US1382156A - Apparatus for heating liquids - Google Patents

Description

L. G. ABOGADO.

APPARATUS FOR HEATING LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED MAYIZ, I919.

Patented J1me 21, 1921 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

L. G. ABOGADO.

APPARATUS FOR HEATING LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12. I919.

Patented J uno 21, 1921.

Z SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrica.

LUIS G. ABQGADO, OF MEXICO, MEXICO.

APIPABATUS FOR HEATING LIQUIDS.

Application filed May 12,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LUIS G. AnooADo, c1t1- zen of Mexico, residin at Calle Indepen- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 21, 1921. 1919. Serial No. 296,303.

a liquid-supply pipe (not shown). The casing A is provided with a circumferential in 'ternal shoulder A on which is seated the dencia No. 17, Mexico ity, Mexico, have illlower edge of a cylindrical shell B. Within vented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Heating Liquids, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for heating water and other liquids by electricity, and has for its object to provide a very efficient device of this character which will cause the liquid to flow in a very thin "film between plates or electrodes connected with an electric circuit, so that the current will pass through the liquid and heat it. When the apparatus contains no liquid, the circuit will be interrupted automatically, and if the supply of water or other llquid is shut off at a time when the apparatus contains some liquid, the current will heat this remaining liquid to a higher temperature than during the normal operation (with the liquid flowing through the apparatus),.and this greater heating effect will bring about the evaporation of the body of liquid, and ultimately the interruption of the circuit, as soon as no liquid remains between the electrodes.

Without desiring to restrict myself to the specific details illustrated, I have shown three preferred embodiments of my lnvention in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section through one form of my improved apparatus, taken on line 1 -1 of Fig. 3; Fig. 2 is a similar view, in a plane at right angles to Fig. 1, as indicated by the section line 2.2 in Flg. 4; Figs. 3 and 4 are horizontal sections on lines 3-3 and 4-4: respectively of Figs. 1 and 2 respectively; Fig. 5 is a top view of the bottom head or plug employed in, this form of my invention; Fig. 6 is a top view of the apparatus; Fig. 7 is a vertical section through the second form of my mvention, in a plane corresponding to that of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 shows this second form of my invention in section on a plane corresponding to that of Fig. 4; and Fig. 9 shows a third form. g Y

Referrin first to the construction represented in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, A designates a bottom casing, preferably of circular cross section, made of metal or other suitable material and provided with an inlet A which may be screw-threaded as shown for convenient connection with the threaded end of the lower portion of the shell is fitted the lower head or plug C formed with spaced segmental extensions 6 engaging the inner surface of the shell, while the intervening portions of the said head are out of contact with the shell, so as to leave two segmental passages 'D, D, see Fig. 4. These passages are in permanent communication with a chamber A* formed in the casing A below the head or plug C. Into the upper end of the shell B is fitted an upper head or plug F, sim lar to the head or plug C, but having 1ts entire circumference in engagement with the inner surface of said shell. Each of these heads or plugs is formed with a central aperture through which passes a longitudinal rod F threaded at its ends to receive nuts G, G fitted into suitable countersinks or sockets in the outer faces'of said heads, said rod and nuts forming a connection between the two heads. The upper end of the shell B fits into an upper casing H, of annular construction, connected, as by screws J, with a cap K provided with an outlet K, which may be connected with a goose neck pipe L or other suitable means for carrying away the heated liquid. The ring or casing H together with the cap K correspond to the casing A. The screws J also serve to secure in position, an additional cap M, of insulating material, forming with the cap K a chamber N.

Between the heads or plugs C, E, which are made of insulating material, are located the two electrodes 0, O which are alike in shape, each of them comprising a segmental cylindrical portion of relatively large diameter and a cylinder segment of smaller diameter connected therewith by a bend lying substantially in a radialor axial plane. Any metal or other suitable conductor (say carbon) may be used as a material for the electrodes. The two electrodes are fitted withtheir upper and lower edges into corresponding grooves in the opposing surfaces of the heads or plugs C, E, and the largediameter portion of one electrode is placed adjacent to the small-diameter portion of the other electrode, so that these two portions will be parallel and very close to each other. The axes of the cylinder segments coincide with the longitudinal axis of the entire ap paratus, that is to say, with the axis of the shell B and of the rod l Between the rod F and the electrodes 0, O a tube P, likewise of conducting material, fitted concent-rically, the ends of said tube entering annular grooves in the heads or plugs C. E. The cylindrical wall of this tube P is solid, except for perforations (preferably two), such as P, located at its upper portion, adjacent to the head E. Through these perforations, the annular chamber Q surroundling the tube P communicates with a chamber R located within the upper portion of the tube P. The upper head E is provided with apertures E leading from said chamber R to an outlet chamber S formed between said plug or head E and the cap K. The two bends or axial portions connecting the two cylinder segments of the respective electrodes are substantially in diametrical alinement (see Fig. 3), and at these bends 1 secure to said electrodes, as by welding, longitudinal rods T the ends of which extend through openings in the heads C, E and are threaded to receive nuts U, U. The lower nuts U engage washers V, while the upper nuts U engage insulating washers V, and insulating sleeves V, which might be made integral with the washers V, surround, the rods T where they pass through the cap K, which is generally made of metal. The wires W for supplying the current pass through a suitable aperture in the cap .or cover M, and their ends are clamped against the nuts U by binding nuts W of wellknown character, these terminals being thus contained in the chamber N, and protected by the cap M.

On the threaded portions of the rod F are mounted loosely two disks X the peripheries of which engage the inner surface of the tube P with a sliding fit, and these disks are pressed toward each other by nuts Y, to hold in position a heat-retaining body Z, which is a stone-like mass filling the tube P between said disks; such mass may consist, for instance, of a hydraulic cement made from cement, asbestos, bone ash, and some bichromate of potash to harden the mass.

Through the caps M, K and the upper head E extends a vertical rod a mounted to turn about its axis and carrying at its upper end a handle a which may also serve as.

a pointer indicating on a scale M on the outer cap M. This rod extends within the tube P, and is provided with a switch-plate I) always in electrical connection with, say, the tube P, and adapted to be swung into contact with the electrode '0, so that when the switch is in this position, the tube P is electrically connected with said electrode and virtually becomes part of it.

In operation, the electrodes 0, 0 having been connected with a source of electricity, water or other liquid will pass through the inlet A into the chamber X and from there through the segmental passages D, D into the outer portion of the annular cham her (,1, adjacent to the shell B. Vater will then flow in contact with the outer surfaces of the outer electrode segments, to reach the vertical or longitudinal slots 0 formed be tween the vertical edge of the outer segment of one electrode and the rod T at the bend of the other electrode. The water then flows between the two electrodes 0, O in the direction indicated by the arrows, the flow being partly circumferential and partly longitudr nal (toward the outlet), so that the liquid travels substantially ina helical or spiral path. When the liquid thus reaches the free edges of the inner electrode segments, it will pass inwardly through vertical slots (Z formed between said free edges and the bends of the other electrodes. The liquid' thus reaches the space between the inner electrode segments and the tube P, and leaves said space through the perforations P, thus passing into the chamber R and from there through the apertures E to the chamber S and the outlet L. It will be obvious that the liquid forms a part of the circuit, that is to say, the current cannot begin to flow until the liquid engages both electrodes 0, O and thus forms an electrical connection between them. The water or other liquid is thus heated, and it will be noted that in the preferred operation the cool water is in contact with the inner wall or surface of the shell B, while the hotter water is nearer the center or axis of the apparatus; I thus practically prevent the loss of heat radiated by the shell B. The temperature which the liquid has at the outlet L will depend, of course, on the time the liquid remains in the apparatus, and this is controlled by opening more or less the cock in the water supply pipe leading to the inlet A. As the electrode surfaces are very close to each other, and spaced uniformly, a very even and efficient heating action is obtained. Part of the heat will be absorbed by the body Z, which thus becomes a heatreservoir to compensate for any fluctuations in the heating effect which may be due to irregularities in the flow of the liquid or of the current.

Throwing the switch Z) so that it will connect the tube P with one of the electrodes, will virtually increase the surface of that electrode and thereby reduce the internal resistance of the apparatus, so that the am perage of the current is increased. The inside of the shell B might be coated with pitch or other suitable material to prevent rusting or oxidation. 1

If the supply of water or other liquid is stopped, as by closing the cock in the watersupply pipe, the effect will at first (for a few seconds) be a moderate rise of the aim perage, and then, as the water becomes heated more highly owing, tothe fact that there is no renewal and carrying away of the heated water, the boiling point will be reached and the amount of water withinthe apparatus will be reduced by evaporation. This will reduce thearea of the wetted electrode surface and thereby further increase the heating effect. Finally, when the entire amount of water in contact with the electrodes has evaporated, there will be no electrical connection between the electrodes, and the circuit will thus be broken automatically.

In the construction illustrated by Figs. 7 and 8, which is adapted for operation by a three-phase current, there are three electrodes O O 0", each of the general steplike arrangement described in connection with the electrodes 0, O, but instead of comprising only two segments of different diameters, each of these electrodes 0 0 O has three segments of different diameters, with intervening bends, forming three sets of vertical slots 0, d, e, the three slots of the same set being evenly spaced circumferentially (120 apart),.and the outer segment of one electrode overlapping the. intermediate segment of the adjacent electrode, which segment again overlaps the inner segment of another electrode. All of thesesegments are concentric with the axis of the rod F. There are three terminals or binding posts, one for eachof the electrodes. In other respects, the construction shown in Figs. 7 and 8 is the same as in Figs. 1 to 6, but no'switch such as b is shown in Figs.

' 7and 8.

It will be understood that the number of electrodes may be varied, and that other modifications may be made without departing from the nature of m invention as set forth in the appended claims.

In Fig. 9 the shell B is rectangular instead of cylindrical, and the electrodes 0,

Q are given a corresponding shape. They too consist of portions of a segmental nature arranged to overlap and to form. a spiral path for the thin film of liquid traveling between the electrodes, the opposing, film: engaging faces of the electrodes being evenly spaced at all points of the film, in each form of my invention. Furthermore, it will be seen that in each form of my invention each individual electrode extends more'than halfway around the center or axis of the casing, inv fact, almost 360", 'thus'lengthening the path of the liquid and affording a very large contact surface for; the heating action.

Likewise, the width of the longitudinal slits formed between the edge of one electrode and an intermediate portion of an adjacent electrode, is equal to the distance between the main surfaces of adj acentelectrodes between which the film of liquid flows, so that the cross section of the stream of liquid .is the same at said slits and between said'filmforming surfaces.

The heating action of the current is due largely to the heat generated by the passage of the current through the water, and partly to the heating of the electrodes themselves, which then transfer their heat to the water.

The current supplied to the apparatus may be ordinar lighting, current, direct or alternating igs. 1 to 6 and 9).

I claim as my invention: 1. An electric heater for liquids, comprising a casing forming a chamber adapted to contain the liquid, an electrode located in said'chamber and having its terminal edges located adjacent to each other and both on v the same side of the casing, the portion of the electrode adjacent to one of said edges being nearer the center of the casing than the portion adjacent to the other electrode edge, and another similar electrode arranged in step-like fashion relatively to the firstnamed electrode and extending between said terminal edges of the first-named electrode, but out of contact therewith, said second electrode having an inner portion overlapped by the outer portion of the firstnamed electrode, and an outer portion overlapping the inner portion of the same firstnamed electrode. J

2. An electric heater for liquids, compris-' ing a casing forming-a chamber adapted to contain the liquid, electrodes located 1n said chamber,' a tubular member located in the from the electric circuit of said electrodes,

and a switch movable from a position in which it leaves said conducting body in its normal disconnected condition, to a position in which it establishes an electrical connection between said conducting bodyand one of the said electrodes, whereby the effective area of said electrode may be varied.

In testimony whereof I afiix my si ature.

LUIS e. ABOG no.

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