US1651992A - Feed-regulating apparatus for liquids - Google Patents

Description

w. s. BOWEN FEED REGULATING AEPARATUS FOR LIQUIDS Filed Dec. 24. 1926 INVENTOR fl z'llzkzm Jpencerfiowe/z AT'TORNEY considerable distance Patented Dec 6, 1927.

FEED-BEGULL'IING APPARATUS FOR LIQUIDS.

Tas-

WILLIAM SPENCER BOWEN, OF WESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

Application filed December 24, 1926.- Serial No. 156,830.

by means of suitable float controlled appara-- I The invention relates a system for controlling the to a steam supply of Water or other boiler or other evaporator in liquid order that the proper quantity may be maintained therein; and it relates more especially to the high pressure great fluctuations of water may occur.

type of. boiler wherein the temperature of the With the very con siderable difierences in temperature which may prevail in boilers of this be apparent type, it will that the actual volume of the water of the boiler will swell or contract appreciably in accordance ature and loadconditions; the present apparatus fore, great difficulty with the temper- There is with in general use, there- "in maintaining the proper quantity of Water in the boiler since the positlon of the water level glass quantity, or ratherjmass, of the in. Moreover,-the usual. gauge inthe gaugedoes not aliord a true index of the water thereglass for the r feed water is of necessity located at a position corresponding to the normal level of the water in the boiler and is generally at a The present invention from the boiler floor level, ma ing .it-diificult for the operator to view theindication in the gauge glass.

has for its object a novel feed regulating apparatus for maintaining the proper" quantity of water or other liquid in the boiler or other evaporator for liquidand irrespective of and load conditions; ing apparatus therefor to be suitable pointso as servation.

temperature also, to enable indicat-' located at a to be convenient for ob- The nature of the invention, however, will best be understood when described in connection with the accompanying diagrammatlc representation of the invention as embodied, for.

which is a more or less drawing,

exam le, in connection with a steam boiler.

Re rring to the drawing,

' floor of a boiler room or-the' I and heretofore it has 7 which'is' supported bodying the tubes 3 and posed at all times normal level of same control manually the supply of 'boiler in observing the level of same in the drum through a suitable gauge like, as is well understood; or, a

urnace portion 2 and drum 4, as wellas the The drum 4 is sup- 1 designates the like and by the boiler structure emthe boiler headers the water to the glass or the utofnatically,

tus, the float rising and falling with the level of the water in the drum of the boiler. Further expedients, such as steam and electrically controlled apparatus, have been utilized for this purpose; but all depend in their operation on the actual level of the water in the drum.

In accordance with the present invention, nothing of this nature is employed; but the operation, While entirely automatic, is dependent not on the actual level of the water in the boiler but rather upon its density at a predetermined temperature. That is. to y, vary within comparatively large limitsthe minimum, of course, being always above the safe "level.the operation of the feed mechanism for supplying the Water to the boiler is entirely dependent upon the actual mass or weightof the water in the boiler.

For example, a connection '10 is taken from theloWer-most portion of the header 5, and

lowest point of the water U-tube member which is also the in the boiler, to one leg of a 11 containing a mercury column 12, the other leg of the 'U-tube member 11 being always remain equalized in the two legs of the U-tube member upon opposite sides of the mercury column 12 thereof, thus balancing this column. The Water of the boiler, however, will disturb this balance to an extent depending upon the hydraulic headthereof. However, the height of this column, as will be understood, is a function of the temperature of the water, so that even though the actual height of the water column increases with increase of temperature and vice versa, this i have no eflect upon the position of the mercury column 12, as the actual weight of the water acting thereon is not altered. Means, hereinafter described, are provided for controlling the supply of water to the boiler through the variations in the height of the said mercury column-12; and it will be understood that such means are to be so adjusted that they will not 'be actuated until the weight of the aforesaid column of water, irrespective of its actual height in the boiler, falls below a certain predetermined amount while the actual level of the water may difference in height wil and which would correspond to an unsafe level of the water in the boiler at the coolest temperature of said water employed therein..

" connected to the mercury column 12 and the other extending into the top of the U-tube as at the steam leg thereof and at a point normally in contact with the mercury column 12 which corresponds to a safe quantity of water in the boiler. As the water in the boiler becomes depleted, it will be understood that the higher or steam leg of the mercury column 12 will gradually drop in the U-tube in accordance with the reduced weight of the water in said boiler and until it no lou er makes contact with the one lead 18 extending through the upper portion of said U-tube leg. Under these conditions, th solenoid responds to actuate the pump-coir trol valve for starting up the pump 19 and by which feed water is supplied through the connection 20 to the boiler, the pump continuing to operate until suliicient mass of water ias been delivered to the boiler to again cause the mercury column 12 to ascend in the U-tube to a point where it makes contact with the exposed lead 18. This completes the circuit to the solenoid, operating thereby the pump control valve in manner well understood to shut off the sup ly; and, if desired, a relay alarm device in icated at 21 may be included in either of the leads 18 to give notice of the filling ofqthe boiler.

Moreover, it will be noted that the U-tube is located substantially at the lowermost part of the boiler and therefore will be conveniently situated for observation, so that the actual conditions revailing may be observed also in the U-tu e 11.

nessnoea I claim:

1. The combination with evaporating apparatus, and means for supplying liquid thereto: of a pressure-responsive device ex posed constantly upon opposite sides substantially to the pressure at the lowermost part of the evaporator and to the pressure in the vapor space thereof; and means operated by the prevailing difference in pressure to which said pressure-responsive device is exposed for controlling the supply of liquid.

2. The combination with a steam boiler, and means for supplying water thereto; ot a pressureresponsive device exposed constantly upon opposite sides substantially to the pressure at the lowermost part of the boiler and to the pressure in the vapor space thereof; and means operated by the prevailing difference in pressure to which said pres sure-responsive device is exposed for controlling the supply of water to the boiler.

3. The combination with a steam boiler, and means for supplying water thereto; of a mercury U-tube member, having one leg connected to the boiler substantially at its lowermost point and the other leg constantly to the steam space of the boiler; an electromagnetic device, and a sourceof electricity connected to the mercury column of said U- tube member; and means controlled by said electro-magnetic device under the influence of said mercury column for regulating the supply of water to the boiler.

4. The combination with a steam boiler. and means for supplying water thereto; of a mercury U-tube member, having one leg connected to the boiler substantially at its lowermost point and the other leg constantly to the steam space of the boiler; an electromagnetic device, and a source of electricity connected to the-mercury column, the latter normally closing the circuit to said electroill) magnetic device; and means controlled by i said electro magnetic device under the influence of the mercury of said U-tube for regulating the supply of water to the boiler.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

WILLIAM SPENCER BOWEN.

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