US1754722A - Evaporating or degasifying apparatus - Google Patents

Description

April 15, 1930. c. E. LUCKE EVAPORATING OR DEEEASIFYING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 5 1925 Patented Apr. 15, 1930 ,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES E. LUCKE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

ASSIGNOR TO WORTHINGTON PUMP AND MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

EVAPORATING OR DEGASIFYING APPARATUS Application filed August 3, 1925. Serial No. 47,671.-

This invention relates to improvements in degasifying apparatus ada ted especially for removing entrained air an gases from water for boiler or other use by evaporating a portion of the water, the especial object of the invention being to provide a simple, cheap and efficient degasifying system which may be readily applied to condensers now in use, as well as included in new installations.

The apparatus may be used also with other liquids and as an evaporating apparatus for other purposes.

In accordance with my invention, as applied in degasifying water, the water is degasified in a single chamber and at a single operation by raising the water in a column so as to reduce the pressure towards the top of the water column sufficiently to evaporate gradually the small quantity of water necessary to remove the air and gases contained in the water. The water preferably is heated before or during its passa e through the degasifier, and the chamber at idle top of the column preferably is a vacuum chamber. The degasified water preferably returns. vertically downward to the feed pump by which it is delivered to the, boiler or other ap aratus for use, so that the static head 0- the water column is not lost. ,In condenser applications of my degasifying apparatus, a closed system is used to prevent regasifying of the degasified water, and all the condensate may be treated in the degasifying apparatus, or only the make-up water. In either case a sur e tank is used arranged to take care of the variations in the amount of water in the s stem and keep the pumps fully charged with water.

For a full understanding of the invention, I have shown for purpose of illustration a com lete condenser and boiler feedsystem .em oying my degasifying ap aratus and em odying all the features. .of t 'e invention in a referred form, and this a paratus will now be describedin detail an the features forming the invention then particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a iagrammatio elevation of a turbine and condenser with a closed system' for degasifying and heating the condensate for boiler feed, with all the condensate treated in the degasifier;

Figure 2 is a partial view showing a modification in which only the make-up water is treated in the degasifier;

Figure 3 is a detail vertical section of the degasifier shown in Fi s. 1 and 2.

Referrin now to t e drawings, A is a steam turbme, B a surface condenser receiving the exhaust from the steam turbine through exhaust connection 10, and from which condenser the condensate passes to hotwell 11, the air and gases being taken off from the condenser as usual through connection 12. The condensate'is shown as delivered from the hot-well 11 by centrifugal pump 13 connected to hot-well 11 by pipe 14. It will be understood that all these parts may be of any suitable construction, and the particular arrangement shown is'only for purpose of illustration. i

Referring now to the boiler feed system and degasifying apparatus applied to the steam turbine and condenser shown and above referred to, the condensate is forced by pump 13 through pipe 15 to the bottom or inlet end of the degasifier C, and the upper chamber of the degasifier is connected by pipe 30 to carry off all vapors and gases from the degasifier to the condenser and maintain the degasifier under the condenser vacuum. A surge tank D is placed at a suitable elevation and connected with pipe 15 by pipe 16 so'a's to permit the free flow of water upward and downward between the surge/ tank D and condensate pipe 15. The location and capacity of the surge tank D is such as to take care of all variations in,- system liquid, and to form a water column so long that the flow up or down through the pipe 16 does not exceed the volume of that pipe and thus introduce air into by the level of water inthe surge tank andthe float 18 connected to valve 1 on make-up water pipe 17. The degasified condensate and inake-up water passes from the degasifier C same as that shown in Fig. l and similarly lettered, except'that the condensate does not pass through the degasifier, but only the make-up water, the condensate pipe 15 passing directly to the boiler feed pump 20, and the make-up water pipe 17 being connected to the inlet of the de asifier in the same inanner as is the pipe 15 in Fig. 1.

Referring now tothe construction of the degasifier as shown in section in Figure 3 in its preferred form, the degasifier consists of an inner tube 26, which preferably, and as shown, expands upwardly forming in effect a hollow cone which extends upward to the top vacuum chamber which is connected by pipe 30 to the condenser, and this expanding tube 26 is open at the top and separated from the outer wall of the degasifier C to form an annular chamber 27 which is enlarged to such horizontal dimension as to provide the 1 desired extended water surface for the espipe 17, is formed with a contracted portion or throat 2, and below and above this throat connection is made by pipes 3 to a pressurecontrolled valve 4 operating to control a throttle valve 5 on steam pi e 6, which steam pipe 6 enters tube 26 near t e lower end and bent upward to deliver heatin steam in line with the water flow so as to heat the water passing upward through tube 26 to the temperature desired for degasifying evaporas tion, the amount of steam supplied being dependent upon the amount of water flowing to the degasifier and controlled by the pressure of the water flow, through throa t 2.

It will be seen that my degasifier or evaporator is of ve simple and cheap construction, and it wil be most efiicient in use, the whole system involvin but small expense and requiring no' comp icated apparatus or parts outside of the degasifier except such as are standard equipment in condenser instalnear the boiling point for the pressure at the point where the steam is admitted. The hot water then rises vertically and the absolute pressure thereby decreases until at the top of the column the pressure is reduced to that of the chamber 27. Evaporation takes place in the hot water by the gradual reduction of pressure in the vertical column, and

the bubbles of air and other gases are given the maximum travel through the water, increasing in Volume toward the top. The height of the tube 26 will be such as to secure the water column necessary for the evaporation required, the evaporation depending upon the height of the water column, the temperature of the water, and the pressure in chamber 27. All of the water returns vertically downward so that the static head of the column is not lost, but passes on to the suction of the feed pump 20. While the water is preferabl heated by steam admitted under control of t e water flow, the degasifier may be used with water having the required temperature before admission to the degasifier, irrespective of how such temperature is obtained.

The top of the degasifier is preferably connected to the main condenser in condenser installations, as shown, for condensin the vapors from the degasifier and maintaining the desired pressure in chamber 27, but it will be understood that an other suitable arrangement may be used or handling the vapors and maintaining the desired pressure and that these will be varied in accordance with the installations in which the degasifier is used, and that other modifications in the de asifier and system may be made by those ski led in the art within the invention defined by the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A degasifier having a vertical tube with a receiving water inlet at the lower end, a vapor and gas chamber at the upper end and into which the tube opens, means for carrying off the vapor and gas from said chamber and maintaining a predetermined pressure therein, a steam inlet for supplying heating steam to the water column, and means for controlling the amount of steam supplied to the water column in accordance with the water flow to the tube.

2. A de asifier having an upwardly expanding tu e with a water inlet at the lower end, a vapor and gas chamber at the upper end into which the tube 0 ens, means for carrying off the vapor an gasfrom said chamber and maintaining a predetermined p essure there n; a s eam in et fo pp y g heating steam to the water column, and means throat and means in said pipe for controlling -for controlling the amount of steam supplied the supplying of the heatlngagent in accordto the water column in accordance with the ance with the Water flow through said throat.

water flow to the tube.

3. An evaporating apparatus having a vermy hand.

tical tube with a liquid inlet atthe lower end and a chamber at the upper end of the tube having a vapor and gas outlet, a steam inlet for supplying heating steam to the water col-. umn, and means for controlling the amount of steam supplied to the water column in accordance with thewater flow to the tube.

4. The combination with a condenser, of

a degasifying apparatus receiving the condensate from the condenser, comprising a vertical tube having its condensate inlet at the lower end and a chamber at the upper end of the tube having a vapour and gas outlet, a steam inlet for supplying heating steam tothe condensate column, means for controlling the amount of steam supplied to the condensate column in accordance with the condensate flow to the tube.

5. The combination'with a condenser, of a degasifying apparatus receiving the convdensate from the condenser, comprising a vertical tube having its condensate inlet at the lower end and a chamber at the upper end of the tube having a vapour and gas outlet, and a steam inlet for supplying heating steam to the condensate column, means for controlling the amount of steam supplied to the condensate column in accordance with the condensate flow to the tube, and a downward discharge for the degasified condensate from the chamber for recovering the head of the condensate column in the tube.

6. A degasifier including an outer wall,.an inner tube extending upwardly within the chamber formed by said outer wall and grad-- ua lly increasin in cross-sectional area as it extends upwardl the outer wall, said outer wall forming an annular chamber about the inner tube through which the ddgasified water overflows and having an enlargement formed at its lower end,

' means for heating the Water in the column within said inner tube, and means for controling the heating of the water in accordance with the water flow to the tube.

7. A degasifier including an outer wall, an inner tube extending upwardly within the chamber formed by said outer wall and gradually increasing in cross sectional area as it extends upwardly in the chamber formed by the outer wall, said outer wall forming an annular chamber about the inner tube through which the degasified water overflows and having an enlargement formed at its lower end, said inner tube being formed with a contracted throat near its lower inlet end, means for supplying a heating agent to the water in the tube above said throat, a pipe communicat ing with the tube and extending around said I y in the chamber formed by In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set

Images