US981546A - Under-water vehicle. - Google Patents

Description

S. Z. DE PERRANTI.

UNDER WATER VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY20,1909.

Patented Jan. 10, 1911.

if 75,3 T

I stallations and in particular to provide 1mamount of fuel and so generate a compara- SEBASTIAN ZIANI DE FERRANTI, 0F GRINDLEFORD BRIDGE, ENGLAND;

UNDER-WATER VEHICLE. l

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 10, 1911.

Application filed May 20, 1909. Serial N0.'497,297.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, SEBASTIAN ZIANI DE FERRANTI, a subject of the'King of Great Britain and Ireland, and residing at Grindleford Bridge, in the county of Derby, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Underater Vehicles, of which the following is a specification. I

The present invention relates to water vehicles such as submarines and torpedoes, which in certain cases have to operate below the surface of the water. Vehicles of the type in question which are adapted to work below the water are hereinafter referred to generically as submersibles. In the'case of submarines it is a very common expedient to use two different sets of power plants, one for operating on the surface and one for operating when submersed.

One of the main objects of the present invention is to greatly simplify such inproved methods of and means-for operating with combustlon motors. The common practice with such motors is to oxidize a certain tively small volume of high temperature gases which must be diluted with some apopriate fluid in order to obtain a workable volume of gas at a workable temperature. Now, in the case of submarines, the additional volume of material which it is necessary to add to the products of combustion may very conveniently be atmospheric air when running on the surface. When submersed, however, atmospheric air is no longer available, and it then becomes necessary to utilize some other fluid. The method of operation I prefer to adopt is to utilize part of the exhaust gases of the combustion motor as added material.

The present invention thusconsists in the improved methods of and means for working underwater vehicles of the type indicated hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims. a

My invention may be briefly summarized and exemplified as follows When above water, the driving may be effected by means of a simple air turbine in which case sufficient air is compressed, not only to burn the combustible. but also to act as theinert matter to utilize properly the heat generated, or the portion of the fluid to be compressed sufficient for complete combustion may be drawn from the outside air, and the balance of the working fluid from the exhaust after passing through a final cooler and after compression to the maximum pressure. For below water working the only change necessary is to replace the fresh air of the working fluid by. air drawn from pressure storage tanks, or from a store of liquid air carried, or by oxygen sufficient to burn the fuel, this oxygen being obtained either from cylinders-of compressed gas or from a storage of more or less pure liquid oxygen carried in the vessel. The advantage of this method of working is that no supplementary or additional combustion chamber and nozzle arrangement-s are required for underwater working, the valve which cuts off the fresh air supply to the compressor being connected to, open out the supply from the storage sys-' tem. Supplementary compressing cylinders may be fitted tothe ordinary working pumps or compressors in order to raise the air to the storage pressure, while working on the surface ready for operation submersed.

The accompanying drawing shows a diagrammatic section through part of asubmarine vessel by way of example of my invention.

According to the form of apparatus herein shown as suitable for carrying my invention into effect, the driving motors consist of turbines, a, a arranged oncoaxial shafts, b, N, to rotate in opposite directions, and so drive respectively the propellers c, 0 The turbines are supplied with working fluid from the combustion chambers, d, d,

by way of expansion nozzles, e, e, the exhaust from the turbines passing through suitable connections, 7, f, to a regenerator or cooler, 'h, and so overboard by way of the pipe, 2'. The regenerator, h, may take anyv convenient form, and as shown comprises a series of tubes, is, connected to collecting headers, these tubesbeing arranged within I The exhaust gases thus a is, while the fluid I 5 sufficient air is taken from the atmosphere not only to completely burn the combustible but also an amount in addition to form a working volume with the products of combustion. The pump, 6, as shown, may be utilized to deliver into the air storage tank,

00, by way of the pipe, 2, when for instance the vessel is in harbor or a supplementarypump, 2, may be fitted drawing from the atmosphere by way of the pipes, 3 and, s, anddelivering the compressed air through the pipe 4, into the reservoir, w.

When working below the surface atmospheric air in unlimited quantities is no longer available, so that the air necessary for combustion passes under pressure from the reservoir, :11, through the pipes, z, and v, to the regenerator, and thus by pipes, 11: and 4 into the combustion chambers. The additional material to form a workable volume of fluid with the products of combustion, is

in this case taken by a pump, 5, which may be driven by gearing, 6, from the propeller shaft, 6, from the exhaust port, 2', by way of the pipe, 7, the exhaust gases having been cooled in the regenerator, and the amount so abstracted is forced through the pipes, 8 and 9, into the combustion chambers. It is evident that without change in the apparatus the exhaust gases may be used if desired, both when working on the surface and when submersed. In the case of a torpedo for example, which always runs submersed, atmospheric air is in no case available as added material. Suitable valves,

40 two of which are indicated at, 10 and 11, are

fitted as required to enable the a paratus described to perform its various unctions.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In combination in, a submersible a combustion motor carried by the same, a combustion chamber therefor, means for introducing into said chamber combustible and an excess of oxidizer, together with means for replacing said excess of oxidizer by a fluid other than said oxidizer under certain working conditions.

' 2. In combination in a submersible a combustion motor carried by the same, a comfluid under certain working conditions.

3. In combination in a submersible a com-- bustion motor carried by the same, a com bustion chamber therefor, means for introducing into said chamber combustible and an excess of an oxidizer, together with means for replacing said excess of oxidizer by exhaust products from said motor under certain working conditions.

4. In combination in a submersible vehicle, a combustion motor carried by the same and means for adding at will to the products of combustion of the fuel for said motor either a certain volume of air or a certain volume of fluid other than air for the purpose set t'orth.

5. In combination in a submersible vehicle, a combustion turbine carried bythe same and means for adding at will to the products of combustion of the fuel for said turbine either a certain volume of air or a certain volume-of fluid other than air for the purpose set forth.

6. In combination in an automotor submersible, a combustion motor driving the same and means for adding to the products of combustion of the fuel a certain volume of atmospheric air when running on the surface and a certain volume of fluid other than atmospheric air when submersed.

7. In combination in an automotonsubmersible, a combustion motor driving the same and means for adding to the products of combustion of the fuel a certain volume of atmospheric air when running on the surface and a certain volume of vthe motor ex- ,haust gases when submersed.

8. In combination in an automotor submersibie, a combustion motor driving the same, and means for adding to the products of combustion of the fuel a certain volume of air or a certain volume of the motor exhaust gases at will.

9. In combination in an automotor submersible, a combustion motor; a combustion chamber therefor; a reservoir for compressed fluid; a pump with a suction connection through thevshell of said automotor t0 the atmosphere and a delivery controllable at. will either to said reservoir or to said combustion chamber. g

10. In combination in an automotor submersible, a combustion motor; a combustion chamber therefor; a reservoir for compressed fluid; a pluralit of pumps; means for connecting the suctions of said pump through the shell of said automotor to the atmosphere and means for connecting the deliveries or said pum s to said reservoir together with a connection from one of said de ivery connecting means to said combustion chamber.

11. In combination in an underwater automotor, a combustion motor; a combustion chamber therefor; means for cooling the exhaust gases frorn said motor and a connection from said cooling means to said combustion.

chamber to pass cooled exhaust ases thereto.

12. In combination in an un erwater automotor, a combustionturbine; acombustion chamber therefor; means for cooling the exhaust gases from said turbine and a connection from said cooling means to said combu'stion chamber to pass cooled exhaust gases thereto.

13. In combination in an underwater automotor, a combustion motor; a combustion chamber therefor; means for cooling the exhaust gases from said motor and a pump with a suction from said cooling means and a delivery to said combustion chamber to pass cooled exhaust gases thereto.

14. In combination in an automotor sub-.

mersible, a combustion motor; a combustion chamber therefor a reservoir for compressed fluid; a pump with a suction connection through the shell of said automotor together with a-single instrumentality for directing the discharge of said pump at will either to said reservoir or to said combustion chamber.

15. In combination in an automotor submersible, a combustion motor; a combustion chamber therefor; a reservoir for compressed fluid; a pump with a suction connection through the shell of said automotor to the atmosphere together with connections from said pump and said reservoir to said chamber, said connections having a common part.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SEBASTIAN ZIANI DE FERRANTI.

Witnesses:

ALBERT HALL, VVTLLIAM DUNCAN DAVIDSON.

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