US1750395A - Centrifugal steam separator - Google Patents

Description

Match 11, 1930. ELLOR 1,750,395

CENTRIFUGAL STEAM SEPARATOR Filed April 1, 1929 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 V INVENTOR.

(jWMZZQW/ZZM A TTORNEY$ March 11,1930. J. ELLOR 1,750,395

CENTRIFUGAL STEAM SEPARATOR Filed April 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNEYS Patented Mar. 11, 1930 ,1

UNITED STATE-s JAMES EDWIN ELLOR, OF DERBY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR lO'IB'CIILJLS ROYCE LIMITED,

or DERBY, ENGLAND CENTRIFUGAL STEAM SEPAFIATOR Application filed April 1, 1929, Serial No. 351,724, and inerreat mealtime, 928,;

This invention has reference to the separat-' ing of steam from water. It is specially use ful in connection with evaporative cooling systems, commonly used in connection with 5 internal combustion engines, and as forming part of the system.

In connection with various devices, including evaporative cooling systems, hot water at or approaching boiling point and steam are frequently emitted from a chamber such as the cylinder water jacket of a water cooled engine, more or less intermixed, and for the purpose of condensing the steam and returning the water including the condensate to the chamber or jacket it is desirable to separate the steam from the water.

In connection with cooling systems of water cooled internal combustion engines the hot water apart from the escaping steam has a considerable vapour pressure, that is to say, there is a quantity of water which is only held from becoming steam by the pressure of environment water, and hence when. the water is brought within the action of a pump a quantity will frequently (owing to the vacuum produced) fiash into steam with the result that steam bubbles are injected into the hot water jacket and localized heating results.

The object of this invention is to separate the steam (including water on the point of escaping as steam) from the body of water, so as to ensure that water, free from steam, shall be returned to the chamber or jacket.

According to this invention I construct a cooling system comprising in combination a centrifugal device, through which the water and steam issuing from the chamber or jacket passes, whereby the water is thrown to the periphery of a revolving chamber while the steam is allowed to escape through a separate conduit.

Preferably the form of device which I adopt is one in which the water when thrown to the periphery of a chamber seals the outlet by which it escapes therefrom, against the passage of steam which perforce escapes by the providedconduit.

The revolving chamber may be caused to revolve either by the force of the water entering the same or bybeing driven: from the -engine or from other source of power and it may be "used as apumpfor causingthewater to circulate in the water cooling system. The water and steam 'may co'nvemently be 'intro-. duced'intojtlie" apparatus m ans" of a volute chamber, this construction; having the advantage that the water 't jefnds lto coll ect around the oute'riedge QfthevoIu'te"assisting thereby in i s" ereti nffiq elt e when it reaches h reyolviiig'jchamber.

I h omp fiy idraw gsae mt e of'thisinve'nti'on is illustratedj 'i,

Fig. l i's a diagrammat c representatiorijof an engine and radiatorjn which the epara or, also performs 'tha function 'of' the'eiriculating pump. 7 Fig; 2fis a sirnila'r diagramshbwin g an arrangement where afse'parate circulating pump is used and the rotorof the separator is .1.

either driven from the engine for is self-driving. Fig.3 i s' aisectional elevation of 'aseparator made according"to this invention. Fig.- is a section ofFig. 3 on the line 2 2 'Off Referring to Fig. 1, a is the water jacket of the cylinders of an engine, I) is the radiator and 0 the separator made in'accordance with this invention. Referring to Figure 2, a is the water acket, b the radiator, c the separator made in accordance with this invention and (Z a circulating pump. In both the line of travel of the water and condensate is indi-' cated by the shortarrows and that of separated steam by long arrows. v

Referring to Figures 3 and 4 the fixed part of the apparatus consists of three castings e, f and g. I 1 v The casting 6 consists of a circular vessel with a volute passage way 6 issuing from its base and a central cylindrical projection e The casting f is an inverted funnel shaped member with a truncated stem.

The casting 9 consists of a central chimney or shaft 9 a passage way 9 encircling the shaft or chimney forming a volute pathway through which water and steam is introduced into the apparatus.

h is a basin shaped member having an upstanding pillar having a vertical hole therethrough in its centre, and with an internal thread around the rim and h is an annular member with an external thread engaging the thread on the member it for the purpose of forming an inturned lip to such member.

The member ]L is constructed with radial blades k shaped to give a narrow clearance between such blades on the one hand and the shaft or' chimney g and the funnel shaped member f on the other hand. The blades are not: necessarily respectively in one plane. They might for example be curved.

z is a spindle rotating in a flanged bearing bush 2' formed with a shoulder i and with a threaded end to engage the nut i.

The apparatus functions as follows lVith apparatus as described water and steam coming'down the upper volute passage and moving tangentially into the basin shaped member it would cause such member to rotate. But apart from such rotation the basin shaped member can be rotated through the-instrumentality of the spindle 2'.

In either case the Water is thrown to the periphery of the basin shaped member While the Tst'e'am'collects in the centre, and as the Water cannot escape until it reaches the upper edge Oftheimember h the Water forms zi'seal preventing any. steam from escaping between, the basin shaped member 7L and the funhelfjsl aped member)" v The water escapi'ng overflows, the, member hand passes down the irolute passage Way 6 Wliileall steam separatedfpassesup through the chimney g and thenleetothe radiator;

.,Wl'1at'l 3 cleimisz V i An! apparatus for the separation of inixed'water and steam, comprising a easiirrggja rotary basin in said casing, spaced therefrom and provided'with radial blades, a ehimneyrising from said basin for the escfa'pej therefrom of separated steam, a volute conduit leading to' said basin for the passage qfgmixedwater and steam, and an outlet conduitf for the water from said basin, located l.el'o'w"th e latter, the basin having a contracted outlet, at its upper edge to form a Warter'seal, and constructed and adapted to cause the Water, to escape therefrom by overflowing the edge thereof;

2.. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which the edge of the basin is formed with an inturned flange, and the inlet conduit formedwith a flaring flange which is overlappedby the basin flange and contracts from the basin;

Inftestimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

JAMES EDWIN ELLoR.

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