US2130386A - Muffler and ventilator system - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 20, 1938.

,1. s. FLUOR, JR. ET AL 2,130,386

MUFFLER AND VENTILATOR SYSTEM 1 Filed May 4, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet l I I JE FMSNz/w? Jr.

Sept. 20, 1938; J. s. FLUOR, JR; El AL 2,130,386

' MUFFLER AND VENTILATOR SYSTEM Filed May 4, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jain; SI /awn Jr. l ar/i'. ZlLJsh,

Sept. 20, 1938. V J. s. FLUOR, JR.. ET AL 2,130,336

MUFFLER AND VENTILATOR SYSTEM Filed May 4, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 v I J Patented Sept. 20, 1938 PATENT err-"Ica- MUFFLER AND VENTILATOR SYSTEM John s. Fluor, Jr., and Park w. Ash, santa Ana, Calii'., assignors to The Fluor Corporation Ltd., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application May 4,1936, Serial No. 77,819

17 Claims.

This invention has for its general purpose to provide a novel heating and ventilating system for stationary engine plants, that utilizes the heat from an air cooled exhaust pipe and/or muffler system to supply heat to the engine room when needed, and which, if desired, may utilize the exhaust pipe and mufiier cooling system as a 7 through which air is circulated to cool the pipe and the combustion gases. In suchsystems the air flow may conveniently be induced by virtue of the high velocity discharge of gases at the muifler outlet. In such systems, and as broadly contemplated by the invention, the exhaust pipe and mufller cooling air may be taken either from the engine room or from the outside atmosphere. Systems of this latter type comprise the subject matter of Patent No. 1,966,620, issued to John S. Fluor, Jr., on July 17, 1934, for Muflier.

By the present invention we are able to adapt such systems to serve the combined purposes of cooling the exhaust gas conduits, and supplying warm air to the engine room for Purposes of heating. And, as mentioned, the same system optionally. may include provision for exhausting warm air from the room. Ordinarily, the engine rooms are of large size and involve considerable expense for heatingin cold weather, since the heat radiated from the engines is then insufilcient to keep the' room warm. On the other hand, the radiated heat greatly increases the normal summer temperatures to the extent that it is highly desirable to keep a rapid flow of warm air from the room. Obviously, by being able to incorporate in the exhaust pipe and muiller cooling system, means for utilizing the ordinarily wasted exhaust gas heat for the purpose of heating the room when required, and, in the same system, means for cooling the room, we are able to effect substantial economies, as well as to combine in simple and inexpensive form, the equipment required to serve all the above mentioned purposes.

The present system has various features of,

' control that enable it to operate in such manner as to conform with the desired temperature conditions to be maintained in the engine room. Normally, the system may operate to circulate air to the exhaust pipe and muiiler, without af fecting the room temperature. When it becomes necessary to heat the room, the system may then be adjusted to discharge'all or a portion of the warm air heated by contact with the exhaust pipe and mullier, into the room and, if desired, to simultaneously exhaust air from the room. Or, .for the purpose of cooling the room atmosphere, the system may be adjusted so that the exhaust pipe and muiiler cooling air stream acts to draw warm air from the room.

All the above mentioned features and objects of the invention, as well as its various details of construction and operation, will be more fully understood from the following dewription of certain typical and illustrative forms of the invention. Throughout the description, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig.1 is a side elevation, partlyin section, illustrating a typical dual engine exhaust pipe and mufller cooling system embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the dual exhaust pipe and air conduit arrangement;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation as viewed irom line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged section showing' the air controlled valve at the outlet end of the mufller; and e Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating a variational form of the invention.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, we show an engine room l0 having side walls ll, ceiling l2 and floor l3, below which is a space H containing the foundations for the diagrammatically illustrated internal combustion engines I5 and 15, see Fig. 5 2. Each of the typically illustrated engines has two pairs of exhaust pipes l6 discharging into pipe [1 which connectswith a main exhaust pipe [8 extending through the side wall I let the room at l9, and connecting at its outer end with a vertically positioned mufller 20. The muflier 20 is shown somewhatdiagrammatically with the understanding that it may be of any suitable type and construction. The mufller is mounted within and annularly spaced from a vertically extending stack, generally indicated at 2|, comprising a lower,shell 22 of comparatively large diameter,

an intermediate upwardly tapered portion 23, and a discharge pipe 24.

As best illustrated in Fig. 4, the combustion gases are discharged upwardly from the mufller outlet 25 into the throat formed'by the tapered wall 23 of the stack, the gases creating, by reason of their high velocity flow, an upward draft Y inducing an upward flow of air within the annular passage 2 between the mufler and the stack typical, a vertically adjustable valve 21 mounted all within the lower end of the stack outlet pipe 24, and movable downwardly to a seating position of engagement with a frustro-conical flange II on the upper end of the muiller outlet 26. 'Ihe valve 21 comprises a cylindric portion 2! slidably fltted within the pipe -14, and carrying a pair of 7 bolts ll projecting outwardly through vertical guide slots 3! in the wall of the pipe. The valve is held in open positions by nuts 32 that are taken up against the outside of the pipe, and the bolts are extended, as shown, to provide handles for naming the valve. The lower end 33 of thevalve is flared outwardly to correspond with the angularity of bafile 28 of the stack'wall 28, so that in its clomd-position, see Fig.1, the valve seats flatly upon flange 28, and in its wide open position, the flared portion ll flts the stack wall 23.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, the exhaust. pipes l0, l1 and I are jacketed by a conduit,

generally indicated at 34, through. which air is drawn from the room interior along the surfaces of the exhaust pip and thence into the stack Ii. Conduit it includes a pipe it placed concentrically about the exhaust pipe II and having an inlet end "a connecting with a jacket I,

t (the jacket being fltted over the inlet end or the pipe) and an outer endjolned at 31 to shell I! of the stack. The jacket ll. serves as a removable air conduit applied to those portions of the exhaust pipes close to the engine. As shown in l 'l 2, each Jacket includes branches "a made up of half-sections 31 and II bolted together along flanges I8, and placed about exhaust pipes l|,- the upper ends of the branches a being closed about the exhaust pipes as indicated at N.

; Jacket sections". and II are attached at ll to the inlets ll of a section lib of thejacket placed about exhaust pipe II, and composed'of halfsictions l2 and 0 bolted together along flanges Air is taken into the exhaust pipe surrounding conduit trough an inlet pipe ll projected into the end of jacket I and extending upwardly through floor ll of the room. Pipe II is closed at its upper end and is provided with suitable means whereby the draft of air into the pipe from the room may be regulated. .As typical, the inlet pipe is shown to carry a rotatable air valve ll having ports Ila movable into and out of registration with similarly arranged ports in the pipe,"

' During operation; at normal atmospheric tem-' peratures, and when there is no necessity for heating the engine room ll; valve 21 is kept open a ,so that in each engine and muiller'unit, the up ward draft induced the discharge of combustion gases mm the muner outlet It, acts to draw air into the conduit through the inlet valve: II and pipe ll, then through annular es II .and 41 between the exhaust pipe II, and jacket It and conduit II, respectively, and thence upthrough themuilier surrounding e 22 into the stack outlet pipe2l. In-this manner, there is induced. a rapid circulation of air along 1 substantially the full lengths of the exhaust pipe and mother, thereby coolingth'e parts and lower- .ing of the exhaust gases. At the same time, the circulated air becomes heated, and it is one of our primary objects to utilize the ordinarily lost heat thus transferred to the air, for the purpose of heating the engine room.

The stack shells 22 are connected at points below the muiller outlets by a conduit ll, see Fig. 3,

* tion,'and conduit 48 may be closed ofl from the stacks by any suitable means, as for example blind flanges (not shown) inserted between the flanges of the joints at It. It may be mentioned at this point that while we have shown as a typical embodiment of the invention. a system involving a dual arrangement of engines, exhaust pipes and muiilers, together with the air cooling jacketsand stacks, the invention is in no way limited tothis dual arrangement and may be adapted equally well to a single unit system.

Assuming now that it is desired to heat the engine room, the valve 21 is dropped to closed position asshown in Fig. Land the blower ll is started into operation to draw the heated air from the mufller surroundingpassages I: through conduit ll, and to discharge the air through pipe 5| into room ll.

Both the temperature and quantity of the warm air being forced into the room may be controlled in any suitable manner. rotatable sleeve valves 53, see Fig. 3, on conduit 4! may be adjusted to cool the air stream being discharged into the room, by permitting the blower to draw into the conduit through the valve controlled openings 54, the proportion of atmospheric air necessary to keep down the temperature of the air delivered to the room. Also we may regulate the quantity of air being dis-' For example..-

movedto the left to increase the flow of air matically indicated at F, for conditioning the air being passed into the room.

In the operation ofthe invention as explained in the foregoing description, the exhaust pipe and muiller. cooling airinitially is taken from the engine room and may either be discharged to the atmosphere, or returned to the room for heating purposes. In Fig. -5 we show a varies tional form of the invention in its details to the previously described embodiment,.except that it-provides. a system for initially taking air from the atmosphere outside the. room and circulating it, either with or without additional air being drawn from the room,-in the manner previously described. In thevariational form, theopen end of ccnduit'll' terminates beyond the inlet-end of exhaustpipe ll to prosuitable means, such as a damper 63, whereby an adjustable proportion of room air may be admitted.

In operation, assuming damper 63 to be closed, all the cooling air is drawn from the atmosphere outside the room through passage 66 between pipe 62 and conduit into the open end 6i of the conduit, and thence through pas- ,sage 6'! into the mufiler stack. As before, the

air heated by contact with the exhaust pipe and muiiier either may be discharged to the atmosphere, or it may be returned to the room through pipe 59 'forheating the room. The system illustrated in Fig. 5 has an advantage in that fresh air from the outside atmosphere is taken in to heat the room. By opening damper 63, the systern may operate simultaneously to remove air from the room and to maintain a downward circulation of warm air from pipe 56 to the exhaust pipe air conduit.

The invention also contemplates adapting either of the described systems for operation in a manner such that the blower acts to force cooling air along the muflier and exhaust pipe toward the engine, and thence into the room or to the outside atmosphere, instead of the air fiow being induced in the opposite direction by the blower suction or muiiler discharge according to the previously described methods. Thus, reierring to Fig. 1, under some circumstances it may be, desired to reverse the blower 33 (with valve 2?? closed) so as to cause air to be drawn through pipe 55 either from the room interior of outside atmosphere, depending upon the-adjustment of the damper 55, and to be discharged by the blower along the mufiler and exhaust pipe in a direction countercurrent to the exhaust gas flow. The warm air finally is discharged from the exhaust pipe conduit through pipe ii and the air valve it into the room atmosphere,

Assuming the system shown in Fig. 5 to be operated with the blower reversed. air taken in through pipe 58 is forced along the muffler and exhaust pipe to the outlet end 6! of conduit 35', and thence is discharged through passage 66 to the atmosphere outside the room. Provision is made whereby a portion only, or if desired, substantially all the heated air, may be discharged into the room, by installing an adjustable damper 83 within the open end 52a of the outer pipe 62. As will be apparent, the system is capable of operating to take air either from the upper interior of the room .or the atmosphere outside,

and to discharge the air after it becomes heated by contact with themufller and exhaust pipe, to

either or both the room interior or outside atmosphere. y

We claim:

1. In a stationary engine plant the combination comprising an exhaust pipe extending from the interior to the exterior of a room and connected toan enginetherein. a muflier connected to said. exhaust pipe outside the room and the interior of the room and discharging the air to the outside atmosphere by the velocity eiiect of the combustion gases discharged from the muliier, and an annular valve within said passage, said valve being adjustable from the outside of said conduit to restrict the flow of air being drawn from the room.

2. In a stationary engine plant the combination comprising an exhaust pipe extending from the interior to the exterior of a room and connected to an engine therein, a muiiler connected to said exhaust pipe outside the room and discharging the combustion gases to the atmosphere, an air conduit surrounding and spaced from said exhaust pipe and muflier and having an open inlet end within said room, means for drawing air through said conduit from the interior of the room and )discharging the air to the outside atmosphere by the velocity effect of the combustion gases discharged from the mufller, and an annular valve at the gas discharge end of said muflier, said valve being adjustable from the outside of said conduit to restrict the flow of air thus being drawn from the room.

3. In a stationary engine plant the combination comprising an exhaust pipe extending from the interior to the exterior of a room and connected to an engine therein, a muflier connected to said exhaust pipe outside the room and discharging the combustion gases to the atmosphere, an air conduit surrounding and spaced from said exhaust pipe and mufiier and having an open inlet end within said room, means for heating air by passing it through said conduit in heat transferring relation with the exhaust pipe, and means for discharging the heated air into the atmosphereof said room from lhat portion of said conduit surrounding the muflier. i

tion comprising an exhaust pipe extending from the interior to the exterior of a room and connected to an engine therein, a muiiier connected to said exhaust pipe outside the room and discharging the combustion gases to the atmosphere, an air conduit surrounding and spaced from said exhaust pipe and muflier and forming an air pas sage having an inlet within said room, means for heating air by passing it through said conduit in heat transferring relation with said exhaust pipe and muffler, a pipe extending into said room an d connecting with that portion of said conduit surrounding the muiller, and a blower for discharging the heated air from said conduit through said pipe into the room.

5. In a stationary engine plant the combination comprising. an exhaust pipe extending from the interior to the exterior of a room and connected to an engine therein, a muffler connected to said exhaust pipe outside the room and'discharging the combustion gases to the atmosphere, an air conduit surrounding and spaced from said exhaust pipe and mufiler and forming an air passage having an inlet within said room, means for heating air by passing it through said conduit in heat transferring relation with said exhaust pipe and muflier, a pipe extending into said room and connecting with that zportion of said conduit surrounding the muiiler, a blower for discharging the heated air from said conduit through said pipe into the room, and means for selectively passing the. heated air from the conduit to said blower or to the'atmosphere outside said room.

6. In a stationaryengine plant the combination comprising an exhaust pipe extending from the interior tothe exterior of a room and connected to an engine therein, a muiiier connected to said exhaust pipe outside the room and discharging the combustion gases to the atmosphere, an air conduit surrounding and spaced from said exhaust pipe and muiiier and forming an air passage, means for heating air by taking air from the atmosphere outside said room and passing it through a portion of said conduit within the room and .in heat transferring relation with said exhaust pipe and muiiier, a pipe connecting with said conduit at the muiiier and extending into said room, a blower for discharging the heated air from said conduit through said pipe into the room, and means for selectively passing the heated air from the conduit to said blower or to the atmosphere outside said room 7. In a stationary engine plant the combination comprising an exhaust pipe extending from the interior to the exterior of a room and connected to an engine therein, a mui'fler connected to said exhaust pipe outside the room and discharging the combustion gases to the atmosphere, an air conduit surrounding and spaced" from said exhaust pipe andfmuiiier and having -an outlet end extending beyond the discharge end the muflier, air being drawn through said conduit and discharged to the atmosphere by the velocity effect of combustion gases being discharged i'rom said end of the muiiier, and a valve positioned between the conduit and said dis- ,charge end of the muiiier, said valve b'eing adstream, a motor driven blower connected to said into said room,

conduit, a blower outlet conduit discharging and valve means tor selectively passing heated air from said conduit to the first mentioned means or to said'blower.

9. In a stationary engine plant, the combination comprising an exhaust pipe extending from ,the interior to the exterior of a room 'and con- 10. In a'stationary engine plant, the combination comprising an exhaust pipe extending irom the interior tothe exterior of a room and connected to an engine therein, means for conducting air along and inheat transferring relation with a substantial length of said exhaust pipe, said means comprising a jacket surrounding and spaced from the comparatively hot portion of the exhaust pipe extending toward the engine, means for inducing air flow through said jacket by the velocity oi exhaust gases discharged through said exhaust pipe, and means independable for discharging heated air from said jacket into the atmosphere of said room. 4

11. In a-stationary engine plant, the combinapipe, said means comprising a Jacket surrounding and spaced from the comparatively hot por: tion of the exhaust pipe extending toward the engine, means for inducing air flow through said jacket by the velocity of exhaust gases dis-- charged through said exhaust pipe, and means independent of the last mentioned means selectively operable for discharging heated air from said jacket into the atmosphere of said room.

12. In a stationary engine plant, the combination comprising an exhaust pipe extending from the interior to the exterior of a room and connected to an engine therein, means for taking air from the atmosphere outside said room and conducting the air along and in heat transferring relation with a substantial length of said exhaust pipe, said meanscomprising a 'jacket surrounding and spaced from the comparatively hot portion of the exhaust pipe extending toward the engine, means for inducing air now through said jacket by the velocity of exhaust gases discharged through said exhaust pipe, and means independent of the last mentioned means selectively operable ior discharging heated air from said jacket into the atmosphere of said room.

13. In a stationary .engine plant, the combination comprising an exhaust pipe extending from the interior to the exterior of a room and connected to an engine therein, means for conducting air along and in heat transferring relation with a substantial length of said exhaust pipe, said means comprising a Jacket surrounding and spaced from the comparatively hot portion of the exhaust pipe extending toward the engine, means for inducing air ilow through said Jacket by the velocity of exhaust gases discharged through said exhaust pipe, independent means selectively operable to pass air through said jacket, and means for selectively discharging heated air passed through the jacket by the last mentioned means either to the atmosphere outside said room or into the room atmosphere.

14. In a stationary engine plant, the combination comprising an exhaust pipe extending from the interior tothe exterior or a room and connected to an engine therein, means for taking air from the interior 0! said room and conducting the air along and in heat transferring relation with a substantial length of said exhaust pipe, said means comprising a jacket surrounding and spaced from the comparatively hot portion of the exhaust pipe extending toward the engine, means for inducing air flow through said jacket by the velocity of exhaust gases discharged through said exhaust pipe, independent means selectively operable to pass air through said jacket, and means for selectively discharging heated air passed through the jacket by the last mentioned means either to the atmosphere outside said room or into the room atmosphere.-

15. In a stationary engine plant, the combination comprising an exhaust pipe extending from the interior to the exterior of a room and connected to an engine therein, means for taking air from the atmosphere outside said room and 75 ent of the last mentioned means selectively operconducting the airalong and in heat transferring relation with a substantial length of said exhaust pipe, said means comprising a jacket surrounding and spaced from the comparatively hot portion of the exhaust pipe extending toward the engine, means for inducing air flow through said jacket by the velocity of exhaust gases discharged through said exhaust pipe, independent means selectively operable to pass air through said jacket, and means forselecti vely discharging heated air passed through the jacket by the last mentioned means either to the atmosphere outside said room or into the room atmosphere.

16. In a stationary engine plant, the combination comprising an exhaust pipe extending from the interior to the exterior of a room and connected to an engine therein, a mufller connected to the exhaust pipe outside said room, a conduit surrounding said exhaust pipe and muflier and forming a passage communicable with the muiiier outlet and through which air is conducted in heat transferring relation with the exhaust pipe, means for inducing air flow through said conduit by the velocity of exhaust gases discharged irom the muflier, and selectively operable means independent of the last mentioned means for discharging the heated air from said conduit into the atmosphere of said room.

1'7. In a stationary engine plant, the combination comprising an exhaust pipe extending from the interior to the exterior of a room and con- "nected to an engine therein, a muflier connected to the exhaust pipe outside said room, a conduit surrounding said exhaust pipe and muflier and forming a passage communicable with the muflier outlet and through which air is conducted in heat transferring relation with the exhaust pipe, means -for inducing air flow through said conduit by the velocity of exhaust gases discharged from the muflier, and selectively operable means independent of the last mentioned means for discharging the heated air from said conduit into the atmosphere oi said room, the last mentioned means including a motor driven blower discharging the heated air from a. point at the outside or the room into the interior thereof.

JOHN ,S. FLUOR, JR. PARK W. ASH.

Images