US1367208A - Condenser installation - Google Patents

Description

H. F. SCHMIDT.

CONDENSER INSTALLATION.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1918.

- 1,367,208. I I Patented Feb. 1, 1921.

49 INV TOR.

' A rroRzvI's.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY F. SCHMIDT, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC &; MANUFACTURING 00., A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CONDENSER INSTALLATION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1921.

Application filed March 20, 1918. Serial No. 223,610.

means of-apparatus employing no moving parts, such as reciprocating pistons or revolving' rotor elements.

A further object is to produce a condenser installation in which means are employed for conserving the heat within the condensate and also the heat employed in withdrawing the condensate from the condenser.

A further object is to produce a condenser installation in which means are employed for conserving the heat of the condensate and also for delivering heat fromthe ejecting fluid to the condensate during the operation of withdrawing the condensate.

A further object is to produce a condenser installation in which condensate may be economically removed from the condenser by means of apparatus employing no moving partsand which operates on exhaust or low pressure steam.

A furtherobject is to produce an organized apparatus of the ejector or kinetic type whichwill operate automatically and without attention in withdrawing condensate from the condenser.

A further object is to produce an apparatus of the kinetic type which will withdraw relatively hot water from a condenser in which a high vacuum is maintained and will discharge the hot water so withdrawn into the atmosphere.

These and other objects are attained by means of apparatus embodying the features herein described and illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming a part hereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagram- 'matic view illustrating one embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 isia diagrammatic view illustrating" a modified form of apparatus forming an" 1 condensate wlthdrawn from the condenser.

embodiment of the present invention.

In the operation of starting the ordinary ejector it is necessary to provide a free and substantially unrestricted passage for the steam jet issuing from the nozzle of the ejector when the steam is first delivered to the ejector. In the case of an ejector this unrestricted path is provided through the de livery pipe of the ejector which is always drained and free from water when the ejector is not in operation. A jet of steam traversing the ejector passages first expels the air from the interior of the ejectorand thereby creates a partial vacuum. which causes the liquid destined to be expelled, to move up through the suction port of the ejector and into the ejector passages. As soon as the vacuum is sufficient to cause this liquid to rise to such a level that it comes in contact with the jet of steam issuing from the nozzle of the ejector, the steam is condensed and the liquid is forced into thedelivery pipe by the impact of the condensed steam. It should be noted that at the beginning of this opera tion there is no liquid in the delivery pipe and that consequently the liquid upon first entering the delivery pipe encounters substantially no resistance to flow. This permits a free acceleration of the liquid until a liquid jet of high velocity is established, after which the liquid jet is capable of readily overcoming external resistance.

The operation of starting an injector is somewhat similar to the operation above described, except that in the case of an injector the delivery pipe is subjected to external pressure and it is consequently impossible to provide a free passage through it for the impelling steam. For this reason it is customary to provide injectors with an overflow communicating with the atmosphere. The overflow permits a free escape of steam and liquid until a liquid jet having sufficiently high velocity to overcome'the pressure on the delivery pipe is established.

It will be apparent from the, above explanation that if an injector or an ejector is employed for removing the condensate from a condenser it will be impossible to start the same, since the overflow, in the case of an injector, will be subjected to atmospheric pressure, and the delivery pipe, in the case of an ejector, will also be subjected to atmospheric pressure, or to the pressure against which it is desired to discharge the This will be more readily apparent when it is realized that condensers are usually maintained at a pressure of about a pound abso lute. Where the ejector operates on exhaust steam at atmospheric or below atapparatus embodylng my invention.

mospheric pressure it cannot be started unless high pressure steam is employed at the time of starting, and even where high pressure steam is employed, the starting operation is extremely difficult, since the condensate is warm as it comes from the condenser and heats up rapidly upon being subjected to .the high pressure steam and under such conditions it is difficult to establish a water jet of sufficiently high velocity to overcome the external pressure. I have overcome these difficulties and have also made it possible to successfully withdraw relatively hot condensate from a condenser by means of an injector operating on steam at less than atmospheric pressure, by providing an overflow which communicates with the condenser. In the case of an ejector I have overcome the difficulty by providing means for temporarily connecting the delivery pipe of the ejector with the condenser and thereby providing a free escape for the jet of steam or for the jet of water until the water jet has attained sufficient velocity to overcome atmospheric pressure or a higher pressure into which it is desired to discharge the condensate from the condenser.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings I have diagrammatically illustrated an elementary forn irof he condenser 5 is illustrated as a surface condenser, but any type of condenser may be employed. As illustrated, the condensate well 6 of the condenser communicates with the liquid inlet port 7 of an injector. The injector illustrated includes a steam nozzle 8 which receives steam from a steam chamber 9 and delivers it through an entraining chamber 10 to a converging combining passage 11. The port 7 communicates with the chamber 10. A divergent diffuser 12 is shown axially alined with the passage 11,

- and its inlet is spaced a short distance from the outlet of the passage and is inclosed within a chamber 13. This chamber constitutes the overflow of the injector and communicates with the interior of the condenser 5 through a. passage 14. The outlet of the diffuser 12 communicates with a passage or pipe 16, which as shown, is provided with a check valve 17, arranged to permit a flow from the diffuser but to prevent a flow toward the diffuser.

At the time of starting the injector, steam is delivered to the nozzle 8 in which it is expanded to pressure substantially equal to that existing within the condenser. This expansion occasions a high velocity in the jet of steam issuing from the nozzle and as the steam issues it encounters condensate in the chamber 10, which has been delivered to that chamber through the port 7 from the condensate well 6 of the condenser. The steam is almost immediately condensed by its intimate association with the condensate and in condensing imparts its velocity en ergy to the water entrained by it. This sets up a jet of water through the combining tube 11. Inasmuch as the initial jet of condensate traversing the tube 11 has not sufficient velocity to overcome external resistance or the resistance at the outlet of the diffuser 12, the jet is delivered to the chamber 13 through the annular space between the outlet of the combining passage 11 and the inlet of the diffuser 12. bince the chamber 13 is in direct communication with the condenser, the external resistance to be overcome by, the initial jet of liquid is only that which is necessary to raise the water from the chamber 13 through the discharge piping 14 to the condenser. By employing the chamber 13 the water jet traversing the combining tube 11 is provided with a substantial free and unrestricted outlet and consequently is capable of being accelerated until it has sufficient velocity to overcome external pressure or that to which the outlet of the diffuser 12 is subjected. As soon as the velocity of the jet issuing from the combining tube 11 is sufficient to overcome this external pressure, the jet jumps the space between the combining tube and the diffuser and enters the diffuser where its velocity energy is converted into pressure of sufficient magnitude to overcome the external pressure to which the piping 16 is subjected. From the above it will be seen that the operation of the injector is substantially automatic, in that the condensate will be delivered back to the condenser until such time as the velocity energy of the jet of condensate issuing from the combining tube is sufficient to overcome the external resistance.

One advantage of the overflow shown is that a breaking of the injector occasioned by the fact that less water is delivered to it than it is capable of expelling, will recirculate such water as may be handled by the injector and subject this water to the cooling action of the condenser. Consequently, the apparatus will automatically operate to cool such water as the injector handles during the time that water is accumulating in sufficient quantity to again render the injector operative as a condensate pump.

In Fig. 2, I have shown an arrangement of apparatus in which a one-way valve 18 is provided between the condensate well 6 of the condenser and the entraining chamber 10 of the injector. This valve controls the delivery of condensate through a pipe 19 which communicates with the condensate discharge ort of the condenser and with the inlet port l of the injector. As illustrated,

the valve is shown as a spring restrained lift valve which is capable of opening in response to a preponderance of the pressure existing within the piping 19 over that existing within the chamber 10. In other respects, the injector is similar to the injector described in connection with Fig. l and its corresponding parts are indicated by the same numerals.

l have, however, illustrated the apparatus of Fig. 2 as being provided with a check valve 20 in the piping 1d which is capable of opening in response to a flow from the overflow chamber 13 toward the condenser, but of preventing a flow in the opposite direction. lit has been found by experience that the use of a non-return valve in the piping it improves the operation of the apparatus.

ll provide the valve 18 to prevent a back flow of steam through the port 7 and a consequent'heating up of the condensate within the well 6, in case the injector brealrs, or fails to deliver condensate against the pressure in the pipe 16, due to a rise in temperature of the condensate delivered to the chamber 10. ltf the injector breaks, due to such an increase of temperature, the pressure in the'chamber 10 will increase, closing the valve 18. When this happens, the steam jet issuing from the nozzle 8 is freely discharged through the overflow piping 14:, partially emptying the chambers 10 and 13 and the piping i l of hot water which has accumulated in them. its soon as this hot water had been discharged baclr into the condenser, the nozzle ti, in conjunction with the combining tube ll, forms a steam actuated air and steam ejector and will create a vacuum in the chamber 10 slightly better than the vacuum existing in the condenser 5, with the result that any water or moisture remaining in the chamber 10 will be subjected to the re frigerating eflect of the evaporation due to the low pressure, thus cooling the chamber 10 and the water contained therein until the vacuumin the chamber 10 becomes suiticiently low to permit the valve 18 to rise from its seat and admit condensate. From this it will be apparent that the first water acted upon by the steam jet issuing from the nozzle 8 will be that water which has been subjected to the refrigeration within the chamber l0 and consequently the water jet will be again established and will, after its velocity has been sufliciently increased, be capable of jumping the space between the tube ll andthe diffuser 12 and of dis charging against external pressure. The advantage of this is obvious, since it is lrnown that after an ejector is once started it will continue to operate with warmer water than that with which it is capable of starting automatically. This is accomplished by the refrigerating effect above re ferred to before the valve 18 opens.

While I have discovered that under normal operating conditions apparatus such as illustrated will operate effectively on steam below atmospheric pressure, I wish to call attention to the fact that high pressure steam may be employed in connection with the apparatus illustrated either independently of or in conjunction with the low pressure steam in case the condensate rises to such a temperature that the available energy of the low pressure steam is not sufficient to accomplish the desired results. This steam may either be fed into the supply pipe of the nozzle 8 or it may be delivered to a separate high pressure nozzle with which the injector may be provided. I I also desire to call attention to the fact that while T have described the apparatus as including a condenser, in which the pressure is maintained below atmospheric pressure, and kinetic apparatus for withdrawing liquid from the condenser and discharging it into the atmosphere, the condenser may be maintained aboveatmospheric pressure and the liquid withdrawing means may deliver the liquid withdrawn therefrom to a receptacle maintained at a still higher pressure. @uch an arrangement of apparatus would be desirable where a condensate such as ammonia is withdrawn from the condenser. 7

While l have described and illustrated but two embodiments of my invention, it

'will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes, modification, additions, and omissions may be made in the ap- 'paratus illustrated without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as outlined by the appended claims.

What ll claim is:

1. The combination with an ejector for ejecting liquid to the atmosphere from a vessel in which a pressure below atmospheric pressure is maintained, of an overflow for theejector, and means for normally maintaining a pressure in the overflow below atmospheric pressure.

2. The combination with an ejector for ejecting condensate to the atmos mm from a condenser operating at a press re below atmospheric pressure, of an overflow for the ejector, and means including a connection establishing communication between the overflow and the condenser, for normally maintaining a pressure in the overflow below atmospheric pressure.

3. The combination with a condenser hav ing a steam inlet port, a hot well and a condensate discharge port communicating with-the hot well, of a fluid operated con densate ejector having its suction below the level of the condensate in the hot well and communicating with the discharge port, and

provided with an overflow with the said condenser.

4. The combination with an ejector for ejecting condensate to the atmosphere from a vessel in which a pressure below atmospheric pressure is maintained, and operating on motive fluid at substantially atmospheric pressure, of an overflow for the ejector, and means for normally maintaining a pressure in the overflow below atmospheric pressure.

5. The combination with a condenser having a steam inlet port, a hot well and a condensate discharge port communicating with the hot well, of a fluid actuated condensate ejector having a suction chamber, means for delivering the condensate to the suction chamber under a gravity head, and an overflow communicating with the condenser.

6. The combination with an ejector for ejecting condensate from a condenser, and having its suction below the level of the condensate ,within the condenser and communicating with the condenser, of a means adapted to close communication between the suction and the condenser and segregate the condensate in the suction from the condensate in the condenser when the vacuum pressure in the suction increases to a determined pressure.

7. The combination with a fluid actuated ejector for ejecting condensate from a condenserhaving its condensate outlet in communication with the suction of the ejector. of a means for segregating the condensate in the suction from that in the condenser and for closing the condensate outlet until the vacuum pressure within the suction decreases to a determined pressure.

8. In combination with a condenser having a steam inlet port, and a condensate discharge port communicating with the hot well, a steam actuated ejector having its suction communicating with the discharge port of the condenser, and an overflow connection communicating with said ejector and with said condenser for delivering overflow from the'ejector back into the condensing chamber of the condenser.

9. The combination with a fluid actuated ejector fqr ejecting liquid to the atmosphere from a vessel in which a pressure below atmospheric pressure is maintained, of means for producing a zone of pressure below atmospheric pressure into which the combined fluid and liquid may pass while accelerating to a velocity necessary to discharge to the atmos here.

10'. he combination with a fluid actuated ejector for ejecting condensate from a condenser having its condensate outlet communicating with the suction of the ejector, of pressure controlled means for segregating communicating the condensate in the suction and means for refrigerating the segregated condensate.

11. The combination with a fluid actuated ejector for ejecting condensate from a condenser having its condensate outlet communicating with the suction of the ejector, of means for segregating the condensate in the suction and means for refrigerating the segregated condensate and forcing it into the condenser.

12. The combination with a condenser having a condensate outlet and an injector having a suction chamber communicating with the said outlet, of a non-return valve in the outlet adapted to be opened by the suction of the ejector, and means for preenting the opening of the valve until the pressure within the suction chamber is a predetermined degree less than the pressure within the outlet.

13. The combination with a condenser having a condensate outlet and an injector having a suction chamber communicating with the said outlet, of means for maintaining a determined higher degree of vacuum within the suction chamber than that existing in the said outlet.

14. The method of ejecting liquids from a vessel which consists in segregating a portion of the liquid from that in the vessel, in subjecting the segregated liquid to a lower absolute pressure than that existing in the vessel, and in subsequently exposing the segregated liquid to direct contact with the motive fluid of the ejector.

15. The method of ejecting condensate from a condenser operating under vacuum, which consists in exposing the condensate to the suction of a steam actuated ejector, in discharging the combined steam and condensate into the condenser, in cooling the discharged condensate on its passage through the condenser, in permitting the cooled condensate to mingle with the condensate in the condenser and in subsequently discharging the combined condensate through the diffuser of the ejector.

16. The combination with a condenser having a condensate discharge outlet and an injector having a suction chamber communicating with the said outlet, of a means between the said outlet and the ejector adapted to offer a predetermined resistance to the flow of condensate from the outlet into the said chamber, independent of the vacuum pressure within the said condenser.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 18th day of March,

HENRY F. SCHMIDT. Witness:

C. W. MCGHEE.

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