US3409076A - Low pressure gas vaporizer - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 5, 1968 A. QUIRING 3,409,076

LOW PRESSURE GAS VAPORIZER Filed Sept 19, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGS l II III INVENTOR. 44 W 40/18/06 Imam;

United States Patent LOW PRESSURE GAS VAPORIZER Alvin Quiring, Windom, Minn. 56101 Filed Sept. 19, 1966, Ser. No. 580,385 2 Claims. (Cl. 165170) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to low pressure gas burning equipment and more particularly to a gas vaporizer which is arranged to receive low pressure fluid gases and expose the same to heat for vaporization thereof and thereafter pass the vapor to a burning section. In the construction utilized the vaporizer is arranged in overlying relationship to the burning section such that the vaporized gas will be utilized to vaporize additional gas. The structure of the unit insures that a maximum amount of liquid low pressure gas would be vaporized before being delivered from .the vaporizer by directing at least portions thereof downwardly against heated surfaces of the vaporizer. The vaporizer unit itself includes an inlet having a downwardly directed outlet on the inlet section with a vaporized gas outlet arranged to generally opposed relationship to said inlet to insure complete vaporization of the liquid gas admitted thereto.

In many farm installations it is common to provide a grain dryer for the drying of various grains and the like and the standard installation of such a dryer includes a source of low pressure gas, a gas burner and fan device for generating heat and directing the same to the grain containers and the grain container itself. In the past it has been a standard procedure in such setups to utilize systems for atomizing the liquid gas such that the burner will actually consume a vaporized gas. In order to produce this vaporized gas it is well known that a certain amount of vapor under pressure exists within the bulk tank storage mechanism and this vapor is tapped and directed to the burner unit and fed therein to act as an initial heating device. At this same time liquid gas is taken from the bulk storage tank and fed into a vaporizer which is heated by the burner system which burner system is now operating on the vapor from the tank and after vaporization of this liquid has started to the point where suflicient vapor is produced the unit is switched either manually or automatically to shut off the original starting vapor tap and to continue operation by utilizing the now vaporized liquid supply. To date this system including the presently available vaporizing units has proved to be unsatisfactory and the device provided herein by applicant has been designed and constructed with the various problems heretofore encountered always being kept in the forefront.

With the unit provided herein there are several advantages distinct over the prior art and these include the fact that the liquid gas is vaporized to its fullest extent which will therefore result in a low cost system in that none of the liquid is free to pass through the unit in unvaporized condition. Another advantage of applicants unit is the immediate vaporization of the liquid gas due to particular location and construction of the vaporizer which construction also includes a fan spray effect for initially introducing the liquid gas into and onto heated surfaces such that immediate vaporization takes place.

It is therefore an object of applicants invention to provide a new and unique low pressure gas vaporizer unit which will insure maximum liquid gas vaporization.

It is a further object of applicants invention to provide a low pressure gas vaporizer or the like which due to the 3,409,076 Patented Nov. 5, 1968 particular location of the unit with respect to other portions of the grain dryer will provide immediate vaporization for the liquid gas flowing therethrough and which unit will not be affected by weather conditions.

It is a further object of applicants invention to provide a gas vaporizer for a low pressure gas system or the like and particularly for vaporizing liquid gase's before their utilization in grain blowers which provides a fan spray effect for disbursing the liquid gas entering therein over a heated surface to particularly insure rapid and immediate vaporization thereof.

It is a further object of applicants invention to provide a low pressure gas vaporizer for use with either central or rim fired burners which will make the most efficient and effective use of the available heated area produced by the burner.

It is a further object of applicants invention to provide a low pressure gas vaporizer for use with rim fired burners and the like which will provid a particularly high area of vaporization due to a particular arrangement of baffling within the vaporizer.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a typical installation of a grain dryer showing the bulk gas tank storage, the heater and the grain bin;

FIG. 2 is a detail of the heater section of the dryer installation illustrating a typical unit and having portions thereof broken away to illustrate the internal heating sections thereof;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 illustrating the vaporizer embodying the concepts of applicants invention;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken substantially along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating a modified form of applicants invention particularly adapted to rim fired burners;

FIG. 6 is a horizontal section taken substantially along line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 with the top of the vaporizer removed; and

FIG. 8 is a vertical section taken substantially along line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

In accordance with the accompanying drawings a typical installation in which the applicants vaporizer device would be installed includes a bulk storage tank 10 for containing a volume of low pressure gas, a dryer unit designated 11 designed to receive gas from the tank 10 through conduit 12 and a bin 13 for containing grains or the like. A heated air conduit connector 14 is provided between the heater 11 and the grain storage bin 13. As illustrated in the FIG. 1 a liquid outlet member 15 is provided on tank 10 and likewise a vapor conduit 16 is designed to receive vapor from tank 10 and provided thereon. These two outlets are provided with conduits connected through a Y-type connector 17 such that both liquid and vapor will pass through the conduit 12 to the heater 11.

Heater 11 is more specifically illustrated in FIG. 2 which illustrates a long, substantially cylindrical heater portion 18 having an air intake end 19 for the intake of cool air and a hot air discharge end generally designated 20. As the air passes through cylinder 1'8 it is exposed to a source of heat generally designated 21 and it is the supply for this heat source 21 with which the applicants device is particularly related. In a device such as this a fan system is provided to positively force the air thr ugh the cylindrical heatingsection 18.

In the form illustrated in FIG. 2 a center fire burner 22 is provided. This is a single flame type unit and the applicants vaporizer discussed at this time is particularly related to use. with this single fiame type system. As illustrated, conduit 12 extends inwardly into the heating chamber 18 to connect with and feed the vaporizer generally designated 25 which vaporizer is in spaced overlying relationship with respect to the position of burner member 22 such that heat from the burner 22 will heat not only the air passing through the unit but also will heat the vaporizer 25. A conduit 12a extends from the vaporizer 25 to the burner 22 and may pass through regulator devices or the like to positively control the pressure at. which the vapor will be fed to the burner section. v

Generally in the use of this or various other Vaporizers the. principle is to heat the vaporizer such that liquid may be delivered thereto and vaporize therein to pass from the vaporizer as a vapor and thereafter be delivered to the burner for final utilization. Although various of the installations as previously described have individual lines extending from the bulk tank for both the liquid and vapor such that the unit may initially operate upon vapor and after heating the liquid to a vaporization state a transfer or switchover may occur such that now the vaporized liquid is burned applicants device per-mitsthe utilization of vapor from the bulk tank to be fed directly through the vaporizer unit and therefore only conduit 12 is illustrated to feed both the liquid and vapor to the burner 22.

The particular vaporizer provided herein by applicant is more positively illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 wherein the first delivery conduit 12 is arranged for connection to the vaporizer 25 and the likewise outlet conduit for vapor 12a is illustrated as being directly connected to the vaporizer 25 but naturally for installation purposes attachment members such as nut elements 27 will be utilized. As illustrated the vaporizer 25 includes a housing member having a bottom 30, a top 31 and generally arcuate side elements 32 such that a substantially short cylindrical member closed at both ends is provided. Inlet conduit 12 is fastened to the side element 32 of vaporizer 25 and extends therein to an approximate central location thereof. A downwardly extending tubular section 33 communicates with the inlet portion 12 and is sealed against the bottom of the tank housing 30 such that this inlet portion is completely air tight. A slot 34 is formed angularly downwardly in the upstanding central section 33 of inlet pipe and this slot 34 is formed in such a manner to effect a downwardly directed spray for the incoming liquid. In this manner as the bottom of the vaporizer 25 is directly over the flame of burner 22 and is substantially hotter than the remainder of the housing member 25, directed liquid spray hitting upon heated surface 30 is immediately atomized and vaporized. vaporization and atomization of the liquid gas received within vaporizer 25 continues with striking of the various gas particles against the other heated surfaces of the unit.

Outlet conduit 12a extends into the interior of the vaporizer 25 and in the form shown extends to abut with the downwardly directed vertical section 33. This form is obviously for convenience 'and this outlet tube 12a could stop at any portion after entering vaporizer 25. It should be noted however that the vaporizer outlet 12a is designed to be oppositely arranged with respect to the slot 34 in the upstanding vertical pipe. An inlet passage 36 is provided in conduit 12a to receive the vaporized gas therein and permit passage therethrough out of the vaporizer 25. In this form it should be noted that the vaporizer inlet 36 is spaced upwardly with respect to the initial direction of the inlet spray into the vaporizer such that before exit of the vapor a maximum percentage of vaporization will occur. This of course is the most ideal situa- "tion inorder to obtaiii 'tl ie b e's t po'ssibleutiliz'ation of the liquidgas within the bulk tank. 10., V

In the initial starting situation it has been stated that normally one conduit supplies the vaporizer and burner from the bulk tank 10. In this situation it is then necessary that vapor must likewise flow through the vaporizer upon starting the unit and it should be obvious that the fiow of thevapor will not be impeded by the general configurationand structure employed inthe vaporizer 25 but rather will be allowed to flow directly through slot 34 and out of the outlet aperture 3 6.

As stated this particularly completely round cylindrical member is best adapted for use with a center fire burner structure. With the burner utilized in what is known as rim fire concept an essentially differentform of vaporizer is employed and this u nit is particularly'illustrated in FIGS. 5-8 wherein certain similar numbers are employed to represent like or similar parts previously discussed in the initial form and wherein different numbers are utilized to explain the differences between the models. 7 g

In utilizing a rim type burner it should be understood that what is meant is a continuous arcuate toroidal section best illustrated in FIG. 6, such burner being designated .40. This burner is provided with a plurality of openings 41 entirely around its upper surface such that flames may be provided entirely therearound as the gas is permitted to flow therethrough and out of the burning apertures 41. g I

In the form illustrated the rim fire vaporizer 45 consists of a generally arcuate section designed to cover only a portion of the entire fire area. This arcuate section is designed to cover a substantial area of the entire rim fire burner such that a sufficient volume of fluid flowing therethrough will be properly vaporized therein when exposed to heat over a predetermined flow length. In the form shown the unit again is provided with inlet and outlet ends 12-12a and consists of a bottom plate member 46, .an upper plate member 47 and generally arcuate side elements. 48-49 to again provide a confined closed housing confining a cavity 50 therein. Mounted within cavity 50 is a bafi'le member 51 generally arranged in cycloidal configuration such that as the gas enters through conduit 12 it will be directed along a circuitous route before passing from the unit 45 as vapor. In the particular form shown the bafile member 51 comprises a blocking structure resting upon the bottom surface 46 of the unit 45 and extending substantially from side to side of the unit 48 to affect. a particularly complicated route for the gas to follow as it is vaporized therein. It should be noted that.the baffle condition provides a large heat area for the gas passing therethrough and therefore provides proper vaporization of the gas. I

Again with this specific structure it should be obvious that the inlet 12 could be extended directly into the inlet cavity 50 of the rim fired type atomizer 45 and a notch could be provided on the lower. edge thereof such that the only way liquid gas could enter the unit would be to be sprayed directly against the bottom surface 46 thereof. This again would employ the same fan spray affect as discussed in the first form of the invention and would positively insure initial contact of the entering gas with a heated surface. This slight modification is illustrated at 52 in the inlet conduit 12.

It should be obvious that applicant has provided a new and unique and particularly simple vaporizing structure which will positively insure proper vaporization of liquid low pressure gases to a vapor state. Applicants particular unit employing a unique fan spray effect to initially direct the liquid delivered thereto onto a particularly hot, heated surface and thereafter moving the vaporized fluid to a remote discharge point spaced at a proper remote location with respect to the inlet.

It likewise should be obvious that the baffle construc- 5 6 tion for the rim fired type model insures positive and (d) a burner arranged below said housing directed to prolonged vaporizing contact of the liquid with a heated heat at least a portion of said lower surface; and surface to thereby afford proper vaporization of liquid (e) an outlet means having a portion arranged adgas received therein. jacent said upper housing surface and a further por- It will of course be understood that various changes 5 tion arranged and constructed to receive vaporized may be made in the form, details, arrangements and gas from said chamber and direct the same from proportion of parts without departing from the scope of said housing to said burner. my invention, which generally stated consists in the mat- 2. The structure set forth in claim 1 wherein said outter set forth in the appended claims. let means is arranged in generally opposed relationship to I claim: 10 said slot. 1. A vaporizer of low pressure gases including: (a) a housing defining a generally cylindrical cham- References Cited her having a lower surface, an upper surface and UNITED STATES PATENTS i i f fi l t d t 655,757 8/1900 Chambost 15s 53 m 1H6 means alvlng a POI Ion lrec e 1n 0 15 672 2 4/1901 Raymond 5 sald chamber along said upper surface and a fur- 690 071 12/1901 Lewis 158 63 ther portion directed downwardly toward said lower 861444 7/1907 Edwards j LII: 158 63 surface generally centrally of said chamber; 1,523:474 1/1925 Deems- (c) a slot arranged in the downwardly extending por- 1,540,633 6/1925 Kinsolving 158 63 tion of said inlet to permit gas to flow therethrough 2 and direct the gas against the lower surface of said housing; JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner.

1,690,119 11/1928 Kelley.

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