US870060A - Feed-water heater. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED NOV. 5, 1907.

C. STIGKLE. FEED WATER HEATER. APPLIUATION FILED APE. 2.1906.

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FEED WATER HEATER. APPLICATION FILED APB. 2.1906.

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COLE STIOKLE, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO OPEN COIL HEATER & PURIFIER COMPANY, OF INDIANAPOLIS,

INDIANA.

FEED-WATER HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1907.

To all whom it may concemr Be it known that I, COLE STIGKLE, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Indianapolis, county of Marion, State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed-Water Heaters, of which the following is aspecification.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an efficient and improved form of open feed water heater, to provide improved means for controlling the flow of steam through said heater, to provide improved oil separating means adapted to separate oil from exhaust steam before the same is admitted to the heater, to provide an improved form of settling tray for heaters of this class, and to provide an improved form of trap for controlling the water and oil overflow outlets. These objects are accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a feed water heater constructed according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan showing the form of the water heating and purifying trays. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the heater shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail showing the shape of the flange at the edges of the openings connecting the casing with the steam heater.

In the construction shown in the drawings, the casing 1 is formed of a plurality of flanged cast iron plates securely bolted together and packed at the joints to form a steam tight receptacle. A vertically disposed pipe or header 2 extends along one side of the casing and communicates with the interior of the casing by means of a' series of long and narrow horizontally disposed openings 4, each surrounded by a flared flange which extends inwardly of the header 2.

The header is provided with a steam inlet at 5 and an outlet 6 located at opposite sides of the series of openings 4. The inlet 5 and outlet 6 are of substantially the same diameter, so that the normal flow of steam through the header 2 will be between said inlet and outlet. Steam enters the casing of the heater through the openings 4 and passes out of the casing at the outlet 7 which is connected to the exhaust pipe 8 at the T 9. The connection between the outlet 6 and the exhaust pipe 8 forms a by-pass connecting the opposite ends of the heater and controlled by means of a by-pass valve 10.

A series of horizontally disposed trays ii are arranged one above the other in the upper part of the casing 1. These trays are provided with a plurality of transverse partitions 12, arranged as in Fig. 2 to form a tortuous open passage for water flowing along thetrays. The

trays are level and each is provided with a discharge opening 13. These openings are located at different ends of alternate trays so that each tray will receive water from the tray above at the closed end. The suc' cessive trays are spaced apart so as to provide a passage for steam between the bottom of one tray and the tops of the partitions 12 of the tray next below. The partitions 12 extend across the trays at right angles to the direction of the flow of steam through the spaces above the trays. The direction of the flow of steam is indicated by the arrow 14 in Figs. 2 and 3, and the direction of the flow of water is indicated by the arrows 15 in Fig. 2. The water flows in opposite directions in alternate trays. The trays are preferably supported by shelves which are cast integral with the side walls of the casing. The trays are also preferably formed of cast iron on account of the durability of this material for this PUIPOSG. The trays 11 fit closely to the side walls and supporting shelves and also to the end wall 16 which is adjacent to the header 2. The trays 11 are, however, spaced a considerable distance away from the door 17 which forms the wall at the opposite end of the casing so as to provide a passage for the steam to flow upward to the outlet 7 after having passed across the trays. The door 17 is preferably of the full width of the casing so that the trays may be readily withdrawn to be cleaned.

A filter bed is located in the lower part of the casing 1. This bed is subdivided by means of partitions l8 and 19, the partition 18 being spaced above the bottom so as to provide a passage for water below the same, and the partition 19- forming a dam over which the water must flow. The water from the lowest tray 11 is discharged into the space 20 between the partition 18 and the adjacent wall of the casing. The spaces between the partitions,except the last, which is a clear water compartment,are filled with filtering material such as coke. The water outlet which connects with the boiler is located at 21 and communicates with said clear water compartment. The first compartment of the filter bed is provided with a surface blow-off 22 for removing any floating scum or oil from the surface of the water in the casing. An overflow outlet is located at 23 and is controlled by means of a trap 35.

Water is admitted to the uppermost tray by the supply pipe 24. The feed of water is controlled by two valves 25 and 26 each independent of the other. The valve 25 is regulated by hand and controls the normal or minimum supply of water. The valve 26 is operated by means of a float 27 and is arranged to open and admit an additional supply of water when the surface water in the clear water compartment falls below a certain normal level. The float 27 is mounted on an arm which is rigid on the shaft 28 extending through one side of the casing and connected with the valve 26 by means of the arm 29 and link 30. The pipe 24 curves upward before entering the top of the casing so as to trap the water and prevent a water hammer due to the action of the valves when said pipe is empty.

The header 2 is provided with a ribbed baffle plate 32 at the inlet 5 which serves to deflect the steam. The steam on striking the bafiie plate and walls of the header deposits thereon the oil which is carried by the steam. This oil runs down the walls. The lower end 33 of the header 2 is funnel-shaped and connects with a l pipe 34 through which the oil accumulating in the header 2 is conducted away. The pipe 34 communicates with the lower end of the trap 35. The overflow pipe 23 communicates with the trap 35 at its upper end and extends downwardly inside of the shell of said trap to a point near the bottom thereof. The outlet 36 of the trap is near the top. This trap thus provides for a water seal for closing both the overflow pipe 23 and the discharge pipe 34 from the oil separator against the escape of steam.

Blow-offs 37 are provided for draining the several compartments of the filter bed, and one side of the cas ing is provided with removable door plates 38 through which the filtering material may be removed and replaced. A perforated plate or screen 39 supports the filtering material, and a similar screen 40 protects the pipe 21 against any sediment which may have been accidentally carried into the clear water compartment.

The operation of the device shown is as follows: The exhaust steam from the plant with which the heater is connected enters the inlet 5 and after baffling against the ribbed plate 32, flows through the header 2 to the l outlet 6 and then passes off through the exhaust pipe 8. A portion of the steam enters the casing through the openings 4 and flows along between the trays until it finally passes out of the outlet 7 and joins the main part of the exhaust steam in the exhaust pipe 8. The outlet 6 is large enough to take care of the entire flow of the i steam so that, when the valve 10 is wide open, the only steam which enters the casing is that which takes the place of the steam condensed in heating the feed water in the casing. By closing the valve 10, larger amounts of steam can be caused to flow through the heater. The required amount of steam for raising the feed water to the boiling temperature may be thus directed to the heater, while the main bulk of the steam passes out through the exhaust pipe and may be used for heating or other purposes. The feed water enters the uppermost tray from'the pipe 24. The valve 25 is set to suit the normal demands of the boiler and the valve 26 is antomatically operated by the float 27, so as to furnish an additional supply of water when the level of the water in the clear water compartment falls below its normal level as, for instance, at times when the speed of the feed pumps is increased to suit temporarily increased demands thereon by the boilers. The water entering the trays flows along a tortuous path between the partitions 12 and is brought into contact with the steam 1 during its course along the trays. Since the trays are level and their discharge openings 13 are not dammed, the water will spread in a thin film over the surface of the trays and will flow slowly along the same. The partitions l2 prevent the current of steam from striking directly upon the water so as to agitate it or blow it over the ends of the trays. It will be seen that the main flow of the water is at right angles to the direction of the flow of the steam and that the water flows in the same direction as the steam only when it is passing around the relatively short distances at the ends of the partitions 12. The sweep at these points is too short to permit the formation of waves which would agitate the water and cause the same to be carried along with the steam. The partitions 12 also extend a considerable distance above the surface of the water so that the direct flow of steam is across the tops of the partitions and the water in the trays is heated by the steam which eddies between the partitions 12. The water in the trays is therefore comparatively quiet and the conditions are such that lime and foreign matter in the water will be deposited upon the trays. These accumulations can be readily removed by opening the door 7, and then withdrawing and cleaning the trays.

Any oil which may have been carried into the casing by the steam will tend to float on the surface of the water above the filter bed. The water, in flowing through the filter bed and screens, is freed from all substances which remain in suspension therein after having passed through the series of trays. The water is therefore clean and is also at the boiling temperature when it passes out of the outlet 21 and is delivered to the boilers.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A feed water heater comprising a casing having therein a plurality of substantially level trays located one above the other, each being adapted to receive water from the tray above at one end and to overflow into the tray below at the other end, each of said trays having thereon a plurality of partitions extending across the same to cause the water to flow in a tortuous path between the receiving and delivery ends of the tray and the tops of said partitions being spaced below the tray above to permit the flow of steam across them, said casing having steam inlet and outlet passages arranged to cause steam to flow along the trays above the tops of said partitions, in a direct path from end to end of the trays and in a direction transverse to the length of said partitions and substantially parallel with the trays, said partitions being arranged to shield thewater from the direct current of the steam, and thereby prevent the steam from disturbing the water or driving the same toward one end of the tray.

2. In a feed water heater, the combination of a casing having therein a plurality of horizontally disposed trays, each adapted to receive water at one end and to overflow into the next tray below at the other end, a header extending along said casing at one side thereof and a plurality of oblong openings connecting said header with said casing, said openings being located respectively between successive trays of said series and each of said openings having its long dimensions horizontal and adapted to direct the steam in a wide flat column at the entrance to the trays, and each of said openings being surrounded by a flared flange extending inwardly of said header and adapted to prevent oil or water condensing on the walls of said header from being carried into said heater.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing having therein a series of trays arranged one above the other and each arranged to overflow into the tray next below, a water supply for feeding Water to the uppermost tray, a discharge outlet for withdrawing from the receptacle water that has passed along said series of trays, a steam pipe or header extending along one side of said receptacle and having individual branch passages communicatingwith the different spaces between the trays of said receptacle, an exhaust pipe for exhausting steam from said header, a valve connecting said exhaust pipe 10 and header, and a steam outlet connecting the interior of said casing with said exhaust pipe at a point beyond said valve.

Signed at Salem, N. Y. this 19th day of March 1906. COLE STICKLE.

Witnesses C. B. MCKEE, C. A. BEATTIE.

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