US1929830A - Hot-well preheater and condenser for locomotives - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 10, 1933. E. F. SULLIVAN HOT WELL PREHEATER AND CONDENSER FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed March 9. 1932 IN VEA/Tol?.

Edward I'Jullivalz. @Y J@ @W7 Patented oci. 1o, i933 lincasso Hor-WELL PREHEATER AND connaissait For. Locotiofrlvss Edward F. Suliivan, South Portland, Maine Application March 9,1932. Serial No. 597,859

3 Clainfis.L

The invention hereinafter to be described relates, in general terms, to apparatus by means of which a large percentage ofthe heat units con- .l ed in the condensate water, together with a ocnsideraoie quantity of exhaust steam disn charged through the condensate pipe extending rearwardly from the main water-heating unit,

a locomotive may be advantageously utilized i `-water pre-heating purposes. Y l

. rticnlar object of present invention is edite the heating of the boiler feed water d e-.wn on in feeding the boiler, from tanti supply, so that the pre-heating n ay be conducted in a comparatively temperature.

To acc inplish the above mentioned object I l provide what I designate as a hot-well-an ened tank-like structure, the capacity of which ot-weli element may be secured in any ent location with respect to the larger -eitiier beneath or at the bottom and on e inside of the latter, and in this smaller concon .ensate, or water of condensation, together with more or less exhaust steam as it flows fromA the main feed-water heater toward the supply tank.

There is always'open communication maintained between the hot-well and the main storage thereby insuring a full and constant supply of water in the smaller of the two water-holding elements; feed-water, however, is drawn directly from the smaller one only.

Furthermore, in the operation of my apparatus I am enabled to condense and convert into usable feed-water a comparatively large part of the free exhaust steam which passes with the water of Ycondensation through the condensate pipe, and this, so far as I am aware, has never before )een accomplished.

The character of the invention may best be 4nderstood by reference to the description found V`Le following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which disclosed an embodiment which, at ther presen time I consider preferable to other possible forms in which the invention might be carried drawing;- 1Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view, in side elevation,

of water which can be rapidly raisedv (Cl. 12E- 434) identify like parts in all the different views of the drawing. y Referring to the dra B represents the lw1 boiler of a locomotive, T the tank containing the main supply of feed-water, and II a tubular exhaust steain heater of any of the various and well known types.

The pipe l is the eleinentthrough which is conveyed from the heate;` H the product of partial condensation. of the exhaunt steam entering the heater from the power units, the main driving engines, air pump and Stoker engine, this product f comprising condensate;-eihaust steam condensed inthe heater, as weli also a certain quantity of the uncondensed steam which passes along with the water of condensation toward the tank supply.

Continuing rearwardly, the pipe 1 has direct communication with the vertically disposed pipe 2 which extends upwardly through the-bottomof the tank and through the water W therein, and

bending, descends into the hot-well S and joins one end of the pipe coil li. From the opposite end of this coil rises the pipe Sextending upwardly abovel the highest normal level of the Water W. The end terminates, preferably, in a half-turn 5a.

The bottom Tc of the tank T is perforated by one or more holes 6 through which water from the main tank iiows by gravity to maintain a full supply in the hot-well 3, and the feed suction line 'Y to the pump P makes connection with the bottom of the hot-well at 8. f

'Io provide against clogging of the feed check Valves by any foreign matter entering the main 'tank I supply a screen or strainer 9 which effectively operates to keep the feed lines clear of obstruction. l v l On the condensate pipe line l is an automatically operating suction-breaking cock 10 which yprovides against drawing condensate water back into the main heater when the main driveengines throttleis close l and the locomotive drifting or coasting with the valve gear set in reverse.

A manually operated drain `cock 11 with extension handle 12 to actuate it supplies the means to the hot-well to the bottom of the tender v vthe heater forces the water drain the condensate line of water during cold weather when the locomotive is exposed to the elements during a considerable period oi inaction. The drain cock may be operated from the cab o the locomotive, into which the handle 12 extends.

Fig. 3 illustrates a slight modification from the structure shown in Fig. 1. En this instance the tender tank and hot-well being separated by the spacers i3, a distance S, the cooler tem eerature o the tank water does not act so directly to lower ,he hotwell temperature as was the in the previously described construction in which the contents these two members were separated bythe tank bottom To only. It is thus possible to maintain a higher temperature of hotwell water. A further dierence between the two constructions resides in the manner of he connection between the pipe line land the coil the 'pipe 2, in this case, being dispensed with and the condensate line connected directly on to one oi? the coil 4, the pipe 5, however, being similar in the two designs.

nopera feed-water drawn directly from the het well by the reed-pump P 'through the pipe line "l, as it is withdrawn from ti e hotwell it is raced by more water from the l. Supply ani "il, the water falling gravity through the openings 6. `En the co-.rse of operating the locomotive portion of the exhaust steam from the power units conde-rises in the inain heaterH and i v4is, together with more or less of'ti e uncondense steam under considerable pressure passes out or" the heater throi the condensate pipe l. The pressure in theekhaust chamber of uneondcnsed through the pipe 2 nto the coil 1 -or as in the modiiied forni, directly into the coil, where two actions, rel -vely ditering in eiect occur.

1n the irst place the water in the hot-well becoines raised in temperature by absorbing the heat radiated from the coil containing the hot conde sate and steam, and as a sequence the sec `ond action develops, in which the steam having obviously, heat more rapidly and supply the feed pump with a higher temperature 'feed water than would be the case in which the saine coil was place* the larger, main tank T; so, for very apparent reasons, a higher efficiency is possible in the operation of the heater than would otherwise obtain. The result is somewhat analogous to that obtained with an automatic gas heater for water in which the water is heated only as'it is boing drawn from the tank, in contrast to a tempting toV heat the whole body of water and inaintain a high degree oi temperature constantly therein.

1n Fig. 4 an alternative arrangement respecting the location of the hot-well is shown. In this case this element is positioned on the top side or" the tank bottom, and is thus submerged in the water of the main supply container. This is objectionable for the reason that it is impossible to heat the water in the hot-well to so high a tern* perature as-would obtain was the latter somewhat isolated from the vmain tank. It offers this advantage, however, in that possible interference with the running gear oi the tender or other obstructions beneath the main tank is avoided.

Construction as illustrated in Figs. l and 3 is preferred on account of the tact that in either of these instances the hot-well may be easily covered with insulation I, thereby making it possible to greatly increase the eillciency of the pre-heater.

The apparatus, it is believed, is calculated to effect' a considerable saving in the operation of locomotives as heat ordina ily wasted is in this case conserved and put to a useful purpose and more or less o the exhaust steam, which, in the conventional method of operating feed-water heaters is considered o lno particular account, is condensed and also made an asset by materially adding to the supply of water carried on the locomotive. Y

lil/'hat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: Y

.1.. A hot-well preheater and condenser for locomotives having a main water-supply tank and a main ieed-water heater, comprising a relatively small tank disposed beneath .said main water- 1 supply tank, a pipe coil in said sinall tank through which not condensate water and exhaust steam from the main ieed-water heater of said locomotive travels on its course to the said main supply tank, a ldischarge pipe from said coil rising 1 through thevwater said main supply tank and terminating at an` elevation above the highest normal level of the water in said supply tank, a pipe through which feed-water may be discharged from said small tank, and means of communica 1 tion between the interiors of said small tank and said main water-supply tank.

2. A 'not-well preheater and condenser for locomotives comprising in com. ination with the V`main water-supply tank and the feed-water heaterior 1 saidloconictive, a relatively capacity tank located beneath the main supply tank, a pipe coil in said smaller tank, ineans to admit water oi condensation and exhaust steam from said feed-water heater tosaid coil, a pipe connection 1 adapted to adr/lit water gravity from the said main supply to the saidsinaller tank, a discharge opening Vin said smaller tank through which water which' said coil is submerged may be fed to the eedewater line of said locomotive, l and means to Yconduct discharge the water of condensation in said coil to said main supply tank at an elevation above the high norrnal level of the water therein.

3. ,A hot-well preheater and condenser for loco- 1 motives comprising in combination with the niain feed-water heater and the main feed-water-supply tank therefor, a vsrnall tank located beneath and in spaced relation to said main supply tank, a condensate pipe line connected to said main 1 `feed-water heater, a pipe coil positioned in said sine-ll tank and connected to said condensate pipe line, means to-adinit water by gravity from-the said main water supply tank.' to the said smaller tank, a pipe extending from the exit en d of said 1 coil into said supply tank, and means for conveying water in said smaller tank to the feedwater pump of said locomotive.

EDWARD F. SULLVAN. 1

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