discharge ends with the stezun drum and normally forming the only comn'iunieation between said drums, bailic plates in the furnace between. portions of the tubes, u pump for pumping water into the water drum, a steam exit for the steam drunr extending outside the furnace, and pressure reducing means in the saidconnections between said tubes zind said steam drum.

8. A. boiler system comprising a furnace,

a stezun drum, a water drun'i and water headers inside the upper portions of the furnnce, connections between the waiter drum and headers, a grid of tubes leading from the headers downwnrdlt through the furnaee and discharging in the steam drum,

said steam drum having a steam outlet ex tending outside the furnace and. pressure reducing means governing the said discharge from said tubes into said steam drum.

HENRY A. moHoLsoN.

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