US1456871A

US1456871A - Condenser apparatus

Info

Publication number: US1456871A
Application number: US261707A
Authority: US
Inventors: Raymond N Ehrhart
Original assignee: Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: CBS Corp
Priority date: 1918-11-08
Filing date: 1918-11-08
Publication date: 1923-05-29
Anticipated expiration: 1940-05-29

Description

May 29,1923. 1,456,871

R; N. EHRHART CONDENSER APPARATUS Filed Nov. 8. 1918 fiA'. ATTORNEY Patented May 29, 1923.

I UNITED s'ra'rss p E N FiC new/roan) n. nnnnrin'r, or nnenwoon, PENNSYLVANIA, assrenon TO. wnsr- INGHQUSE-ELECTRIG-z JVIANUFACTURING COMPANY, A

SYLVANIA.

CORPORATION OF PENN- CONDENSER APPARATUS.

Application filed November 8, 1918. Seria1 N0. 26li707.

' air extractingiapparatus in response to yariatlons in the amount: of air or other noncondensable fluid within the condenser, and is applicable to any type of air pump or ejector serving condenserapparatus.

i It is well known in the art that'the air or non:condensab1e fluid content otthe fluid entering the condenser varies, making it necessary to extract varying quantities of air. from thecondenser. Ejectors have been used for this purpose, but ejectors or any other type of air extracting apparatus will he wasteful OfSlGilIll unless means are employed for varying their capacity' in accordance with variationsiinthe' amount of air to be handled, since withoutsuch means the apparatus must be designed to. extract the maximum amountot :air encountered and operating conditions and must also continuously operate at full capacity. I have found that by using a plurality of small air extracting devices, s nc-has ejectors having a combined capacity capable of extracting the maximum amount of air encountered under operating conditions, certain of the ejectors may be cutout of service. when the quantity of air to be handled is small, resulting in a corresponding reduction in steam consump-v 7. tion. I

This invention has for an object to produce an air extracting apparatus, wherein the air extracting capacity .thereof'is automatically varied to correspond with the amount of air to bewextracted. V

Another-object of the invention is to produce an apparatus wherein the operating fluid supply to the extracting apparatus is varied in accordance with Variations in the air content ofthe fluid within thecondenser.

Another object is toproducean apparatus wherein variationinthe air content of the fluids within the condenser correspondingly aifects apparatus for controlling the'steam supply to the ejector apparatus regardless of the quantity or temperature'of the steam entering the condenser. v Anot-herobject of the invention is to pro duce a simple, inexpensive apparatus for performing the aforesaid functions.

These'and other objects are attained by means of apparatus embodying the features herein described and illustrated in the ac- .coinpanying drawing wherein,

The figure is a. diagrammatic Vertical sec-c tion of apparatusembodying the invention. 7 Referring to the drawing, theapparatus is-shown as applied to a surface condenser 1 although it is applicahleto'any type ofcondenserr The-apparatus includes a plurality of ejectors 2 connectedin parallel with an air off-take conduit 3, leading from the air otftake port fit of the condenser 1L The ejectors exhaust into an exhaustmanifold 5 and the steam admission to each ejector is c 0 11 trolled by a separateyalye 6 havinga'n up directed'lever? adapted to be moved 1 v to a jvalye opening position by a valverod W ly 8, 'The valves 6. areflp'ref ly 0 Tad-quick acting type and as diagrammatically illus trated are adaptedto be normally. held in closedposition by; meansof a spring or other suitable.closing means, notshownl I As shown in the figure, the yalvcirodfS is in its extreme position toward the right in'which all the Valvesare moved to. the fullyopen position by the stops 9 which maybe adjustably securedinsuch positions along therod that the levers? are successively engaged and the Valves successively opened as the rod. is movedto the position shown from its'norma'l position.

An object of the invention is to regulate or vary; the air extracting capacity of, the ejector apparatus so that it corresponds with the air condenser. It willbe noted that I haye employed thew ord air. to; include all noncondensable"fluids; "It is well known; that if there is no air within the condenser the vacuum 1 at the region I of complete condensation within the condenser will correspond content of the fluid within the to the temperature ogf-the, condensate and s conversely the temperature of: the condensate will correspond to the pressure within the condenser. The presence of air within the condenser causes an increase in pressure over that theoretically possible, and consequently the vacuum attained within the condenser will not correspond to the temperature of the condensate and the amount of variation will correspond to the air content of the fluid within the condenser.

In carrying out my invention I provide two receptacles or tanks 10 and 11, the former of which communicates with the condensate offtake passage 12 by means of the conduit 13 and with the hot well of the condenser by means of a pipe 14, so that condensate flows to the tank 10 and rises therein to the level of the condensate in the condenser. The pipe 14 establishes communication between the hot well and the tank at points well above the normal water level.

The tank 11 is similar to the tank 10 and communicates with the lower portion of the tank 10 by means of the pipe 15. The upper portion of the tank 11 communicates with intake of an air extracting device, which is illustrated as a steam actuated ejector. The pipe 18 establishes communication between the upper portion of the tank 11 and the suction chamber 16 of the ejector. Inasmuch as the tank 11 is small and is therefore subject to practically no air leakage,the ejector 17 can easily maintain a theoretical vacuum within the tank, that is, a vacuum corresponding to the temperature of the water in the tank. The vacuum, however, cannot rise appreciably above the theoretical vacuum, because such an increase in vacuum will occasion rapid evaporation of the water which in turn will clog the ejector and reduce its capacity.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that if there is no air within the condenser and the temperature of the condensate in the tanks 10 and 11 is substantially the same as the condensate within the condenser, the pressure within the condenser 1 and the tank 10 will be'the same as the pressure within the tank 11, in which the pressure is the lowest attainable, and as the condenser and the tanks are intercommunicating, the condensate in the condenser and the tanks will therefore be at the same level. I

As previously stated, air within the condenser increases the pressure within the condenser over the theoretical pressure corresponding to the temperature of the condensate and the increase corresponds to the air content of the fluid within the condenser. For this reason air within the condenser 1 will be indicated by the fact that the level of the condensate within the tank 10 will be depressed below the level of the condensate within the tank 11, and the difference in level will correspond to the air content of the condenser- This difference in the level of the condensate in the two tanks 10 and 11 is employed in controlling the valves 6 of the different ejectors 2 so that they will open or close in response to variations in air content of the fluids within the condenser.

The tanks 10 and 11 are provided respectively with floats 19 and 20 adapted to be buoyed by the condensate within the tanks and which consequently will rise and fall with the level of the condensate therein. The tanks are designed to provide ample space above the floats, so that they may have ample range vertically to allow for large fluctuations in the quantity and level of the condensate within the condenser 1. It will be understood that the relative position of the float 20 with respect to the float 19 depends entirely upon the difference in pressure, within the tanks, and the floats of the device function accurately regardless of the level of the condensate within the condenser. If the condensate level in the condenser is high the floats 19 and 20 will be correspondingly high.

The floats 19 and 20 are provided respectively with stems 21 and 22 which project vertically through suitable packing glands 19 and 20 respectively and are pivoted to opposite ends of the rocking beam 23 adapted to oscillate about a central hub 24:. The hub 24 is slidably mounted within a vertical slot 25, provided in a guide 26, so that the beam 23 may move vertically when the level of the condensate within both tanks is concurrently and equally altered by reason of an increase or decrease in the quantity of condensate within the condenser.

When the level of the condensate within the tank 11 rises above the level of the condensate in the tank 10, the effect will be to raise the float 20 and swing the beam 23 about the hub 2-1as a pivot. The beam is provided with an upwardly projecting arm 27 provided at its free end with a pin 28 adapted to ope-rate in a vertical slot 29 located in a clevis 30 which is mounted on the end of the valve rod 8. As shown, the float 20 is raised above the float 19, indicating a high air content of the fluid in the condenser, and the arm 27 is tilted to the right sufliciently to hold. all the valves 6 open so that the extracting capacity of the ejectors is increased to the maximum.

Vhen the combined operation of the ejectors has reduced the air content of the fluid within the condenser, the float 20 will be lowered correspondingly, thereby shifting the position of the valve. rod 8 and permitting the valves 6 to successively close. The stops 9 ar preferably so positioned along the air content of the fluid within the condenser, responsive to relative variations of the level of the said portion of the condensate and the level of the condensate within the condenser.

12. Condensing apparatus comprising in combination a condenser, means for extracting air from the condenser, means whereby a portion of the condensate is subjected to the vapor pressure of the condensate and means for controlling the air-extracting means including a means responsive to variations in the level of the said portion of the condensate.

13. Condensing apparatus comprising in combination a condenser, means for extracting air from the condenser, a receptacle communicating with the condenser and receiving condensate therefrom, means for subjecting thecondensate in the receptacle to the vapor pressure of the condensate at the temperature thereof, and means for controlling the air-extracting means including a means responsive to variations in the level of the con densate within the receptacle.

let. Condensing apparatus comprising in combination a condenser, means for extracting airfrom the condenser, a receptacle communicating with the condenser and receiving condensate therefrom, means for subjecting the condensate in the receptacle to the vapor pressure of the condensate at the temperature thereof, and means for controlling the air extracting means including a float responsive to variations in the level of the condensate within the receptacle.

15. Condensing apparatus comprising in combination a condenser, means for extracting air from the condenser, a valve for controlling the extracting means, a receptacle communicating with the condenser and receiving condensate therefrom, means for subjectinig the condensate within the receptacle to the vapor pressure of the condensate at the temperature thereof, and means for con trolling the said valve including means responsive to variations in the level of the condensate within the receptacle.

l6. Condensing apparatus comprising in combination a condenser, means for extracting air from the condenser, a receptacle communicating with the condenser and receiving condensate therefrom, means for maintainmg a pressurewithln the receptacle dependent upon thetemperature of the 0011-.

densate in thereceptacle, and means for 0011-.

trolling the air-extracting-means including means responsive to variations in the pres-c sure 'within the receptacle.

17. Condensing apparatus comprisingin combination a condenser, meansfor extract ing air from the condenser, a pair of recep: tacles communicating With the condenser and receiving condensate therefrom,means for subjecting the condensate in one receptacle to the pressure withinthe condenser, means for subjecting the condensate within the other receptacle to the vapor pressure of the condensate, and means responsive to relative variations of the level of the Waterin the receptacles for controlling the air ex g apparatus comprising in combination a condenser,-means for e-Xtractmg air from the condenser, a pair of receptacles communicating with the condenser and receiving condensate therefrom, means for subjecting the-condensate in one receptacle' to the pressure within the condenser, means for subjecting the condensate within the other receptacle to the vapor pressure of the condensate, means responsive to relative" variations of the level of the water in the receptacles for controlling the air extracting means, and means forcirculating water from the condenser through the receptacles.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 5th day of November, 1918. i

' RAYMOND N. EHRHART.