US2548051A

US2548051A - Mobile vaporizer system

Info

Publication number: US2548051A
Application number: US638405A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alvin W Peck
Original assignee: Phillips Petroleum Co
Current assignee: Phillips Petroleum Co
Priority date: 1945-12-29
Filing date: 1945-12-29
Publication date: 1951-04-10
Anticipated expiration: 1968-04-10

Description

AprilllO, 1951 v A, w, PECK 2,548,051

MOBILE VAPORIZER SYSTEM Filed Dec. 29. 1945 MVM ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 10, 1951 MOBILE VAPORIZER SYSTEM Alvin W. Peck, Bartlesville, Okla., assignor to Phillips Petroleum Company, a. corporation of Delaware Application December 29, 1945, Serial No. 638,405 6 Claims. (Cl. 126-2712) This invention relates to vaporizers. In one of its more specific aspects it relates to vaporizers for use with liquefied petroleum gases. In a still more specific aspect it relates to vaporizers which are adaptable for use in conjunction with tractorweed burner assemblies.

Flame methods for the killing of weeds have gained in usage in the cultivation of certain crops asa substitute for mechanical cultivating or cutting methods and especially for hand methods. It is for the purpose of further widening the use of llame methods of weed killing and/or cultivation that my invention is mainly directed.

One object of my invention is to provide a liquid hydrocarbon fuel vaporizer for use with Weed burning equipment on tractors.

Another object of my invention is to provide a liquid hydrocarbon fuel vaporizer for use with weed burning equipment on tractors wherein the vaporizer serves to vaporize fuel for the tractor as Well as for the burner.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a liquid hydrocarbon fuel vaporizer wherein an exhaust mui-ller mechanism serves to furnish heat for the vaporization of the fuel.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a liquefied petroleum gas vaporizer for use on a tractorweed burning assembly wherein the tractor muffler serves to furnish heat to vaporize liquefied petroleum gas for fuel for the Weed burner as well as for the propulsion of the tractor.

Still other objects and advantages of my invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art from a careful study of the followingdescription, which taken in conjunction with the attached drawing forms a part of this specification.

In the drawing, Figure l represents digrammatically the assembled apparatus.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic cross sectional View of a preferred form of my muffler-vaporizer apparatus.

Referring now to the drawing and especially to Figure l, a tractor assembly II is illustrated embodying the muffler-vaporizer shown in detail in Figure 2. The tractor itself may be substantially any kind or type of tractor. It is adapted, however, for the use of a relatively low-boiling type of hydrocarbon fuel. As, for example, equipment is readily available, and in fact in common use, for the storage, transportation and use of liquefled petroleum gases, such as propane,'=butane or mixtures of these.

Such hydrocarbons as propane or butane boil at temperatures below normal atmospheric temperature and therefore must be stored in pressure.

vessels. For the carburetion of such a fuel, and

'especially for the vaporization of the fuel at a relatively rapid rate, the vaporization equipment becomes so chilled due to the latent heat oi' evaporation that its usefulness becomes questionable. I have found that by the use of a modified type muliier in combination with a conventional type muffler, that relatively rapid evaporation may be continued for long periods of time thereby providing successful and practical operation.

Referring again to the tractor assembly II of Fig-ure 1, an exhaust manifold pipe I2 is connected with a pipe I3 which is equipped with a cutout valve I4, adapted to move around a pivot point I 5. This cutout valve is opened and closed through movement of a, rod I 'I which is attached to cutout valve I4 through a lever arm I8 and pivot member I6. In this assembly the cutout valve member I4, is of course, located inside ofthe pipe I3. The pivot member I5 extends through the walls of the pipe I3 and may be attached rigidly to the valve member I4. The arm I8 is attached to one end of said pivot member I5 and is situated outside of the pipe I3. At the opposite end of the arm I8 is of course the pivot member I6 and at this Ip'oint is attached the cutout valve actuating rod This actuating rod I'I is moved by the action of a bellows I 9, the operation of which will be hereinafter explained.

As mentioned hereinbefore one end of the pipey I3, which carries the cutout valve I4, is attached to the exhaust manifold pipe I2. The other end of the pipe I3 is adapted to be attached to two pipes, identified by numerals 20 and 2l. The pipe 2| is adapted to convey exhaust gases from the manifold I2 by way of cutout pipe I3 to a conventional muilier 23 while pipe 20 carries exhaust gases through my vaporizer-muffler 22. From this vaporizer-muflier a pipe 3| serves as an exhaust pipe. y

Connected to the vaporizer-muffler 22 is a pipe 26, carrying a valve 32, which pipe is adapted for conducting petroleum gas fuel to a burner mechanism 33. An arm 34 serves mainly as a support to steadyJ the burner during operation and at times when'the tractor is in motion.

A pipe 2l is adapted to carry vaporized fuel from the vaporizer to a carburetor 35 for tractor power use and has a throttle valve 43 positioned therein between said vaporizer and said carburetor. A pipe 25 extends from the lower extremity of a pressure fuel tank 24 to the vaporizer 22 and has a cut-off valve 45 posi- 3 tioned therein. Filler valve 48 is positioned in the inlet to pressure fuel tank 24.

The vaporizer-muffler mechanism 22 is shown in cross sectional detail in Figure 2. An interior portion 31 is for the most part a conventional mufiier. This muffler portion is bounded by a sidewall 38 and end walls 39. Several baffles 36. situated within the muiiier walls are intended merely to be diagrammatic since any desired type of baiiles may be used within such a mufiier.

Outside the cylindrical muffler wall 38 is a concentrically spaced outer cylindrical wall 40. This outer wall 40 and the muffler wall 38 are so arranged as to form an annular space 30 therebetween. This annular space 30 is the actual vaporizing space for the vaporization of the liquefied petroleum gas, and heat for this vaporization is supplied through the mufiler wall 38.

The tube or pipe 25 which carries liquid fuel from its storage tank 24 to the vaporizing space 30 contains a iiow control valve 42 which in turn is connected by way of a tube 4I to the vaporizing chamber 30. This flow control valve 42 is so adjusted that as pressure in the vaporizing space 30 reaches a predetermined maximum value, the valve operates 'to throttle or to close off liquid fuel flow through pipe 25. Similarly. when the pressure of the vaporized gas reaches a predetermined minimum value, the valve 42 operates to open and permit fiow or to permit increase of flow of liquid fuel to be vaporized. Such a flow control valve is known in the art and is readily obtainable from commercial supply houses.

A chamber 28 contains such a material as ethylene glycol, and this material has fluid communication w1th the bellows control apparatus I9 through a tube 29. This fluid controller mechanism is intended as an operating control to prevent overheating of the vaporizer mechanism. When the fluid in chamberr28 becomes heated, an increase of fluid pressure is transmitted by way of tube 29 to the interior of a main bellows 43. When this pressurevincrease occurs the main bellows becomes extended and the rod I1 moves in a downward direction. To magnify this movement of rod I1, an interior bellows 44 is installed in the mechanism as shown in Figure 2, and upon increase of fluid pressure in the space between the two bellows, the top of the interior bellows also moves downward. This combined movement moves rod I1 and accordingly pivot point I6 to such an extent that the cutout valve I4 rises to close off or to throttle the flow of hot exhaust gas from the manifold I2 to the vaporizer 22. Then when the vaporizer 22 cools to such an extent as to cause a decrease in pressure in the bellows assembly I9 to a predetermined value, the rod I1 and pivot I6 rise to open the cutout valve I4 and thereby increase iiow of hot exhaust gas through the vaporizer. commercially available bellows controllers are adjustable to the extent that temperatures for opening valve I4 and for closing valve I4 may be determined by considerations for best overall operation. Other fluid than ethylene glycol may be used in such a controller, as desired, and depending at least in part upon the type of controller selected and upon the temperature of operation.

In the operation of this vaporizer mechanism for the dual purpose as herein shown, liquefied petroleum gas to be vaporized passes from pressure storage tank 24 through pipe 25 and through the iiow controller 42 into the vaporizing space 36 of the vaporizer 22. Heat from the engines exhaust gases passes through the wall 38 and in so doing causes evaporation of the liquid fuel in the chamber 30. If the flow of liquid entering chamber 30 through tube 25 is more rapid than the equivalent removal of fuel vapor through

pipes

26 and 21, pressure will build up in the chamber 36 and be transmitted through tube 4I to cause the control valve 42 to close. And when pressure in the vaporizer 30 decreases to a predetermined value this valve 42 then opens to permit flow of liquid. Throttle valve 43 operates to prevent gas under excessive pressure from reaching carburetor 35. Valve 43 causes a pressure drop 1n line 21 when pressures therein are higher than those desired for operation of carburetor 35. Filler valve 46 operates to prevent the escape of gas through the fuel pressure tank inlet. If desired, pressure of fluid flowing into vaporizer-mufiler 22 can be greatly reduced by partially closing cut-off valve 45.

During such times as when the weed burner 33 is not in operation the evaporation load on the evaporator 22 is relatively small, and the evaporator tends to overheat. This tendency is reduced or controlled by the fluid-bellows control mechanism in such a manner that as the fluid in chamber 28 becomes hot, an increase of fluid pressure is transmitted through tube 29 into the bellows assembly. This assembly operates to lower the rod I1 and accordingly to raise the cutout valve I4 and to cause the exhaust gases from the engine to flow through the auxiliary muffler 23 in place of through the evaporator 22. In this manner the evaporator 22 does not become overheated. Then as evaporator 22 cools, the fluid in chamber 28 cools and contracts reducing fluid pressure which allows rise of the rod I1. When rod I1 rises, the cutout valve I4 lowers thereby causing all or a part of the hot exhaust gases to pass through the vaporizer 22.

In this manner suicient exchange heat is readily available to vaporize suiiicient liquefied petroleum gas to operate the tractor engine and the weed burner. Overheating of the vaporizer is guarded against and flow of liquid fuel into the vaporizer is controlled.

The vaporizer-muffler unit 22 should be well constructed and especially so from the point of view of gas leakage. Exhaust gas should not leak into the vaporizing chamber and likewise vaporized petroleum gas should not leak into the muffler portion of the vaporizer.

Materials of construction may be selected from among those commercially available. They should be able to withstand gas engine muilier temperatures, etc. The type and kind of control bellows may be selected from among those available. Other means for operating the cutout valve I4 may be employed, if desired, but such means should preferably be responsive to temperature of the vaporizer 30.

It will be obvious to those skilled in such art that many variations and modifications of my invention may be made and yet remain within the intended spirit and scope of my invention.

Having disclosed my invention, I claim:

1. In a system having a liquefied petroleum gas storage tank, a separate liquefied petroleum gas vaporizer assembly having an internal combustion engine type muiiler with an engine exhaust gas inlet and an exhaust gas outlet; a jacket surrounding said muier and forming an enclosed space therebetween, a liquefied petro- 15 leum gas conduit communicating between said storage tank and said enclosed space, a ow control valve situated in said liqueed petroleum gas conduit and actuated by pressure within said enclosed space, a gas outlet tube from said enclosed space, said engine exhaust gas inlet comprising a tube adapted for communication with an en gine exhaust manifold pipe and having a side opening, and means for opening said side opening and closing said exhaust gas inlet and opening said exhaust gas inlet and closing said side opening to alternatively divert the gases from said muffler.

2. The liquefied petroleum gas vaporizer assembly of claim 1 wherein the gas outlet tube has a throttle Valve therein.

3. The liquefied petroleum gas vaporizer assembly of claim 1 wherein said means for opening and closing said side opening is adapted to be responsive to the temperature of said jacket.

4. In a mobile vaporizer system including a gas consuming internal combustion engine power plant; a fuel supply system comprising in combination a muffler having an inlet and an outlet, a jacket surrounding at least a portion of said muier and forming an enclosed vaporizer space therebetween, an exhaust gas conduit connecting said internal combustion engine and the inlet of said muffler, a liquefied petroleum gas storage tank, a rst conduit connecting said storage tank and said jacket. a second conduit connecting said jacket and said internal combustion engine, a third conduitextending from said jacket, said third conduit being for connection with any additional gas consuming device which is movable therewith, a ilow control valve in said irst conduit, said flow control valve being responsive to pressure within said vaporizer space, a ow control valve in said third conduit; an exhaust gas outlet intermediate the ends of said exhaust gas conduit, a cutout valve in said exhaust gas outlet to divert gases from said muffler, and actuating means for opening and closing said exhaust gas outlet connected to said cutout valve.

5. The mobile vaporizer system of claim 4, wherein said actuating means is temperature responsive and extends between said jacket and said cutout valve.

6. The mobile vaporizer system of claim 4, wherein a throttle valve is positioned in said second conduit.

ALVIN W. PECK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

Claims

1. IN A SYSTEM HAVING A LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS STORAGE TANK, A SEPARATE LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS VAPORIZER ASSEMBLY HAVING AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE TYPE MUFFLER WITH AN ENGINE EXHAUST GAS INLET AND AN EXHAUST GAS OUTLET; A JACKET SURROUNDING SAID MUFFLER AND FORMING AN ENCLOSED SPACED THEREBETWEEN, A LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS CONDUIT COMMUNICATING BETWEEN SAID STORAGE TANK AND SAID ENCLOSED SPACE, A FLOW CONTROL VALVE SITUATED IN SAID LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS CONDUIT AND ACTUATED BY PRESSURE WITHIN AID EN-CLOSED SPACE, A GAS OUTLET TUBE FROM SAID ENCLOSED