US23668A - etjnson - Google Patents

Description

rr srA'rEs PATENT EEic.

ROBERT G. EUNsON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

WATER-COOLER FOR STEAM-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 28,668, dated April 19, 1859-.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT G. EUNsoN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful apparatus which I call a hydraulic decalorator, to be used to cool the condensing water of marine steam-engines and for other purposes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and .exact description.- of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a central longitudinal, vertical section of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a transverse, vertical, section of the same in the line m, m, Fig. l; Fig. 8 is a trans-verse, vertical section of the same in the line y, y of Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The main object of my invention is to deprive the condensing water of steam engines of the caloric received from the exhaust steam in the process of condensation by spray, by means of a current of cold sea water, without mixing, so that a small quantity of fresh water may be sufficient wherewith to keep up condensation, the same water being used over and over again continuously as condensing spray. The water obtained from the exhaust steam when condensed by spray is nearly sufficient to supply the boilers.

I am aware that many attempts have been made to cool the water from the hot well so as to inject the same into the condenser again, and some constructions for that purpose resemble my decalorator, but I believe none have up to this time been successful, and no Steamship that navigates the salt seas condenses her steam by spray and carries fresh water in her boilers. The quantity of water required for condensing spray is very large, and any apparatus to cool such quantity in the required time, and be within practicable limits, in regard to bulk, cost, and durability, must possess greater cooling powers than any of those yet devised for that purpose.

The novelty of my invention consists in rendering the use of very small tubes available by combining them with numerous supporting and directing tube plates in the course of their length, that direct the current of sea water so as to crossrand recross the tubes many times in the course of their length, and at the same time give support to the slender and fragile tubes against the force of the water, and prevent them from being damaged thereby. And by placing the rows of tubes across which the cold water flows, so that the center of each tube, in each row, shall be opposite the center of each space between the tubes of the row on either side of it. This is most important, as it forces the water to sweep around every part of the surface of each tube throughout its whole length, and forms a sharp current upon its entire surface.

I make the shell A of my decalorator of boiler iron, or other suitable material, and of cylindrical or other desired form, I rivet the same at the ends to flange rings see Fig. l the nozzles g and f. Figs. l and 2. I also rivet fast to the shell, I make in the shell openings corresponding with the openings g, and f, respectively.

I make the tube plates d, CZ, d', d', to iit the shell of the decalorator to e, Fig. l, leaving suilicient space between c and the shell to allow the stream of cold water to pass the plate. These plates I place alternately with e above, and then below, or with e to the right, and then to the left, thus leaving the openings between e and the shell alternate. These p'lates I either rivet fast to the shell as shown in my model, and in Fig. l, or confine to their respective places on the tubes, and so pass the whole tubular structure into the shell complete all but one end plate. The exterior diameter of the end. tube plates I make to correspond to the flanch rings by which they are bolted to the shells, I make the holes in the tube plates in rows running parallel with e Fig. 2, and so arranged that the center of the tubes in the first row, shall be opposite to the center of the space between the tubes in the second row and so on throughout the series, see Figs. 1 and 2, through these holes I pass the tubes a, a, and make each end of each tube tight in the end plates to prevent leakage, to the end plates and flanch rings I bolt the boxes B, C, respectively. The nozzle Z) of B I connect with 'the hotwell by a suitable pipe, and the nozzle c of C I connect with the condenser by an injection pipe of the ordinary size, having a valve, or cock, by which to regulate or shut off the injection from the condenser.

The chambers or boxes B, C, communicate with each other through the tubes only,

they are each covered by a plate or bonnet of iron bolted to the flanches thereof, and can be taken off when desired, making both ends of the tubes accessible, so that a defective tube can be replaced by a perfect one, without emptying the shell of sea water. The nozzle f. I connect with t-he sea by an aperture in the-side or bottom of the vessel and usein connection therewith a centrifugal .or other pump, operated by a small engine, to cause the sea water to circulate through the decalorator. The nozzle g I connect with the outside of the ship by a discharge pipe. I place my decalorator with its tubes and shell in a horizontal position, near the bottom of the vessel, in order to get as much pressure within and without the tubes as possible and to prevent the admission of air without the tubes, or air or vapor within them. I take care to leave both ends of the decalorator accessible, so the bonnets may be taken off and defective tubes replaced by perfect ones at pleasure. I so proportion my decalorator, that the stream of fresh water inside of the tubes shall move through them with considerable rapidity, in order to secure a uniform current through them all, and to do the work with as small an apparatus as possible. I

`make my tubes of length suiicient to cool the water by passing once through them.

Operation: The boilersbeing well cleaned from scale and dirt-are to have the proper quantity of fresh water charged into them in port, the decalorator, hotwell, and bedplate channel are also to be lled with fresh water. The small engine that operates the centrifugal pump is to vbe put in motion, so as to produce a current of sea water outside of the tubes before starting the main engine; the main engine is to be started in the usual way; the injection cock being opened the water Hows into the condenser through the chamber C, Fig. l, tubes a, a, chamber B, pipe, and hotwell; having absorbed the caloric from the exhaust steam in the condenser, it is removed therefrom by the air pump, and delivered into the hotwell, from which it passes into the decalorator as described.

The current of cold sea water entering at f, Fig. 1 is directed across the several rows of tubes successively, by the tube plates, see black arrows Fig. 1 and around the tubes in consequence of their arrangement with the center of the tubes of one row opposite to the center of the space between the tubes with it as it advances in a direction indicated by the black arrows Fig. 1 to contact with that portion of the tubes where the water from the hot well enters them, whence it escapes through g into the sea, taking with it the caloric it has absorbed from the tubes in its passage through the decalorator; the fresh water from the hot well flowing through the tubes in a direction contrary to the current of sea water, see red arrows Fig l is constantly losing more of its caloric, and is constantly coming in contact with portions of the tubes surrounded by colder water until it enters C through that part of the tubes that is crossed and encircled by the cold sea water pouring in through f, direct from the sea and of even temperature therewith; and if the apparatus is properly proportioned the cooled water from the hotwell will again enter the condenser at a temperature showing no thermometrical variation from that of the water outside of the ship.

I do not wish to confine myself in the use of my decalorator, to cooling the condensing water of steam engines, but contemplate its application to all operations of cooling for which it is fitted; nor do I confine myself to the cylindrical form of my present arrangement; nor do I claim my decalorator broadly as a tubular device for cooling the condensing water of steam engines, by means (f a stream of sea water outside of the tubes.

lVhat I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is.

l. The use or employment of a decalorator such as is described or its equivalent, when the series of very small horizontal tubes are so arranged in respect to the current of water outside Vof .the tubes, that the center of each tube in one row, shall'be opposite, or nearly opposite to the center of the space between the tubes in the next row, in combination with supporting and directing tube plates such as are described, and for the purposes set forth.

2. I also claim the use or employment of tubes arranged in rows as described, in combination with the tube plates, and shell of the decalorator, when so arranged that the current of cold water is made to flow across the tubes, being directed bythe tube plates of fresh Water inside of the tubes; for the purposes set forth.

ROBERT G. EUNSON.

Witnessed by 1 CHARLES E. MoR'roN, WM. A. LIGHTHALL.

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