US10576A - lyman - Google Patents

Description

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A. S. LYMAN.

AIR ENGINE.

No. 10,576. Patented Feb. 28, 1854.

3 SheetsSheet 2.

AS. LYMAN.

AIR ENGINE. No. 10,576.

Patented F915. 28, 1854.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

A. s. LYMA'N,

AIR ENGINE.

No. 10,576. Patented Feb. 28, 1854.

A. s. LYMAN,,OF YORK, N. ,Y.

AIR-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

ToaZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, A. S. LYMAN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented new and useful improvements in engines for generating power by means of the expansive force derived from heated air and gases, also by means of the expansive force of liquid carbonic acid and other ex-' pansible liquids; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the principles of my invention and of the construct-ion andoperation of the same, reference'being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this f specification. v v In order that the nature and extent of my improvements may be readily understood, I will begin by stating wherein my engine 1 resembles Sterlings air engine and wherein;

it differs from that and from all others in? use; It resembles St-erlings engine in the; fact that two strong vertical, and nearly; air tight cylinders, called generating cylinders, are connected, one with each end of working cylinder, in which a piston movesi in the usualmanner. Each of these generat- 1 ing cylinders contains va generating plunger,, which moves up and down, for the purpose; of displacing the air. When this plunger} is at one end of. the generating cylinder thel air is at the other, and as one end of this! cylinder is kept at a high temperature and the other cold, as is practicable, when the; air is brought to the hot end it has its tem-,

perature and pressure increased; when it is brought to the cold end its heat and pressure? are diminished. VVhile moving from one end of the generating cylinder to the other,

it passes through a multitude of narrow vend of the working cylinder to the other.

There were, however, several serious defects in Sterlings engine, which prevented its general introduction, and these defects are common to all other high pressure air engines with which I am acquainted.

10,576, dated February 28, 1854 A great obstacle to the success of Sterl' ingsor other air engines has been their liab hty to leak when a high pressure has been attempted. This difficulty has been so great as to render it not only impracticable to attempt the use ofair under a very great pressure, but utterly impossible to use carbonic acid "in a liquid state, which expands and contracts by given changes of temperature three or four times as much as air, and for other reasons is believed -to be moreeconomical. But in my improved apparatus so long as there is aproper supply nothing but water or oilcan, in any case, leak out, or escape,

or metal. Even when charged with liquid carbonic acid, under one hundred *atmos pheres pressure, the acid would not tend to leak through its case any more than the same amount of water would under the pressure of one atmosphere 0nly.. j-

Another obstacle to the success of air engines, which is often said tobe insurmountfrom any joint, or through thepores of iron sojf able, is the burning out of thejheatingsurface. But in this ap'paratusgthe heat is applied through the medium of water, or

other suitable liquid, and it is not possible to overheat so as to burn the metal. f:

.Another difliculty in the way of'the success of air engines has resulted from the nature of the fluid used in them. IWhi le steam 1s a lubricator, hot air generates fridtion, and rapidly destroys the,cylinder and packing. To avoid thisdestruction"and-- wasteof power, more particularlythe leak-s caused by it, some have used the air from p the cold end of the generating cylinder, but this has always been done atthe expense of a large amount of fuel wasted. In case the air was so heated as to double, its tension, it 7 would require twice ,as much fuel-when the working cylinder wassupplied from the cold end as whensupplied f r om-the hot 'endof the generating cylinder. In my improved engine, the whole ,wo'rking cylinder i's'fillecl with water, and the generating cylinders also, except the r upper ends, whichareo'c cupiecl by Lthei'hOtair chambers, theheat repositories, and the generating plungers,

and the hot air chamberis enlarged, as the piston recedes from it, so: that all ,the air is kept hot, the piston is in effect driven with hot ,ial though the working c-ylinder is Lilli 6f coldwater, 7 Again, it is very common remark with authors'on steam and the Steam Engine Gr. Renwick,

page 251) that the maximum performance of the low pressure engine takes place when I UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

the Velocity of the piston is from 250 to 280 feet per minute, because'the whole tension of the steam acts as a pressure on the piston only; when that is at rest and with every increaseof velocity, the pressure must be diminished. The above remark is probably correct, as applied to the ordinary steam engine, or to any of the forms of air engines that have been made public, for it is a common and a very serious defect with all of them that they pass the steam or air through contracted pipes between the'boiler or generator and the working cylinder. These passages being only from to the area of the cylinder, the air or steam must pass through them from 10 to 30 times as rapidly as the piston of the engine moves. That is, when the piston of the engine travels 250 or 280 feet per minute the steam or air must move from 2500 to 8000 feet per minute in its passage to the working cylinder. 1

My fourth, improvement consists in combining the generating cylinders with the opposite ends of the working cylinder di- .rect, and dispensing with these contracted pipes, by making the passages as large as the working cylinder in area, so that the piston may be driven as fast as the motive power moves, without the loss of power from the above mentioned cause.

A fifth source of loss has resulted from the application of the heat to the lower end of the generating cylinder, while, at the 85 same time, the attempt has been made to keep the upper end of thiscylinder cold by the application of cold water upon it. But air being heated its specific gravity is lessened, and it rises, and currents are formed 10 of hot air rising from the lower or heated end through the heat restorer into the cold part, while currents of cold air flow clownward. The heater and cooler thus each tend to neutralize the effect of the other.

improved engine, I apply the heat in the upper part of thegenerating cylinder and the cooling fluid in the lower part, so that 'while the heated air rises, and the cold air falls, it does not tend to destroy the effect of theheat restorer, but rather to .render it more perfect.

A sixth source of loss has arisen from the fact that the heat restorer, as commonly Composed made, has been very defective. principally of metal,.it hasconducted the heat from the hot to the cold side. When made of sheets of metal separated by nonconducting substances, it did not allow free passage for the air. In my improved engine, I use glass tubes and rods, from the size of ahair upward, standing vertical and parallel, the air passing through them length- -wise, the upper end being hot and the lower end cold. As glass is a very bad conductor, the heat is not so much conducted down- In my ward by it, and fuel is thus saved that was wasted by the other plans, While at the same time the air, liquid carbonic acid, or other fluid passes more freely through this heat restorer than through those ordinarily in use.

Plate 1, is a horizontal plan of my improved engine. Plate 2, is a side view. Plate 3, shows the sections. Plate 4, is a vertical section on a larger scale, showing more clearly the internal arrangement.

Plate 3. Figure 1, representsa vertical longitudinal section, through the principal parts. Fig. 2, is an end view of some partswith a section of others. Fig. 3, is a horizontal section through one cylinder, atJD, D (Fig. 1), and through the other at D, D";

heating tubes and one of the series of cooling tubes. Fig. 4, is a section through the rocking shafts and their appendages. Fig. 5, is an end view.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures.

A, A, A, A, the generating cylinders; B,

working cylinder; J, the working piston in i this cylinder; E, E, the generating plungers moved up and down in the generating cylinders by F, F, the plunger rods, with their lower ends toothed to correspond with, and receive the teeth of G, the toothed segments which, by their partial revolutions, raise and 6, b, b, b, &c., is a also a horizontal plan of one of the series of i a a represents ing the lower flanges in the same manner .and surrounded by cold water; 0, 0, 0, c, a

cap attached to the outer edges of the upper flanges by an air tight oint.

n, n, represent the short cylinder connecting the middle flanges at their outeredges, and together with these flanges and the inner cylinder forming a chamber which has no openings, except by the heating tubes,

0, C, and the cooling tubes, C", C"; a, a, the heat repository, or heat restorer, (called by Ericsson the regenerator). This consists of a great number of glass, rods and tubes, from the size of a hair upward, standing vertical and prevented from falling into the tubes by a few sheets of wire gauze, upon which the glass tubes and rods rest. Glass being a very bad conductor of'heat', the tubes and rods may be short, and although their upper ends may remain at a hig'htemthis regenerator than-through the same, distion,

tance of wire gauze. B, B, a short'cyli'nder extending down from the lower flange, an forming with it 'andthe inner cylinder the cold air chamber; F, F, a flange extending out a short distance fromthe cylinder, in-. closing-the heat repositories, for the pur-f pose of supporting the heat repositories, the

heating tubes, (0), and the coolingtubes,

((1), whichzare 'all connected "together,

This flange:.-restsF-upon the-outer case, ;or generating cylinder, (A, A) There are also small openings through this flange vertically, for the purpose of' allowing the free passage of the water,-or othen-liquid, up and down between the external strong. iron cylinder, for sustaining the pressure, and

the internalithin copper cylinder for con- I p cam is such that the generating plunger taining theiair. 'm,'m, rings offload conducting material, introduced between the flanges of theupper and lower or the hot and coldparts of the outer case. The case is divided at thatspo'int, and separated, by bad conducting material, for the purpose of preventlngwas'te of-fuel,.that would otherwise occur. 25, ?3, small screw'plugs for the purpose of letting out the air from the :narrow space between thestrong outer case and the internal coppercylinders and tubes,v containing-theY-a1r.- s Fig. 2 X, is the passage between the gen-; erating cylinder and the working cylinder. The area, of this. passage isasilarge as that of the working cylinder. 1, is;the piston rod.' I 1:;

Figs. 1 and 4:, R, is the square link arm, with a sliding box, -23, in the link, through the center-of, which the pin S, is fixed, serv ing as the connecting pin forzthe connecting rod from the cam frame, P, toP, P, P,, are the guides to the cam frame, moving in the brass boxes which are shown in ajsecwith a plan of a part ofthe cam frame, N, is a cam 1'01'1 the-shaft, M. N, is the other cam in -its relative position to; the cam, N, to produce a proper movement of thegenerating plungers, (b), (b). 1

Fig. '2: A, is the box in wh' h the toothed segment, G, Fig. 1, is worked; S, i the shaft, 'andG, thearm,-by, means ofwhich this segment is worked. G, G, are. caps. to the shifting boxes, inwhich the shaft, S, of the toothed segment rolls. g?

Figs. 3 {and 5: H- S, S,S, H, arethe hot water circulating tubes, thedirectionof the currents represented by the arrows. C, S, S, S, C are the cold water circulating tubes. The furnace under the hot water tubes and the box containing the reservoir of cold water surrounding the refrigerating tubes are not shown.

piston-recedes from it and the air Fig. 4: S, is the; small rocking shaft, to whichthe link -arm,'R,-1, and the rocking;

{arms,R,l, and R, 1, areattached. S,;is

a vshaft whichturns' around the surface-of the: shaft, S, and to which are keyed, thelink arm, R,'2, and-the rocker arms, R, f2, d ,R,,2.' (Z, (Z,

1 shaft moves.

are boxes in which theinner O, 2,and 0,1, are lifting rods attached to the block, 25, Fig. 1, which *p lSS and move vertically? through holes "bored, {through bot-h shafts, in line with the center iof the link blocks, and oftheir respective, rocker arm connecting pinsyr, 1'. The'lower. fends of the lifting rods, marked, 2 and 1,. are slotted in' a link which is at right angles and in the same plane with the vertical 'links, R, 1, and R, 2. A pin-attached to the end of a lifting arm, worksin these small limbs, 2 and 1, by which the generatving plungers stroke.

aregiven a-full' or partlof a It will beperceived that the form will be brought from the lowest to the highest point of its movement in the shortest practicable space; and consequently the air. in, that cylinder will be cooled in theshort est practical time. It will also. be seenthat;

the form of thecam is such that the generating plunger will be brough down about, two thirds of its stroke in,this case in the. shortest practicable time, when it will mofve slowly, so that the hot air chamber shall.

be enlarged only .asfast as the-working shall not expand down through the cooler. Byfthusf gradually enlarging the hot air chamber, during the entire stroke of the piston,itilis" evident, that a great saving of fuelmaybe effected;

. Directions for charging the ertiqz' rw. Tubes leading from. a common reservoir (not: shown) connect w th thelower part of'leach of the generating cylinders through self- .acting valv es;w That separate reservoir is. I charged to any desired pressure, andtheairf permltted to escape freely into both of the generating cylinders through these valves. They are consequently uniformly charged withthe same pressure when the air. is of the same temperature in each, if theengin isin operation. 1 If it is desired to'chargewith air to a pressure of 600 lbs. perIinch,

we first charge the whole working and gen erating cylinders with a pressure of 2001 lbs.- We' thenforce 1n water-until the whole ap-l parat-us is'about two-thirds full; Thiswater is easily pumped .inunder a pressure of.,50'0 or 800 lbs, and itc'ompresses nearly all the air up under 'the internal copper cylinder.

Iioos'en the small screw plugat the top ofv I the outer case until the air contained between the'internal copper cylinder andthe outer case has all escaped by it. When; the .water.

, begins to escape from the plug, itlis tight-Z ened. Small plugs are also loosened at the highest point of the circulating tubes of the refrigerator and the air permitted to escape. WVe have here three cylinders surrounding the air or other driving power. 1st. The thin copper cylinder. This cylinder is open only at the bottom, and the air, from its less specific gravity, remains in it. 2d. The cylinder of water surrounding this copper cylinder and completely lining the outer case.-

3d. The strong outer case. -Now it is plain that nothing but water can leak from the outer case, for nothing but water comes in contact with it inside, solong as there is 7 sufficient in the engine to prevent the air or other driving fluid from expanding, so as to more than fill the inner copper cylinder, and

ner cap, between it and the outer iron case.

On being heated, this water, and that in the coil, expands, and a small quantity passes down through the holes in the flange F, Plate 4:, supporting the internal copper cylinder tubes, etc., and forcing the cold water, before it compresses the air or other driving power, still higher up under the inner cylinder.

The operation is as follows: Whenthe engine is started by moving the starting bar,

so as to bring the generating plunger nearest to the working piston downward, then the air which is in the cooling tubes, C", and in the space, (0), below them will rush up through the heat restorer and through the heating tubes, C, and occupy the space above the plunger, 6, b. The space in the cooling tubes, C, and below them first occupied by the air is now filled with the cold water displaced by the generating plunger in its downward movement, The air in passing through the upper part of the heat restorer and the heating tubes, C, is heated, and consequently expanded. The same movement of the starting bar that brings one generating plunger down and heats the air raises the other generating plunger and forces the air above it, down through the heating tubes, C, the heat repository, a, where it leaves most of its heat, into the cooling tubes, C, and the chamber, (C), below. This air is consequently cooled and condensed. The air being thus suddenly expanded in the space back of the piston and condensed in front of it, the piston is forced to the other end of the cylinder, when, by the movement of the cams, the position of the generating plunger is reversed and the pressure transferred to the other side of the piston, and thus the reciprocating motion is produced.

What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The'mode of preventingthe waste of the compressed air, liquid carbonic acid, or other driving power, by interposing between it and the oute'r cylinder of the engine, a reservoir of water, or other suitable liquid, substantially in the manner described.

2. I claim the mode of applying the heat to the generating power, through the agency of water, or other liquid, in the manner substantially as specified; thus avoiding. the possibility of burning and scaling themetal, and also greatly increasing the extent of heating surface.

3. I claim the mode of preventing the loss of power, otherwise caused by the expansion of the air, liquid carbonic acid,or other driving power, in passing through the repository and refrigerator, and being cooled and condensed before the working piston has completed its stroke, in the manner described-that is, by movingthe generating plunger downward, as the working piston recedes from it; thus enlarging the heating chamber as fast as the air or other fluid expands. 1

4. I claim the combination of the gener- 'at-ing cylinders, with the opposite ends of the working cylinder direct; thus dispensing with contracted passages and pipes, and causing the piston to move as rapidly as the working fluid moves. i

5. I claim the construction of the heat repositories, and restorers, of small glass tubes, or glass rods, arranged substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

6. I claim the combination of the heater, the repository, and the cooler, substantially as described, the heater being above the re pository, and the cooler below it, so that as the heat rises, it does not tend to destroy the effect of the repository, but rather renders it more perfect. a r

7 I claim thepartial isolation or separa tion, of the upper part of the outer case, containing the heating liquid, from the lower part containing the cooling liquid,by the introduction of bad conducting material between them.

8. I claim the combination of the external heater, with the internal heater, and the combination of the external refrigerator, with the internal refrigerator, substantially as specified, for the purposes set forth.

A. S. LYMAN.

Witnesses:

D. H. MEGIE, TIMOTHY D. JACKSON.

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