Vapor generator

Claim 2

A vapor engine boiler comprising: a. elongated heat exchange tube means for conducting a working fluid along a path in thermal communication with a heat source means; b. first means extending along said heat exchange tube means and responsive both to the average temperature change in said heat exchange tube means below a predetermined temperature and to the attainment of Said predetermined temperature in any segment of said heat exchange tube means; c. second means extending along said heat exchange tube means and responsive to the average temperature change in said heat exchange tube means; and d. means responsive to said first and second means for producing a signal capable of influencing boiler operation when said predetermined temperature is attained at any segment of said heat exchange tube means.

Claim 3

A vapor engine boiler according to claim 1 wherein said first and second means each comprise a sealed sensing tube means filled with sensing fluid means, sensing fluid means in said first means vaporizing at said predetermined temperature and sensing fluid means in said second means vaporizing at a substantially higher temperature than said predetermined temperature.

Claim 4

A vapor engine boiler according to claim 2 further comprising means responsive to said first and second means for respectively producing one signal in response to the attainment of said predetermined temperature in any segment of said heat exchange tube means and another signal proportional to the average temperature change in said heat exchange tube means.

Claim 5

A vapor engine boiler comprising: a. heat source means; b. elongated heat exchange tube means for conducting working fluid along a path in thermal communication with said heat source means; c. sealed sensing tube means extending along substantially the entire lenght of said heat exchange tube means in thermal communication therewith, said sensing tube means having a total cross-sectional area which is small relative to the cross-sectional area of said heat exchange tube means; d. sensing fluid means filling said sensing tube means, said sensing fluid means vaporizing at a temperature corresponding to a predetermined maximum temperature for said working fluid, whereby, as the temperature of said working fluid reaches said predetermined maximum along any segment thereof, sensing fluid means within the adjacent segment of said sensing tube vaporizes to cause abrupt volumetric expansion of said sensing fluid means; and e. means responsive to abrupt expansion of said sensing fluid means for influencing the operation of said heat source means in response to the occurance of said predetermined maximum temperature at any segmental portion of said heat exchange tube means.

Claim 6

A vapor engine boiler comprising: a. heat source means; b. elongated heat exchange tube means for conducting working fluid along a path in thermal communication with said heat source means; c. sealed sensing tube means extending along substantially the entire lenght of said heat exchange tube means in thermal communication therewith, said sensing tube means having a total cross-sectional area which is small relative to the cross-sectional area of said heat exchange tube means; d. sensing fluid means filling said sensing tube means, said sensing fluid means vaporizing at a temperature corresponding to a predetermined maximum temperature for said working fluid, whereby, as the temperature of said working fluid reaches said predetermined maximum along any segment thereof, sensing fluid means within the adjacent segment of said sensing tube vaporizes to cause abrupt volumetric expansion of said sensing fluid means; and e. means responsive to abrupt expansion of said sensing fluid means for influencing the operation of said heat source means in response to the occurance of said predetermined maximum temperature at any segmental portion of said heat exchange tube means.

Claim 7

A vapor engine boiler according to claim 4 wherein said sensing fluid means extends along and engages said heat exchange tube means.

Claim 8

A vapor engine boiler according to claim 5 wherein said sensing tube means include expansion chamber means and said responsive means responds to expansion and contraction of said expansible chamber means.

Claim 9

A vapor engine boiler comprising: a. heat source means; b. elongated heat exchange tube means for conducting working fluid along a path in thermal communication with said heat source means; c. a pair of hermetically sealed sensing tubes extending along said heat exchange tube means in thermal communication therewith, said sealed tubes having a total cross-sectional area which is small relative to the cross-sectional area of said heat exchange tube means; d. sensing fluid means filling both said sealed tubes, said sensing fluid means being thermally expansible as a function of working fluid temperature; e. first expansion chamber means communicating with a first of said sealed tubes; f. first means biasing said first expansible chamber means to a compressed condition for applying to the sensing fluid means therein a first pressure level, said biasing means causing said sensing fluid means in said first sealed tube to vaporize at a temperature corresponding to a maximum temperature for said working fluid whereby, as the temperature of said working fluid reaches said maximum temperature along any segment of its length, said sensing fluid means within the adjacent segmental length of said first sensing tube vaporizes to cause volumetric expansion oF said first expansion chamber means for influencing operation of said heat source means in response to temperature conditions at relatively short segments of said heat exchange tube means; g. second expansible chamber means communicating with a second of said sealed tubes; and h. second means biasing said second expansible chamber means to a compressed condition for applying to the sensing fluid therein a second pressure level, said second pressure level being sufficiently high to cause said sensing fluid means in said second sealed tube to vaporize at a temperature above said maximum temperature for said working fluid, whereby two signals are produced, a first of said signals being proportional to temperature change below said maximum temperature and also responsive to the attainment of said maximum temperature along any segment of said heat exchange tube, the second of said signals being proportional to temperature change both below and above said maximum temperature and independent of said maximum temperature; and i. means responsive to said first and second signals for influencing the operation of said heat source means as a function of the occurance of said maximum temperature along any segment of said first sealed tube.

Claim 10

A vapor engine boiler comprising: a. heat source means; b. elongated heat exchange tube means for conducting working fluid along a path in thermal communication with said heat source means; c. a pair of hermetically sealed sensing tubes extending along said heat exchange tube means in thermal communication therewith, said sealed tubes having a total cross-sectional area which is small relative to the cross-sectional area of said heat exchange tube means; d. sensing fluid means filling both said sealed tubes, said sensing fluid means being thermally expansible as a function of working fluid temperature; e. first expansion chamber means communicating with a first of said sealed tubes; f. first means biasing said first expansible chamber means to a compressed condition for applying to the sensing fluid means therein a first pressure level, said biasing means causing said sensing fluid means in said first sealed tube to vaporize at a temperature corresponding to a maximum temperature for said working fluid whereby, as the temperature of said working fluid reaches said maximum temperature along any segment of its length, said sensing fluid means within the adjacent segmental length of said first sensing tube vaporizes to cause volumetric expansion oF said first expansion chamber means for influencing operation of said heat source means in response to temperature conditions at relatively short segments of said heat exchange tube means; g. second expansible chamber means communicating with a second of said sealed tubes; and h. second means biasing said second expansible chamber means to a compressed condition for applying to the sensing fluid therein a second pressure level, said second pressure level being sufficiently high to cause said sensing fluid means in said second sealed tube to vaporize at a temperature above said maximum temperature for said working fluid, whereby two signals are produced, a first of said signals being proportional to temperature change below said maximum temperature and also responsive to the attainment of said maximum temperature along any segment of said heat exchange tube, the second of said signals being proportional to temperature change both below and above said maximum temperature and independent of said maximum temperature; and i. means responsive to said first and second signals for influencing the operation of said heat source means as a function of the occurance of said maximum temperature along any segment of said first sealed tube.

Claim 11

A vapor engine boiler according to claim 7 wherein said responsive means responds to both said first signal and said second signal for influencing said heat source means as a function of the occurrence of said maximum temperature along any segment of said heat exchange tube means.

Claim 12

A vapor engine boiler comprising: a. heat source means; b. elongated heat exchange tube means for conducting working fluid along a path in thermal communication with said heat source means; c. sealed sensing tube means extending along said heat exchange tube means in thermal communication therewith, said sensing tube means having a total cross-sectional area which is small relative to the cross-sectional area of said heat exchange tube means; d. sensing fluid means filling said sensing tube means, said sensing fluid means being thermally expansible as a function of working fluid temperature; e. means for applying pressure to said sensing fluid means in said sensing tube means for establishing a predetermined vaporization temperature of said sensing fluid means whereby, as the temperature of said working fluid within any segment of said heat exchange tube means reaches a temperature level substantially equalling such predetermined vaporization temperature, said sensing fluid means within the adjacent segmental length of said sensing tube means vaporizes; and f. means responsive to vaporization of said sensing fluid means for influencing the operation of said heat source means.

Claim 13

A vapor engine boiler comprising: a. heat source means; b. elongated heat exchange tube means for conducting working fluid along a path in thermal communication with said heat source means; c. sealed sensing tube means extending along said heat exchange tube means in thermal communication therewith, said sensing tube means having a total cross-sectional area which is small relative to the cross-sectional area of said heat exchange tube means; d. sensing fluid means filling said sensing tube means, said sensing fluid means being thermally expansible as a function of working fluid temperature; e. means for applying pressure to said sensing fluid means in said sensing tube means for establishing a predetermined vaporization temperature of said sensing fluid means whereby, as the temperature of said working fluid within any segment of said heat exchange tube means reaches a temperature level substantially equalling such predetermined vaporization temperature, said sensing fluid means within the adjacent segmental length of said sensing tube means vaporizes; and f. means responsive to vaporization of said sensing fluid means for influencing the operation of said heat source means.

Claim 14

A vapor engine boiler according to claim 9 wherein said responsive means is also responsive to thermal expansion and contraction of said sensing fluid means for influencing said heat source in response thereto.

Claim 15

A vapor engine boiler comprising: a. heat source means; b. thermally sensitive working fluid for said vapor engine; c. elongated heat exchange tube means for conducting said working fluid along a path in thermal communication with said heat source means; d. sealed sensing tube means extending along a substantial length of said heat exchange tube means in thermal communication therewith, said sensing tube means having a total cross-sectional area which is small relative to the cross-sectional area of said heat exchange tube means; e. sensing fluid means filling said sensing tube means, said sensing fluid means being thermally expansible as a function of working fluid temperature; f. means for maintaining the pressure internal of said sensing tube means at a value which will result in vaporization of said sensing fluid means at a predetermined temperature substantially equalling the maximum temperature to which said working fluid can be heated without deterioration, whereby as the temperature of said working fluid within any segment of said heat exchange tube means reaches said predetermined temperature said sensing fluid means within the adjacent segment of said sensing tube means vaporizes; and g. means responsive to the expansion of said sensing fluid means attending such vaporization thereof for reducing the heat output of said heat source means.

Claim 16

A vapor engine boiler comprising: a. heat source means; b. thermally sensitive working fluid for said vapor engine; c. elongated heat exchange tube means for conducting said working fluid along a path in thermal communication with said heat source means; d. sealed sensing tube means extending along a substantial length of said heat exchange tube means in thermal communication therewith, said sensing tube means having a total cross-sectional area which is small relative to the cross-sectional area of said heat exchange tube means; e. sensing fluid means filling said sensing tube means, said sensing fluid means being thermally expansible as a function of working fluid temperature; f. means for maintaining the pressure internal of said sensing tube means at a value which will result in vaporization of said sensing fluid means at a predetermined temperature substantially equalling the maximum temperature to which said working fluid can be heated without deterioration, whereby as the temperature of said working fluid within any segment of said heat exchange tube means reaches said predetermined temperature said sensing fluid means within the adjacent segment of said sensing tube means vaporizes; and g. means responsive to the expansion of said sensing fluid means attending such vaporization thereof for reducing the heat output of said heat source means.