US265423A - Method of operating gas-engines in torpedo-boats - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

E. W. KELLOGG'.

METHOD OE OPERATING OAS ENGINES 1N TOEPEOO BOATS. NO. 265,423.

Patented Oct. 3,` 1882,

Mmm/@Aff engine.

NITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

EDWARD XV. KELLOGG, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

METHOD OF OPERATING GAS-ENGINES IN TORPEDO-BOATS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 265,423, dated October 3, 1852.

Application filed December 2l, 1880. (No model.)

T 0 all whom it mag/ concern Be it known that I, EDWARD W. KELLoGG, ot' Hartford, county of Hartford, and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Method of Operating Gas- Engines of Torpedo-Boats and in the Devices for Carrying' such Method into Operation; and I do hereby declare the following to be an accurate description of my said invention.

My invention relates to gas-engines for the propulsion of torpedo-boats, and is intenled to apply specially to self-propelled or submarine torpedo-boats similar to the Lay or the Whitehead torpedo.

My invention consists in a method of expanding the gas by which such torpedo-boats are propelled in such manner as to avoid the excessive refrigeration or freezing of the liquid gas in the tank or reservoir which contains the gassunply.

Myinvention further consists in certain improvements in the mechanism by which the gas-supply is delivered to the engine, whereby refrigeration in the gas-supply iiask is avoided.

My invention further consists in the construction of torpedo-boats whereby the refrigeration of the gas in the flask is prevented and the sea-water is enabled to act upon the gas in such manner as to supply caloric as it is absorbed by the rapid expansion of the gas. When carbonio-acid gas is reduced to liquid form under extreme pressure it absorbs heat very rapidly when allowed to expand. The same is true of ammoniacal gas and of most other gases. This rapid refrigeration, which has been utilized in ice-machines for the purpose of freezing, is very objectionable in the workin g of a torpedo'boat, as it often partially con geals the liquid gas in the ask and reduces or stops the supply of gas from the flask to the I connect my supply-pipe with the iiask near the bottom of the ask, so that the gas goes into the coil in liquid form. The aperture through which the liquid enters the coil must be very small, and may be through the flask near the bottom; or the pipe may enter the upper part of the lask and extend down to the bottom. The pipe is many times larger in diameter than the aperture through which the liquid enters. I have found seven-eighthsinch pipe to answer a good purpose; but of course other sizes may be used. The size of the aperture will be regulated as circumstances warrant, and a cock or valve is used to regulate the supply of liquid to the pipe. The pipe is surrounded by a copious water-suppl y, which gives ofic caloric to the gas in sufticient quantities to prevent freezing; or the pipe and its contained gas may be heated by the combustion of any substance surrounding it.

One method of carrying out my invention I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a torpedo-boat having outside tubes. Fig. 2 is across-section of the saine on line a: x. Fig. 3 is a view of a flask and one form of coil which may be used in the boat. Fig. 4 gives a longitudinal view of a torpedo-boat with inside coil.

In the drawings, A is the hull of the boat. a designates the flask or reservoir for compressed gas, which may be a simple reservoir or may be tubular, like a tubular boiler. b is a pipe or coil leading therefrom to the engine, which may be placed at c or elsewhere iu the boat, as is most convenient. The pipe b is coiled in any Well-known way, either ilat or circular coils. As shown in Fig. l, these coils are outside the hull of the boat and exposed to the sea-water, heilig secured to the boat in any Well-known Way. The bends of the coil at the front may be protected by a shield, as d, todiminish friction' and prevent clogging by weeds. Src. Where the coil is inside the boat, as in Figs. 3 and 4, the sea-water is freely admitted to the compartment which contains the coil; or any well-known Way of supplying artificial heat may be employed. The inner end of the expansion-pipe communicates with the liquidgas supply in the iiask at a point low down in the ask, as at e. A suitable cock shuts ott' the liquid from the coil at a convenient point, usually just outside the ask.

The operation of my device is as follows: When the cock or valve in the tube is opened the high pressure in the flask expels a small quantity of the liquid into the pipe or coil. Here the liquid immediately resumes the gaseous form, being permittedto expand in the coil, and passes on to propel the engine. This expansion is attended by a rapid refrigeration. The gas is kept at a comparatively high tem- IOO perature by the contact of the pipes with the water or other source of heat-supply, so that the small quantity ot' liquid entering the pipe is not frozen, and the expansion being in the coil and removed from the ask, there is no great tendency to freeze the liquid in the ask.

Heretofore in operating engines of this kind the gas has been taken from the flask through an aperture above the liquid. The expansion therefore took place in the flask in contact with the main body of the liquid, which always had a tendency to freeze, and thereupon the gas-supply was diminished and the pressure lessened. I am aware that attempts have been made to heat the liquid and gas in the flask by artificial means. Such devices I do not claim.

What I claim is#- 1. The method herein described for using gas in connection with a torpedo-boat, which E. W. KELLOGG.

Witnesses:

JOHN BULL, A. A. HUNTER.

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