US1020675A - Steam condenser and purifier. - Google Patents

Description

J. L. ZEIGLER.

STEAM CONDENSER AND PURIFIER.

APPLICATION FILED 111:0. 14. 1909.

1,020,675, Patented Mar. 19,1912.

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UNITED STATES PETENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. ZEIGLER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO VERTICAL CONDENSER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF CALI- FORNIA.

STEAM CONDENSER AND PURIFIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

1,020,675. Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

Application filed December 14, 1909. Serial No. 533,098.

To all whom it may concern. 9 is a hollow body provided with internal Be itknown that 1, JOHN L. ZEIGLER, a flanges 10 formed spirally within such holcitizen of the United States, residing at Los low body.

Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and ll. indicates a pipe leading from a suitable State of California, have invented a new steam supply.

and useful 5team-0ondenser and Purifier, 1''. is a collar fastened to the shell 1, and 1.2-3 of which the following is a specification. are fastening means to fasten the hollow My invention relates to that class of water body 9 to such flanges. condensers in which steam is condensed for 1. 1 is a drainage from the bottom of the ice manufacturing purposes as well as drinkchamber ing purposes, and has for one of its objects 15 is a man-hole to allow admission into the condensation of steam and the freeing the coni cal bottom 16. of the water from any gases which may be 17 is a pipe adapted to supply cooling carried by the steam. water from a suitable source of water sup- Another object of my invention is to proply, not shown. The line sheet 3 rests upon vide a condenser and purifier which can be an upwardly extending llange 18 of the operated continuously without the necessity conical bottom .1 (3 within the shell 1. A reof ceasing the operation for cleaning purinforcing angle collar lt) is arranged above poses. the top of the flange (5.

Another object of my invention is to pro- 20, 20 indicate heat insulating jackets Vide means in a condenser whereby a II10 about the upper end of the tlues below the tion will be imparted to the steam, which top line sheet will have a tendency to liberate all gases In operation, steam is admitted to the from the same and permit their separation chamber 5 through the pipe. 11. and hollow from the water condensed from the steam body 2). The spirally arranged flanges 10 and also permit the escape of the gases from within the hollow body 9 impart a gyratory the condenser. or whirling motion to the steam, and the Another object of my invention is to pro same is thrown against the tines 1, l, thereby vide a steam condenser and purifier which agitating the steam and breaking it up and will be simple in construction, and which causing the steam to be distributed throughcan be easily repaired. out the cylindrical shell. The point of ad- The accompanying drawings illustrate mission through collar 12 is located at a my invention. distance above the lower line sheet 3 sutli- Figure 1 is a vertical section of the con cient to allow of the incoming steam to he denser and purifier. Fig. 2 is a horizontal above and out of the influence of the consection on line w w Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a densed water in the bottom of the chamber5. cross section of the meansfor imparting a Cold water is admitted to the conical bot' whirling motion to the steam. tom to throu h the pipe 17 and flows up- 1 is the shell of the condenser and puri- \vardly therefrom through the lines -l-, -i into tier which is preferably formed from boiler the [lange (i and outwardly therefrom iron and is circular in cross section. through the outlet pipe 7. The upwardly 2 is a top line sheetand 3 is a bottom flue tlowing cooling water causes the steam adsheet, which flue sheets are located within mitted through the collar l2 to be conthe circular shell 1 near the top and bottom densed, and when so condensed it will tlow respectively of the shell. downwardly along the 'llucs l-, -land the t, 4 are fines mounted in the flue sheets 2 shell l to the bottom where it is collected and 3 and forming water passage-ways and allowed to [low outwardly through the through the steam space 5 within the shell.

l outlet pipe til. 6 is a flange extending above the flue The whirling motion imparted to the insheet 2.

coming steam by the spiral flanges 10 dis- 7 is a drain communicating with the space tributes the steam throughout the entire area w1th1n the flange 6.

of the condenser and uniformly into contact 8 is a relief valve adapted to permit the with the llucs -l-, -l, and allows the cooling escape of gases from the upper portion of effect. of the upwardly flowing water within the chamber 5.

the lines to extract the heat from the steam and carry the same upwardly in the water within the flues. As the water carrying the heat extracted from steam progresses up wardly, it serves to maintain the temperature of the upper portion of the chamber at a degree of temperature slightly below the condensing point of steam, but is not cold enough to condense any gases of lubricating oils or other gases which may be combined with the steam, and such gases are allowed to collect in the upper portion of the chamber 5, and when such gases have attained a pressure suflicient to cause the relief valve 8 to act, such gases will be discharged through such valve. The' water having performed the function of condensing the water from the steam and liberating the gases from the combination therewith will flow outwardly from the upper part of the condenser through the overflow pipe 7.

To prevent any condensation of the gases in the upper part of the chamber 5 in case the cooling water should not absorb suflicientheat from the steam to maintain a high enough temperature in the gas Zone, or the cooling water should circulate so rapidly as to prevent its absorbing sufficient heat to maintain the temperature of the upper part of the chamber I have incased the upper ends of the fines in heat insulating jackets 20 20 to prevent such gases from giving up their heat to the circulating water in the flues. By insulating such flues I maintain the temperature of the gases in the upper part of the chamber and prevent any liability of their condensing and running down the flues or the shell to again mingle with the steam or the condensates of the steam.

My invention is particularly adapted for condensing and purifying steam from engines, and will liberate from such steam any gases formed from lubricating oils used in the engine and volatilizecl and carried therefrom by the steam. Furthermore, my invention will condense and purify such steam and prevent any oil from condensing into the water of condensation.

The heat from the steam will be sufficient to cause incrustation or deposit of scale to occur in the flues 4c, 4 from the water flowing upwardly therethrough, and when such incrustation or deposit occurs the same can be effectually removed by inserting a suitable flue cleaner into the upper part of the flues and working such flue cleaner up and down therethrough.

The deposit cleaned from the inside of the flues will fall downwardly into the conical bottom 16. As the space above the top flue sheet 2 is open or exposed at the top, this operation may be performed while the con denser is in operation without interfering in any manner with the condensing process, and such operation may be performed often enough to prevent any deposit of scale within the flues, thereby keeping such flues in condition whereby the full cooling effect of the water may be exerted upon the steam.

The conical bottom 16, together with the flue sheet 8, forms a water chamber having an area suflicient to furnish a body of water beneath such flue sheet having a cooling surface of maximum capacity to absorb the heat from the water of condensation and to maintain the same at a low enough temperature to prevent its reheating and vaporization from the effect of the steam admitted into the chamber above the water of condensation. The flange 6 above the flue sheet 2 is of suflicient height to form a chamber which will contain water above the flue sheet 2 of considerable depth before such water will overflow into the outlet pipe 7. The flues 4, it may be made of any suitable flue material and may be thin enough to readily allow the heat of the steam to be absorbed by the water flowing upwardly through the uninsulated portions thereof.

I have discovered that by admitting steam to the condensing chamber at a point above the outlet for the condensate, and providing a chamber of suflicient height to allow the gases to ascend above the inlet point, that I avoid all liability of such gases condensing and avoid all liability of washing or carrying such gases downwardly into the conden sate from the steam, as would occur if the inlet point of the steam. was at or near the upper portion of the condensing chamber, and I have also discovered that by maintaining the temperature of the upper portion of the condensing chamber at a point above the condensing temperature of the gases formed from the lubricating oils used in a steam engine, that such gases being lighter than steam, or the condensate of steam, will seek the upper portion of the chamber and will escape through a suitably arranged valve, and that such gases when separated from the steam will notagain combine with the same, and by preventing their condensation I am enabled to allow such gases to escape from the condenser in their vapor form.

By the use of my improved condenser and purifier, I am enabled to take exhaust steam from a steam engine and condense distilled water therefrom which is free from all gases or impurities, and I am enabled to utilize such water in the manufacture of ice without further boiling or purifying the same to drive off any excess of air therefrom.

The whirling motion imparted to the steam by the hollow body having the internal spiral flanges, produces a motion to the steam which causes any air or excess of oxygen combined with the steam to be separated therefrom and to rise to the upper portion of the chamber where it escapes through the relief valve.

What I claim is 1. A steam condenser and purifier comprising a vertical shell provided with a conical bottom with a bottom flue sheet above said conical bottom forming a water chamber, a top flue sheet and a flange above said top flue sheet forming an open topped chamber above the top flue sheet, flues extending vertically in the shell between the bottom and top flue sheets and establishing communication between the water chamber at the bottom and the open topped water chamber at the top of the shell, means for supplying water to the water chamber at the bottom, overflow means for leading water from the water chamber at the top, drainage means near the bottom of the shell above the bottom flue sheet, a steam supply pipe opening into the lower portion of the shell at the side thereof at a pointabove the flue sheet, and a vapor outlet from the upper portion of the shell below the top flue sheet.

2. A steam condenser and purifier comprising a vertical shell provided with a conical bottom with a bottom flue sheet above said conical bottom forming a water chamber, a top flue sheet and a flange above said top flue sheet forming an open topped chamber above the top flue sheet, flues extending vertically in the shell between the bottom and top flue sheets and establishing communication between the water chamber at the bottom and the open topped water chamber at the top of the shell, means for supplying water to the water chamber at the bottom, overflow means for leading water from the water chamber at the top, drainage means near the bottom of the shell above the bottom flue sheet, a steam supply pipe opening into the lower portion of the shell at the side thereof at a point above the flue sheet, and a vapor outlet from the upper portion of the shell below the top flue sheet, said vapor outlet means being provided with a relief valve maintaining definite pressure in the interior of the shell.

A steam condenser and purifier comprising a vertical shell provided with a conical bottom with a bottom flue sheet above said. conical bottom forming a water cham- I ber, a top flue sheet and a flange above said top flue sheet forming an open topped chamber above the top flue sheet, flues extending vertically in the shell between the bottom and top flue sheets and establishing communication between the water chamber at the bottom and the open topped water chamher at the top of the shell, means for supplying water to the water chamber at the bottom, overflow means for leading water from the water chamber at the top, drainage means near the bottom of the shell above the bottom flue sheet, a steam supply pipe opening into the lower portion oi the shell at the side thereof, and a vapor outlet from the upper portion of the shell below the top flue sheet, said steam supply means being provided with a hollow member formed with internal flanges extending spirally to cause whirling motion of the steam as it enters the shell.

4. A steam condenser and purifier comprising a vertical shell provided with a conical bottom with a bottom flue sheet above said conical bottom forming a water chamber, a top flue sheet and a flange above said top flue sheet forming an open topped chamber above the top flue sheet, flues extending vertically in the shell between the bottom and top flue sheets and establishing communication between the water chamber at the bottom and the open topped water chamber at the top of the shell, means for supplying water to the water chamber at the bottom, overflow means for leading water from the water chamber at the top, drainage means near the bottom of the shell above the bottom flue sheet, a steam supply pipe opening into the lower portion of the shell at the side thereof, and a vapor outlet from the upper portion of the shell below the top flue sheet, and heat insulating means around the upper portion of the flues.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 6th day of December, 1909.

JOHN L. ZEIGLER. In presence of F. M. TOWNSEND, FRANK L. A. GRAHAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

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