US2355125A - Boiler-feed system - Google Patents

Description

411848, 1944- R.4R. WTERMAN '2,355,125

' BOILER-FEED SYSTEM- M INVENTOR Russell R. wafer/nan Filed oct. so, r194:2

. wr f Patented ug. 8, 1944 Y UNITED STATES PATENT LO'FFICEL f v 2,355,125 f l i l BOILER-FEED SYSTEM Russell R. Waterman, Lodi, Galif. Application October 30, 1942, Serial No. y163,886

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a water feeding system for steam boilers of any type, and particularly for boilers of the so-called flash type, whose water holding capacity is so limited that water must be constantly supplied as long as the. steam is being taken from the boiler.

My main object is to provide a water feed system so arranged that water from any sourceeither the condensate from the engine or other steam consuming agent or from an independent supply-will be automatically fed to the boiler whenever steam is being drawn therefrom, and in direct proportion to the volume of steam being drawn.

My improved system includes a single pump which not only sets up a circulation through the boiler., as is desirable, but also feeds water from an outside source to the boiler, thus serv- Aing all needs with a minimum of mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive system and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

The above and other objects I accomplish by means 4of such structure and relative arrangement of parts asV will fully appear `by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawing similarcharacters Vof reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a diagram showing my improved boiler feed system.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary section showing the restricted-flow orifice for the steam unit of the feed pump.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the preferred form of steam control or relief valve.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, the numeral I denotes the boiler generally, which in the form here shown includes a steam generating coil 2 and which is heated by suitable means here shown as a gas burner 3.

Outside the boiler is the waterY feed steam pump 4 of suitable type, which includes a steam operated driving member 5 and a pumping member 6. A water inlet pipe I leads to the pumping member 6 from any source of water supply, while an outlet pipe 8 leads from the member 6 to the coil 2.

The iiow of gas to burner 3 is preferably controlled by water conditions in the boiler and pipe 8 by means of a low-water fuel shut-off device 9 of suitable character interposed in pipe 8, which actuates theishut-offv valveulll infthe 'gasleed 11.11 .H Y c y The steam or outlet Vpipe I2 .from coil 2 ex- .tends outwardly from the lboiler acertain Adis.-

tance, and at its .outer end is connected with another pipe l I3 which preferably leads back into the boiler above coil`2 and there yconnects with an equalizing coil I4. A final 'steam 4pipe I5 leads from coil I4 to the vsteam engineer `other consumer or worksuch asa tire mold. A manually operated throttle valve I6 is interposed at a suitable point in the. steam outlet line, being here shown in pipe lli.y An adjustable pressure relief or control valve I'I., preferably of. special type as hereinafterV described, is interposed in pipe I2 preferably adjacent its connection with pipe I3.

Steam to operate member 5 -of `vthe steam pump is conveyed theretothrough a pipe I 8 connected to pipe I2 between coil 2 and-relief' valve I1; lsaid pipe I8 havingarestricted orifice I9 suitably formed therein adjacent member 5, as shown in Fig. 2. The exhaust pipe20 from member 5 connects with pipe` I3.

The valve I'l `preferably .comprises afvertical tubular body 2'I, rthelower."portion ofwhich is finned as atl 22 ,for heat radiation. j'Ihev'portion of pipe I2 directly leading from the *boiler is connected to the upperor inlet end,` of Abody 2|, the outlet portion of said pipe beyondthe valve being connectedto'one side Aof body 2l somedistance below the inlet portion. A'spool-like piston or plunger 23 is slidable in the body, normally engaging a seat 24 or other suitable stop formed on the lower end of the inlet portion of pipe I2, and being yieldably heldin such position by a compression spring 25 in the body below the plunger. The spring at its lower'end engages an adjustable sealing plug 26 screwed in the lower end of the body, so that the spring may be set to offer a varying amount of resistance to further compression. The plunger is ported from its lower end to its central or reduced portion as at 21 so that steam from the outlet portion of pipe I2-which opens into the body at the normal position of said central portion of the plunger-may pass into the spring chamber below the plunger. Such steam will there condense, due to the cooling action of fins 22, and will retain the spring immersed in a relatively cool medium, thus preventing the spring from losing its temper.

In operation, it will be seen that by reason of the above described arrangement and even though the steam line to the pump is always valve I'I is therefore set to allow the main flow.

of steam in pipe I2 to enter pipe I3 only at its initial pressure less that of the exhaust from'the pump, or in this instance not more than 230` pounds.

As a result, a substantially constant steam-quality condition, as may be best suited for proper operation, is maintained in the boiler irrespective of the throttle setting.

Thus the viscosity or quality of the steam drawn from the boiler, and which determines the rate of depletion of water from the boiler, also determines the amount of water fed to the boiler to maintain the steam generating coil in proper heat and water balance.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a system as substantially fullls the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

`While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the sys- By so doing, the steam from the pump A is made available for further work without the loss of its latent heat content, and at the same time, the higher pressure steam is not backing up against the exhaustl of the pump to interfere with its operation. Also, without this feature, and if allsteam were passed through the pump, either the -boiler would vtend toblow up or the pump would have to be of such large capacity as to be entirely disproportionate to the needs.

The restricted orifice I9 in the high pressure steam line at the pump is an important feature in providing for the proper operation ofthe pump according to steam conditions within the boiler. If the throttle is Vopened when the quality of the steam is low or wet (showing excess water content) the flow through the orifice I9 is naturally slow and sluggish since the viscosity of the steam is then relatively high. This will cause the pump to operate very slowly so that in a given time comparatively little water is supplied to the boiler. However during thistime a full volume or capacity of steam is being drawn from the boiler. The portion of such volume which'do'es not pass through the pump member 5`for driving the same, necessarily passes through the relief valve I'I and out to the work through pipe I5.'

The steam being drawn olf being wet, the boiler becomes rapidly drained ofjwater due to the accompanying slowpump operation. As a result the-boiler tends to dry yout andthe quality of the steam becomes high or dry. The pump then operates faster on this'steam due to dry quality and correspondingly low viscosity. Water in greater quantity is then supplied to the boiler, tending to again lower the quality of the steam.

tem, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as dened by the appended claims.

Having .thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A boiler feed-water supply system comprising a steam pump having its pumping end drawing from an outside source of supply and delivering to the boiler, a steam outlet line from the boiler, a throttle valve in the line, the pump including a steam operating member, an inlet pipe leading from the line to the member, an outlet pipe leading from said member back to the line, and a pressure control valve in the line between the connection of said pipes therewith set to resist a predetermined pressure; there being a restricted orifice in the inlet pipe of a size to affect the velocity of the steam passing therethrough to the operating member of the pump according to the viscosity of the steam,

2. A boiler feed-water supply system comprising a steam pump having its pumping end drawing from an outside source of supply and delivering to the boiler, the pump including a steam operating member, a steam outlet line from the boiler having connection with the inlet and exhaust of said member and a throttle valve in the line whereby the functioning of the pump is controlled by the throttle setting; there being a restricted orifice in the inlet pipe of a size to affect -the velocity of the steam passing therethrough to the operating member of the pump according to l*the viscosity of the steam.

RUSSELL R. WATERMAN.

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