Section 74

No. 74. A Steam-Boiler from wich a hot-Air blast, or hot-Air mixed with Steam is blown into the Fire, and from which hot water flows on the introduction of cold.

THE construction of a boiler, on which if a figure is placed, shaped as if in the act of blowing, the figure shall blow on the coals and thus the boiler be heated: moreover, if an open spout project near the mouth of the boiler, nothing shall flow from it until we have first poured cold water into a cup; and the cold water shall not mix with the hot until it passes to the bottom of the vessel, while water extremely hot flows from the spout. The shape of the boiler having been determined at pleasure, in that part of it intended to hold the water a small chamber, perfectly air-tight, is intercepted between two perpendicular partitions. With this chamber a tube, one of those which pass under the coals, communicates near the bottom, one end of the tube being closed that no water may enter it from the boiler: the other tubes lead into the chamber where the water is. Thus when the coals are ignited they will generate vapour through that tube which leads into the small chamber. This vapour is carried along a tube which pierces the surface of the boiler, and through the mouth of the figure on to the coals, (for the figure must be bent so as to blow downwards;) and as vapour is always being generated, the figure is always blowing. The vapour is generated from the fire, and, if we pour a very small quantity of water into the small chamber, we shall produce more vapour, and the figure, blowing with great violence, will heat the boiler still higher: just as in the case of cauldrons exposed to fire we see smoke ascending from the water. The figure should be moveable by means of a double sliding tube, to allow of our pouring in the small quantity of water: and, at the same time, by means of this tube, whenever we do not require the figure to blow on the coals, we can turn it round in the opposite direction. On the surface place a small cup from which a tube leads to the bottom of the boiler, that when cold water is poured in, it may pass through to the bottom. In order that the boiler may admht of being filled when water is poured in, and, at the same time, that the water may not boil over and run out, let another pipe communicate with the cup on its inner surface, to avoid offending the sight. We will now expose to view the construction of the boiler. Set up a hollow cylinder (fig. 74), of which A B is the under surface, and C D the upper; and construct another hollow cylinder, with the same axis as the former, of which E F is the under surface, and G H the upper. On the outer edges of the cylinders let plates be fastened, so as to keep the cylinders together and cover the edges. In the cylinder E F G H place the tubes, 0 K, L X, M N, of which L X perforates the cylinder on one side only at X, while the other two are bored quite through at each end, and their orifices either way open into the space between the cylinders. Into the space intercepted between the two cylinders let down the partitions B G, H F, intercepting the chamber G H E F, into which the tube described above, perforated at one side only, penetrates. Place on the surface, that is on G H, a small tube having the figure attached to, and communicating with, it; the figure must be perforated throughout, and incline downwards so as to look towards the coals. That the figure may cease blowing whenever we like, let the tube on which it sits be fitted tightly into the other, so that, when we turn it round in the opposite direction, the figure will no longer blow on the coals but away from the boiler. We shall also find this sliding tube useful for pouring water into the chamber G F B H, for, after raising the figure from the tube on which it is placed, we can pour the water through, and thus more vapour will be passed along into the figure. On the surface H C let a cup, R S, be placed; communicating with the interior, and having a tube at its extremity reaching down to the bottom of the boiler with the exception of a passage for water. When we desire to let the hot water out, we must pour in cold through R S; this will pass through the tube which communicates with the cup into the chamber of the warm water, which will ascend and flow out through the spout near the neck, for the cold water which has been introduced will not yet have mingled with the warm below. As often as this is repeated we shall obtain warm water for the cold we throw in. In order that we may know when the boiler will bubble up, the chasmatium is contrived, perforated throughout, and placed on the neck, a hole having been made in tile surface: it is furnished with a small tube which looks towards the cup R S, that, when the warm water ascends, it may be carried into the cup. Such is the construction of the boiler. If we prefer not to cut off the chamber F G E H through the whole length, but only for a portion of it, the partitions are made to reach half-way, and another is placed upon them, admitting through it a tube which extends up to the figure. When the fire is kindled there will be a rush of vapour from the small chamber, into which water will be poured as before.