US1222642A - Multiple refrigerating apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

E. C. LOETSCHER. MULTIPLE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9.1915.

Patented Apr. 17, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

E. C. LOETSCHER. MULTIPLE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9, 1915- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Apr. 17, 1917.

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EMTL CfLOETSCHER, F DUB'UQ'UE, IOWA.

MULTIPLE nnnnrennarrne nrrnnntrus.

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I 7 mm Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 17, 1211?.

Application fllec'l April 9, 1915. Serial No. 20,128.

To all whom itmay camera:

Be it known that I, Elan. G. LoE'rscHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dubuque, in the county of Dubuque and State of 'Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Multiple Refrigerating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The refrigerating apparatus herein shown is only a part of a refrigerating system since the particular point of novelty of the invention to be herein described resides in Fig. 2 is a view similar toFig. 1 showing aslightly modified arrangement of parts.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 wherein three refrigerating members are shown.

Fig. 4 is' a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a further modification.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational View of my improved refrigerating apparatus parts in section.

Referring now more particularly'to the drawing, the refrigerators l0 and 11 may be of any desired form and are herein shown a as one located above the other, to illustrate the fact that the refrigeratorlO may be upon the first floor of-a building and the refrigerator 11 may be upon the fifth floor of a building or, in fact, at any point in the building above the refrigerator 10. "The refrigerating member 12 for the refrigerator. 10 and the refri crating member 13 for the iave heretofore been moreparticularly described in my application for refrigerator, 11

improvements 1n refrigerating" apparatus filed March 24,1915, Sr.*No.H16,55l.an need not be herein further described. Y

The refrigerating member 12 comprises a chamber 14 similar to the chamber 15 in the refri crating member 13. r The pipe 16 leadsto t e rectifying coil of a refrigerating machine of the absorption type. The pipe with 17 leads to the condensing member of the refrlgerating machine. The coil 18 is submerged in a brine-tank 19 and both of its ends are in communication with the chamber 14. The function of the coil is to evaporate the refrigerant in the refrigerating member 12. I

The coil 20 submerged in the brine-tank 21 performs the same function as the coil 18. A pipe 22, having a relatively small inter1or diameter, is connected to the chamber 14, preferably near the bottom thereof, and to the chamber 15 preferably near the top thereof. A pipe 23 is connected to pipe 16 at one end and has-its other end terminating within the chamber 15. The refrigeratlng systems, which the apparatus herein specifically identified is adapted to form part of, comprise 5) a generator-absorber 46, which is provided with a vapor conveying member 47 that extends upwardly from .the generator-absorber and is then bent upon itself with its discharge end entering the equalizing member 48. An absorption pipe 49 disposed near the bottom of the generatonabsorber is connected to the equalizing member by the extension pipe 50, the upper end of the extension pipe projecting beyond the lower end of the vapor-conveying member 47 so as to form an overflow pipe for the liquid in the equalizing member.

A rectifying coil 51 has one end in communication with the equalizing chamber 48 with .the coils thereof located within the condensing tank 52. Within the generator-- absorber is a cooling coil 53 the upper end of which is located in thecondensing tank at a point slightly below the highest everflow level. A check valve 54 is located in the upwardly extending portion of the cooling coil 53.

A cooling medium, such as water, is supplied to tank 52 by means of a water supply pipe 55 The condensing chamber 56 is provided with a single inlet and-outlet communicating member 5'? that forms part. of

the pipe 17, while the rectifying coil 15 is connected to pipe 16. Thermostatic means are employed for intermittently applying and shutting off the heating agent, designated as a whole by the numeral 58 and herein shown as electrically operated through the medium of the electrical energy received pressure compared with the pressure in the generator-absorber when the same is heated. As a consequence of the reduction in pressure, the liquid within the condenser of the refrigerating apparatus is transferred into the refrigerating member, filling 1t to the level as indicated at (A). The pipe 22, opening into the chamber'14 at a point near the bottom thereof, is also filled with refrigerant to approximately the same level as the level of the refrigerant within the chamber 14.

The refrigerant now evaporates in the chamber 14 and also in the pipe 22. As the pipe 22 is of comparatively small diameter, the liquid therein will form alternate layers or slugs of liquid and evaporated'refrigerant. Under this evaporating influence the slugs of liquid will rise in the pipe 22, being impelled forward partially by the force of the liquid pressure in the chamber 14, which is greater than the pressure of the alternate layers or slugs of liquid and gas in the pipe 22, and partially by the expansive force of the evaporating refrigerant itself, until a portion of the liquid is deposited in the chamber 15.

v -This recess is continued as long as there is any liquid in the chamber 14, and of such a height as to surround the lower end of the pipe 22. As the pipe 23 is, in communication with the pipe 16, the pressure within the chamber 15 is practically the same as within the chamber 14 and the refrigerant in each of these chambers will evaporate 1n proportion to the amount of heat introduced through the coils 18 and 20.

In the apparatus shown, in Fig. 2, the parts bearlng reference numerals corresponding to the reference numerals applied to Fig. 1, performsimilar functions.

The chambers 14 and 15 in this modification are in communication with each other through the medium of the pipe 22 which is so connected to the chamber 14 that a portion of the refrigerant therein will flow to the chamber 15 by gravity,- instead of being forced upward through the pipe 22 as heretofore described. In this arrangement however, it is necessary to have the chamber 15 at a lower level than the chamber 14 so that a gravity flow will be obtained. Subsequent evaporation in both refrigerating members 1 takes place as heretofore described. In Fig. 3 I have shown a system wherein two or more refrigerating members may be connected to a single machine.

The refrigerating members or chambers 24, 25 and 26 are similar in function and operation to the chambers 14 and 15 within the refrigerating members 12 and 13. The pipe 16 which is connected to the rectifying coil of the refrigerating apparatus, enters the chamber 26, terminating at the level in- (licated at (e). The pipe 16 has one end terminating Within the chamber 26 near the top wall and its other end projecting-into the chamber 25, terminating at the level indicated at f). The pipe 16 has one end terminating within the chamber 25 near the top wall and its other end entering the chamber 24 and terminating at the level indicated at (9).

During the generating process the anhy drous gas passes through the pipe 16 into chamber 26, thence through the pipe 16 into the chamber'25 and thence through the pipe 16 into the chamber 24 and finally into the condensing member of the refrigerating machine through the pipe 17.

When the absorber of the apparatus is cooled, the pressure in pipe 16 is reduced causing a corresponding reduction in pressure in the refrigerating member 26, the

pipe 16, refrigerating member 25, the pipe 16 and refrigerating member 24. As a result of this reduction in pressure the liquid from the condenser is transferred through the pipe 17 into the refrigerating member or chamber 24 filling it to the level as indicated at (a). Since pipe 16 is the only outlet for the liquid within the chamber 24, and as the pressure within this chamber is greater than the pressure within the tube 16", all of the liquid in the chamber 24 above the lower end of the tube 16, is forced upward into said tube and deposited in the chamber 25, filling it to the level indicated at (15). The liquid thus deposited in the chamber 25 will be transferred to the chamber 26 and into as many chambers thereafter as the system may be provided with, assuming, of course, j that there is a suflicient amount of refrigerant within the apparatus to fill the various chambersto the proper gavel in order to obtain the necessary over- When these chambers have been filled with liquid, as described, the process of evaporation and refrigeration continues until all of the liquid therein has been evaporated.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a system of connecting one or more; refrigerating members with a refrigerating machine using expansion valves for each refrigerating member.

The refrigerating coils 27 and '28 are connected to the chambers 29 and 29. These naaaeaa chambers 29' and 29 are in communication with the pipe 16 that leads to the rectifier of the refrigerating apparatus. One end of each coil 27 and 28 is enlarged as indicated at 30 and 30 for receiving floats 31 and 31. The upper ends of said floats are provided .with wires 32 and 32 respectively. The pipes 33 and 33 are in communication with the chambers 29 and 29 respectively and their upper ends carry expansion valves 34 and 34 The expansion valve 34 comprises an outer casing 35, a cap 36, a filtering medium 37, preferably of porous stone, and a ball check valve 38. The expansion valves 34 and 34 are each provided with a partition 39 and each partition is provided with an orifice 39 in axial alinement with the wires 32 and 32* carried by the floats 31 and 31*. The function of each wire is to restrict the flow of the refrigerant through the orifices 39?, when the coils 27 and 28 are filled to a certain level, whereby when the flow of refrigerant is checked, expansion of the gases will take place within the coils. The pipe 40 serves as the communicating means between the valve 34 and the pipe 17. The pipe 17 is in direct communication with the expansion valve 34.

An. extension pipe 41 is connected to the pipe 17 and partially surrounding the lower end thereof is a thermostatic member 42, one end of which is secured to the pipe 41 and its free end moves into and out of contact with the contact point 43. The wires 44 and 45 connect the thermostatic member to the electrical circuit employed in refrigerating apparatus such as shown and described in my application, Serial Number 16,551 of the series of 1915.

- Theoperation of the apparatus as shown in Fig. 4, is as follows: Assumingthat the process of generation is going on, the gas passes from the rectifier through the pipe 16'- into the chambers 29 and 29*. From these chambers itpasses up through the tubes 33 and 33 through the valves 34 and 34 and whereupon the wires 32 and 32? will enter thence into the pipe 17 to the condenser, at which point the refrigerant gas is condensed to a liquid.

Now assuming that the process of generation has been terminated and the absorption process has begun, the liquid in the condenser is forced into the pipe 17 and through the valves 34 and 34 into the chambers 29 and 29*, thus filling the refrigerating coils 27 and 28. As soon as the refrigerating coils are filled, thefloats 31 and 31 will rise,

the orifices 39 and thus restrict the flow: of

the refrigerant. As the" refrigerant evaporates the coils '27 and 28, the floats will fall and thus a constant level of refrigerant in the coils 27 and 28 will be maintained until all of the refrigerant in the condenser passed through the temperature causes the thermostatic member to move toward the contact point 34 until it strikes the same, thus closingthe electric circuit and starting another cycle of operation. It is, of course, desirable to place the pipe 41 with its thermostatic member at a point substantially midway between any two refrigerating coils of the system so that the thermostatic member will not be affected by either refrigerating member, and will thus start a new cycle of operation when both refrigerating members are in substantially the same condition.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1 In refrigerating apparatus of the ab sorption type comprising a generator-absorber and a condenser, the; combination therewith of a main refrigerating member, means for introducing a refrigerant into said main refrigerating member under .generator pressure, an auxiliary refrigerating member, communicatingv means between said main and auxiliary refrigerating members,'means for conveying the refrigerant to said auxiliary refrigerating member under reduced pressure and communicating means between said auxiliary communicating means and said reduced pressure communicating means.

2. In refrigerating apparatus of the absorption type comprising a generator-absorber and a condenser, the combination B ll bers having different pressures, a plurality of refrigerant members one of which is directly connected to the high pressure come municating member and communicating means between said refrigerant member and the low pressure communicating member.

3. In refrigerating a paratus of the absorption type and provi ed with a generatorabsorber and a condenser, the combination therewith of a main refrigerating member and an auxiliary refrigerating member, a high pressure refrigerating distributing member connected to said main refrigerating member and a connection between said main refrigerating member and said auxiliary refrigerating member, said auxiliary refrigerating member being in communication with the absorber of the apparatus.

ber and an auxiliary refrigerating member, a high pressure refrigerating distributing member connected to said main refrigerating member and a connection between said main refrigerating member and said auxiliary refrigerating member, said auxiliary refrigerating member being in communication with the generator-absorber of the apparatus and said communicating member between said auxiliary and main refrigerating members extending into said main refriger.

ating member and below the normal level of the liquid therein.

5. In refrigerating apparatus of the ab- 15 sorption type comprising a generator-absorber and ,a condenser, the combination therewith of a low pressure and a high pressure refrigerant distributingmembers, communicating means between said members for conveying a refrigerant material to the same, and thermostatic means connected-to said communicating means between said distributing members, and operated by the temperature of the refrigerant in said communieating means.

EMIL C. LOETSCHER.

W'itnesses J. \V. LOETSCHER, E. S. LACI-INER.

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