US2144500A - Vapor-electric device - Google Patents

Description

Jan.-l7, 1939.

P. L. LENZ 2,144,500 VAPOR-ELECTRIC DEVICE Filed April 21, 1938 3 a/ Ve L-l A /4 WITNESSES:

'INVENTOR Peferl. Zen 2.

BY v J 4 SW ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 17, 1939 PATENT OFFECE VAPQR-ELECTRIG DEVICE:

Peter LLLenz, Edgewood, Pa., assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsyl- .vaniai 0 Application April 21, 1938, Serial No. 203,362

" 6'Olaiins. 1 (01. 250-215) In the operation of vapor-electric devices, such 'as'mercury arc rectifiers; it is customary to provide a high vacuum pump for maintaining the necessary vacuum for eflicient operation of the device.

Heretofore considerable difliculty has been experienced because of the transfer of the working vapor between the vapor-electric device and the high vacuum pump which is usually of the socalled condensation or' molecular vapor type, in which a pumping'medium such as mercury, is vaporized and "so directed as to entrap foreign gases which are to be removed from the vapor- 'electric device.

If the connections between the vapor-electric device and the pump are such that the working medium is transierred'from the device to the "pump, the pump soon becomes overloaded and is no longer operative, while on the other hand, if the working medium is transferred from the pump tothe vapor-electric device, it also "becomes inoperative and there is considerable danger that the removal'of the working medium ffromthe pump will permit the same to be overheated anddamaged if not completely destroyed. In either event, it is necessary to shut down the apparatus and either remove orreplace the working medium in the high vacuum pump.

Heretofore, many attempts have been made to maintain or automatically remove any excess working material out of the pump chamber. In the apparatus according to my invention, the pumpingconnection isso constructed as to substantially prevent'anytransfer of Working mediumin either direction between the vapor-electric device and the high vacuum pump.

According to my invention, this is accomplished by providing a two-part or V-type connection, each part comprising a. passage preferably tubular in shape, one of said passages extending upwardly at a gentle slope from the vapor-electric device and the other extending upwardly from the pumping device. Preferably both of the pumping passages are of sufficient size to permit ready passage of non-condensable gases or vapor therethrough. These passages terminate in vapor traps which are supported adjacent to each other and the connection between the passages is made by a relatively small, preferably U-shaped tubular connection extending through the top of the traps and extending adjacent to the bottom wall of the trap and being separated therefrom, preferably by a distance substantially equal to the diameter of the U-shaped connection. Both of the upwardly extending or V passages, as well as the vapor traps, are provided with cooling means for condensing any vapor entering therein either from. the vapor-electric device or from the pump 1 I It is, accordingly, an' object of my invention 5 to provide a pumping connection which will substantially eliminate transfer of working medium in either direction between the vapor-electric device and its associated high vacuum pump;

It is a further object of my invention to 'pro- .1 0 vide a pumping connection having a relatively small intermediate passage therein.- I,

' Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawing, in which the single figure is an elevational view partly in section, of a vaporelectric device according to my invention.

In the illustrative embodiment of my'invention, the vapor-electric device herein shown as 2 a mercury arcrectifier i having a mercury 'cathode 2 and a plurality of cooperating anodes 3, only one of which is shown herein, is connected to a suitable high vacuum pump 4 preferablyof the vapor type by means of a two-part tubular ,2

passage, one part' 6 of the passage being connected directly to the chamber l to be evacuated and the other portion 1 of the tubular connection being connected directly to the high vacuum pump 4. 7,3

Both of these portions 6 and l are of conside'rable size, preferably of the order of approximately 3" in diameter, so that gases or vapors may readily enter therein. 'Each of the tubular pas sages terminates at the top end thereof in a suit- 35 able mercury or vapor trap 8 and 9. The traps 8 and 9 were preferably constructed in the form of a chamber connected to the end of the passages 6 and. l and have a bottom wall level with the passage opening so that any material con- 0 densed therein will flow back into the vessel from which it originated.

In order to condense any vapors entering these connections 6 and I, both the connections 6 and 1 and the vapor traps 8 and 9 are provided with suitable cooling elements herein illustrated as cooling coils Ill connected in good thermal contact with the exterior of the tubular connections 6 and I and with the exterior walls of the vapor traps 8 and 9. In order to provide a gas passage 50 between the legs 6 and I of the V connection,

a tubular passage is provided between the vapor traps 8 and 9, said passage being relatively small with respect to the passages 6 and I, the trap chambers 8 and 9 preferably being supported on tained in proximity to each other. Preferably this small diameter connectionB is made of U- shape extending downwardly throughthe tops of each of the trap chambers 8 and 9 and extending adjacent to the bottom wall of the trap chambers preferably terminating a distance from the bottom wall approximately equal to the inside diameter of the connection I2.

In the operation of this device any mercury or other Working vapor entering either of the larger connecting passages 6 or 7 will be cooledby the cooling device it) applied to the exterior of the same, and most, if not all, of the vapors will be condensed flowingback from the device from which it came. However, any vapor which is not condensed in the connections 6 and 1 will flow into the traps 8 and 9 and impinge against the cooled side walls and be condensed therein flowing backward through the aforementioned tubular connections 6 and 1;

Because of the relatively small diameter of the interconnecting passage l2 and because of the proximity of the mouth of the passage I2 to a cooled surface, the working vapors do not enter the smaller passage l2, and consequently there is substantially no transfer of working medium be tween the vapor electric device I and its accompanying high vacuum pump 4.

While for purposes of illustration I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes'and modifications can be made therein without departing. from the true spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claimsp I claim as my invention:

1. A pumping connection for connecting a mercury vapor pump to a mercury arc device comprising a passage'connected to said mercury 'mercury vapor pump to a mercury arc device comprising a passage connected to said mercury arc device, a second passage connected to said mercury vapor pump, individual mercury traps connected to said passages, a U-shaped passage connecting said traps, said U-shaped passage a common base plate i3 so that they are mainbeing of smaller diameter than said first-mentioned passages and extending into proximity with the bottom walls of said traps and cooling means applied to said first-mentioned passages and said traps.

3. A pumping connection for connecting a mercury vacuum pump to an evacuated container comprising two oppositely sloping tubular passages of sufficient size to permit ready passage of gas and vapor therethrough, the lower end of one or said passages being connected to the evacuated container and the lower end of the other passage being connected to the mercury pump, individualcondensing chambers connected to the upper ends of said passages, and a relatively small tubular passage connecting said condensing chambers.

4. An evacuating system for a vapor-electric device comprising a vapor pump, an upwardly inclined passage connected to said pump, an upwardly inclined passageconnected to said vaporelectric device, each of said passages terminating in a vapor trap, means for cooling said passages and said traps to condense any vapor passing therein, means for supporting said traps in proximity to each other and a U-shaped passage extending into the topof each of said traps, said extending into the top of each of said traps, said i 'U-shaped passage being smaller in capacity than said first-mentioned passages, said U-shaped passage opening toward the bottom of said traps. I '6. An evacuating system for a vapor-electric devicecomprising a vapor pump, an upwardly inclined passage connected to said pump, an upwardly inclined passage connected to said vaporelectric device, each of said passagesterminating in a vapor trap, means for cooling said passages and said traps to condense any vapor passing therein, means for supporting said traps in proximity to each other and a passage extending between said traps, said passage being of smaller capacity than said first-mentioned passages.

' PETER. L.' LENZ.

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