US1084265A - Refrigerating apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

I J wi bnmeoi imam B. N. FRIED-MANN. REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7, 1912.

Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD N. FBIEDIIANN, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

REFBIGERATING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD N. FRIED- MANN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerating Apparatus,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a means for removing the foreign, non-condensable gases thatcollect in the tops of ammonia condensers, with recovery of the entrained ammonia.

It is a well known fact that air, nitrogenous, hydro-carbon and other non-condensable gases which collect in the top part of an ammonia condenser considerably reduce the capacity of the latter as well as seriously impairing the efficiency and economy of the entire refrigerating system. Heretofore the practice has been for the attend.- ant to occasionally blow-off the collected gases, but it resulted also that a great deal of ammonia gas escapedsimultaneously and was consequently wasted.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a means for recovering the ammonia gas intermingled with the foreign gases that are drawn off from the top of the condenser.

A particular object is to liquefy and revturn the recovered ammonia to the working system.

A further object is to purge the apparatus of liberated foreign gases and to indicate to the attendant when these gases have been removed.

A still further object is to simultaneously remove the non-condensable gases from a battery of condensers, connected up with a single apparatus for recovering the entrained ammonia.

In the accompanying drawing which exemplifies the invention in one of its forms, parts are shown diagrammatically andparts are shown in section.

Inthe said drawing, the numeral 1 represents the inlet of gas from the condensing side of either a com ress'ion or' absorption system, 2 is the con enser, here shown as an atmospheric horizontal coil-condenser, though the invention would work equally well with a submerged or any other kind of condenser, 3 are the drains which relieve the condenser of liquefied ammonia at different levels, 4 is a liquid ammonia receiver to which the drains lead, 5 is the pipe which Patented Jan. 13, 19 14.

Application filed February 7, 1912. Serial in. 675,959.

supplies water on top of the condenser, and 6 is a valve by means of which the top of each condenser can be shut off individually. The hereinbefore enumerated elements are type of condenser used in ice and refrigerating systems.

7 is a header which connects up the tops of a number of condensers placed side by side, 10 is a line of pipe which connects the header 7 to a tankl5; and 11 is a valve for shutting oif this gas line when making repairs or for inspect-ion, 12 is an operating valve ordinarily used' for admitting the gases to or shutting them off from the tank or other receiver 15. The said receiver 15, while preferably in the form of a tank may be of any other suitable form or construction. It is located above the condenser so that the recovered ammonia will drain back under its own head into the working system. The gas receiver of whatever form is provided with cooling means having a'temperature very considerably lower than the temperature of the incoming gases. The nature of this cooling means may be varied considerably. It is shownas a coil 16, in the interior of the tank, and by preference it is a direct ammonia expansion coil. The gas shell held bynieans of an annular flange 17 to a,botton1 18, where the ends of the coil 16 pass through said bottom, glands with interposed packing form tight joints. When the cooling means is a direct ammoniamonla expansion valve 20, which is 0011- nected up at one side with the coil 16 and at the other end with a liquid line 21 standing in communication with the liquid receiver 4. The other end of the coil 16 is desirably provided with a valve 22, by means of of the system can be shut off.

15 serves to indicate the amount of liquefied at one end through the side of the tank and at the other end with a connection 26 entering the bottom of the tank, which slopes toward this outlet. This construction enables the operator to tell at a glance the smallest amount of liquefied ammonia contained in the tank, and furthermore it permits the entire contents of the tank and the gage glass 25 to be drained.

28 and 29 are angular valves at the top receiver of the tank form shown comprises a which the return line 23 to the suction side A gage glass 25 at the bottom of the tank ammonia therein. Said gage communicates the standard or conventional parts of one expansion coil, there is employed an amis opened.

and bottom of the gage glass controlling the communication thereto. The connection 26 may be closed or opened to any degree by means of a valve 27.

30 is a pipe connection which constitutes a continuation of 26 and permits the liquefied ammonia in the tank 15 to drain back 4 into the liquid line 21 or any other place in the system where liquid ammonia is stored or contained. An outlet connection 35 is attached to the top of the tank 15, for permitting the escape of the non-condensable gases through a pipe 37 when a valve 36 The end of the pipe 37 issues into a water receptacle 38. A, branch connection 39 leading ofi from 35 carries a pressure gage 41 which indicates to the operator the pressure in the gas receiver. A valve 40 may be used to cut out the pressure gage 41.

In operation, the gas line 10 is open con nccting the top of the condenser (one or more) with the gas receiver 15. Meanwhile the expansion of ammonia is going on within the coil'16. Due to the cooling effect at the pressure obtaining, the ammonia entrained with the non-condensable gases will fall or settle on the bottom, the amount being indicated by the gage glass 25. The operator by opening thevalve27 permits the liquefied ammonia from time to time to drain back into the liquid line 21, by virtue of the head of the liquid in the tank. Periodically the valve 12 will be closed, the valve 27 also being closed, and the valve 36 opened. The non-condensable gases trapped under pressure in the gas receiver Will immediately seek their way out through the pipe 37. The escape of these gases is manifested simply by bubbles rising through the water in the receptacle 38, whereas ammonia gas in finding its way out will produce a crackling sound similar to that of steam issuing directly into water. The operatorthen closes the valve 36. Of course, if no ammonia comes, the fluctuations of the pressure gage 41 indicate that the tank has been emptied of gases; and the operating cycle can be resumed by opening of the valve 12.

Havingdescribed my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent and claim is z- 1. The combination with an ammonia condenser, of a gas receiver,-a gas line connecting the top of said condenser with said receiver, means within the receiver for cooling the gases admitted therein so as to condense the entrained ammonia, and means for drawing of? the liquefied ammonia from the receiver.

2. The combination with an ammonia.condenser, of a gas receiver tank having a cooling coil, a gas line connecting the top of said condenser with said tank, and means for drawing 01? the liquefied ammonia from said tank. 7 V

3. The combination with a refrigerating apparatus includin an ammonia condenser, of a gas receiver having an ammonia expansion coil for cooling, means for supplying said coil with refrigerant from sai system, means for drawingoff the foreign noncondensable gases from the top of said condenser into said receiver, and means for drawing ofi the liquefied ammonia from said receiver and returning it to said system.

4. The combination with an ammonia condenser, of a gas receiver, a valved passage between the top of said condenser and said receiver, means internal of the receiver for cooling the gases admitted thereinto so as to liquefy the entrained ammonia, a valved outlet for drawing off the liquefied ammonia from said receiver, and a valved escape from thereceiver for non-condensable gases.

5. The combination with an ammonia condenser, of a gas receiver, a valved passage between the top of said condenser and said receiver, means located inside the receiver for cooling the gases admitted thereinto so as to liquefy the entrained ammonia, a valved outlet for drawing off the liquefied -an'nnonia from the bottom of the receiver, a

liquid gage at the bottom of said receiver, a pressure gage connected with the receiver, and a valved escape from the upper part of said receiver for non-condensable gases.

6. The combination with a refrigerating apparatus includin an ammonia condenser and a liquid line, of an elevated gas receiver having an ammonia expansion coil for cooling,connected with said liquid line, a valved passage between the top of said condenser and said receiver, a valved escape from the receiver for the non-condensable gases, and a valved return passage for liquefied ammonia between the bottom of said receiver and said liquid line.

7 The combination with an ammonia condenser, of a gas receiver, a valved passage between the top of said condenser and the top of said receiver, means disposed internally of said receiver for cooling the gases admitted into the latter so as to liquefy entrained ammonia, a valved outlet for drawing off the liquefied ammonia from the receiver, a valved escape passage from the receiver for the non-condensable. gases, and a liquid container into which said escape passage discharges.

Signed at the borough of Manhattan in the county of New York and State of New York this 3rd day of February'A. D. 1912.

EDWARD N. 'FRIEDMANN. Witnesses:

H. C. KARLsoN, W. H. GEE.

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