US1689336A - Exhaust-steam injector - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 30, 1928.

J'. F. GRIFFIN EXHAUST STEAM INJECTOR Filed March 3, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY oct. 3o, 192s. 1,689,336

J. F. GRIFFIN EXHAUST STEAM INJEGTOR Filed March 5, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNE) Patented Oct. 30, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH F. GRIFFIN, OF TEANECK, NEW ERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SUPERHEATER COMANY, F NEW YORK, N. Y.

EXHAUST-STEAM INJECTOR.

Application filed March 3, 1927. Serial No. 172,396.

My invention relates to injectors of the type primarily intended ior operation by exhaust steam from an engine, and which may in addition be operated, when exhaust steam is not available, by live steam reduced to approximately exhaust stean'i pressure, this live steam being hereinafter referred to as auxiliary steam.

In injectors of this type a relatively small quantity of high pressure live steam, hereinafter referred to as supplementary7 steam, is used to assist either exhaust steam or auxiliary live steam in operating the injector.

Numerous control systems have been developed by means of which the several steam supplies to the injector, as Well as the Water supply, are controlled from a single manually operable valve, and the delivery of either exhaust steam or auxiliary live steam to the injector is governed in accordance With engine conditions by an automatic valve incorporated in the control system.

lVhen the injector is operating entirely on live steam, a number of factors tend to vary the pressure of the auxiliary live steam entering the injector nozzle when the apparatus is constructed in accordance With the type of apparatus now in current use. Variations in the temperature ot the Water admitted to the injector aiiect the rapidity with Which steam is condensed, and with cold inlet water the more rapid condensation oi steam tends to reduce the pressure of the steam being delivered to thev nozzle. The variation in the amount of Water fed to the injector also affects the amount of steam con` densed, and consequently the steam pressure. Fluctuations in the boiler steam pressure also ali'ect the pressures of both the suppleinentary and auxiliary steam entering the injector nozzle.

These variations in the steam pressure within the injector are ruidesirable, as they tend to decrease the range through Awhich the injector Will operate Without breaking and such variations in the pressure ol' the auxiliary steam in the injector may also cause the operation oit the automatic valve in the control system to become erratic.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of means whereby a substantially constant pressure of auxiliary live steam may be maintained in spite of variations in boiler pressure and other factors affecting the operation of the injector. A further object of the invention is the combination with such means of additional means ior regulating the amount of supplementary steam admitted to the injector when the latter is operated on exhaust steam. Other and more detailed objects et my invention will become apparent from the tolloiving detailedV description ofi specific embodiments thereof illust-rated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a diagrammatic view partly in section of an injector and control system therefor arranged in accordance With my invention, and Fig. 2 is a similar diagrammatic representation of a variation of the invention.

Referring now to F ig. 1, the injectoris ot the usual and Well-known form of this type, comprising a main housing 1 4forming a main steam chamber 2 having an inlet 3 controlled hy the exhaust steam valve 4l, and supplied by Way of conduit 5 with exhaust steam from an engine. The injector housing 1 carries a main nozzle G through which Aeither exhaust steam or auxiliary live steam passes to the Water nozzle or cone 7, to -which Water is admitted from the chamber 8. The jet established at nozzle 7 passes vthrough further nozzles to the delivery end of the injector, this portion oit' the apparatus not being shown. A supplementary nozzle 9 Yfor high pressure live steam is n'iounted centrally of the nozzle'G and is supplied withl high pressure steam through the passage 10. Auxiliary live steam is supplied to the steam chamber 2 through the passage 11 and port 12. The exhaust valve l is normally seated by means of spring 13 and is opened against 'the pressure oi said spring by means of the fluid pressure actuated piston 14 mounted in cylinder 15 and actuated by steam admitted tlu'ough the 'passage 16. Viater is supplied tor the injector through the inlet passage 17 and Water valve 18, the latter being normally closed by spring 19 and opened against the pressure et said spring by the fluid pressure actuated piston 20 operating in a cylinder formed in the housing 21. The apparatus just de cribed ot standard form and construction, and it is not believed that a more detailed description thereof is necessary or a proper understanding of the invention. `In actual constructional examples, the Water valve housing 21 is ordinarily formed as an integral part of the main injector housing 1, as is more clearly shoivn in my application Serial Number 172,395, filed concurrently herewith, and the conduit 21 shown in the diagrammatic form herein is replaced by a passage formed in the body of the injector housing.

Live steam for operating the injector and ,tor controlling the exhaust steam and Water valves is supplied 'from the boiler turret through conduit 22 terminating at the main control valve 23 mounted in a suitable casing 24 located at or near'the engine cab. A main supply conduit Q carries the steam supply from the control valve to the automat-ic valve casing 26 which may be located in any position desired, but which pretn erably formed, as shown in my other application already re'terred to, integral with the main injector housing.

In the particular form of control system. Whizch l have illustrated, a portion of the live steam delivered to the housing 26 is carried by means of conduitl QT to the supplementary steam chamber ot the injector, and a branch Q8 carries high pressure steam to the Water valve actuating piston 20.

The automatic valve 29 for controlling the admission in alternation of auxiliary live steam and exhaust steam is of the usual form, comprising a` double-seated valve member 2? to the stem et Which there is attached the piston 30. The head or valve portion of the automatic valve 29is mounted in a chamber 31 formed in the housing 26, said chamber being arovided with an outlet. in the bottom tliereot around which there is formed the annular valve seat 33. The outlet 32 is connected by means of conduit 34- to the auxiliary steam chamber 11 oi the injector'. Chamber 35 is formed in the housing 26 above chamber 3l and is connected therewith by the port 36, this port having vformed around its circumference in chamber 31 the valve seat 3T against `vhich the upper 'tace of valve QS) is adapted to seat. Chamber is connerted by means of conduit 38 with the passage 16 in the injector' leading to the exhaust valve actuating piston 14. l)iston out the automatic valve is located in an open-ended cylinder 'formed in the housing 26 above chamber 35 and around the upper end ot this cylinder there is formed a valve face against which the check valve 39 is adapted to seat. Above valve 39 there is provided a chamber 40Y to which steam from the supply line leading to the engine is admitted by Way ot conduit 41.

Chamber 31 of the automatic valve housing is extended, as at 31, and in this extension there is mounted a balanced valve 42, the stein 43 of which is attached to a diaphragm 44 carried bythe housing 2G and operating in a chamber 45 which is vented to the atmosphere. Spring 46 mounted'in the housing Y cap 47 bears against the upper end of valve neeaesc 42 and is so mounted that the compression thereon may be varied. A. closed chamber 48 is provided beloiv the diaphragm 44 and this chamber is placed in communication with the loiv pressure steam chamber 2 ot the injector by means of conduit 49.

The port openings provided by valve 42 which place the automatic valve chamber 31 in communication with the steam supply conduit 25 are of comparatively small area and serve to throttle the steam passing to the automatic valve to a relatively low pressure.

The automatic valve construction is of a type already known and its operation may be brielly described as iollovvs: Assuming that the engine is operating and exhaust steani available, steam trom the engine supply line admitted above valve 39 through conduit 41 will cause said valve to seat and Will retain the automatic valve 29 in the pos sition shown in the ligure. In this position the auxiliary steam conduit 34 is closed and steam admitted through the open port 3G and conduit B8 will open the exhaust steam valve lt, when the injector is operating, the engine throttle is closed and exhaust steam is no longer available, auxiliary steam to take its place is admitted through conduit 34 by the shifting of the automatic valve to its upper position. This shitting of the automatic valve accomplished by the releaseot' pressure above valve 39 due to the failure of the steam supply through conduit 41 and the consequent unbalancing of the automatic valve. rlhe shifting of the automatic valve to its upper position permits closing of the exhaust valve in the injector by shutting oilq the steam supply to conduit 38, and by the steam in it being vented past piston 30, Which is a loose in housing 26.

rFhe action ot the automatic valve is very sensitive, and the most satisfactory operation ot the injector and control system as a Whole is obtained if a constant steam pressure is maintained in the rhaml er 2 ot the injector. It such a constant pressure is maintained in this chamber, the operating range oii the in- Iiector is also materially increased. l? rom an inspection of Fig. 1 it will be obvious that the construction as contemplated by my invention will provide a constant or nearly constant steam pressure in the chamber 2, as variations in pressure therein will actuate the diaphragm 44 to vary the port openings ot valve 42. Variations in these port openings will be immediately reiiected in the pressure' drop at this point of restrict-ion to the steam flow, and the pressure of the auxiliary steam passing to the injector Will vary in accordance therewith. rllhus, it the pressure in chamber 2 rises to an un desirable degree, the diaphragm 44 will act to further close the port openings of valve 42 and reduce botlf the amount and pressure of the lllll auxiliary steam passing into chamber 2. It the pressure in chamber 2 falls, the reverse action will take place.

Referring now to Fig. 2, I have'illustrated therein a `modilied form of construction in which the injector, water valve, automatic valve and control valve arrangements are the same as in the preceding form. In this form, however, the steam for actuating the water valve is carried through conduit 28 leading directly `from the automatic valve housing 26 to the water valve housing.

The supplementary steam chamber l0 of the injector, instead of being in direct communication with the supply conduit 25, is placed in communication with the live steam supply through a balanced valve 50 mounted on a valve stem 43 which carries a second balanced valve 42', the latter valve controlling the auxiliary steam supply leading to the automatic valve in the same manner as in the form previously described. 'Ihe valve stem 48 is attached at its lower end to a bellows form ot diaphragm 44 located in chamber, the latter being in communication with the injector steam chamber 2 by way of the conduit 49.

In this form, the diaphragm 44 serves the dual function of regulating through valves 42 and 50 both the pressure and quantity of auxiliary live steam passing to the injector when the latter is operating wholly upon live steam and of regulating the amount of supplementary steam flowing to the injector when the latter is operating on exhaust steam.

It will be obvious from the foregoing description of my invention that the speciiio arrangement of the control system may be considerably varied and that many changes in the torni and disposition of the several component elements thereof may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention. which is to be limited only by the scope ot the appended claims.

That I claim is:

l. The combinati-on with an exhaust steam injector having a plurality of conduits connected therewith lor supplying water, exhaust steam from an engine, supplementary live steam and auxiliary live steam to said injector, ot means for automatically controlling the admission oit auxiliary live steam to said injector, said means comprising a valve for cloing the auxiliary live steam conduit, and fluid pressure actuated means in communication with the interior ot' said injector icr controlling said valve in accordance with the working conditions within said injector.

2. The combination with an exhaust steam injector having an exhaust steam chamber therein and conduits connected with said chamber for supplying thereto exhaust steam from an engine, and auxiliary live steam, ofv

means for automatically controlling the1 admission oifauxiliary live stea'mto said chamber, said means comprising fa valve for closing the auxiliarylive steam conduit, and

iluid pressure actuated meansin communication with said chamber for controlling the operation ci' said valvein accordance with variations of the pressure of the steam within said chamber,

'Ihe combination with an exhaust steam inject-or having an exhaust steam chamber therein, conduits connectedl with said chamber for supplying `thereto exhaust steam irom an engine, and auxiliary live steam, a supplementary'live steam nozzle and a conduit ior supplying steam to said nozzle, ot'

means for automatically controlling the admentary live steam to said injector and the admission of steam to an automatic valve for controlling the admission in alternation oi' auxiliary live steam and exhaust steam tc said injector, characterized by the provision of a valve controlling the steam flow from said centro-l valve to said automatic valve, said first named valve being controlled by variations in the auxiliary steam pressure within the injector.

5. An exhaust steam injector control system of the type wherein a main control valve governs the admission of supplementary live steam to said injector and the admission of steam to an automatic valve for controlling the admission in alternation oit auxiliary live steam and exhaust steam to said injector, characterized by the provision of a valve controlling the auxiliary steam flow to said automatic valve, a second valve controlling the supplen'ientary steam iiow :trom said control valve to said injector, and fluid pressure actuated means ior operating both of said valves in accordance with operating conditions within the injector.

6. The combination with an exhaust steam injector having a main steam chamber, a plurality o'j conduits for supplying water., exhaust steam from an engine and live steam to said injector, and an automatic valve for controlling the admission in alternation of auxiliary live steam and exhaust steam to said injector, of a balanced valve located in matic valve, al luid pressure actuated dialiu phragm governing said valve, means placing said diaphragm in communication with the main steam chamber of the injector, and adjustable resilient means for varying the adjustment of said Valve and diaphragm.

7. A combinati-on with an exhaust steam injector hayi'nga main steam chamber, a plurality of conduits for supplying Water, exhaust steam from an engine, auxiliary live steam and supplementary live steam to said injector, and an automatic Valve for controlling the admission in alternation of auX- iliary live steam and exhaust steam to said injector, of a balanced Valve located in the auxiliary live steam conduit leadingto said automatic Valve, a second balanced Valve located in the supplementary live steam conduit leadingl to said injector, said balanced valves being mounted on a common stem, a fluid pressure actuated diaphragm for actuating` said stem and valves, means placing said diaphragm in Communication with said main steam chamber, and adjustable resilient means for varying the adjustment of said valves and diaphragm.

JOSEPH F. GRIFFIN.

Images