US2532267A - Method of and apparatus for compressing vapors - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 28, 1950 c. D. CHASE 2,532,267

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING VAPORS Filed Feb. 9, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 28, 1950 c. 0. CHASE 2,532,267

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING VAPORS 2,532,267 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR cowmsssmc VAPORS Filed Feb. 9, 1948 C. D. CHASE Nov. 28, 1950 3 Sheets-Shet s Patented Nov. 28, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING VAPORS Curtis 1). Chase, B ighton, Mass, assignoi; to BostonMarine Works, Inc., Boston, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 9, 1948 Serial No. 75 275 7* laims; (01. 62-115) This invention relates to a methodand apparatus for compressing vapors or gases and. is characterized in that the fluid which is to be vaporized is used as the compression medium for compressing the vapor or gas.

One object of my invention is to provide a simple means of compressing the vapors or gases without the necessity of maintaining tight working joints between metallic surfaces.

Anothercbjec-t is a simple mechanism for compressing the vapors or gases within the vapor section of an evaporator.

A further object is to maintain a cylindrical body of fluid of predetermined size about the compression areas of the vapor section of the evaporator so as to provide the compression medium.

Another object is to automatically control the volume and the size of this body of fluid by introducing fluid at the center of the fluid body and maintaining a predetermined size of the fluid body by automatically discharging any surplus fluid. 1

Another object is tomaintain the inside diameter of said fluid body substantially constant at all times and under all conditions of operation.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear as this description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings wherei I have disclosed a preferred apparatus for the practice of my invention:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of my apparatus.

Figure am an enlarged view of the vapor section of the evaporator, and b Figure 3 is a section on the line S--3 oi Fig, 2.

I- have indicated generally at It a conventional evaporator comprising upper and lower tube sheets H and I2, shell 13; head I4, and tubes l5.

Surmounting evaporator ill is a vapor section indicated generally at ii and consisting of shell 48-; flange i8; and supporting head 19 bolted to flange [8 as at 20.

Bolted as at 21 to head is is a compression unit consisting of a cylindrical shell 22 and a removable cover 23 assembled thereto as by the cap screws 24.

Shell 22 is preferably a casting provided with an upwardly extending cylindrical portion 25 which is eccentric to the shell 22 and is cored to provide at its bottom spaced openings 26 and 253- and near its top is provided with a: pair of ports :6 and 21'.

Rotatable-axially about member 25 is ai hub 2 23 provided with a plurality ei spaced radially extending partitions or walls 2 9 forming chambers which are enclosed at the top and bottom ends of hub 28- by the partitions 3i.

In the rotation of 'hub 28 about member 25, each chamber 36 successively communicates with the ports 26' and 21 by means of ports 32 formed in the center of the hub.

Hub 23 extends beyond supporting plate 23 and is sealed by means of a conventional stuinng box consisting of a packing 33, gland 34, and studs 35, and is keyed and bolted as shown to the driving shaft 36 of a motor or other power source M.

If desired, 1 may secure to the bottom of member 22 spacedeccentric but axially parallel cylindrical members 3? and 38 which constitute a vapor trap. Inner member 38 communicates at its upper end with passage 2-! and is openat its lower end toouter member 31-. Outer memher 3? is closed. at its bottom and lhas openings 39 in its side wall communicating with the vapor chamber 4!! defined by shell t8 and member 22.

Connecting with passage 25 is tube 4! which passes through tube sheet I I and discharges into evaporator chamber 42.

The operation. is as follows:

Assuming that evaporator chamber 42 is filled with fluid which has previously been evaporated to the level indicated at 45', and alsofluidunder pressure has been admitted through pipe #13130 the chamber 45 which is defined by lower tube sheet I2 and head [4 and with which chamber the tubes [5 communicate at their lower ends. The fluid from chamber M passes along tubes i5 into vapor chamber 48- until it reaches a predetermined level indicated at 46 in Fig. 1.-

For starting purposes auxiliary heat from any suitable heat source (not shown) is applied to the fluid in chamber 44 and vaporizes this fluid, filling chamber with hot vapors.

Part of the fluid below level is withdrawn through pipe 41 by pump 43 and pumped through pipe into the compression chamber 50: which is defined by members 22 and 28,- entering said chamber through inlet opening 5| in supporting head 23 and being immediately acted upon by the centrifugalfo-rce developed by the rotation of members 23,. 29 and 3|, forming a cylindrical body or ring of fluid 52 within member 22;

When this body or ring of fluid attains a predetermined internal diameter, some of thefl'uid isexpelled by centrifugal'force through discharge 53- in head 23 and is returned through pipe 54 to chamber-i 44-. Y

This operation is continuous and automatic and insures that the body of fluid 52 is maintained at maximum compressing position. This body or ring of fluid 52, being located eccentrically to the rotating members 28, 29, and 3!, forms increasing areas 55 thereby sucking the vapors from chamber 40 through inlets 39, 21 and 2'! and ports 32 into areas 55. As soon as each area 55 passes the center of eccentricity of member 25 said area 55 decreases in size (see Fig. 3) thus compressing the hot vapor within area 55 between the fluid ring 52 and the hub member 28 and discharges through ports 32, 25, 26 and tube 4! into evaporator chamber 42 above level 45. This hot compressed vapor discharged into chamber 42 gives up its heat of compression by contact with tubes containing the incoming fluid to be compressed thus creating more vapor from said fluid.

The product of this operation may be taken off through pipe 56 and sent to any suitable storage chamber (not shown).

In a typical installation, I found that by using the fluid to be evaporated as the compression medium, heat losses were reduced to the minimum and that the internal compression .unit mounted within the evaporator greatly increased the over-all efliciency of the apparatus.

Various modifications in method and apparatus may obviously be resorted to within the spirit and scope of my invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for compressing vapors or gases, comprising a compressor having a stationary casing member and an internal rotary member, said rotary member being provided with a plurality of spaced ports around its circumference and said casing member having a portion extending axially into said rotary member and provided with spaced ports for successive registration with the ports of the rotary member to establish suction and compression areas about the circumference of said axial extension, said axial extension also having an inlet and an outlet passage, a vapor section surrounding said compressor and having a vapor chamber with which said inlet passage communicates, an evaporator section associated with said vapor section and having an evaporator chamber with I which said outlet passage communicates, means for supplying fluid to said evaporator section for evaporation therein, means for withdrawing a portion of the evaporated fluid from said evaporator section and utilizing it as a compression medium by sending it to the compressor, and means for returning any excess fluid to the evaporator section.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, and means for establishing a cylindrical fluid ring eccentrically of the rotary member of the compressor, and means for controlling the size and internal diameter of the fluid ring.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the means for controlling the size and internal diam- I:

eter of said fluid ring consists of an inlet and an outlet acted upon by centrifugal force, the inlet being so located as to increase the size and diameter of the fluid ring and the outlet being so located as to decrease the size and diameter of the fluid ring.

4. The method of compressing vapors or gase consisting in the following steps: suppling fluid to be vaporized to an evaporator vessel, using a portion of the evaporated fluid as a compression medium by withdrawing the same from the evaporator vessel and sending it to a compressor consisting of a stationary casing member and an internal rotary member, establishing by centrifugal force a cylindrical fluid ring eccentrically of the rotary member, controlling the size and internal diameter of said fluid ring by means of an inlet and an outlet acted upon by centrifugal force, the inlet increasing the size and diameter of the fluid ring and the outlet decreasing the same whereby to maintain substantially constant the internal diameter of said ring, returning any excess fluid to the evaporator vessel, and sending from the compressor substantially all of hot compressed vapors or gases to the evaporator vessel whereby to heat the incoming fluid in said vessel and create more vapor or gas from said fluid.

5. In apparatus having a vapor chamber and an evaporator chamber, a compressor within the vapor chamber and discharging into the evaporator chamber, means for supplying fluid to the vapor chamber, means for utilizing a part of the evaporated fluid as a compression medium by sending it to the compressor, and means for sending the hot compressed vapors or gases from the compressor in heat exchanging relation to the vapor chamber for heating the incoming fluid in said chamber and thereby creating more vapors or gases from said fluid.

6. Apparatus for compressing vapors or gases comprising a vapor chamber adapted to receive liquid to be vaporized; an evaporator chamber in heat exchanging relation with the vapor chamher; a compressor adapted to draw vapor from the vapor chamber, to compress and thereby to heat said vapor, and to discharge said vapor into the evaporator chamber, whereby liquid in the vapor chamber is vaporized under reduced pressure, the compressed hot vapor in the evaporator chamber serves to heat the liquid in the vapor chamber thereby promoting vaporization of the liquid in the vapor chamber, and the vapor in the evaporator chamber condenses leaving a residue of liquid in the evaporator chamber; and means for utilizing a part of the condensed liquid in the evaporator chamber as a compression medium by sending it to the compressor.

'7. Apparatus for compressing vapors having in combination a vapor chamber adapted to receive liquid to be vaporized, an evaporator chamber in heat exchanging relation to the vapor chamber, a compressor within the vapor chamber adapted to compress and thereby to heat vapor in the vapor chamber and to discharge the said compressed vapor into the evaporator chamber, whereby the compressed vapor in the evaporator chamber serves to heat the liquid in the vapor chamber thereby promoting vaporization of the same, and the vapor in the evaporator chamber condenses leaving a residue of liquid in the evaporator chamber and means for utilizing liquid in said compressor in part as the compression medium.

CURTIS D. CHASE.

REFERENQES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,766,591 Bingham June 24, 1930 1,643,311 Abbott, Jr. Feb. 2, 1932 2,256,201 Hintze Sept. 16. 1941

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