US512183A - gallagher - Google Patents

Description

No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T. M. GALLAGHER. SMOKE ABATING FURNACE.

Patented Jan. 2, 1894.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. M. GALLAGHER, SMOKE ABATING FURNACE.

No. 512,183. Patented Jan; 2, 1894.

a g I ZNES8{S/Z fmjv z'ofi M44 -Afi m KW THOMAS M. GALLAGHER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES D. STEVENS, OF SAME PLACE.

SMOKE-ABAT ING FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 512,183, dated January 2, 1894:. Application filed July 26. 1893. Serial Not 81,551. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, .THoMAs M. GALLAGHER, of St. Louis, Missouri, have made a new and useful Improvement in Smoke-Abating Furnaces, of which the following is a full, clear,

and exact description.

The invention under consideration and, which is applicable more especially, but not exclusively, to steam-boiler furnaces, is an improved means whereby familiar principles involved in the prevention, or abatement, or, as it is often popularly styled, the consumption, of smoke in a furnace, are more advantageously applied and carried out than heretofore has been done. The means referred to are a combination of elements, factors, or features some of which have been previously used either singly or in combination. Others again are now it is believed for the first time employed, and,they, and especially the general combination shown, and which, when the invention is fully carried out, is used substantially as shown, are peculiarly effective in that thereby these desirable results in unison are 2 5 attained in a notable degree; air in sufficient quantity for the consumption of that portion of the fuel which otherwise would pass off in an unconsumed condition is supplied to the burning fuel, and, further, it is supplied at 0 the most favorable point, namely, in the immediate vicinity of the incandescent fuel where a proper temperature exists for accomplishing the consumption; the gases which it is desired to consume are retarded from es- 5 caping until the air is quite thoroughly mingled with them; and as the air is supplied the gases are stirred and mingled with it and hence more thoroughly consumed.

The improvement further relates to the provision for muffling the steam-jets used in agitating and controlling the movement of the gases, and introducing the air.

The special mode of using the steam whereby Water gas to a limited extent is generated 5 is an additional feature, all substantially as is hereinafter set forth and claimed, aided by the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figurel is a vertical, longitudinal, central section of a furnace in which the improvement is embodied ;the furnace, in the present boiler and furnace, the hreeching of the boiler being broken away to exhibit the contained air-pipe;and Fig. A a vertical cross section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

The-same letters of reference denote the same parts.

The furnace, A, is of any of the ordinary constructions saving as modified or supplemented by the incorporation therein of the improvernent under consideration. Its grate is shown at a, and a, is the doorway to the furnace.

B represents the ash-pit, O the bridge-wall,

D the escape-flue leading from the furnace, and E the steam-boiler.

F represents the furnace and boiler setting. The boiler and furnace mayhave the usual relative arrangement. G represents the breeching of the boiler. Ordinary fuel, soft coal for instance, is used in the furnace.

The improvement is carried out by. means of coacting air-currents and steam jets.

H represents an air-flue extending through the bridge-wall and side walls of the furnace, and, by being open at its ends h, h, or otherwise constructed, adapted to receive air.

A series of fines, k extend forward through the portion 0 of the bridge-wall and connect the fine H with the interior of the furnace, and the air entering the flue H can be drawn through them into the furnace. It is desirable for this air to be heated, and the heat which accumulates in the bridge wall is utilized to that end, and to enable the bridge- Wall-heat to be applied advantageously the Wall is built of the customary refractory material, and the branch lines, 71 which pass through the hottest portion of the wall, are in practice made quite narrow-narrower than the scale of the drawings permits of being 5 distinctly shown-and a large number of the fines are employed. A width of half an inch to an inch is desirable, and it is also desirable for the fines not to be obstructed by anything that may interfere with the inflow I00 of the air, or that may lower its temperature in entering.

- But this of itself is of but little value.

The natural draft of the furnace induces an inflow of air through the described fiues.

Indeed, this is a defect in most-,if not all, of the devices which admit air through the bridgewall. For, under the influence of the furnace-draft, the air is at once, and before it has had opportunity to mingle appreciably w1th the'gases in the immediate Vicinity of the incandescent fuel, carried into the escape-flue where it is of but comparatively-little value in abating the smoke of the furnace. I overcome the difficulty, and enable the air to be advantageously used, by employing means which serve both to retard the escape from the furnace of the gases in an unconsumed condition and also to induce the flow of the air farther forward into the furnace and thereby provide a more extended area in which the air and gases may mingle and also afford a longer time for the mingling. The means referred to are auxiliary currents of some gas or vapor, and of sufficient force and properly directed, and of a nature not unfavorable to fuel-consumption, which operate to blow the gases forward, and preferably both forward and downward, in the furnace, and which, by displacing the gases more or less immediately in front, of the bridge wall, provide a better opportunity for the air entering through the flues 71. to advance forward of the bridge wall, and in a measure promote the suction of the air through the flues H, 71 and overcome the influence of the furnace-draft sufliciently to enable the air to thus advance into the furnace. While compressed air might answer the purpose I prefer to use steam-jets, and I introducethem at the sides of the furnace immediately in front, and at a level somewhat above that of the top of the bridge wall.

I and I represent the nozzles in question. At thelr other ends they connect with a pipe J which conducts the steam from a suitable source such as the drum e of the boiler. The innerends t of the nozzles are pointed, substantially as shown, to deliver the steam-currents both forward and crosswise in the f urnace and also, preferably, downward therein, and the objective points of the currents are preferably about two-fifths of the furnacelength forward of the bridge-wall and, respectively, at opposite sides, somewhat, of the middle of the furnace and in the immediate Vicinity of the grate, substantially as is indicated.

The apparatus thus far described is materially supplemented by other steam-currents delivered into the furnace from the front thereof, and from the sides near the front of the furnace. They act to stir, agitate and break up the body of gases while in the immediate vicinity of the incandescent fuel and thereby facilitate the mixing of the air and gases at the point mentioned. The currents from the front are directed backward and downward to meet the fire ata line about two fifths the furnace-length from its front end. The front-side currents are directed cross wise, rearwardly and downward toward the middle of the furnace at a point or points in the vicinity of the line to which the front currents are directed. The three sets of currents, directed respectively forward, backward and sidewise, and all of them downward as described, thus coact in breaking up and overturning the body of gasesand promoting theunion of the air therewith in the immediate vicinity of the incandescent-portion of the fire.

K K represent the nozzles through which the described rearwardly directed currents enter, and L L, represent the nozzles for deliverin g the front-side currents. All said currents are preferably connected with the same steam supply pipe J substantially as shown; but each set of nozzles may be controlled by its own valve to enable the sets to operate either together or singly, or so that more steam can be turned on through some of them than through others of them.

An additional feature remains to be described; the hissing sound incident to the discharge of steam is usually objectionable. I lessen, if not entirely obviate, this difficulty by introducing the steam-nozzles through airpipes M. That is, each steam-nozzle is carried through an outer air-pipe N and is thus inclosed so far as the exterior of the furnace is concerned. This serves to muffle the steamcurrents. The air-pipesin question, by being larger than the contained steam pipes as shown, also serve to introduce as many air currents to the interior of the furnace, and thus to further promote the combustion of the gases, and, to still further promote the combustion; the air is warmed by heating the pipe N, which supplies the air to the pipe N. This may be variously accomplished and preferably by leading the air pipe through the breeching' G whose heat serves to warm the pipe N and thereby heat the air which enters through the inlet a of the pipe and passes thence into the pipes M and thence into the furnace. It will be noted that the pipe N is IIO warmed by means of heat which otherwise would be lost in the smoke stack 0. It will also be seen that the steam delivered through the various steam nozzles is directed downward toward the furnace-grate. This, among other things, tends to hold the gases in the vicinity of the incandescent portion of the furnace fire, and when the steam encounters the incandescent fuel more or less water gas is generated which is helpful in promoting the efficiency of the furnace. In this, as in other furnaces in which steam has been used, it is unnecessary to introduce the steam saving at the time when the fire is replenished, and any means, automatic or otherwise, but not here shown, may be employed to turn the steam on and off.

I am aware that it is not new to provide air inlets in the bridge wall of furnaces; also that steam has been injected into the combustion chamber from different points at the side wall of the same; I am not aware, however, that it has ever been proposed to combine air-inlet openings in the furnace bridge wall with steam jets or nozzles arranged as herein described for the purpose of assisting and diagonally forward direction; substan tially as described.

2. In a smoke abating furnace, the combination with the fire-box and the bridge-wall, of draft inlets at the rear of the fire-box through the bridge wall, injector nozzles 10- eated in the upper part of the walls of the fire-box at or near the rear corners of the same, said nozzles being arranged to deliver jets of steam into the fire-box in adownward and diagonally forward direction, and similar nozzles located in the upper part of the Walls of the fire box at or near the front corners of the same, the latter nozzles being arranged to deliver jets of steam into the firebox in a downward and diagonally rearward direction; substantially as described.

3. In a smoke abating furnace, the combination with the fire-box and the bridge-wall, of draft inlets at the rear of the fire-box through the bridge wall, injector nozzles located in the upper part of the walls of the fire-box at or near the rear corners of the same, said nozzles being arranged to deliver jets of steam into the fire-box in a downward and diagonally forward direction, similar nozzles located in the upper part of the walls of the fire-box at or near the front corners of the same, the latter nozzles being arranged to deliver jets of steam into the fire-box in a downward and diagonally rearward direction, and other nozzles located in the upper part of the front wall of the fire-box, the last-named nozzles being arranged to deliver jets of steam into the fire-box in a downward and-rearward direction lengthwise of the same; substantially as described.

Witness my hand this 24th day of July, 1893.

THOMAS M. GALLAGHER.

Witnesses:

O. D. MOODY, A. BONVILLE.

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