US1903696A - Preheater or economizer for locomotives - Google Patents

Description

April 11, 1933. H. DEUTSCH 1,903,696

PREHEATER OR ECONOMIZER FOR LOCOMOTVES f Filed Feb. 28, 1929 Fig. 4

/Nven To paratively cold water,

Patented Apr. 11, 1933 narran STATES- Laatse narrar erstes HANS DEUTSCH, OF VIENNA, ASTRIA, SSIGNOR T0 TEE FIRM ALEX Fnirimaaxn, on

VIENNA, AUSTRIA 's PREHEATER OR ECONOMZER FOR LOCOMO'IIVES Application filed February 28, .1.929, Serial No. 343,420, and in Austria March 10, 1928.

My invention relates to locomotive preheaters or economizers of the type heated by the exhaust steam of the locomotives and comprising a hot water tank within which hot water may be stored o'r accumulated and afterwards fed into the boiler to reduce the consumption of fuel. Such reduction of the fuel consumption which may be obtained by using pre-heaters or economizers heated by the exhaust steam of locomotives depends upon the relation between the peroid of time during which the regulator of the locomotive is open and during which therefore exhaustV steam is available for heating the feed wa- P ter and the entire service period during which the locomotive is under steam. Therefore it is a well known fact -that the reductionof the fuel consumption-obtained by the use of pre-heaters or economizers is larger in express trains, the locomotives of which are running with open regulator during a comparatively long time while stops loccur only at rare intervals and for short periods, but is materially smaller in slow trains iii which the stops are more frequent and more extended.

rlhe amount of reduction of the vfuel consumption depends, however, also on the way in which the feeding device of the boiler is jnianipulated and mainly on whether or not the feeding device of the boiler is operated exclusively or mainly while the regulator of the locomotive is open.

The Vdriver of an engine has always the ltendency to refrain from using the feeding device of the boiler during the period within which the regulator is open because he does not like to lower the steam pressure within the boiler by the introduction of comjust during the period within which the cylinders of the engine are consuming steam. y

From the point of view of the driver therefore the most favourable moment for the feedl' jing of the boiler is the moment just after the shutting of the regulator and this is actual- L v, 1.

ry ihe moment at u nich the di ivei will generally actuate the feeding device of the boiler. In this moment the steam pressure within the boiler is markedly raising because the has already been consumption of steam in the engine has been suddenly interrupted and on the other hand y the introduction of comparatively cold feedl heater or economizer heated by exhaust steam is by far smaller than the theoretical amount` of reduction of fuel consumption that seems i to be possible. Y

Now my invention has for its object to provide an arrangement wherein both these requiremeiits, which are at variance with each other, may be fulfilled in spite of their seeming conflict. The requirement to feed when the regulator is open in order to bev able to utilize a pre-heater or economizer heated by exhaust steam, can be brought into agreement with the other requirement to feed s mainly (when the regulator has been shut in order to maintain the boiler pressure at the ,75 required value, by providing a hot waterY tank or container which is fed with a mixture of water and exhaust steam when the regulator is open.

ln order to distinguish my invention from the prior art it may be mentioned that it proposed to use arrangements in which hot water is stored within a tank or container, the latter being, however, arranged in such a way that the hot water is delivered from it also during the period within which the regulator is open and consequently duringA which exhaust steam is available. Wvith these arrangements, however, bearing in mind the drivers aversion against feeding during the opening. of the regulator it happens in most cases in which the regulator is kept open for a protracted period of time that it will be necessary to feed the boiler before the shutting of the regulator on account of the rapid falling of the water level within the boiler.

In arrangements of this kind therefore a very large amount of hot water is already consumed within the period in which the regulator is open, so that only part of the volume of the hot water tank or container is filled with hot water and therefore actually operative for the feeding during the period when the regulator has been shut. Owing to the restricted space available on a locomotive the entire volume of the hot water tank is necessarily limited so that it can be conveniently mounted on the locomotive. According to my invention, however, the volume of the hot water tank may be utilized to its full extent as a storage means for hot water in the proper sense of the word, as no water can be drawn from it while the regulator is closed.

To secure this object in an embodiment of my invention a hot water tank or container is arranged on the locomotive in addition to the usual feeding device with preheater and from the outlet pipe of the usual feeding device there branches off a pipe leading to the storage tank or container which may be shut if necessary.

On account of the high temperature of the 'stored hot water and in order to diminish unnecessary losses of heat the feeding path for the hot feed water of the boiler is not the same as that of the cold water of the tender, but according to my invention and in contradistinction to former proposals a separate path is provided for the hot water, which is led to the boiler on the shortest possible way. A

If now the boiler is to be fed while the -vregulator is open the passage leading to the hot water storage tank or container is to be closed and the feeding device is to be operated in the usual manner. If, however, the feeding of the boiler is toA be interrupted `While the regulator is open, the path of the water under pressure leading to the boiler is to be shut and the passage leading to the hot water container or storage tank is to be opened. If the regulator is now shut the stored hot water can be carried from the container into the boiler.

The arrangement according to my invention is also distinguished from other arrangements hitherto known by the fact that for feeding hot water from a storage tank or container into the boiler the delivery pipe from the container is not connected with the suction pipe of the cold water pump, as usual, because in this case the hot water would have to pass over a too long way before entering into the boiler so that it would be subject to a very remarkable cooling, but, according to my invention the hot water is brought into the boiler on the shortest possible way and is not only thus protected against cooling but is even heated further by mixing it with live steam.

M'y invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing by way of example and the embodiment illustrated therein shows an arrangement with a cold water feeding path leading into the boiler over an exhaust steam injector, while a second feeding path leads from the hot water storage tank or cont-ainer into the boiler, the preferred arrangement such as illustrated showing a hot water storage tank arranged above the Water level of the boiler, whereby the water majv flow into the boiler by gravity so that a separate pump or injecting device for such water becomes unnecessary.

Fig. 1 shows this arrangement in use on a locomotive while Fig. 2 is a section through the controlling mechanism and distributing apparatus arranged within the drivers cab and also through the exhaust steam injector used.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing 1 designates the exhaust steam injector, 2 the pipevfor feeding water from the tender to the injector, 3 the exhaust steam pipe, 4: a live steam pipe which carries steam of boiler pressure to the live steam nozzle of the injector; 5 is a delivery pipe which is capable of carrying the heated feed water according to requirements either into the pressure pipe 7 leading into the boiler over the feed valve 6 or into the pipe 9 leading to the hot water storage tank 0r container 8.

The injector, as will be seen from Fig. 2, is in general of any approved type and comprises a live steam nozzle 21, an exhaust steam nozzle 22, a combining or mixing nozzle 23 and a delivery nozzle 24. The water is fed through the tube 2 and passes a water admission valve 19 controlled in a manner hereinafter described. Besides an overflow pipe or opening 10 leads to the overflow chamber of the injector as usual.

The controlling and distributing apparatus 15 is arranged in the engine drivers cab, is for controlling the various steam and Water paths leading to and from the injector, the boiler and the hot water tank and is connected with a pipe 11 carrying live steam from the boiler` to the master valve 35. A pipe 12 is arranged for the purpose of transmitting the pressure of the steam chest of the engine cylinders or of the main steam pipe leading thereto to certain spaces or chambers in the controlling and distributing apparatus 15 hereinafter to be described and to the injector'. This pipe has 'two branches 13 and 14 leading to the apparatus 15 and to the injector respectively. A pipe 16 connects the hot water storage tank or container to the boiler and a non-return valve 1T opening only on the boiler side is inserted in said connection.

Moreover a live steam pipe 18 is provided which connects the apparatus 15 in the engine drivers cab with the said container' 8. The water valve 19 of the injector which 1s capable of checking the flow of water from IOv the tender to the injector' when the master valve 35 .is closed is operated by a valve or piston 20 which is connected with the pipe 14 and is capable ofopening said water admission valve when steam ofboiler pressure is admitted to the pipe 111-.

The apparatus 15 is arranged within the drivers cab and is actuated by means` of a hand operated master valve 35, carrying two valve disks. One of said valves is the steam admission valve which according to its position opens or closes a passage through which steam of boiler pressure may be admitted into a space 26 within which also an automatically or steam operated counter valve 27 is arranged.

The counter valve 27 is a two seat valve with an upper seat and a lower seat and it controls two valve openings 28 and 29. The upper opening 28 controls the steam path through pipe t which leads to the live steam nozzle 21 of the injector while the lower opening 29 of the valve controls the path through pipe 18 leading to the hot water container.

f The counter valve 27 is moreover provided with a projecting steam carrying a kind of piston 30 which works within a casing forming a guide but which is not made tightly fitting within said guide.

Above said piston 30 a non-return valve 31 is arranged, capable of being lifted by said double seat valve or by a process on its piston under certa-in conditions. Below the double seated counter valve 27 a further i valve 32 is arranged which throttles the steam entering that may happen to be discharged from the hot water tank or container through the pipe 18 into the space 26. Said valve is freely movable within its casing and when steam flows from the hot water tank or container to the space 26 it is in its upper position of rest in which it will shut off the passage 29 so that an exit of steam can take place only through small ports or openings i 33 provided in the valve body. If, however,

the valve 25 is open` and steam flows into the space 26 and into the pipe 18 the -valve 32 is in its lower position of rest in which free passage of steam to said pipe 18 is allowed. The master valve besides carrying the valve disk 25 also carries a further valve disk 34 which is closed when valve disk 25 is opened and vice versa. and which when closed will shut the steam path 9 leading to the L container.

The operation of this arrangement is as follows:

When the regulator of the locomotive is opened exhaust steam from the engine will 5 flow through the pipe 3 to the injector 1.

of the injector is therefore shifted into its position onfthe yright side and prevents the flowing of steam from the pi e 14 into the injector but holds the water a' mission valve through pipe 3 to the nozzle'22 is able as well known by virtue of the condensation of the exhaust steam and by suitable acceleration of the velocity of the mixture in the nozzles of the injector to overcome a ceunterpressure up to approximately 10 metric atmosplieres.

It is now assumed that a phase of operation is under consideration during which it is not possible to feed the boiler.V Therefore the master valve 35 and the steam admission valve disk 25 is closed while as described the valve 34 is open and thus opening the path through pipe 9 to the hot water container 8. As the hot water tank or container 8 is for the moment pressureless the water will flow from the pipe 5 into the pipe 9 and tothe hot water tank or container 8 as of course it will follow the path that presents the least resistance, the other path 7 into which pipe 5 discharges leading to the boiler with its heavy counterpressure.

If now the driver wishes to feed the boiler while the regulator is still open he will actuate the master valve 35 and the valve 25 will be opened so that steam from the boiler can now enter through pipe 11 and will penetrate into the space 26. The double seated counter valve 27 which is now in its lower position of rest is held in this position by the steam pressing on its upper surface and the steam is entering through the upper opening 28 of the valve 27 into the pipe 4 and from thence is led to the live steam nozzle 21 of the injector. The live steam jet now further accelerates the mixture of exhaust steam and water flowing through the injector and therefore enables that mixture to overcome the counterpressure of the boiler. The water thus fiows with a higher. velocity through the pipe 5 and as the valve disk 34. has closed its opening, when the master valve 35 was actuated, so that the path to the hot water tank or container 8 is no longer open the water under pressure now flows through the pipe 7, passes the feed valve 6 and flows into the boiler.

Vhen the feeding of the boiler is interrupted the master valve 35 is closed, whereby the admission of live steam through the pipe et flowing to the live steam nozzle 21 is interrupted while on the other hand the valve 34C is opened and the feeding of water to the het water container is continued in the manner above described.

If the regulator of the locomotive is now the space finally reach the live closed the flowing of 4exhaust steam through the pipe 3 ceases and the pressure in the pipes 12, 13, 14 which are connected with the steam Vchest or w'th the main steam pipe leading Jthereto will also disappear. Therefore the water admission valve 19 is closed partly by theow of water and partly by a spring which presses upon it.

x lf water is now to be fed into the boiler -the master valve 35 with the admission valve is again opened. The steam admitted to the space 26 and flowing through the upper valve opening 28 by its pressure on the piston like disk 30 lifts the counter valve 27 because no pressure is now acting on the nonreturn valve 31, the pipes 12, 13, 14 being pressureless. As soon as the counter valve 27 has come to its upper position of rest it vill be held in said position by the steam pressure and the live steam will now flow through the lower valve opening 29 into the pipe 18, and will then flow to the hot water tank or container 8. As a connection between the steam space of the boiler and the hot water tank or container 8 is thus established the said hot water tank or container 8 will now be set under boiler pressure and the hot water contained therein will now flow into the boiler by virtue of its own gravity, when the said tank or container is arranged at a higher level than thev water level as shown in the drawing.

To interrupt the discharge of water from lhe hot water tank or container 8 into the boiler it is only necessary to shut the master valve 35. If now the regulator is again opened whereby steam is again admitted to the pipe 3 and whereby the pipes 12, 13, 14 `are again coming under pressure and the water admission to the injector is re-opened the mixture of exhaust steam and water is now no longer able to enter of its own accord into the pipe 5 as this pipe is connected to the pipe 9 in which the same pressure will prevail as in the hot water tank or container 8 which is still under boiler pressure. As however by opening the regulator the non-return valve 31 had been pressed upon its seat the counter valve 27 is now lifted from its upper seat and the steam within the hot water tank or container 8 now enters into the pipe 18 and passesl through the ports or openings 33 which are throttling the steam into 26 and into the pipe 4. It will thus steam nozzle 21 where it will accelerate in the manner described the mixture of exhaust steam and water so that said mixture is capable to overcome the counterpressure and to enter into the pipe 5 and to flow through the open valve 34 into the hot water tank or container.

The provision of the throttling ports or openings 33 has to effect that the counter r valve 27 by thel steam flowing from the hot water tanker container 8 through the pipe 18 to the path 26 is lifted only to such an extent that said valve rests upon the non-return valve 31 while said non-return valve 31 itself can not be opened thereby as it would be the case especially when the admission of steam to the cylinders would be throttled while no throttling would occur within the ports 33. By thus opening the non-return valve 31 the counter valve 27 would come to its upper position of rest thus closing the opening 28 and would prevent the admission of the steam from the hot water tank or container 8 into the pipe 4.

The invention can of course also be carried into effect by other co-operating elements than those shown in the drawing which illustrates the preferred form only and especially it is also applicable in cases where the hot water container is arranged at a lower level than that of the boiler. In this case only a pump or injector or any other apparatus capable of lifting the water from the lower level to the higher level of the boiler has to be inserted, which is operated by hand or in a like manner as that described and which allows to overcome the difference between the levels.

lVhat I claim is 1. An arrangement for supplying feed water to locomotive boilers, comprising a het water storage tank, a cold water tank, a distinct and separate feeding path leading respectively from each of said tanks to the boiler, a feeding device which when supplied with live steam feeds the water from the hot water storage tank over one of the said feeding paths into the boiler, a second feeding device which when supplied with live steam feeds the water from the cold water tank over the second of said feeding paths into the boiler, and members controlled automatically by the pressure in the valve chest of the engine which depends from the position of the locomotive regulator, said members controlling the admission of live steam to said feeding devices, live steam being admitted to the first named feeding device only when the locomotive regulator is closed and live steam being admitted to the last named feeding device only when the locomotive regulator is open.

2. An arrangement for supplying feed water to locomotive boilers, comprising a hot water storage tank, a cold water tank, a dis tinct and separate feeding path leading respectively from each of said tanks to the boiler, a feeding device which when supplied with live steam feeds the water from thehot water storage tank over one of the said feeding paths into the boiler, a second feeding device which when supplied with live steam feeds the water from the cold water tank over the second of said feeding paths into the boiler, a live steam pipe connected with the boiler and divided into two branches, one

of which leads to one of the said feeding devices and the other of which leads to the second feeding device, a device arranged at the bifurcation of the said live steam pipe, operated in dependence of the pressure within the valve chest of the engine, such pressure being in its turn dependent upon the position of the regulator of the locomotive, said device controlling the alternate admission of steam to said branches in such a manner that the passage through the first-named branch is opened when the locomotive regulator is closed while the passage through the lastnamed branch is opened when the locomotive 5 regulator is opened.

3( An arrangement for supplying feed water to locomotive boilers as set forth in claim 2, wherein means are provided for controlling said branches and consist of a .1o valve having two seats which are adapted to of the boiler, a cold water tank, a distinct and separate feeding path leading respectively from each of said tanks to the boiler, an injector inserted into the feeding path from the cold water tank to the boiler, a live steam 0 pipe connected with the boiler and divided into two branches, one of which leads to said hot water tank and the other of which leads to said injector, a member controlled by the pressure within the valve chest of the engine i5 which depends upon the position of the locomotive regulator, opening the passage from the cold water tank to the injector when the locomotive regulator is opened, and a device arranged at the bifurcation of the said live 0 steam pipe controlling the alternate admission of steam to the two branches and operated in dependence of the pressure within the valve chest of the engine and therefore in dependence of the position of the locomotive 5 regulator, the passage to the live steam pipe through the first named branch being opened when the locomotive regulator is closed and the passage through the last named branch being opened when the locomotive regulator 0 is open.

6. An arrangement for supplying feed water to locomotive boilers comprising a closed hot water storage tank having its low-V ermost portion located above the highest water level of the boiler, a cold water tank, a

distinct and separate feeding path leading respectively from each of said tanks to the boiler, an injector having an exhaust steam nozzle and a live steam nozzle and inserted into the feeding path leading from the cold water tank to the boiler, a pipe leading from the exhaust of the engine to the exhaust steam nozzle of the injector, a live steam pipe connected with the boiler and divided into two branches, one of which leads to said hot water tank and the other of which lea-ds to the live steam nozzle of said injector, a device arranged at the bifurcation of the said live steam pipe controlling the alternate admission of the steam to said branches, operated in dependence of the pressure within the valve chest of the engine, which in its turn is dependent from the position of the locomotive regulator, said device opening the passage through the first-named branch of the live steam pipe when the locomotive regula` tor is closed and opening the passage through the last-named branch only when the locomotive regulator is opened, a delivery water pipe leading from said injector, divided into two branches leading to the hot water tank and to the boiler respectively, a shut-olf device arranged within the last-named branch and a second shut-off device arranged within the above mentioned live steam pipe leading from the boiler, both devices being interconnected in such a manner that whenever one of the two shut-off devices is closed the other is open and vice versa.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature.

HANS DEUTSCH.

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