US2315447A - Boiler refilling system - Google Patents

Description

E w. MILLER BOILER REFILLING SYSTEM I Filed Sept. 2,194]

March 30, 1943.

INVENTOR.

A BY

Patented Mar. 30, 1943 BOILER REFILLING SYSTEM Frank W. Miller, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Franclare Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application September 2, 1941, Serial No. 409,245

3 Claims. 122 396) This invention relates to the refilling of boilers with hot water, the system here disclosed for that purpose being particularly designed for the refilling of locomotive boilers, although the principles of my invention are equally capable of employment for the refilling of stationary boilers.

When it becomes necessary to empty a loco-- motive boiler for the purpose of washing it out or of making repairs thereon or both, the modern practice is to blow otT and separate the steam and water from the boiler, utilize the water for wash-out purposes and use the steam for heating fresh Water for refilling purposes. The blowing ofi and washing out operations and the apparatus by which they are carried out are well to be treated is made. The number of such drops in any particular installation depends upon the number of stalls intended to be employed for blowing ofi, washing out and refilling purposes.

In order to produce in a boiler being refilled a steam pressure sufficient for propulsion. of the locomotive as soon as a Working water level has been attained in the boiler, I have previously devised, as disclosed in my pending application Serial No. 166,509, filed September 30, 1937., a method of super-heating the refill water relatively to the pressure existing in the boiler so that a portion of the refill water when released into the boiler immediately flashes into steam, which results in an accumulation of steam pressure in the boiler simultaneously with the rise in water level therein. To accomplish this purpose, my prior invention contemplated the installation of a water heating unit in the blow-off and refill drop at each stall to be used for blowing oil and refilling operations.

The primary purpose of my present invention is to eliminate the large number of refill water heating units previously employed, thereby reducing the original cost of manufacture and installation and eliminating obstructions in the roundhouse by the employment of suitable heating units which are located remote from the roundhouse stalls and near the refill storage tank, so as to deliver heated water to the refill line from which it may be delivered to a locomotive in any stall through a simple pipe drop adapted to be connected to a boiler.

In accordance with my invention, the refill water is heated with live steam derived from the powerxboilers, where it can be generated much more economically than in a locomotive boiler. Since my present invention enables any number of locomotive boilers to be simultaneously refilled, the possibility arises that the boiler crews might attempt a simultaneous refilling of so many boilers that a detrimentally excessive load would be imposed upon the power boilers.

Another purpose of my present invention is to protect the power boilers against reduction in steam pressure below a predetermined minimum by employing in the steam supply line between the boilers and my water heating units a pressure controlled valve which, in the event of reduction of the steam supply pressure to a predeterminedminimum, will close, leaving only a reduced by-pass for the delivery of steam to the heating units.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated onthe accompanying drawing a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of my novel system;-

and

a Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through one of the water heating units.

On'the drawing, reference character 5 indicates'a refill water storage tank in which is stored fresh refill water which has been heated by blown off steam from the locomotive boilers and by exhaust steam from the power boilers, and some times, if necessary, by a small amount oi live steam, so that the temperature of the water stored in the tank is in the neighborhood of 200 F. From this tank the water is delivered'by a pump 6, which is adapted to deliver the water under .a pressure greater than that existing in the boiler being refilled, to the refill line 1 which extends into the roundhouse where it is equipped adjacent the various locomotive stalls with simple pipe drops 8 equipped with shut-off valves 9 and the usual hose and couplings by which connections are made to the boilers, The tracks upon which the locomotives stand in the stalls are indicated by reference character IL.

A valve l2, operable by a pull chain I3, is interposed in the refill line, so that, ifdesirable, this valve may be left open, permitting water to, be delivered at storage tank temperature directly to the .roundhouse drops. In such instances,

however, the refill water will not be superheated or at a temperature adequate for instantaneous steam generation in the boiler. To superheat the water to a temperature at which it will partly flash into steam when released into the boiler, I employ any desired number, depending upon the size of the installation, of water heating units designated generally by reference character l4.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be observed that each of these units consists of a tubular casing IS in which is mounted a Venturi tube IS. A steam space I! above the venturi is in direct communication with the mouth of the venturi, and a water delivery nozzle I8 projecting into the steam space is positioned to discharge coaxially into the venturi. A pipe I!) connected with the refill line forwardly of the valve l2 and provided with a shut-off valve 2| is connected by branches 22 with the upper ends 23 of the heating units, so that the water under pressure of the pump 6 is discharged by the nozzles I8 into the venturis l6. Valves 23 afford means for regulating the water supplied to the heating units and for completely shutting off either unit in the event that the services of only one heating unit should be required.

The heat units for superheating the refill water are derived from live steam supplied from the power boilers of the plant through a steam supply line 24 equipped with a shut-off valve 25.

Branches 25 deliver steam from this line to the steam spaces ll of the heating units. The steam supplied to these spaces may be regulated or shut off, if desirable, by means of the valves 21. The hot water heated by the steam is returned from the heating units to the refill line rearwardly of the valve l2 through the connections 28 preferably equipped with valves 29.

In the steam supply line 24 is interposed a pressure control valve 3| designed to close when the steam pressure in the supply line drops to a predetermined minimum. The purpose of this valve is, as previously indicated, to protect the power boilers against reduction in steam pressure to a point where insufficient power is available to operate the shop machinery. For instance, if this valve be set for '75 pounds pressure, it will remain open for full delivery of steam .to the heating units so long as the power boiler pressure exceeds 75 pounds, but, should such pressure fall below '75 pounds, valve 3| will close to shut off steam delivery therethrough. A by-pass 32' of small size, such, for instance, as half inch pipe, is adapted to deliver some steam to the units, even when valve 3| is closed, and even this amount may be restricted by the setting of a regulating valve 33, if desired. In this manner the power boilers are protected against an excessive steam drain resulting from attempting to simultaneously refill too many boilers. The closing of valve 3l'wi1l, of course, reduce the heating capacity of the heat units, with the result that the delivered refill water will be below the desired temperature. This condition, however, will soon come to the atten tion of the boiler crews and will be rectified by shutting off the refill water to some of the boilers. In the normal operation of my improved system, the valve I2 will be closed, so that the water delivered by pump 6 will all be passed through the heating units before final delivery to the roundhouse drops. The water flow to each unit may be regulated by the setting of valves 23 and the steam supplied to the units may be similarly regulated by the setting of the valves 21. The water under pressure greater than that existing in the boiler or boilers being refilled will be superheated in the heating units to a temperature where it will partially flash into steam upon bein released into the boilers. Should the demand upon the system be so great as to exceed the generating capacity of the power boilers, lowering of the power boiler pressure below a predetermined minimum will be automatically prevented by the pressure controlled valve 3|.

It should be apparent from the foregoing that by the employment of heating units in proximity to the refill tank, the necessity of equipping each roundhouse drop with a heating unit is obviated and that, by the employment of a suitable number of heating units connected in the manner disclosed, a method of regulation and control is afforded by which the refill line may be supplied with refill water at any desired temperature.

The structural details involved in the system may be varied within considerable limits without departing from the scope of my invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A system for supplying heated water at controlled temperatures comprising a water supply line, a valve therein, means for delivering water to be heated to said line, a plurality of heaters connected to receive water from said line forwardly of said valve and to return the water heated thereby into said line rearwardly of said valve, means whereby the quantity of water received by each of said heaters may be regulated, a line connected to each of said heaters for supplying heating medium thereto, means whereby the quantity of heating medium supplied to each heater may be regulated, and means so responsive to a predetermined pressure drop in said steam supply line as to restrict the steam fiow through the steam supply line to a predetermined minimum.

2. A system for supplying heated water at controlled temperatures ccmprising a water supply line, a plurality of water heaters connected to receive water from said line, means for regulating the amount of water delivered to each heater, a steam supply line connected to each of said heaters, means for regulating the amount of steam delivered to each heater, means so responsive to a predetermined pressure drop in said steam supply line as to restrict the steam flow through the steam supply line to a predetermined minimum, and means for delivering to a point of use the water heated by said heaters.

3. A boiler refilling system comprising a refill water storage tank, a refill line, a plurality of refill drops connected to said line, a pump connected to deliver water under a pressure greater than the pressure of the boiler being filled to said refill line, a valve in said line, a plurality of water heating units connected to said line ahead of said valves each consisting of a water delivery nozzle through which water from said line is delivered, a Venturi tube into which said nozzle delivers, and a steam space surrounding said nozzle and communicating with the mouth of said venturi, means for regulating the delivery of water from said line to each of said nozzles, a steam supply line, a connection between said steam supply line and each of said steam spaces, means for regulating the delivery of steam from said supply line to each of said spaces, and means so responsive to a predetermined pressure drop in said steam supply line as to restrict the steam flow through the steam supply line to a predetermined minimum.

FRANK W. MILLER.

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