US2395855A - Fluid separator - Google Patents

Description

- l ffy-2 4 @W I' W 128 l i III; 50 i 'l2 I, 17 '0 I6 56 I |I 'I l 28 l) 1 22 88 o o 86 l` g3a March 5,1946. FLETCHER 2,395,855 FLUID sEPARAToR J original Filed July so, 1940 2 sheets-sheet 1 95 v INVENTR. James Fletcher March 5, 1946. ETC;HERv f 2,395,855

` FLUID sEPARAToR original Filed July zo, 1940 2 sheets-sheet 2V INVENToR. v

James F/echr Patented Mar. 5, 1946 UNITED STAT-ES- OFFICE;

FLUID; SEPARATOR" James Fletcher, Akron,

Babcock &' Wilcox-.Com corporation of-` New- Jer Original applicationV Jul 348,369. Divided and Ohio, assignoral to;- The; 1, pa/ny, Rockleigli, N. J., Ia ser1 y 30', 1940,*V Serial No.- this application-September 28, 1943,`Se1ial N0. 504,102v

(CL, 1S3-,8.0),

1A Claim."

This invention relates-to'steam-generators hav-- ingsteam and water drums kin which centrifugal separators are employed. The invention is also particularly concerned with a system involvingcentrifugal means for effecting-the separation of iiuids of different densities.

The invention involves-a circular Whirl chamber into which a mixture of steam and water is directed tangentially at a, high velocity, this ac tion setting up a whirlingk motion of the fluid within the chamber. Inthis chamber,nthe steam isV separated from Water,v and-the rformer passes from the chamber through an vupper circular out-- letvvhich is arranged eccentrically with. refer-- The separated .water ence to the whirl chamber. is discharged through another outlet preferably dispo-sed at the bottom-.of thechamber:

Withthe whirl chamber inletnear the topf of` the Whirlchamber and a steam outlet arranged at the top of the chamber thereof; there is a maximum annular Width or space between `the outside edge of the steam/ outlet and theadjacentwhirl chamber wall in the zone o-fr the inlet.vr

and eccentrically` With a whirl chamber of. a given diameter and with` a steam outletfof at.

given diameter, the eccentric relationship of` the--vv steam outlet and space requirements :in ythe rality of the illustrativea separator chamber. This; is particularly.` im:- portant in the steamvand water drumsv of high pressure steam generators, where,ron.account of the high cost of drumsifor high pressures, itis. necessary that drum: spaceand drumdiameters.-

be minimized.

This invention also involves whirl chambers arranged with tangential inlets, acharacteristic eccentric relationship of the steam outlet andthe whirly chamberyto and. water separating.- capacities' of boiler drums and thereby minimize the drumspace required'for a Vgivenvboiler,Y byA making it possibletoarrange agreater number` which combines with the further improve the steam of the illustrative Whirl chambers'withinV a steam and` Water drum.

The invention also involves suchen-arrange ment and mounting of the individual Whirlchamber units Within-a steam and -vvater drum that periodic removal of the individual units to give access to boiler tubeends; is facilitated.

Among other objects, theinvention is intended-A to provide means'for-maintainingthe incomingmixture ofsteam and Water.relativelyfree from the Whirl. chamber improves; Y iluid separation and increases the capacity ofthe Whirl chamber while at the'same; time minimizes arrangement of .a pl'u- Whirl chambers, Withinthe disturbing inuences arisingffrom the-impact-: off-'the swirling-water-after-it has completed they,-y

major part o f its rstmovement about the whirl chamber. An additional object is to eiectthisfresultlwithout incurringundeslrab-le reaction due:-

to excessive deflection o-ftthe whirling mixture;A

Another object isf-to sofconstruct and arrange` the-componentsof the separator that the incom.

ing `stream'of steam= and Water is1subject fto` ai.

minimum of iiowV resistance. y

It is also an object vof the invention to soar.- range thesteamxoutlet' with referencev to,` the. Whirl chamber that any optimum flow of ,separated steamlmay take. place.

The-- invention contemplates Y the use of'. `steam andiwater separato-rsA in afhigh pressure steam:

generator tor. improve circulatory conditions and., enable# the; generator; to operate at highwater:V levelstand stillsupply dry steam; The use of the illustrative separatorsin ,a steam and water` ,drum

oftasteam, generator is characterized bythe fact, that the highvelocitiesof the steamand water mixtures are utilized in separating the compo nent' parts` of these A mixtures `without subjecting the incomingmixture to excessive flow resistance-.v` Each-separator maybe arranged to receive the-.-

comb-ineddischargeof several water heating, or

steam generating tubes; and yet, be so arranged: andl constructed that itf may be easily removed:

from its operative position for inspection of the related boiler parts aswell as the separator itself.

OtherA objects-,ofthe-invention- Will appear as the,v following description` proceeds and the in-v vention will bra-describedA Withreference to ani embodiment which is` illustrated in the accom` panyingidrawings.

Inthedrawings.:

Fig.-1 isga vertical section -ofasteam generator t utilizing .the-invention;

Fig..2ris, a detail view in the natureof a-,ver-v steam and Water drum-A tical section; through the of the Fig, 1 installation;

Fis.,3 is la .verticalsectin through one of; the fillustrative; separators; ;A

Eig: 4; istI a; horizontal;L section l.on the line li-4.;-

Fig.- 5 isy a verticalisectionr through. the steam;Y e* and water drumrshowingthe arrangementfof;ai`

pluralityv of: separators employed therein; and

Fig. 6 isa horizontalsectionionvthe linelie-8: ofsFig. 51 ofthe-drum showing'the arrangementillustrative separators; inplan; This rfigure` isgp'artly,brokenawayfto show the arraingementzof;

ofthe the inlet `nozzles f for -iadj acent Whirl chambers.

The illustrative separator(- includesvv a pluralityof substantially circular whirl chambers l each having an inlet I2 through which a mixture of steam and water is discharged into the whirl chamber at high velocity.

Within each whirl chamber, steam, separated from the water, passes upwardly through a circular steam outlet I4 determined by the downwardly extending ange, or cylindrical structure I5 which is xed to the top of the whirl chamber. The eccentric relationship of the whirl chamber` and the separated steam outlet is indicated in Fig. 4 in which the center of the outlet is indicated at A while the whirl chamber center is indicated at B. Fig. 6 also shows this eccentric relationship.

When the whirl chambers I0 are arranged in rows as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, they are supported so that their steam outlets are spaced downwardly from the horizontal shroud structures l5 and l1. These structures also provide support for a number of multiple plate separators, or scrubbers I8 disposed over the steam outlets of the whirl chambers. It is important that the separated steam be as free' from water as possible andthis condition is promoted by the provision of the steam discharge openings I8 and 20 between the shroud structures I6 and I1, respectively, and the tops of the whirl chambers. I These openings permit communication between the drum steam space and the whirl chamber steam outlets, beneath the shroud flanges 2| and 23. With this construction, pressure drop is reduced and the loading of the multiple plate separators is made more uniform.

In each whirl chamber, the separated water is discharged downwardly through circumferentially arranged outlets such as those indicated at 22 and 26. They are separated by successive vanes 26 arranged in an annular series between a bottom plate 28 and a wall of the whirl chamber. Below the outlets a baffle 21 directs the separated water toward the central portion of the associated drum.

The arrangement of elements is such that the steam and water inlet I2 communicates directly with the circumferential space between the flange I5 and the whirl chamber wall at a point where the flange is at a greater distance from the wall, due to the eccentricity of the whirl chamber and the wall I5 as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4. This arrangement oiers a minimum of flow resistance and thus improves the circulation in the uid system without additional space requirement for the separators. This is particularly important when the separators are utilized in boiler drums.

Means is also provided for preventing the flooding of the space adjacent the steam and water inlet and for minimizing the passage of water through the outlets I4 and the scrubbers IB along with the steam,` and this means is effective to accomplish these results without involving undesirable reation arising from excessive deflection of the whirling stream within the ranged in opposite rows within the steam and water drum 5G in the manner indicated in Figs. l, 2, 5, and 6 of the drawings, and, for this purpose, each whirl chamber is provided at its steam and water inlet nozzle with a heavy flange 52 for securement to upright plates 56and 51 which are affixed to the drum in the positions indicated in Fig. 2. As indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings the flanges 52, rigid with the whirl chamber inlet structures 541 have beveled edges which co-operate with similarly formed edges on the fixed bars 55 and 58 and the removable wedge bars 60 to facilitate the original assembly of a plurality of the illustrative whirl chambers within a drum and likewise facilitate the removal of the whirl chambers when access tothe drum ends of the steam generator tubes is desired.

The whirl chambers are arranged in pairs with the tangential huid inlets of each pair parallel to each other and normal to their supporting plate (either 56 or 51), as indicated in Figs. 4 and 6 of the drawings. In the installation of suchla pair of whirl chambers, one of them with its inlet structure 54 is moved upwardly beneath the shelf I5 with the face of the flange against the plate 55 and the right-hand beleved edge (see Fig. 4) disposed within the groove formed by the plate 5E and the beveled edge of the bar 58. Then the adjacent whirl chamber is similarly dis posed with its ange 52 facing against the plate 55 and its left-hand beveled edge fitting within the groove formed by the bar 55 and the plate 55. Thereafter, with the adjacent whirl chambers held in the positions indicated, the wedge bar 50 is placed in position with its opposite beveled edges in contact with the remaining beveled edges of the flanges 52 and 62 and the wedge bar is forced into operative position by the tightening of nuts 55 arranged upon bolts secured to the plate 55. Thus the inclined edges with the wedge bar 6! bear upon the inclined faces of adjoining nozzle (or inlet structure) flanges and co-operate with the fixed wedges (formed by the inclined surface of the bars 55 and 53) bearing upon the opposite inclined faces of the nozzle anges to force the flanges into water-tight relationship with the plate 56 and to maintain it in such relationship.

In the above described action, it is to be noted that no access is necessary to the spaces between the plates 55 and 51 and the adjacent walls of the drum 5. It is only necessary to insert a socket wrench in the space between adjacent whirl chambers, this socket wrench engaging the nuts B5 to operate them and thus secure the whirl chambers in their operative positions. This manner of mounting the whirl chambers permits a close spacing of those chambers throughout the length of the drum and thus increases the steam and water separating capacity of the drum, per unit of drum length. The eccentric relationship of the steam outlets and the whirl chambers permits the tangential arrangement of the inlet nozzles or structures 54 which, in turn, permits such a closely spaced arrangement of the whirl chambers in pairs as indicated in Figs. 4 and 6, thus, these co-acting structural relationships combining to provide increased steam and water separating capacity for a given drum .length,.and to aiord an improved manner of assembling and disassembling the illustrative separators within a steam and water drum.

The plates 55 and 51 combine with the drum wall and the segmental plates 88-83 to form a compartment which receives the steam and water discharged into the drum by the steam generating tubes. These plates are preferably of such width that they may be passed through a drum manway, and the upper edges of the plates 8i) and 83 are 'arranged with vapor-tight slip joint connections 86 and 88 with the lower edges of the plates I and 51, the adjoining edges of the plates 80-88 being united by the spanner clamps 90-92. This entire assembly is one which increases accessibility of the drum ends of the steam generating tubes, and this is of particular importance in connection with marine boilers where the internal drum chamber connecting with the whirl chambers must embrace almost the entire lower half oi' the drum due to the extent of drum connections oi the steam generating tubes.

Steam and water mixtures are discharged into the internal drum chamber 85 by the steam generating tubes of two upwardly converging banks of tubes |00 and |02 which are in communication at their lower ends with the water drums |04 and |06, and, in the natural circulation boiler shown, the downcomers |08 and |I0 connect the water space of the drum 50 with the drums |04 and |06. A

The banks of tubes |00 and |02 are disposed above furnaces ||6 and H8, respectively, the latter being red by the sets of burners and |22.

In the steam generator shown in Fig. 1 oi the drawings, the furnaces are separated by a wall |24 which may include tubes |26 directly connecting the drum 50 with the header I I2 which is connected into the boiler circulation.

Steam andwater ypasses from the drum chamber 95 through the illustrative separators and the separated steam discharged from the separators, passes through the steam oir-take |28, and through the superheater supply conduit |30 to a superheater |32, some of the tubes of which are preferably arranged between some of the tubes of the bank |02.

The feed water pipe |38 in the water space of the drum, is provided for adding water to replace that removed by the steam generated.

Furnace gases and after passing through the banks of the tubes |00 and |02 pass over the heat exchangesurfaces of the economizers |34 and |36and thence to one or more nues or stacks.

This application is a divisional application of the parent application 348,369 entitled Fluid separator, and iiled on July 30, 1940. (Abandoned for lack of prosecution May 31, 1944.)

What is claimed is:

In a fluidsystem of the type having an inlet, and an -outlet chamber with fluid flowing from the former to the latter, and means supplying the inlet chamber with a mixture of fluids of different densities at a pressure higher than the pressure in the outlet chamber; the combination therewith of several tangential inlet whirl chamber uid separators alternately constructed with right and left tangential inlets by which the whirl chambers are securedl in alternation to a wall of the inlet chamber, the arrangement being such that there are va plurality of pairs of separators with the yright and left tangential inlets of the separators parallelism and closely of each pair disposed in adjacent each other, the pairs of inlets being relatively widely spaced along the wall of the inlet chamber, and securing devices each including releasable means common to the closely adjacent inlets of a pair for releasably securing those inlets and their separators to the wall of the inlet chamber with the inlets in communication with the inlet chamber, the separators of each pair being independently movable upon release of their assoelated releasable means.

JAMES FLETCHER.

other combustion products.v

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