US1015983A

US1015983A - Regulation and control of steam production.

Info

Publication number: US1015983A
Application number: US64675297A
Authority: US
Inventors: Elihu Thomson
Original assignee: General Electric Co
Current assignee: General Electric Co
Priority date: 1897-08-02
Filing date: 1897-08-02
Publication date: 1912-01-30
Anticipated expiration: 1929-01-30

Description

E. THOMSON I 4 REGULATION AND CONTROL OF STEAK PRODUGTIOH.

APPLIOATIH FILED AUG. 2, 1897.

'Patnigeq Jan. 30, 1912.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELIHU THdMSON, 0F SWAMPSCOTT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL ELEC- TRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jun. 30, 1912.

Application filed August 2, 1897. Serial No. 646,752.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that l, ELinn Tnonsox, a citizen of the United States, residing at Swampscott, in the county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Regulation and Control of Steam Production, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to a means for controlling or limiting the temperature to be attained by a steam generating device or boiler, and also for limiting the pressure which can at any time be pro duced therein by vaporization of a fluid pumpedinto the vaporizin" spaces.

7 The invention is part'ieu arly applicable to a vaporizer or boiler made of a uiassive piece of metal in aeeordauee with other cases filed by me, or such a Stllttttltl'ti as eonsists of a metallic body having passages through which the vapors of a fluid are to be -sent. The metallic body in this case is assumed to be sullieiently massive to acquire a sensibly uniform temperature by heat conduction, or at least. not. to diller very greatly in temperature at dill'erent portions.

The object of the invention is to make the temperature of the boiler attained at some one part or )tlllS of its structure eontrol any increase eyond a eertaiu limit in such temperature, and at the same time (ontrol the pressure which may be developed in the vapor stream by regulating the water or fluid supply.

Figure 1 represents an elevation, partly in section, of a structure embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is. a plan of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged details. Fig. 5 is a modilit'ati m adapting the. invention to a particular use. p In Fig. 1, V represents a massive vaporizer whose exterior sin-flutes are covered with projections for absorbingheat and which has inside a series of'passages such -as would be formed, for example, by eastin a coiled pipe therein.

'is the outlet for vapor and I the inlet: pipe for,the liquid to be vaporized. J is the jet or burner 'lllClLfllll'tlSlltS the combustible for heating the boiler; C the chimney or stuck which forms an expanded casing around the boiler, as usual.

' The fuel supply is usually oil, either --".l pressure of tliquid or vaporized, reaching the jet J through a pipe l from any suitable reservoir. under sutiirieut pressure to cause it to lion.

it is a valve 'lllt'll ran he opened and shut by a motion of the valve rod 1' to regulate the How of vapor or oil to the burner J.

Q is a portion of the ma s of the boiler V, extended to contain the temperature regulating arranrjement, \vhieh may be construeted in various ways. One. of these ways is typilied in Fig. 3; here the. extension Q oi the boiler mass (which may, of course. he a metallic pit-re attached to the mass having thorough heat-eo|ulueting eonneetion therewith). contains a compound bar ll oi two metal strips and (I, having dili'erent eoellirients of expansion by heat. lived at one end. and adjusted by a proper .\('|'t\\' Z so that it will press upon the valve rod r. Fig. l, and allow full [low of the fuel to heat the \"aporizer. ()n the increase of temperature of the vaporizer V and the boss (Q. in svmpathy therewith the com pound bar It bends so as to relieve the rod 1' and close the valve ll, Fig. l; gradually, upon the attainnu-nt ot' a certain temperature. the valve closes, either nearly or 00111- pletely. as may be desired. In this arrangement. if the valve ll be opened by the spring aud'elosed by the lloxnl'e of the compound bar. the. temperature of the metal mass of the vaporizer V will be limited or cont olled irres -t-lively of its duty or .vapor output. The. eompound bar It might, of course. be repbu-ed by an expansible tluid contained in a tlattened tube, as in the liourdon pressure gage, or by any suitable heat responsive devices eapable of controltime the valve. It and the. fuel supply. the ehief objeel': oi' the. arrangement being, to (heck the tire or the heating, agent, in its aetion in heating the vaporizer -V in aceorduuee with the inereased temperature of said vaporizer, irrespective of the pressure of the vapor developed or the. amount; of vapor develo )ed in the heater.

"\Yitlr-the (leviees so far described I combine the automatic control of theipressure of, the'liqnidto be vaporized, and there- .by Ivam enabled to eontrolnot only the vapor which leaves the 111s 1nd simultaneously the he 'j apora lhe; vaporizer then Q or; reservoir. The valve W would be set, n fiaving thus described cannot produce either an excessive pressure of vapor, nor can it produce it at an excessive tempeiature. It is, in fact, preferred to locate the boss Q at or near the outlet. 0 so as to more perfectly accomplish the result just stated. The object of my vaporizer is to supply steam to engines under regulated pressure and at such a temperature its will not injure the moving parts. .\t the same time the object is to utilize when desired massive vaporizers with practically no water therein, or with so little water that no similarity exists between it and an ordinary steam boiler filled with boiling water. For securing vapor at a pressure limited in amount therefore I employ a feed pump D (Fig. 1) worked by a 'lilllli and plunger within a cylinder 15 in the ordinary way. This feed pump has the usual S \':ltlll of valves between its outlet pipe I and its inlot or suction pipe 5 (see Fig. 4:), opening from the suction pipe inward to the pump cylinder and from the pumpa'ylinder outfull work is capable of converting into va p01. Should however the outlet pipe be closed (as by a valv'e between the vaporizer and an engine using the vapor) the pump D need not stop, because a valve is provided at \V, held by a spring and allowing under a. certain excess of pressure the. liquid taken into the pump cylinder E through the valve S to pass back into the suction space or pipe S, instead of passing the outlet valve T into the pipe I. Upon the valve \V bears a spring F which may be adjusted by any suitable means on thestem ot' the valve Vi", so as to cause it to open-under a certain pressure, which is to be the maximum pressure to be generated in the vaporizer. The slip-valve W being located in the suction space gives freedom from the leakage which might otherwise exist if it were located on the pipe I or elsewhere where the pressure is big My,invention may 'be so combined that thepressure-regulating part and the tem-. peratureregulating paint work "together, as when the vaporizer is used to va orize oil,'which is used to supply the jet 5 and which may also be va orized for, working an engine, the oil being condensed -after.'

passing the engineand returned to a proper reservoir from which the suction pipe. S takes -it. In this case (see Fig. 5) S would ban suction pipe for oil from a suitable tank as before, to limitthe pressure which the pum would exert in forcin said oil forwar The chamber A w'ou dexist as an equalizer and steadier'ot the )ressurc, as well as a reservoir for liquid un er pressure. The valve It would be controlled, as in'ltig. 1, by the temperature of the vaporizer, and thereby the flow of compressed oil to the jet J would be governed. A side pipe I may take a portion of the pumped oil, under pres sure, and carry 'it through the vaporizer, as in Fig. l, and the vaporized oil would pass to theoutlet pipe 0 where it may be used for working a vapor engine and afterward suitably condensed and returned to thelreservoir from which the pipe S takes it;

Other modifications of my inventiodcan readily be made, its essential features consisting in so combining the regulation for temperature of the vaporizer'and the p'ressure of the vapor generated as to seetiie a How of vapor of limited tcmperatur ahd pressure, but varying iii amount according to the demand, while the'fuel whiel\"produeesthe vaporization is also varied in amount or rate of combustion automatically according to the demand for heatl To state the matter in a different way, means are-"provided for supplying Water to the'boiler and .fuel to the combustion chamber or burner in such quantities as: will furnish flie'desired amount of superheated steam or; vapor under varying conditions'ofloa d up move cat'-- pacity of the system; superheated steam or va or. varies the tlier mostat and pressure regu ator aut oniaticall vary the amountsof water and fuel wli-ici are respectively supplied to the "boi ler and burner,'and this in a definite quantitative relation to'said variation in demand and in substantially the same degree. In this inanner the temperature and pressure off the vapor are constantl maintained. at' the proper pointsand un er econoi'n'icaL'aud's'atisfactory conditions. The generator being pf the flasher type, the water as it enters is gradually heated until it flashes into steam, and from this point to the end is radually superheated. This means that o y a sinall amount of water is at the temperature of vaporizationi' As the 'demandfin thegenerator for vapor changes the point of vapprizatiomchan es slightly. .In one case itmay be midway etween the ends-of the t:ubt%,'a, .nd in another 'before or a'fterthe midway position; I

In accordance with thasprovisions of-the' I patent statutes, lhavd described the prinei-- ple preparation of 'rnyinvention, to ether with the a paratu'swhich Lnow consi or to.

re resent t ebest; embodiment thereof; but.

I esiretohave it understood that the apple ratus shown s-only -'1llust;rative and that. the invention can be out; by other means. my invention, what As the demand 'for l I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. The combination, of a steam-generator of the flasher type with a regulator for the fuel-supply governed by the temperature of the steam in said generator, and a regulator for the water-suppl governed by the pressure of steam sai generator, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of a steam-generator of the flasher type, a burner for heating the same, means for supplying fuel to the burner, means for supplying water to the generator, a thermostatic regulator for governing the fuehsupply which regulator is inclosed in the generator, and a regulator for governing thewater-supply which re lator is connected. with the generator an operated by the steam-pressure therein, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of a steam-generator of the flasher type, a source of water-Suppl means for forcing the waterfrom the su p y to the steamgenerator, 2. hydrocar onburner for heating the steam-generator, a 1 source of hydrocarbon supply connected. with the burner, a thermostatic regulator and apressure-reglilator connected with the steam generator, the thermostatic regulator overning the supply of hydrocarbon to the urner and the pressure-regulator governl ing the supply of water to the boiler, substantially as described.

al. In combination, a flash boiler, a water pump, a regulator for thefiatensupply that is-eontrolled by the pressure of the vapor in the boiler, an air chamber that is connected to the pump and the boiler a burner, and a regulator for the burner w 1011 is governed by the temperature of the vapor in the boiler.

5. In combination, a boiler for generatin vapor pressure, a means for delivering flui' thereto, a fire chamber, a means for delivering fuel thereto, and automatic means for regulating the suppl of fluid to the boiler and fuel to the fire c amber, the said means acting to correlate the said supplies in accordance with the demands made on the boiler.

6. In combination, a flash boiler, a pumlp, a connection leading from the pump to t e boiler, a b -pass valve that is acted upon automatica 1y by the boiler pressure, a means i for supplying fuel to a fire chamber, and an automatic regulator therefor.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of July, 1897.

ELIHU THOMSON.

Witnesses Join. W. GmBoNEY, RAYMOND H. DANFOBTH.