US3209732A

US3209732A - Chemical electro-chemical systems

Info

Publication number: US3209732A
Application number: US315326A
Authority: US
Inventors: Thomas H Laken
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-10-10
Filing date: 1963-10-10
Publication date: 1965-10-05
Anticipated expiration: 1982-10-05

Description

Oct. 5, 1965 T. H. LAKEN 3,209,732

CHEMICAL ELECTED-CHEMICAL SYSTEMS Filed Oct. 10, 1963 United States Patent 3,209,732 CHEMICAL ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS Thomas H. Laken, 1011 53rd St., Kenosha, Wis. Filed Oct. 10, 1963, SE31. No. 315,326 3 Claims. (Cl. 122--504) This invention relates, in general, to certain new and useful improvements in chemical and/ or electro-chemical systems, or systems having like characteristics, and more particularly to a safety device for automatically preventing accidental return of damaging chemicals or corrosive liquids that may have been inadvertently included in the condensate being returned to a steam boiler.

Included in tanks are chemical solutions of various kinds. These solutions are heated by steam passing through the coils immersed in such solutions and mounted in the tanks. The steam passing through the coils will spend its heat in the solutions and, as condensate, return to the boiler to be reconverted again to steam. An always present danger lies in the possible failure of the coil, whereby the chemical solution may leak into the condensate. When this happens, the solution is directed to the boiler with the very pressing danger of permanent destruction of the boiler.

The object of my invention, therefore, is to install a safety device in the line returning the condensate to the boiler, with said device having a soluble disk therein which can quickly be dissolved by the chemical solution so that the contaminated condensate can be diverted from returning to the boiler and instead be directed to a drain.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations, and modifications can be resorted to which fall within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic showing of chemical and/ or electro-chemical device, of my present invention, included therein:

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through the safety device, parts being broken away, to show the safety device in normal operating condition.

Referring in detail to the drawings, FIGURE 2 shows a T-shaped fitting, designated generally by the number 10. This fitting has a longitudinally extending, unrestricted passageway 11, with the internal surface 12 threaded at each end to have threaded connection with the

conduits

13 and 14 of the condensate return line generally designated by numeral 15. The depending por tion 16 of the fitting has a passageway 17 in direct communication with the passageway 11. This portion 16 has its end 19 open to provide drainage, as will be hereinafter described.

A shoulder 20 is formed internally near the top of the portion 16, adjacent the passageway 11. The passage 17 is normally closed by inserting a soluble metal disk 21 of zinc, aluminum or other suitable metal through the end 19 and caused to bear against the surface 22 of the shoulder 20. This disk is of slightly less diameter than the passageway 17 so it can be readily inserted therein and held in operative relationship by a hollow insert 23. This insert may be threadedly mounted, as shown herein, or through any other suitable manner. For ease in removal, the insert is notched at 24.

Considering now FIGURE 1 of the drawings which discloses a schematic chemical and/or electro-chemical system for the automatic operation of this safety device,

3,209,732 Patented Oct. 5, 1965 there is provided therein a boiler 25, having a conduit 26, through which steam is delivered to a. coil 27, contained and immersed in chemical solutions contained in a tank 28. These chemical solutions can be of various kinds, acid or alkaline in nature. The coil is in direct communication with the conduit 13 which delivers or re turns the condensate after the steam has dispensed its heat to the solution.

The conduit 13 is threaded to the fitting 10, as herebefore explained.

Under normal operating conditions with no fault in the system, the steam will pass through the conduit 26 into the coil 27, and as the steam condenses by the dispensing of its heat to the chemical solution in the tank, such condensate is returned to the boiler through the conduit 13 the passageway 11 in the T-shaped fitting and the conduit 14.

In rare instances, the coil 27 in the tank or the connections of the coil with the

conduits

26 or 13 may break. When this occurs, the chemical solutions in the tank, one of which, as previously stated, can be acid or alkaline in nature which will mix with the condensate with said contaminated condensate flowing through the conduit 13 toward the boiler. If such contaminated condensate was permitted to reach the boiler, the corrosive damage to the boiler would be so severe as to permanently damage the boiler.

I provide, therefore, in the return condensate conduit, the T-fitting of my invention. When the contaminated condensate reaches the fitting, the chemicals will immediately dissolve the disk 21 so that instead of flowing to the boiler, the acid or alkaline contaminated condensate will be discharged through the hollow insert 23.

Protection is sought in the light of these explanations for basic features of the invention, in addition to protection for more specific illustrated and described features.

I claim:

1. The combination in a chemical and electro-chemical processing system having a steam boiler and a processing tank, said tank holding an acid or alkaline mixture, a coil in said tank, means for transferring steam from said boiler to said coil, return means for transferring condensate from said coil to said boiler, a protective device in connection with said return means providing unrestricted passageway to permit substantially uncontaminated condensate to return to said boiler, said device having a passageway open to a drain which is normally closed by a soluble metal disk, said disk adapted to be dissolved upon introduction of an acid or alkaline contaminated mixture into said condensate whereby said contaminated condensate is directed through said drain and diverted from returning to said boiler.

2. The combination in a chemical and electro-c-hemical processing system having a steam boiler and a processing tank, said tank holding an acid or alkaline mixture, a coil in said tank, means for transferring steam from said boiler to said coil, and return means for transferring condensate from said coil to said boiler a T-shaped protective device in connection with said return means providing unrestrictive passageway to permit substantially uncontaminated condensate to return to said boiler, said device having a passageway open to a drain which is normally closed by a soluble disk, said soluble disk being of less diameter than said last named passageway and readily insertable therein, a hollow insert threadedly mounted in said passageway and adapted to hold said disk in operative position, said disk adapted to be dissolved upon introduction of said acid or alkaline contaminated mixture from said tank into said condensate whereby said contaminated condensate is directed through said hollow insert and diverted from returning to said boiler.

3. The combination in a chemical and electrochemical system having a steam boiler and processing tank, said tank holding an acid or alkaline mixture, a coil in said tank, means for transferring steam from said boiler to said coil, and return means for transferring condensate from said coil to said boiler, said return means comprising two sections of conduit separated by a T- shaped fitting in which an end of each of said conduits is threadedly mounted therein, said fitting having an unrestricted passageway in communication with said conduits to permit substantially uncontaminated condensate to return to said boiler, said fitting having a passageway open to a drain which is normally closed by a soluble disk, a shoulder provided in the wall of said last named passageway, said soluble disk being of less diameter than said last named passageway and readily insertable therein, a hollow insert threadedly mounted in said last named References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,347,202 4/44 Lindsay 137-67 2,658,728 11/53 Evans 165-11 X 2,911,988 11/59 Ravn 137-67 2,991,793 7/61 Whitlock et a1 137-67 FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., Primary Examiner.

EDWARD J. MICHAEL, Examiner.

Claims

1. THE COMBINATION IN A CHEMICAL AND ELECTRO-CHEMICAL PROCESSING SYSTEM HAVING A STEAM BOILER AND A PROCESSING TANK, SAID TANK HOLDING AN ACID OR ALKALINE MIXTURE, A COIL IN SAID TANK, MEANS FOR TRANSFEERRING STEAM FROM SAID BOILER TO SAID COIL, RETURN MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING CONDENSATE FROM SAID COIL TO SAID BOILER, A PROTECTIVE DEVICE IN CONNECTION WITH SAID RETURN MEANS PROVIDING UNRESTRICTED PASSAGEWAY TO PERMIT SUBSTANTIALLY UNCONTAMINATED CONDENSATE TO RETURN TO SAID BOILER, SAID DEVICE HAVING A PASSAGEWAY OPEN TO A DRAIN WHICH IS NORMALLY CLOSED BY A SOLUBLE METAL DISK, SAID DISK ADAPTED TO BE DISSOLVED UPON INTRODUCTION OF AN ACID OR ALKALINE CONTAMINATED MIXTURE INTO SAID CONDENSATE WHEREBY SAID CONTAMINATED CONDENSATE IS DIRECTED THROUGH SAID DRAIN AND DIVERTED FROM RETURNING TO SAID BOILER.