US3457724A - Cooling device for engine exhaust conduits - Google Patents

Description

y 1969 M. c. GANDY ET AL 3,457,724

GOQLING DEVICE FOR ENGINE EXHAUST CONDUITS Filed June 27, 1967 Mack 6. Gandy John E. Ml ller IN VFN'I'ORS M4065.

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United States Patent Office 3,457,724 Patented July 29, 1969 3,457,724 COOLING DEVICE FOR ENGINE EXHAUST CONDUITS Mack C. Gandy, Tatum, and John E. Miller, Lovington,

N. Mex., assignors to Mack C. Gandy, doing business as Safety Equipment Manufacturing Company, Lovington, N. Mex., a sole proprietorship Filed June 27, 1967, Ser. No. 649,277 Int. Cl. F0111 3/02 US. C]. 60-31 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A safety device for large industrial combustion engines to minimize the danger of fire and explosion by cooling exhaust gases discharged from the engine and conducting the gases away from the immediate vicinity of the engine. Such discharge of engine exhaust gases at a location remote from the engine induces the flow of cooling air in surrounding relation to an extension conduit through which the exhaust gases are conducted from the engine.

The present invention relates to fire and explosion preventing means for industrial combustion engines and more particularly to facilities for cooling the exhaust gases discharged from such engines.

In connection with stationary internal combustion engines of the relatively large industrial type, there is often a constant danger of fire and explosion because of a potentially hazardous environment within which the engine is operating. For example, industrial engines utilized to operate the pumping equipment associated with the handling of gas and oil, normally emits exhaust gases or combustion products at a relatively high temperature into a potentially combustible atmosphere within the vicinity of the engine because of the presence of the gas and oil under high pressure flowing at a high volumetric flow rate. Should any rupture or leakage of the fluid handling facilities occur due to metal fatigue and vibration, the combustible gas or oil upon mixing with the air adjacent to the engine could be ignited because of the elevated temperature of the engine exhaust gases being discharged into this atmosphere. The present invention is therefore addressed to this problem.

In accordance with the present invention, the aforementioned hazard is reduced by not only cooling the engine exhaust gases normally discharged but also by conducting the engine exhaust gases to a location remote from the engine.

Cooling of the engine exhaust gases is effected by insulating the exhaust conduit and inducing a flow of cooling air in surrounding relation to the exhaust conduit through which the exhaust gases are conducted from the engine. Thus, an imperforate extension conduit is connected to the engine exhaust pipe and is enclosed within sections of a tubular housing through which a flow of cooling air is conducted in response to discharge of exhaust gases from the extension conduit. In order to induce such flow of cooling air, the extension conduit is radially spaced throughout from the tubular housing and discharges the exhaust gases from an open outlet end disposed adjacent to but spaced inwardly from the outlet end of the outer tubular housing. An intake housing is connected to the outer tubular housing adjacent to the engine exhaust pipe and is insulated from the extension conduit so as to conduct an inflow of air without heating thereof.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a typical installation for the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the exhaust gas cooling device associated with the present invention.

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 33 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 4-4 in FIGURE 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIGURE 1 illustrates a typical installation for the present invention which includes a stationary internal combustion engine generally referred to by reference numeral 10 of the industrial type. This engine 10 may be utilized for operating pumping equipment associated with the handling of gas or crude oil under high pressure and flow volumes. In view thereof, the engine 10 will be located in a potentially dangerous atmosphere. In this regard, it will be appreciated that under normal operating conditions, the exhaust gases or combustion products discharged by the engine into the atmosphere will be at a relatively high temperature sometimes sufficient to ignite combustible fluid within the vicinity of the engine should rupture or leakage occur in the fluid handling facilities. Therefore, in order to minimize the danger from fire or explosion, the exhaust gas cooling device generally denoted by reference numeral 12, is mounted adjacent to the engine and connected thereto. The cooling device as shown in FIGURE 1 includes a vertical section 14 directly connected to the vertical exhaust pipe associated with the engine and a horizontal section 16 extending at right angles to the vertical section away from the engine. An extended section 18 is connected to the section 16 by a flange coupling 20 and supported at spaced locations therealong by suitable ground supports 22 so as to conduct and discharge exhaust gases into the atmosphere at a location remote from the engine.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, it will be observed that the sections 14, 16 and 18 associated with the cooling device form an outer tubular enclosure 24 within which an imperforate extension conduit 26 is disposed, the extension conduit being connected at one end to the engine exhaust pipe 28. The extension conduit 26 is supported within the outer tubular enclosure 24 in coaxial relation thereto throughout by means of axially staggered, radial spacers 30 so as to form an annular cooling passage 32 through which air may flow in heat exchange relation to the extension conduit 26 through which the engine exhaust gases are conducted.

The inner extension conduit 26 is provided with an open outlet end 34 located remote from the engine from which engine exhaust gases are discharged a indicated by the arrows 36 in FIGURE 2. The outer tubular housing 24 on the other hand is provided with an outlet portion 40 which extends a short distance beyond the open outlet end 34. The conduit 26 as shown in FIGURE 2 has a constant cross-sectional flow area which is unobstructed throughout. Accordingly, engine exhaust gases will discharge from the outlet end 34 through the outlet portion 40 of the outer tubular enclosure at a relatively high velocity to induce an outflow from the annular cooling passage 32 to which air is supplied at an inlet end 42 adjacent the engine by means of an intake assembly 44.

The intake assembly 44 includes a cylindrical housing 46 having an open inlet end 48 and an outlet end 50 secured to the inlet end 42 of the outer tubular enclosure as by welding. An insulating jacket 52 is mounted -by member 54 on the extension conduit 26 immediately adjacent the exhaust pipe 28 in order to radially space an annular inflow passage 56 from the extension conduit. The lower end of the jacket 52 is therefore in a plane with the inlet end of the housing 48 While its upper end is axially spaced from the inlet end of the outer tubular enclosure 42 in order to provide fluid communication between the inflow passage 56 and the cooling passage 32. It will be apparent therefore, that the jacket 52 insulates the inflow passage 56 from the conduit 26 where it is at a relatively high temperature in view of the inflow of engine exhaust gases thereto. A sulficient volume of air is conducted by the inflow passage 56 to the cooling passage so that the air may acquire a suflicient flow velocity prior to being heated sufiicient to remove heat from the extension conduit 26 for cooling of the exhaust gases. The intake assembly 44 also insulates the atmosphere immediately adjacent the engine from the hot engine exhaust gases and regulates the inflow of air for cooling the exhaust gases within the sections 14, 16 and 18.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with a combustion engine having a vertical, upwardly extending exhaust pipe discharging combustion products at an elevated temperature within a potentially combustible atmosphere in the vicinity of the engine, a safety device comprising an imperforate, internally unobstructed extension conduit having a relatively short vertical section connected to the engine exhaust pipe and a relatively long substantially horizontal section, said horizontal section having an open outlet end located a substantial distance from the engine, a tubular enclosure surrounding the extension conduit, spacing means supporting the exten ion conduit in substantially coaxial relation to the tubular enclosure to form a cooling passage in heat exchange relation to the extension conduit, said tubular enclosure having an outlet portion extending axially beyond the outlet end of the extension conduit a relatively short distance to conduct said combustion products therefrom to atmosphere remote from the engine, and an annular insulating intake means connected to the tubular enclosure having a inner wall in radially spaced relation to the extension conduit adjacent the engine exhaust through which an inflow of air is induced into the cooling passage in response to said discharge of combustion products from the outlet portion of the tubular enclosure.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said intake means includes a housing enclosing the vertical section of the extension conduit adjacent to the engine exhaust pipe having an open lower end and an upper end connected to the tubular enclosure, said inner wall forming above the engine an insulating jacket mounted on the vertical section of the extension conduit within the housing axially spaced from the tubular enclosure to form an annular inflow passage insulated from the vertical section and the engine exhaust pipe.

3. In combination with a combustion engine having an exhaust pipe discharging combustion products at an elevated temperature within a potentially combustible atmosphere in the vicinity of the engine, a safety device comprising an imperforate extension conduit of constant flow area connected to the engine and having an outlet end located a substantial distance from the engine, a tubular enclosure surrounding the extension conduit, spacing means supporting the extension conduit in substantially coaxial relation throughout within the tubular enclosure to form a cooling passage, said tubular enclosure having an outlet portion extending axially beyond the outlet end of the extension conduit conducting said combustion products therefrom to atmosphere remote from the engine, and an annular intake means connected to the tubular enclosure, having an inner wall radially spaced from the extension conduit adjacent the engine exhaust pipe through which an inflow of air is induced into the cooling passage so that the initial flow of air is insulated from the extension conduit.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said intake means includes a housing enclosing the extension conduit adjacent to the engine exhaust pipe having an open lower end and an upper end connected to the tubular enclosure, and an insulating jacket mounted on the extension conduit within the housing axially spaced from the tubular enclosure to form an annular inflow passage radially spaced from the extension conduit and the engine exhaust pipe.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1921 Paris 30' 3/1938 Fluor 60-31

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